How to watch Dragon Ball in order

These include must-watches like Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and the latest Dragon Ball entry, Dragon Ball Daima. That's not even mentioning the Dragon Ball manga, of which plenty of chapters and volumes exist.

The series follows protagonist Son Goku, who meets a teenage girl named Bulma and is encouraged to join her on her quest to discover the location of the seven legendary, magical orbs called Dragon Balls.

The adventure continues beyond Goku's childhood, however, following him and his extensive list of friends, enemies, and everything in between, right up to his adulthood.

Goku's journey has him fighting battles, learning more about his heritage, and even becoming a family man. There's a little bit of everything for fans to enjoy regarding the Dragon Ball franchise.

But with that in mind, it's no wonder new and even returning fans might struggle with where to start. After all, several movies and television specials further confuse matters. Then there's the complication that not all the series are necessarily considered "canon", aka, they don't count or link to the narrative arcs of the canon material of Dragon Ball.

Having several spin-offs and sequels isn't unusual for shonen, just look at Naruto or Bleach, but it does make the watch order feel tricky to handle.

With that in mind, and the last episode of Dragon Ball Daima edging closer and closer, now is the perfect time to catch up with one of the most popular anime series in the world.

Here's everything you need to know about Dragon Ball's perfect watch order.

How to watch Dragon Ball in chronological order

While this method might be frowned upon by hardcore fans, one way to watch Dragon Ball in order is to go in chronological order in terms of the time scale of the story.

This order does not take into account whether each series or film is considered canon or not – hence why some fans would say it isn't the best way to watch – and as such, it includes a lot of content.

Meanwhile, a note that we have included Dragon Ball Z but not Dragon Ball Z Kai, given that the two series are essentially the same thing. (For reference, Dragon Ball Z Kai is a remake of the earlier series, telling the same story but with less filler and some new dialogue as well as updated animation.)

Here is how to watch the Dragon Ball series in chronological order:

• Dragon Ball
• Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (movie)
• Dragon Ball Z: episodes 1-86
• Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku (TV Special)
• 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 and 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’s 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: episodes 1-64
• 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
• Dragon Ball Daima
• Dragon Ball Z: episodes 289-291

Finally, you can watch Super Dragon Ball Heroes, which is a promotional anime for the video game and card series containing some fun moments for fans!

How to watch Dragon Ball in order by canon

If you want to skip all the Dragon Ball that isn't considered canon, i.e., the series and films that don't follow the events of the manga and were made without any input from creator Akira Toriyama, then there is an alternative watch order below.

The entries considered non-canon include the series Dragon Ball GT in addition to the majority of the films. Then you also have to make the choice of whether to watch Dragon Ball Z for the more extensive experience or Dragon Ball Kai for the more refined approach.

Here is the list for fans who wish to watch Dragon Ball canonically:

• Dragon Ball: all episodes
• Dragon Ball Z or Kai: until the end of the Frieza Saga
• Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z or Kai: until the end of the Cell saga
• Dragon Ball Z or Kai: The History of Trunks (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z or Kai: until just before the Peaceful World saga
• Dragon Ball Daima
• Dragon Ball Super
• Dragon Ball Z or Kai: all remaining episodes

Should I play the Dragon Ball video games?

While it's usually a safe bet to stick to either the anime or manga for canon material, there are often cases where mediums cross over. In this case, you might be surprised that Dragon Ball, alongside its spin-offs and sequels, has a thriving background in video game adaptations. It isn't hard to see why. Dragon Ball is often seen as an anime where numbers and power levels take up a lot of the space within its story.

That being said, Dragon Ball video games are not canon -- regardless of how engaging they can be. With one big exception: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. The events of this game (including all of the DLC) follow Dragon Ball Z right up to the first few episodes of Dragon Ball Daima. It isn't perfect, but if you prefer your media interactive, this may be the best way to catch up after you finish watching Dragon Ball.

Should I watch the Dragon Ball live-action movie?

Dragon Ball: Evolution is a 2009 film that very loosely adapts the events of Dragon Ball for the big screen. It is not a required watch for anyone looking to catch up with Dragon Ball.

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