Even if you are someone completely removed from the anime world, you have to have heard about the Dragon Ball Series.
Known as the “Big Three” of the anime world, the Dragon Ball Series is the quintessential action shonen.
It’s legendary fight scenes, vibrant animation, iconic villains and lovable dynamic characters have made it a household name.
For a lot of anime enthusiasts, the Dragon Ball Series is “the anime” that defines that experience with anime.
People coming back to it either for nostalgia or the pure entertainment value it holds.
The series has a total of 807 episodes spanning over 5 seasons and 20 movies, not to forget the OVAs and Specials.
Here is an easy and complete guide to watching the entire series in order.
Release Order
TV Series
- Dragon Ball (1986)
- Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996)
- Dragon Ball GT (1996-1997)
- Dragon Ball Z Kai (2009-2011)
- Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018)
Movies
- 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: The World’s Strongest (1990)
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (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: 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: The Path to Power (1996)
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013)
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ (2015)
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018)
Specials
- Dragon Ball Specials (1988)
- Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Bardock, The Father of Goku (1990)
- Dragon Ball Z: Summer Vacation Special (1992)
- Dragon Ball Z Special 2: The History of Trunks (1993)
- Looking Back at it All: The Dragon Ball Z Year-End Show! (1993)
- Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy (1997)
- Dragon Ball: Yo! The Return of Son-Goku and Friends!! (2008)
- Dragon Ball Z Kai: Bring Peace to the Future! Goku’s Spirit is Eternal (2011)
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock (2011)
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly – Skytree Super (2018)
OVAs
- Dragon Ball Z: Atsumare! Gokuu World (1992)
- Dragon Ball Z: Plan to Destroy the Saiyajin (1993)
- Dragon Ball Z: Plan to Eradicate Super Saiyans OVA Remake (2010)
Dragon Ball Series Chronological Order/ Recommended Watch Order
- Dragon Ball
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986)
- Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 1- 86)
- Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Bardock, The Father of Goku
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 87-107)
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock
- Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 108-123)
- Dragon Ball Z Special 2: The History of Trunks
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 124-125)
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 126-146)
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 146-173)
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 173-194)
- Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 194-207)
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 207-250)
- Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 250-253)
- Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 253-288)
- Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
- Dragon Ball Z (Episodes 288-291)
- Dragon Ball GT
- Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
- Dragon Ball Z Kai
- Dragon Ball Z: Plan to Destroy the Saiyajin
- Dragon Ball Super (Episodes 1-3)
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
- Dragon Ball Super (Episodes 4-18)
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
- Dragon Ball Super (Episodes 19-131)
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly – Skytree Super
- Dragon Ball Super Movie: Broly
The chronological order is the recommended watch order for Dragon Ball Series.
Dragon Ball GT is debated to be non-canon since it is an anime original with no involvement of the original creator Akira Toriyama.
GT is its own story with some original characters and can be enjoyed on its own.
Moreover, Dragon Ball Z Kai is a remake of Dragon Ball Z, which is essentially a revised version of the original.
You can choose between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai if you only wish to follow the storyline.
However, Dragon Ball Z Kai has some retouches to the animation and added scenes, so we would recommend checking that out as well.
Canonically, Dragon Ball Super picks up the story after episode 291 of Dragon Ball Z with a 10-year time skip.
And there you go, a complete watch guide enjoying the Dragon Ball Series however you wish to. Happy Watching!
