Ultimate Guide to Watching Dragon Ball Series in Order

Dragon Ball, one of the most popular anime and manga franchises of all time, has been going strong since its launch in 1984, but how do you watch it all now?

Akira Toriyama changed pop culture forever with Dragon Ball in the ’80s. Since his spirited manga about young Goku and his quest for the eponymous dragon balls, we’ve been treated to some of the best anime of all time, including a long list of animated films.

Things have gotten a lot bigger and bolder since the days when Goku was roaming the Earth with Bulma and friends. He’s traveled to other planets, stopped all sorts of bad guys, and we’ve met some of Shenron’s dragon siblings.

All of this comes in the form of hundreds of episodes and a somewhat distorted timeline. But fear not, we have our Dragon Radar at our fingertips, so here’s how you can experience all of Dragon Ball with ease.

How to Watch Dragon Ball in Canon Order

The canon order of Dragon Ball covers everything that is still recognized by the franchise today. Filler or not, these events all have a chance of being referenced in some way in future series and films.

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There are a few notable ambiguities: the choice between Z and Kai, and the first 27 episodes of Super. The former is entirely a matter of personal taste – if you want the original franchise in all its glory, Z is the version to watch, while Kai improves on the production while reducing creative liberties.

The latter, then, is just remaking Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’, so watching them eliminates the need to see the TV iteration.

In reality, there’s just one major omission: Dragon Ball GT, the space black sheep of the entire franchise. With less involvement from Akira, reception was mixed and complaints were few and far between when it was revealed to be largely useless.

Dragon Ball in canon order:

• Dragon Ball 1-153
• Dragon Ball Z 1-291/Dragon Ball Z Kai 1-167
• Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
• Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection “F”
• Dragon Ball Super 29-131
• Dragon Ball Super: Broly
• Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes

How to Watch Dragon Ball in Chronological Order

The chronological order of the Dragon Ball franchise is the longest to follow, but perhaps also the most rewarding, because it shows all the highs and lows. It shows all the creative ideas of Akira Toriyama and the production teams at Toei Animation.

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Be warned though, it can be tedious. Some sections (like the first half of the android saga before you get to Perfect Cell) feel endless at times, and you’ll be spending many hours watching people bustle around and prepare for battle.

But you are rewarded with some of the most epic, incredible, iconic, and genre-defining moments and sequences in all of anime.

Dragon Ball in chronological order:

• Dragon Ball 1-43
• Dragon Ball: Curse of the Dragon Rubies
• Dragon Ball 44-70
• Dragon Ball: The Sleeping Princess in the Devil’s Castle
• Dragon Ball 71-118
• Dragon Ball: The Mystical Adventure
• Dragon Ball 119-153
• Dragon Ball Z: The Dead Zone
• Dragon Ball Z 1-86
• Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – Goku’s Father
• Dragon Ball Z 87-107
• Dragon Ball: The Bardock Episode
• Dragon Ball Z: The Strongest in the World
• Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
• Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
• Dragon Ball Z 108-123
• Dragon Ball Z: The Story of Trunks
• Dragon Ball Z 124-125
• Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge
• Dragon Ball Z 126-146
• Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13
• Dragon Ball Z 147-173
• Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
• Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
• Dragon Ball Z 174-194
• Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unleashed
• Dragon Ball Z 195-207
• Dragon Ball Z: The Second Coming of Broly
• Dragon Ball Z 208-250
• Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly
• Dragon Ball Z 251-253
• Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
• Dragon Ball Z 254-288
• Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
• Dragon Ball GT 1-64
• Dragon Ball Super 1-3
• Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
• Dragon Ball Super 4-18
• Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection “F”
• Dragon Ball Super 19-131
• Dragon Ball Super: Broly
• Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes
• Dragon Ball Z 289-291

How to Watch Dragon Ball Without Filler

Sticking to the plot isn’t always Dragon Ball’s strong point. In fact, the franchise features quite a bit of filler throughout its various installments, and if you just want the story, you can even skip entire sagas in some cases.

Given the improved animation and reduced amount of filler up front, Dragon Ball Z Kai is the version you want in this case, rather than the original. The first 27 episodes of Dragon Ball Super can also be skimmed.

Dragon Ball without filler:

• Dragon Ball 1-28, 35-41, 46-49, 51-78, 84-131, 133, 148
• Dragon Ball Z Kai 1-6, 8-54, 55-57, 59-72, 74-98
• Dragon Ball Z: The Story of Trunks
• Dragon Ball Z Kai 99-100, 102-128, 130-158, 160-165
• Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
• Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection “F”
• Dragon Ball Super 28-29, 31-41, 47-51, 53-67, 77-89. 92-131
• Dragon Ball Super: Broly
• Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes

When does every major Dragon Ball villain appear?

Dragon Ball has a certain knack for villain introductions. The franchise clearly has a lot of experience, considering how many villains Goku and the Z Fighters have faced over the years.

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If you want to know when each main villain appears, we’ve listed them all. However, we should note that this is for the major antagonists, one-offs (like Ginger) and most anti-villains (like Vegeta and Androids 16, 17, and 18) are not counted, because otherwise we’d be here all day.

Where each major Dragon Ball villain appears in the anime:

• Pilaf – Dragon Ball 1
• Commander Red – Dragon Ball 30
• Tao the Mercenary – Dragon Ball 58
• King Piccolo – Dragon Ball 102
• Raditz – Dragon Ball Z 1
• Nappa – Dragon Ball Z 5
• Freezer – Dragon Ball Z 44
• Captain Ginyu – Dragon Ball Z 60
• Garlic Jr – Dragon Ball 108
• Androids 19 and 20 – Dragon Ball Z 126
• Cell – Dragon Ball Z 141
• Broly – Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
• Majin Buu – Dragon Ball Z 232
• Doctor Myuu – Dragon Ball GT 13
• Baby – Dragon Ball GT 22
• Syn Shenron – Dragon Ball GT 57
• Beerus – Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
• Goku Black – Dragon Ball Super 47
• Jiren – Dragon Ball Super 85

How many episodes of Dragon Ball are there?

In total there are 639 episodes from the original Dragon Ball franchise. This includes Dragon Ball, Z, GT, and Super.

Crunchyroll

This becomes 515 if you count Kai instead of Z, and it becomes 451 if you count Kai but remove Z and GT.

How many episodes are there in each Dragon Ball series:

• Dragon Ball – 153 episodes
• Dragon Ball Z – 291 episodes
• Dragon Ball Z Kai – 167 episodes
• Dragon Ball GT – 64 episodes
• Dragon Ball Super – 131 episodes

How many Dragon Ball movies are there?

There have been 22 Dragon Ball films to date, spanning the entire franchise. The first was Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies in 1986, and the latest is Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero in 2022.

All Dragon Ball Movies So Far:

• Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
• Dragon Ball: The Sleeping Princess in the Devil’s Castle
• Dragon Ball: The Mystical Adventure
• Dragon Ball Z: The Dead Zone
• Dragon Ball Z: The Strongest in the World
• Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
• Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
• Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge
• Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
• Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!
• Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Freed
• Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Second Coming
• Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly
• Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
• Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
• Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
• Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
• Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection “F”
• Dragon Ball Super: Broly
• Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes

Where does Dragon Ball Daima fit into the timeline?

Dragon Ball Daima is reportedly set to take place after the Majin Buu Arc in Dragon Ball Z, but before Battle of GodsThis comes from reputable insider Geekdom101, who analyzed the show’s place in the franchise in September 2024.

We won’t know exactly where Dragon Ball Daima fits in until its release, but given the list and what we’ve seen so far, Z’s ending is the one that makes the most sense so far.

What’s next for the Dragon Ball franchise?

After Dragon Ball Daima, the future is uncertain. Akira Toriyama’s death raises questions about who would direct a new series or movie. The only time he wasn’t involved in the creative direction was for Dragon Ball GT, and that didn’t go very well.

Before such a situation could arise, a rights struggle arose following Akira’s death. Several organizations were in talks to license Dragon Ball before his passing, and he has now left a void that has yet to be filled.

We’ll see what happens after Daima; in all likelihood, the ending could give us some clues about what’s to come.

Where can you watch all Dragon Ball shows and movies?

You can watch the entire Dragon Ball franchise on Crunchyroll. This only became possible in February 2024, when the service finally obtained the rights to Dragon Ball Z, completing the saga.

Now all shows and movies are available on the platform for UK and US subscribers. Real Super Saiyan 4 of streaming services.

That’s a full rundown of how to watch Dragon Ball – phew. Check out our upcoming anime guide if you’re interested in something newer to check out, and we’ve got guides on One Piece and My Hero Academia for other big franchises to check out.