Dragon Ball watch order
Dragon Ball is five TV series and around twenty films, and the order is simpler than it looks: the story is Dragon Ball, then Z, then Super, with Daima as a late side chapter and GT as an alternate ending that Super quietly replaced. Only four films are part of the story; the rest are self-contained side stories.
Both lists below are complete, and the film list marks what is canon and what is a detour.
The series, in watch order
The spine of the saga. Watch top to bottom; the notes explain the two odd ones out.
- Series
Dragon Ball 1986 Goku's childhood; 153 episodes - Series
Dragon Ball Z 1989 - Series
Dragon Ball Super 2015 set in the gap before Z's ten-years-later epilogue - Series
Dragon Ball DAIMA 2024 a side story set just after the Buu arc; made after Super, best watched after it - Series
Dragon Ball GT 1996 alternate continuation of Z, not based on the manga; skippable
The films: four canon, the rest side stories
Battle of Gods onward is part of the story. Everything earlier is a self-contained side story, listed by era for completists.
-
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods 2013 canon; retold as the opening arc of Super -
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' 2015 canon; also retold in Super -
Dragon Ball Super: Broly 2018 canon, after the Super series -
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero 2022 canon, the latest chapter -
Curse of the Blood Rubies 1986 original Dragon Ball era side stories start here -
Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle 1987 -
Mystical Adventure 1988 -
The Path to Power 1996 -
Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone 1989 Z era side stories start here -
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
Keep your place
I Like Movies, the free iPhone and Android app behind this page, carries a curated Dragon Ball track: the same catalogue as above, in watch order, with your progress marked per film and per episode. Ratings and a watchlist come along for everything else you watch.
Questions people ask
Can I skip Dragon Ball and start with Z?
Yes, and many people did: Z reintroduces enough that starting there works. The original series is still worth it, because the adult cast of Z lands harder when you knew them as kids, but it is a richer-experience choice rather than a requirement.
Is Dragon Ball GT canon?
No. GT is an anime-only continuation made after Z with no manga behind it, and Super, which came later, tells a different continuation of the same period. Treat GT as an optional alternate ending.
Which Dragon Ball movies are canon?
Four: Battle of Gods, Resurrection 'F', Broly (2018) and Super Hero (2022). The first two are retold within Super, so you can watch either version. Every earlier film is a self-contained side story that no series arc depends on.
What about Dragon Ball Z Kai?
Kai is a recut of Z: the same story trimmed of filler and repaced. It is a valid substitute if the length of Z puts you off. This page lists the original, which is what the app's track carries.
Should I watch DAIMA before Super?
No, watch it after. DAIMA is set earlier on the timeline, but it was made a decade after Super and leans on ideas Super established. Release order is the intended experience.
More watch orders: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Middle-earth, Dune, Wizarding World, Fast & Furious, Alien, Naruto, Neon Genesis Evangelion, James Bond, Mission: Impossible, John Wick. Or browse every guide and comparison.