The Dragon Ball franchise, born from Akira Toriyama's influential manga, has left an indelible mark on action shonen, establishing archetypes for protagonists and rivalries that continue to shape the medium. Beyond its signature power-ups and lengthy battles, the series offers a rich tapestry of humor, emotional depth, and memorable side characters.
Navigating the extensive Dragon Ball universe, which spans seven anime series and over twenty movies and specials, can be daunting. This guide provides a chronological order for experiencing every piece of Dragon Ball anime and film content, whether you're a returning fan or embarking on your first journey with Goku.
The Scope of Dragon Ball
Collectively, the Dragon Ball anime encompasses over 800 episodes across its various series. The canonical status of some content, particularly movies and the Dragon Ball GT series, can be complex. While Toriyama himself was known to alter his narratives, most movies are not considered strictly canon, with the exception of the last four. The recent anime series, Dragon Ball Daima, has also introduced nuances regarding the canonicity of Dragon Ball GT, suggesting that viewer preference may dictate its place in the continuity.
Most of the Dragon Ball saga, including the majority of its films, is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. Some content, such as Z Kai and Daima, can also be found on Hulu. Physical releases of all Dragon Ball series and movies are also available for collectors.
Chronological Viewing Order
Dragon Ball
- Dragon Ball (Episodes 1-13): Pilaf Saga
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (Movie): An alternate retelling of the first saga.
- Dragon Ball (Episode 14): Start of Tournament Saga
- Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle (Movie): Takes place during Goku and Krillin's training.
- Dragon Ball (Episodes 15-28): Finish Tournament Saga
- Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (Movie): Goku and Krillin participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
- Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (Movie): An alternate retelling merging the first two sagas.
- Dragon Ball (Episodes 29-153): Red Ribbon Army Saga, General Blue Saga, Commander Red Saga, Fortunteller Baba Saga, Tien Shinhan Saga, King Piccolo Saga, Piccolo Jr. Saga
Dragon Ball Z
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (Movie): Garlic Jr. kidnaps Gohan.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 1-86): Raditz Saga, Vegeta Saga, Namek Saga, Captain Ginyu Saga, Start of Frieza Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku (Special): A prequel detailing the final days of Planet Vegeta.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 87-107): Rest of Frieza Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest (Movie): Goku and friends battle an evil scientist.
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (Movie): Saiyan pirates attempt to absorb Earth's life force.
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (Movie): Earth faces an asteroid and a Namekian conqueror.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 108-123): Garlic Jr. Saga, Start of Trunks Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (Special): Depicts Trunks's post-apocalyptic future.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 124-125): Rest of Trunks Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge (Movie): Cooler seeks revenge on Goku.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 126-139): Androids Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13 (Movie): New androids are activated after Dr. Gero's death.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 140-165): Imperfect Cell Saga, Perfect Cell Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (Movie): Cooler returns as a robot.
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (Movie): The Z Fighters confront a legendary Super Saiyan.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 166-194): Cell Games Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (Movie): Gohan faces the demon Bojack.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 195-209): Other World Saga, Great Saiyaman Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (Movie): Broly returns, awakened by Goten's crying.
- Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (Movie): Goten, Trunks, and Krillin confront a Broly clone.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 210-287): World Tournament Saga, Babidi Saga, Majin Buu Saga, Fusion Saga, Kid Buu Saga
- Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (Movie): A fusion of Goku and Vegeta fights resurrected villains.
- Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (Movie): The gang battles a kaiju.
Dragon Ball GT
- Dragon Ball GT (Episodes 1-64): Emperor Pilaf turns Goku into a child.
Dragon Ball Daima
- Dragon Ball Daima (Episodes 1-20): Goku and friends are turned into children and must find a way to return to normal.
Dragon Ball Super
- Dragon Ball Super (Episodes 1-27): Gods of Destruction Beerus Saga, Golden Frieza Arc. These arcs cover similar storylines to the movies listed below but are considered canon.
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods (Movie): Goku fights the God of Destruction, Beerus.
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (Movie): Frieza returns seeking revenge.
- Dragon Ball Super (Episodes 28-131): Universe 6 Saga, Copy Vegeta Saga, "Future" Trunks Saga, Universe Survival Saga
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Movie): Broly's history with Goku and Vegeta is explored, leading to a combined effort to defeat him.
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Movie): Gohan and Piccolo take the spotlight against the Red Ribbon Army's new androids.
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 289-291): Peaceful World Saga. These final episodes of Z technically take place 10 years after Majin Buu's defeat and may be best revisited after watching Dragon Ball Super.
Future of Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Super is slated to return with "The Galactic Patrol," adapting the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc, featuring Goku and Vegeta against the villain Moro. Additionally, "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus," a remake of the first Dragon Ball Super arc, is scheduled for Fall 2026. Beyond animation, the franchise is expanding with Dragon Ball-themed LEGO sets and collaborations like the recent Converse sneaker line.