Watch Order 8 Core Entries 4 Optional

DRAGON BALL:
WATCH ORDER

Dragon Ball has more entry points than almost any other anime franchise — an original series, Z, GT, Super, movies scattered across three different canons, and now Daima. This guide lays out the core path plus where every movie and spin-off actually fits.

Core path 8 entries
Optional 4 spin-offs
Total time 289h
Aired 1986–present
0/12 entries watched0%
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Finish date

November 29, 2026

Hours left

289.5h

Entries left

12

Optional entries

4

#1

Dragon Ball

Required

TV Series · 153 episodes · 1986–1989 · 61.2h

Goku's childhood adventures, the original World Martial Arts Tournament arcs, and the fight against the Red Ribbon Army and Piccolo Daimao.

💡Slower and goofier than Z — some fans skip to Z, but it sets up nearly every relationship in the series.
#2

Dragon Ball Z

Required

TV Series · 291 episodes · 1989–1996 · 116.4h

The Saiyan, Namek, Android/Cell, and Majin Buu sagas — the backbone of the franchise.

💡Use our Dragon Ball Z filler list alongside this to skip the Garlic Jr. and King Kai training filler arcs.
#3

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

Required

Movie · 1 film · 2013 · 1.5h

The first canon Dragon Ball story in 17 years, introducing Beerus the God of Destruction and Super Saiyan God.

💡This is the true bridge between Z and Super — watch it before Super, not the recap episodes.
#4

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'

Required

Movie · 1 film · 2015 · 1.5h

Frieza is revived and returns to Earth for revenge, introducing Super Saiyan Blue's precursor arc.

💡Watch right after Battle of Gods — Super adapts both movies as its first two arcs, so this order avoids re-watching them.
#5

Dragon Ball Super

Required

TV Series · 131 episodes · 2015–2018 · 52.4h

Picks up after Buu, covering the God of Destruction, Future Trunks, Universe 6, and the Tournament of Power arcs.

💡The first ~20 episodes retell Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' — you can skip straight to the Future Trunks arc if you've seen both movies.
#6

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Required

Movie · 1 film · 2018 · 1.7h

Canon movie bringing Broly into the main Dragon Ball Super timeline, set shortly after the Tournament of Power.

💡Watch immediately after finishing Super — it's a direct follow-up, not a side story.
#7

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Required

Movie · 1 film · 2022 · 1.6h

Focuses on Gohan and Piccolo against the revived Red Ribbon Army's new androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2.

💡Fully standalone from the Tournament of Power cast — safe to watch even if it's been a while since Super.
#8

Dragon Ball Daima

Required

TV Series · 20 episodes · 2024–2025 · 8.0h

The most recent canon series, set between the end of Z and the start of Super, with the cast shrunk to kid-sized forms.

💡Chronologically it slots between Z and Super, but it was made and released last — most fans still watch it after Super Hero.
#9

Dragon Ball GT

Optional⚠ Non-canon, not based on Toriyama's manga

TV Series · 64 episodes · 1996–1997 · 25.6h

A sequel made without original creator Akira Toriyama's involvement. Largely disowned by later canon material.

💡Skip unless you're a completionist — Super effectively replaced GT as the official sequel.
#10

Dragon Ball Z: The Movies (1–13)

Optional

Movie Collection · 13 films · 1990–1995 · 18.0h

The original run of Z movies — mostly non-canon alternate battles that don't affect the main story.

💡Fun extras, but entirely skippable — none of them are required to understand Super or Daima.
#11

Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku

Optional

TV Special · 1 film · 1990 · 0.8h

A one-off special following Goku's father Bardock during Frieza's destruction of Planet Vegeta, years before the main story.

💡Great backstory piece — best watched right after the Saiyan Saga or Frieza's introduction, though it's fully skippable.
#12

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

Optional

TV Special · 1 film · 1993 · 0.8h

Shows the grim alternate timeline where the Androids destroy the Z Fighters, and how Future Trunks becomes a Super Saiyan.

💡Pairs well with the Trunks/Android Saga — fills in backstory that the TV series only mentions in passing.

Story, Creator & Reception

Dragon Ball is written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, serialized from 1984 to 1995 and loosely inspired by the classic novel Journey to the West. It's considered one of the most influential shonen manga ever published, with the franchise's combined media sales exceeding $30 billion. Z and Super both hold MyAnimeList scores above 8.0.

Why Order Matters

The biggest ordering headache is Kai: Dragon Ball Z Kai re-edits the original Z into a tighter, filler-light cut. Pick either the original Z or Kai — not both — then move into Super, the true canon continuation, not GT.

Studio & Dub Cast

Produced by Toei Animation, Goku is voiced by Sean Schemmel and Vegeta by Christopher Sabat in the English dub, both since the early 2000s. GT was produced without source manga to adapt from and is now considered non-canon following Super's release.

Trivia

Toriyama named many characters after food and clothing items — Goku's family shares its name with root vegetables (Radish, Turnip), while the Saiyan names are anagrams of "vegetable." Toriyama remained closely involved in Super and Daima's development until his passing in 2024.

Common Mistakes

View Full Filler List & Skip Guide → Naruto Watch Order My Hero Academia Watch Order

FAQ

Do I need to watch the original Dragon Ball before Dragon Ball Z?

Not strictly, but it's recommended — the original series establishes most of the main cast and their history before the Saiyan Saga begins Z.

Should I watch Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' before Dragon Ball Super?

Yes. Watching the movies first lets you skip the recap arc that opens Super, since the first ~20 episodes retell both films.

Is Dragon Ball GT canon?

No. GT was made without Akira Toriyama's involvement and is generally considered non-canon — Dragon Ball Super replaced it as the official sequel to Z.

Where does Dragon Ball Daima fit in the timeline?

Daima is set chronologically between the end of Dragon Ball Z and the start of Dragon Ball Super, even though it released after Super and Super Hero.

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