Is it over 8000 or 9000 Dragon Ball?

If you’ve spent any time around anime fans, you’ve probably heard someone yell “It’s over 9000!” at least once. This line has become one of the most iconic memes not just in anime culture but on the internet as a whole. But here’s the thing, some fans will tell you the original line was “It’s over 8000!” So which one is right? And why does this tiny difference matter so much to Dragon Ball fans? Let’s dig in.

The Scene That Started It All

The famous quote comes from Dragon Ball Z, during the Saiyan Saga. Vegeta and Nappa arrive on Earth, and the Z Fighters face off against them. When Goku shows up, powered up after his time training with King Kai, Vegeta asks about his strength. That’s when the scouter breaks and the now-legendary line is shouted: It’s over 9000! Or is it 8000? Depends on which version you’re watching.

The Dub vs the Original

In the original Japanese version, Vegeta’s line was “It’s over 8000!” (specifically, hassen in Japanese). The number wasn’t random—it was chosen because it felt impressive at the time while still within the range of power levels being measured in early Dragon Ball Z.

But when the anime was dubbed into English by Funimation, the line was changed to “It’s over 9000!” That single number swap turned out to have huge consequences. The voice actor, Brian Drummond, delivered the line with so much passion that it became unforgettable. Fans clipped it, shared it, and it took on a life of its own.

Why 9000 Stuck

Here’s the funny part—9000 wasn’t even more accurate or meaningful than 8000. But the delivery of the dub, combined with the number “9000” sounding just a little rounder, a little bigger, made it stick in fans’ minds. By the time the internet meme era kicked in during the mid-2000s, it was already too late. “Over 9000” was cemented as the version everyone quoted.

Even people who have never watched Dragon Ball know the meme. It’s been referenced in YouTube videos, parodies, reaction gifs, and even mainstream TV shows. Search for it today, and you’ll find endless variations of the joke.

The Power Level Obsession

Part of what makes this moment so special is how it plays into one of Dragon Ball’s quirks—power levels. In the early arcs of Dragon Ball Z, scouts were constantly measuring characters’ strength. It gave fans numbers to latch onto and compare, even though Toriyama himself admitted later that the system wasn’t meant to be consistent.

After all, if you really look at the series, power levels quickly spiral into nonsense. By the time Frieza shows up, characters is in the millions. Later, when you get to Dragon Ball Super, nobody even talks about numbers anymore. Goku and Vegeta are gods fighting in universes beyond human understanding.

But that’s exactly why “over 9000” still hits so hard. It was one of the last times numbers meant something concrete, before the scale blew out completely.

Fans Still Debate It

Some purists insist the true line will always be “over 8000” since that’s what the Japanese version said. Others don’t care, arguing that the dub’s delivery is what gave the line its legendary status. Both sides have a point.

Think of it this way: “8000” might be the canon, but “9000” is the cultural phenomenon. Without the dub change, it probably never would have gone viral.

Dragon Ball and Internet Culture

Dragon Ball has given us countless moments, Super Saiyan transformations, Goku’s Spirit Bomb, Gohan defeating Cell—but for some reason, it’s this silly line about power levels that became the most quoted. And maybe that makes sense.

Memes thrive on being easy to repeat, funny out of context, and exaggerated just enough to stick in your brain. “Over 9000!” checks all those boxes. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never watched Dragon Ball, you immediately get the joke.

Where to Revisit the Moment

If you want to see the scene again or even rewatch the whole Saiyan Saga, you don’t have to rely on fuzzy YouTube clips. You can dive back into the manga or anime easily these days. A good starting point is readdragonball.net, where you’ll find the Dragon Ball series and experience all the iconic moments that made fans fall in love in the first place.

Reading it in manga form also gives you a fresh perspective, since the original story doesn’t lean on memes—it just tells an epic adventure with humor, action, and heart.

Why It Still Resonates

At the end of the day, the “over 9000” debate isn’t really about numbers. It’s about nostalgia. It’s about that rush you felt the first time you saw Goku power up and realized the villains might actually be scared of him. Whether you say 8000 or 9000, the line represents Dragon Ball’s magic moments that are larger than life, moments you quote with friends years later, moments that somehow end up shaping internet culture forever.