Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone is a 1989 Japanese anime fantasy martial arts film, the fourth installment in the Dragon Ball film series, and the first under the Dragon Ball Z moniker. It was originally released in Japan on July 15 at the "Toei Manga Matsuri" film festival along with the 1989 film version of Himitsu no Akko-chan, the first Akuma-kun film, and the film version of Kidou Keiji Jiban. It was preceded by Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure and followed by Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest.

Plot

Almost five years later after following his defeat by Goku at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, Piccolo Jr. trains alone when he is caught in an ambush by a group of mysterious warriors. Chi-Chi, along with her father Ox King and son, Gohan, are attacked by the same group while her husband Goku is away fishing. He senses the danger his family faces and returns to find that his son has been abducted.