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Dragon Ball
In a world of talking animals, martial artists, and strange gadgets, a cheerful, tail-wielding boy named Goku lives alone in the mountains, armed with a magic staff and a strength far beyond anyone his age. His quiet life changes when a girl named Bulma arrives, hunting for the seven Dragon Balls, mystical orbs that summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered together. Goku joins her on the quest, and what begins as a lighthearted treasure hunt quickly fills with colorful rivals, bumbling bandits, and the scheming Emperor Pilaf, who wants the Dragon Balls for himself. Along the way, Goku meets new friends like Yamcha, Krillin, and Chi-Chi, and discovers that the world has no shortage of martial arts masters ready to test him. Part comic adventure, part martial arts journey, it's a playful, high-spirited story about curiosity, friendship, and the thrill of getting stronger.
Dragon Ball Watch Order
Complete chronological watch order for the Dragon Ball franchise, covering where every series, season, and movie fits into the storyline.
Filler Note: Episode ranges below show full broadcast totals and do not separate out filler episodes. To check if this series has skippable non-canon filler episodes, open the Filler List tab.
Watch Dragon Ball in chronological story order below.
- Dragon Ball (Episodes 1–153): Start here, following the story from the Emperor Pilaf saga through the Piccolo Jr. saga.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 1–287): Spans from the Raditz saga through the Kid Buu saga; pause after Episode 287 before the ten-year time jump.
- Dragon Ball DAIMA (Episodes 1–20): Adapts the Demon Realm adventure set shortly after the Kid Buu battle.
- Dragon Ball Super (Episodes 1–131): Follows the God of Destruction Beerus saga through the Universe Survival saga (Episodes 1–27 retell the Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' movies, so you can watch either those episodes or the two movies).
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Movie): Required movie continuing the story after Episode 131 as Goku and Vegeta confront another surviving Saiyan.
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Movie): Required movie set after the Broly film as Gohan and Piccolo face a rebuilt Red Ribbon Army.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 288–291): Closes out the chronological timeline with the Peaceful World saga set ten years after the Kid Buu battle.
Note
This is the end of the main watch order, and everything below is optional.
Besides the main story, there are extra entries that are not part of it, and you can watch them if you want.
Extras for Dragon Ball
These go with the original Dragon Ball series.
TV specials:
- Dragon Ball: Goku's Traffic Safety
- Dragon Ball: Goku's Fire Brigade
Non-canon films:
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (after the Emperor Pilaf saga, Episode 13)
- Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle (after the Tournament saga, Episode 28)
- Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (after the Tien Shinhan saga, Episode 101)
- Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (after the Piccolo Jr. saga, Episode 153)
Extras for Dragon Ball Z
These go with the Dragon Ball Z series.
OVAs:
- Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans
- Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans (remake of Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans)
- Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock
- Dragon Ball Z: Gather Together! Goku's World
TV specials:
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks
- Dragon Ball Z: Summer Vacation Special
Recaps:
- Looking Back at It All: The Dragon Ball Z Year-End Show! (1993 year-end TV recap special, covers the Cell Games saga up to Episode 194)
Crossover specials:
- Dream 9 Toriko & One Piece & Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special!!
Non-canon films:
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (after the Raditz saga, Episode 6)
- Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest (after the Vegeta saga, Episode 35)
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (after the Vegeta saga, Episode 35)
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (after the Frieza saga, Episode 107)
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge (after the Trunks saga, Episode 125)
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (after the Imperfect Cell saga, Episode 152)
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! (after the Imperfect Cell saga, Episode 152)
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (after the Cell Games saga, Episode 194)
- Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (after the Cell Games saga, Episode 194)
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (after the Great Saiyaman saga, Episode 209)
- Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (after the Majin Buu saga, Episode 253)
- Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (after the Fusion saga, Episode 275)
- Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (after the Peaceful World saga, Episode 291)
Other extras
These aren't tied to one series.
ONAs:
- Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Spin-off series:
- Dragon Ball GT
- Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy (TV special set 100 years after Dragon Ball GT)
Non-canon films don't have an exact place in the main timeline, so each one is placed at the end of a completed arc where watching it doesn't interrupt the story.
Release order differs from this chronological order by finishing all 291 episodes of Dragon Ball Z before watching Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Dragon Ball Z Kai (167 episodes internationally, or 159 episodes in the Japanese broadcast split between Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters) is a remastered, shortened cut of Dragon Ball Z that removes most filler, so you can watch either Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Z Kai, not both.
Dragon Ball Super: Beerus (currently airing) is an enhanced television remake of the opening arcs of Dragon Ball Super, and this note covers the episodes released so far.
ANIME IN THIS WATCH ORDER
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