With a new Dragon Ball Super anime on the way, now is the best time to get caught up with all things Saiyan with our guide on how to watch Dragon Ball in order. Now, we can all agree that Dragon Ball is not only one of the best anime series of all time, but it's also one of the longest, and now with Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol confirmed, it can be pretty tricky to keep track of Goku's adventures. But, that is where we come in.
The saga may have been running on screen for almost forty years, with 24 movies and six main series totalling countless hours and over 600 episodes, but I've kept track of it all, and made a handy guide to help you make sense of everything with a quick glance. So whether you're a brand new anime-head looking to do your homework, or are a long-time fan wanting to dive back in ahead of the new anime The Galactic Patrol, you've come to the right place.
Here's how to watch Dragon Ball in the best order
The Dragon Ball timeline gets super complicated and long, so if you are new to the anime, the best way to watch Dragon Ball is in canon order. By sticking to the Dragon Ball canon, you don't have to worry about watching non-canon series like Dragon Ball GT or worrying about catching up on a ton of movies, as only a few are recognized as part of the established timeline.
If you are a newcomer, we'd also recommend watching Dragon Ball Kai, as it cuts a lot of the filler episodes from Dragon Ball Z. However, if you are a fan of watching 20 episodes dedicated to Goku destroying planets and kicking ass, stick to the original Z series for the complete Shonen experience.
Here's how to watch Dragon Ball in canonical order:
- Dragon Ball [153 episodes]
- Dragon Ball Z or Kai [288 episodes]
- Dragon Ball DAIMA [20 episodes]
- Dragon Ball Super [ 131 episodes]
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
- Dragon Ball Z or Kai: all remaining episodes [3 episodes]
Here's how to watch Dragon Ball in chronological order
Ok, now, let's talk about the Shenron-sized beast in the room. If you want the complete Dragon Ball experience, which includes all the movies and all the technically non-canon series, you'll have over 20 films and over 600 episodes to add to your watch list.
A lot of the Dragon Ball timeline takes place during the events of Dragon Ball Z. This means that certain movies and, in fact, a handful of new anime series take place before the final episodes of Dragon Ball Z.
How to watch Dragon Ball in chronological order:
- Dragon Ball episode 1-13
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (movie)
- Dragon Ball episodes 14- 153
- Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle (movie)
- Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 1-86
- Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 87-107
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 108-123
- Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks ( TV Special)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 124- 125
- Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 126-146
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 147-173
- Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 174-194
- Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 195-207
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 208-250
- Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 251-253
- Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 254-288
- Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (movie)
- Dragon Ball GT
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Dragon Ball Super episodes 1-3
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods (movie)
- Dragon Ball Super (episodes 4-18)
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (movie)
- Dragon Ball Super (episodes 19 -131)
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (movie)
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (movie)
- Dragon Ball Z episodes 289-291
Here's where can you watch Dragon Ball today
The good news is that you can watch the majority of the main Dragon Ball series on Crunchyroll right now. Titles on the service include the likes of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super. You can watch some of Dragon Ball via Amazon Prime if you prefer, but you'll have to pay per season, as it isn't included in your Prime membership.
The cheapest paid tier on Crunchyroll, on the other hand, is only $7.99/£4.99 a month. And you won't have to pay any extra charges to watch Dragon Ball either. Crunchyroll is also streaming Dragon Ball: DAIMA (however, Netflix is also now playing the new anime), so it's definitely the best streaming service that we'd recommend to anime fans.
Crunchyroll is also the best place to watch Demon Slayer in order, Jujutsu Kaisen in order, and more anime classics.
Are the Dragon Ball movies canon?
So here is another tricky anime issue. Some of the Dragon Ball movies are canon, and some of them aren't. For example, the first three Dragon Ball movies aren't canon, and technically, neither are the 15 Dragon Ball Z movies. However, it could be argued that Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone could be canon to the anime as it doesn't contradict the main story.
See, confusing, isn't it? Well, it gets more complicated since Dragon Ball Super: Broly is considered canon, while the original Dragon Ball Z: Broly trilogy isn't. Dragon Ball Super: Broly follows directly after the events of Dragon Ball Super, so it marks itself as one of the only canon films. This makes Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (aka one of the best anime movies in the franchise) technically canon as well.
However, a good rule to follow when it comes to the Dragon Ball movies is to treat them as separate entities if you plan on a strict canon marathon. The series are the most important to keep track of (apart from the non-canon Dragon Ball GT), and they do a lot of heavy lifting to keep you up to speed on plot details, and new characters.
Where is Daima set in the Dragon Ball timeline?
Dragon Ball Daima is a "sequel to the Majin Buu arc." This means that it takes place before the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods movie and before the end of Dragon Ball Super.
It's also been confirmed that Dragon Ball Daima is canon and will tie into the return of Super. So, if you are a Dragon Ball timeline fan, this is one you definitely want to watch. The good news is that all episodes for DAIMA are now live, so now is the best chance to watch everything in order.
If you need more recommendations, check out our list of the best anime on Netflix that you can watch right now!
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