Nathan Johnson, the Democrat elected Tuesday night as Texas attorney general, spent years composing the moody, wall-to-wall musical scores for Funimation’s English dub of Dragon Ball Z—67 episodes and five feature films—before trading his piano for a political platform, Vulture reported.
Johnson’s unlikely second career as an anime composer has become a defining biographical detail in a race that flipped the state’s top law enforcement office as part of a broader Democratic sweep of every statewide position Tuesday night. The 52.4 percent victor now holds one of the most powerful legal jobs in the country—and he once scored the scene where Vegeta kills Nappa.
Johnson’s Unlikely Path in Three Points
- Johnson composed music for 67 episodes and five Dragon Ball Z movies for Funimation’s English dub, a gig he held while raising a 1-year-old.
- He defeated state Senator Mayes Middleton with 52.4 percent of the vote to replace outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton, who lost his own bid for the U.S. Senate.
- The composer-politician plays piano and ocarina—the latter learned specifically for the anime score—and holds a bachelor’s degree in physics.
From Funimation’s Booth to the Texas Senate
Johnson’s musical credits predate his political ascent. While working on the Funimation dub, he wrote what he described as the “thinking man’s anime soundtrack”—moodier compositions rather than butt-rock-adjacent metal. “I wrote the musical scores, wall to wall, of 67 episodes of Dragon Ball Z and five of the movies,” Johnson said in a campaign-trail Reel. “I had a 1-year-old at the time, and I remember him sitting on my knee and stuff blowing up. He’s like, ‘Oh, Daddy Goku!’ He thought it was super cool. It gave me a creative outlet and a cultural connection that very few people have had the opportunity to have.”
He entered politics in 2018, winning a seat in the Texas State Senate representing parts of Dallas, and participated in the 2023 impeachment trial of then-Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Dallas Observer notes that Johnson remains one of the few local politicians who consistently answers reporters’ emails—a habit that surfaced the DBZ factoid repeatedly in his office over the years.
The Five Films That Framed a Political Career
Johnson’s filmography spans the franchise’s most iconic theatrical moments. He laid down tracks for the introductions of Frieza, the death of Nappa at Vegeta’s hands, and the reveal of Other World—DBZ’s heaven.
| Film | Notable Context |
|---|---|
| Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest | Early theatrical entry in the Funimation dub era |
| Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might | Part of the original movie run Johnson scored |
| Dragon Ball Z: Broly — Second Coming | Featured the introduction of major franchise antagonists |
| Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn | Later-era film in the 67-episode-plus-five-movies body of work |
| Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon | Closing entry in Johnson’s theatrical scoring slate |
Tuesday Night’s Kamehameha in the Lone Star State
Johnson captured 52.4 percent of the vote against Senator Mayes Middleton of the Houston area, a result that capped a night in which Democrats won every statewide office, the Texas House, the governor’s office, and a U.S. Senate seat. Paxton, Johnson’s predecessor, lost his own closely watched race for the U.S. Senate to James Talarico. The attorney general’s office has historically served as a launching pad for higher office—outgoing Governor Greg Abbott and Senator John Cornyn both held the post before Paxton.
The Dallas Observer reports that he primarily plays piano but also learned the ocarina, an ancient wind instrument similar to the recorder, specifically to perform on the DBZ score. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in physics. When asked whether his familiarity with struggles of good versus evil helped Democrats win statewide, Vulture dryly noted: “Sure, let’s go with that.”
Why the Anime Connection Resonates Now
For now, the man who scored the reveal of Other World will soon occupy one of the most powerful legal offices in Texas, and someone has compiled that score into a playlist on YouTube.
