The Dragon Ball series by the late Akira Toriyama has been a part of many anime fan’s childhoods. It has been around for over 40 years and continues to be hailed as one of the best anime franchises ever made. Owing to its significant impact, it is also revered as the “Father of Shonen.” Having said that, if you are someone who has yet to witness the Kamehameha, we are here to help you. Find out how to watch Dragon Ball in order, including the release date, canonical, and chronological order.
How to Watch Dragon Ball in Release Order
Over the years, the Dragon Ball franchise has expanded with various canon and non-canon releases. But if you are planning to watch everything that has been released to date, including anime, movies, and OVAs, in the Dragon Ball franchise in the release order, then follow this list:
- Dragon Ball (1986-1989) — Anime
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986) — Movie No. 1
- Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle (1987) — Movie No. 2
- Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988) — Movie No. 3
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Anime
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) — Movie No. 4
- Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990) — Movie No. 5
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (1990) — Movie No. 6
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock, The Father of Goku (1990) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991) — Movie No. 7
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge (1991) — Movie No. 8
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (1992) — Movie No. 9
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! (1992) — Movie No. 10
- Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans — OVA
- Dragon Ball Z: Summer Vacation Special (1992) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (1993) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993) — Movie No. 11
- Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (1993) — Movie No. 12
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (1994) — Movie No. 13
- Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (1994) — Movie No. 14
- Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (1995) — Movie No. 15
- Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (1995) — Movie No. 16
- Dragon Ball GT (1996-1997) — Anime
- Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (1996) — Movie No. 17
- Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy (1997) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! (2008) — OVA
- Dragon Ball Kai (2009-2011) — Anime
- Dragonball Evolution (2009) — Live-Action Movie
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock (2011) — OVA
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013) — Movie No. 18
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ (2015) — Movie No. 19
- Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018) — Anime
- Super Dragon Ball Heroes (2018) — Promotional anime for a videogame
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018) — Movie No. 20
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) — Movie No. 21
- Dragon Ball Daima (2024) — Anime
How to Watch Dragon Ball in Canonical Order
If you only want a pure canon experience without watching any of the filler content, then you should opt for this Dragon Ball anime canon watch order:
- Dragon Ball (1986-1989) — All episodes except fillers
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) or Dragon Ball Kai (2009-2011 & 2014-2015) — Up to Frieza Saga’s conclusion
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock, The Father of Goku (1990) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) or Dragon Ball Kai (2009-2011 & 2014-2015) — Up to the end of the Cell Saga i.e., until Cell Games.
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (1993) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) or Dragon Ball Kai (2009-2011 & 2014-2015) — Complete all the remaining episodes.
- Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018) — All episodes except fillers
Note: Dragon Ball Kai is a much more condensed version of Dragon Ball Z. It offers only a canonical watching experience by removing all unnecessary. fillers and stays faithful to Akira Toriyama’s vision. Thus, it is totally up to you to choose which one you want to watch.
How to Watch Dragon Ball in Chronological Order
If you are leaning towards the chronological order to get the best experience out of the Dragon Ball franchise, this is the list you should follow:
- Dragon Ball (1986-1989) — All episodes except fillers
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) — Movie No. 4
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 1-86
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock, The Father of Goku (1990)— TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 87-107
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock (2011) — OVA
- Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990) — Movie No. 5
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (1990) — Movie No. 6
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991) — Movie No. 7
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 108-123
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (1993) — TV special episode
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 124 and 125
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge (1991) — Movie No. 8
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 126-146
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! (1992) — Movie No. 10
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 147-173
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (1992) — Movie No. 9
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993) — Movie No. 11
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 174-194
- Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (1993) — Movie No. 12
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 195-207
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (1994) — Movie No. 13
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 208-250
- Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (1994) — Movie No. 14
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 251-253
- Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (1995) — Movie No. 15
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 254-288
- Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (1995) — Movie No. 16
- Dragon Ball GT (1996-1997) — All episodes
- Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018) — Episodes 1-3
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013) — Movie No. 18
- Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018) — Episodes 4-18
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ (2015) — Movie No. 19
- Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018) — Episodes 19-131
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018) — Movie No. 20
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) — Movie No. 21
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996) — Episodes 289-291
Ready to join the DB fandom? That’s everything you need to know about watching the Dragon Ball series the right way. For any newcomers, you can either opt for the canonical or release date-based watch order as that will deliver the best experience for you.
For Dragon Ball veterans, you can go for the chronological watch order to understand the lore even better. That said, which watch order do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below.
Ajith Kumar
