What Order Should You Watch The Dragon Ball Series?
It’s subjective.
Picture by Dragon Ball Hype.
I’ve seen some very good lists and orders to watch this in from Quora and YouTube. (I’ll mention a few of them in the honorable mentions).
A sequel is in development, so I will add to it.
Some other’s lists are spot on to. I watched it in their order and still got the Dragon Ball experience.
Watching History.
After GT I watched the movies. All out of order. Oh lawdz.
For the longest time, it was Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT.
No movies.
That changed of course. At the time of this writing (July 2020), I just got through watching Super, and I’m currently on Dragon Ball Heroes. I’m reading the Moro Manga too.
I’ll publish one with Kai below. Kai represents the manga better. And one if you are a long time fan and manga reader, you may enjoy Kai. I like the filler and all the unnecessary stuff, so I’m sticking with Z, but you are more than welcome to watch Kai, depends on your personal preference.
*If you can, read the Manga first. I prefer to watch the anime, but recently after watching Super, I decided to start looking at the manga, with the very first Dragon Ball episode along with the Moro manga.
*Are all the movies necessary aka canon/neccessary? Is GT neccessary? No, but it enhances your DB experience. You don’t have to go on Spring Break, but you do anyways! I include Dragon Ball Movies and GT in all my versions.
*You could really watch Super instead of Battle Of The Gods and Resurrection F, but I include them.
*If you are watching or rewatching as a long time Dragon Ball fan, watch Father Of Goku & Episode Of Bardock first, see below. If not, do not and watch it in this order. It contains spoilers you don’t understand if you are are first timer.
*GT for a long time was supposed to be Z’s sequel. Then Super comes along. Super begins before Z ends. After reading a couple of other ways to watch it the series, the ending of Z may be “reconned" or redone one day. We’ll see!
My Z List:
Dragon Ball TV 1–82
Goku’s Traffic Safety
Goku’s Fire Brigade
Dragon Ball TV 82-153
Dragon Ball: Curse Of The Blood Rubes
Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess In Devil’s Castle
Dragon Ball- Mystical Adventure
Path to Power. (Hm. It was for a while the last theatrically released Dragon Ball Movie until they released Battle Of The Gods In 2013. It re-tells the story of the original Dragon Ball anime. I’ve seen lists where they watch this before GT. I add this to my “Dragon Ball” Movie list.)
Dragon Ball Z: Deadzone
(Ignore that they meet Gohan in the movie and pretend you meet him first in Z, lol)
Dragon Ball Z: Episodes 1 to 35
Dragon Ball Z Movie: The World’s Strongest
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Tree Of Might
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 36-64
Dragon Ball Z Bardock: The Father Of Goku TV Special
Dragon Ball: Episode Of Bardock
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 65 to 71
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Lord Slug
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 72-124
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Cooler’s Revenge
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 124-136
Dragon Ball Z Movie: History Of Trunks TV Special
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 137-174
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Plan To Eradicate The Saiyans (Both the 1993 version and the 2011 version)
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Return Of Cooler
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Android 13
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Broly The Legendary Super Saiyan
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 175-194
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Bojack Unbound
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 195-207
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Broly Second Coming
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 208-241
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Bio Broly
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 242-264
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 265-287
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Wrath Of The Dragon
Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return
Remember that Dragon Ball Super begins before Dragon Ball Z ends. Dragon Ball Episode #288 is the last Z episode before the events of Super. The Snake in this episode highly resembles the Snake that Goten and Trunks fight against in the first episode of Dragon Ball Super.
Watch Dragon Ball Z Episode number #288 then
Dragon Ball Super: Battle Of The Gods
Dragon Ball Super: Resurrection F
Dragon Ball Super (You will notice that Battle Of Gods and Resurrection F is basically the same as the first 28 episodes of Super)
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
A SEQUEL IS COMING. WOO. (Moro Arc/Saga? More Super episodes? Gimme!) When it makes money it makes sense. (They said they were gonna stop Toy Story after 3 but did they?)
***To keep myself occupied until the next movie or series comes out, I’m watching Super Dragon Ball Heroes, and getting into the DragonBall and Moro manga here.
Then we switch back to Dragon Ball Z Episode 289.
Pan is a baby in Super and Goten and Trunks were still young. In the last episodes of Z they are older, and Pan is 4. It helps me personally by seeing how old they are.
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 289-291
Dragon Ball GT 1-64
In a few lists, it’s suggested Hero’s Legacy should be after Episode 40 since that’s when GT was supposed to end. I put Hero’s Legacy at the end, as this description suggests.
Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy
My Kai List:
Dragon Ball 1-153
Dragon Ball Z Kai Episodes 1–47
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock, The Father Of Goku
Dragon Ball Z Kai 48-56
Dragon Ball Z: The History Of Trunks
Dragon Ball Z Kai: Episodes 56-157
Dragon Ball Z: Yo Son Goku and His Friends Return
Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of The Gods
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F
Dragon Ball Super (or start at Episode 28 if you watched the movies and don’t want to repeat)
Dragon Ball Super Broly
Dragon Ball Z Kai: Episode 158-159
Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy
My Kai List With GT (again) and Movies
*Let me rewatch the movies and rewatch Kai and I’ll get back with you. It might not be worth it to try to, because technically the movies isn’t a part of the main timeline, and Kai resembles the original story. The movies work better with Z because of more filler. The movies doesn’t fit in perfectly, but it works.
*Working out the kinks in these two Kai lists. I personally prefer Z, but some of you want to be as close to the manga/original intended storyline as possible.
In Super’s world, GT doesn’t exist. In GT world, Super doesn’t exist. It’s different continuities. Like I said in my 1st DB article, hopefully they can connect the two one of these days, like I suggested here.
Dedicated Fan List.
If you are long time fan only.
DO NOT WATCH IT IN THIS ORDER IF YOU ARE NEW. SPOILER ALERT.
- Extra Bonus Bonus: Watch it in Japanese
Dragon Ball Z Bardock: The Father Of Goku TV Special
Dragon Ball: Episode Of Bardock
Dragon Ball TV 1-153
Dragon Ball: Curse Of The Blood Rubes
Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess In Devil’s Castle
Dragon Ball- Mystical Adventure
Path to Power.
Dragon Ball Z: Deadzone
(Ignore that they meet Gohan in the movie and pretend you meet him first in Z, lol)
Dragon Ball Z: Episodes 1 to 35
Dragon Ball Z Movie: The World’s Strongest
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Tree Of Might
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 36-64
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 65 to 71
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Lord Slug
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 72-124
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Cooler’s Revenge
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 124-136
Dragon Ball Z Movie: History Of Trunks TV Special
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 137-174
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Plan To Eradicate The Saiyans
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Return Of Cooler
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Android 13
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Broly The Legendary Super Saiyan
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 175-194
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Bojack Unbound
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 195-207
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Broly Second Coming
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 208-241
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Bio Broly
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 242-264
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 265-287
Dragon Ball Z Movie: Wrath Of The Dragon
Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return
Remember that Dragon Ball Super begins before Dragon Ball Z ends. Dragon Ball Episode #288 is the last Z episode before the events of Super. The Snake in this episode highly resembles the Snake that Goten and Trunks fight against in the first episode of Dragon Ball Super.
If you read the description of the World Peace Saga also, it mentions the events of Dragon Ball Super occurring during these 10 years (ie. Bulla and Pan being born, which clearly happens in Super). Creators have a opportunity here to fill in the gaps with Dragon Ball Super with 10 years worth of stories/arcs/sagas if they play their cards right. They can even refer to GT (since you can transform into a God, you no longer need Super Saiyan 4 type deal). Since GT exists, and it’s the only way to see Goten, Bulla, Pan older at the time of this writing, it does state the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga as the next saga (which is non-canon GT).
Watch Dragon Ball Z Episode number #288 then
Dragon Ball Super: Battle Of The Gods
Dragon Ball Super: Resurrection F
Dragon Ball Super (You will notice that Battle Of Gods and Resurrection F is basically the same as the first 28 episodes of Super)
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
A SEQUEL IS COMING. WOO. (Moro Arc/Saga? More Super episodes? Gimme!) When it makes money it makes sense. (They said they were gonna stop Toy Story after 3 but did they?)
5/10/2021 Update: Dragon Ball Super 2 is coming in a form of a movie! It’s going to include the origin story!
- To keep myself occupied until the 2022 movie or series comes out, I’m watching Super Dragon Ball Heroes, and getting into the Dragon Ball and Moro manga here. As it was suggested here, they might just keep movies coming out and eventually rope in a TV comeback. I’M OKAY WITH THIS! Give me something new! :D
FYI: The spin-off anime series of Super Dragon Ball Heroes has offered anime fans some new stories that see the Z Fighters teaming up with their alternate reality counterparts, bringing in elements of the series that we might have never seen otherwise. REMINDER: Super Dragon Ball Heroes is not canon to the main storyline. It has definitely has tied me over until the new movie comes out in 2022!
Then we switch back to Dragon Ball Z Episode 289. Pan is a baby in Super and Goten and Trunks were still young. In the last episodes of Z they are older, and Pan is 4. It helps me personally by seeing how old they are.
Dragon Ball Z Episodes 289-291
If you look at the end of Z (World Peace Saga specifically), especially for characters like Trunks and Goten, it transitions into GT. For a while, GT was the sequel for Dragon Ball Z (No Gods, No DBS). I’m personally one of the DB fans that likes GT. There’s some good parts to it.
Now that we have Super, I would love to see an arc/saga in Super where Goku is flying off with Uub, so it can pick up right where Z left off. I felt like the end of Z was left open just so a series like Super can come along and pick up the pieces.
Dragon Ball GT 1-64
Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy
Dragon Ball Movie List
Decided to watch Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Super, (or even GT) aka the whole series and decided to go back and watch the movies afterwards instead of stopping, pausing inbtwn episodes?
Guess what my battery is about to die and I will update shortly.
Finally months later…
New Comers
- Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle
- Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Path of Power
- Dead Zone
- World’s Strongest
- Tree of Might
- Dragon Ball Z Bardock: The Father Of Goku TV Special
- Dragon Ball: Episode Of Bardock
- Lord Slug
- Cooler’s Revenge
- Return of Cooler
- Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan
- Super Android 13
- Broly Second Coming
- Bio Broly
- Bojack Unbound
- History of Trunks
- Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans
- Wrath of the Dragon
- Fusion Reborn
- Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return
- Battle of the Gods
- Resurrection F
- Dragon Ball Super Broly
- Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy
Old timers (ONLY if you been around the block)
- Bardock: Father of Goku
- Episode of Bardock (TV Special/”What-if” Scenario)
- Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle
- Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Path of Power
- Dead Zone
- World’s Strongest
- Tree of Might
- Lord Slug
- Cooler’s Revenge
- Return of Cooler
- Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan
- Super Android 13
- Broly Second Coming
- Bio Broly
- Bojack Unbound
- History of Trunks
- Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans
- Wrath of the Dragon
- Fusion Reborn
- Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return
- Battle of the Gods
- Resurrection F
- Dragon Ball Super Broly
- Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy
Honorable Mentions (Will Add On The More Lists I Find)
Sometimes it’s fun to watch it from other people’s perspectives. The harsh truth is the movies don’t fit into the main time perfectly, but we do the best we can.
This quora list also have some excellent ways to watch it. As long time DBZ fans, like I said through out this article, we do the best we can. You can technically skip all the movies, because the only three that are canon are Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of The Gods, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, And Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
Me attempting to transform.
See you next time.
Since it’s 2020, a new decade 🔥🙌 I’ve decided to slightly change how I sign off.
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