Dragon Ball viewing guide: How to watch the series and movies in order (chronological and release...

Get caught up with Goku and the rest of the &34;Dragon Ball&34; gang. Dragon Ball viewing guide: How to watch the series and movies in order (chronological and

Get caught up with Goku and the rest of the "Dragon Ball" gang.

Dragon Ball viewing guide: How to watch the series and movies in order (chronological and release date)

Get caught up with Goku and the rest of the "Dragon Ball" gang.

By Chris Snellgrove

Published on July 24, 2025 10:00AM EDT

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Four decades of 'Dragon Ball'. Credit:

Toei Animation (3)

Created by Akira Toriyama, *Dragon Ball *is one of the most influential anime ever made, one that new generations have been discovering for decades. But since there are so many *Dragon Ball* series and movies, newbies don't always know where to start. It's hard enough to even figure out how *many *shows and films exist, much less what order to watch them in.

But like Goku landing on Planet Namek, we're here to save the day. You don't have to track down all of the Dragon Balls and ask Shenron for help; we put together a helpful guide to watching this franchise. Whether you want to tackle it head-on in release order or try to follow this franchise's chronologically tangled canon, ** has got you covered.

Keep reading to discover how to watch* Dragon Ball* in order, including the movies!

What is Dragon Ball about?

The original 'Dragon Ball'.

*Dragon Ball* is primarily about Goku, a warrior who begins his training at a very young age and grows stronger throughout the series. Highlights of the original *Dragon Ball* include watching Goku test his strength at the World Martial Arts tournament against increasingly tougher foes. Along the way, his relationships evolve with both his friends (like Krillin and Bulma) and his enemies (like the fearsome Piccolo).

Later on in *Dragon Ball Z*, Goku is an adult with a family of his own, but his life is disrupted when he discovers a secret about his origins. The stakes are higher in this series, as Goku and his friends regularly take on opponents who are capable of destroying the entire planet. Our heroes improve, but so do the villains. By the time *Dragon Ball Super* rolls around, Goku is fighting cosmic gods in his quest to save the world and become the strongest warrior in existence.

How can I watch Dragon Ball in release order?

'Dragon Ball Z,' the second incarnation of the franchise.

Watching the *Dragon Ball* franchise in release order is fairly straightforward. When it comes to the television series, start with *Dragon Ball* before moving on to *Dragon Ball Z*, *Dragon Ball GT*, *Dragon Ball Super*, and the most recent installment, *Dragon Ball Daima*. Where things get tricky is the movies, which are interspersed throughout the franchise.

For example, the first *Dragon Ball* movie premiered after the show began, and canonically takes place after the first 43 episodes. But until *Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods*, none of the movies were part of the official canon, meaning you don't have to watch them to understand the events of the shows. Therefore, you can decide whether or not to intersperse watching the *Dragon Ball *movies with the shows, or save most of the films for a rainy day of binge-worthy battles.

'Dragon Ball GT'.

Release order:

- *Dragon Ball* (1986)

- *Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies* (1986)

- *Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess In Devil's Castle* (1987)

- *Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure* (1988)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone* (1989)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest* (1990)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might* (1990)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Bardock–The Father of Goku* (1990)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug* (1991)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge* (1991)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler* (1992)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!* (1992)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks* (1993)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Broly–The Legendary Super Saiyan* (1993)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound* (1993)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Broly–Second Coming* (1994)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly* (1994)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn* (1995)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon* (1995)

- *Dragon Ball GT* (1996)

- *Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!* (2008)

- *Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock* (2011)

- *Dragon Ball Super* (2013)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods* (2013)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F* (2015)

- *Dragon Ball Super: Broly* (2018)

- *Super Dragon Ball Heroes* (2018)

- *Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero* (2022)

- *Dragon Ball Daima* (2024)

How can I watch Dragon Ball in canon order?

'Dragon Ball Super'.

Watching *Dragon Ball* in canon order is a little trickier since most of the movies are technically optional. Our canonical guide includes where each film takes place in the series timeline. However, only the most recent movies (*Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods*, *Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F*, *Dragon Ball Super: Broly*, and *Dragon Ball Super: Superhero*) have any impact on the events of the shows. If you're focused only on franchise canon, you can skip most of the movies altogether.

The more difficult question is whether or not to watch 1996's *Dragon Ball GT*. The 64-episode series is not based on a manga and had little involvement from franchise creator Akira Toriyama, so many fans consider it non-canonical. However, the manga publisher later included the show in the franchise's official timeline, which other fans say retroactively makes the series canonical. Whether or not you skip that series, don't forget the confusing fact that the most recent spinoff, *Dragon Ball Daima*, takes place *before *the preceding series, *Dragon Ball Super*.

'Super Dragon Ball Heroes'.

One more quick note: This guide assumes that you want to watch all of *Dragon Ball Z*, including the "filler" episodes not based on the manga. If you prefer to watch a version of the show that hews closer to the manga (and is therefore severely edited down), you can always watch *Dragon Ball Z Kai*.

Canon order:

- *Dragon Ball* (1986), episodes 1-43

- *Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies* (1986)

- *Dragon Ball* (1986), episodes 44-70

- *Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess In Devil's Castle* (1987)

- *Dragon Ball* (1986), episodes 71-118

- *Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure* (1988)

- *Dragon Ball* (1986), episodes 119-153

- *Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone* (1989)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 1-35

- *Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest* (1990)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might* (1990)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug* (1991)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 36-107

- *Dragon Ball Z: Bardock–The Father of Goku* (1990)

- *Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock* (2011)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 107-139

- *Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge* (1991)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler* (1992)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!* (1992)

- *Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks* (1993)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 140-165

- *Dragon Ball Z: Broly–The Legendary Super Saiyan* (1993)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 166-194

- *Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound* (1993)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989): Episodes 195-209

- *Dragon Ball Z: Broly–Second Coming* (1994)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly* (1994)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 210-287

- *Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn* (1995)

- *Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon* (1995)

- *Dragon Ball Z* (1989), episodes 288-291

- *Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!* (2008)

- *Dragon Ball GT* (1996)

- *Dragon Ball Daima* (2024)

- *Dragon Ball Super* (2013), episodes 1-3

- *Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods* (2013)

- *Dragon Ball Super* (2013), episodes 4-18

- *Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F* (2015)

- *Dragon Ball Super* (2013), episodes 19-131

- *Dragon Ball Super: Broly* (2018)

- *Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero* (2022)

- *Super Dragon Ball Heroes* (2018)

Which Dragon Ball movies aren't canon?

'Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods'.

Strictly speaking, none of the original *Dragon Ball* and *Dragon Ball Z* movies are canon. They aren't based on anything from the manga and, in most cases, don't have a direct impact on the anime. *Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone* is something of an outlier because it effectively serves as a prequel to *Dragon Ball Z* and is referenced in a later filler arc. Still, most fans consider it non-canonical — or at least non-essential — because it has no basis in the Japanese manga.

By the time *Dragon Ball Super* came around, the franchise embraced canonical movies. Therefore, fans are encouraged to watch those films (starting with *Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods*) interspersed with *Super* at the timeline-appropriate pace. Not only are the films entertaining on their own, but they'll help get you up to speed on what Goku and his assorted friends and enemies (or both, in the case of Vegeta) have been up to between episodes.

Where can I watch Dragon Ball?

'Dragon Ball Daima'.

The best place to watch most of the *Dragon Ball* franchise is Crunchyroll. It's the ideal streaming platform for anime fans, streaming most of Goku's adventures. The franchise is available there almost in its entirety, including all the *Dragon Ball* TV series. The streamer even has most of the movies. Otherwise, you can rent the majority of the films on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and elsewhere.

It's a long road (almost as long as Snake Way!), but by the end, there's no doubt you'll understand why Goku is so beloved around the world.

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