Watch order guide · Dragon Ball

How to watch Dragon Ball in order

Updated October 21, 2026 · 10 min read · 9 titles · 279 hours

Watch Dragon Ball (1986), then Dragon Ball Z, then Dragon Ball Super. Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' are retold in the first arcs of Super, so you can skip either the films or those arcs. Dragon Ball GT is non-canon, and Dragon Ball Daima (2024) is canon, set after the Buu saga.

Titles

9

Films

4

Series

5

Watch time

279 hours

Box office

$324 million

Avg IMDb

7.7

Dragon Ball shows in release order

Here is every Dragon Ball title in the order it came out, 1986 to 2024: 4 films and 5 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.

Dragon Ball timeline: shows in chronological order

The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.

Release or chronological: which order is best?

Release order and story order disagree on 2 titles here. In release order you start with Dragon Ball (1986); in story order you start with Dragon Ball, set in Young Goku.

First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Dragon Ball into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.

Dragon Ball also runs a separate continuity: GT, an alternate future. It has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch it on its own without breaking the main story.

Where to start

Every Dragon Ball title, explained

One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.

No. 01 · 1986 · Series · 63h 45m

Dragon Ball

Young Goku sets off on a quest with his teenage friend Bulma to find the seven Dragon Balls, which grant whoever possesses them a single wish.

Why it matters: Young Goku's adventures; the place to start.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Chikao Ohtsuka, and Mayumi Tanaka

Scores

IMDb 8.5

Episodes

153

No. 02 · 1989 · Series · 122h 2m

Dragon Ball Z

Now happily married and with a son, martial arts champion Goku must defend Earth from a series of extraterrestrial invaders bent on destruction.

Why it matters: Adult Goku, the Saiyans, Frieza, Cell and Buu.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Ryo Horikawa, and Toshio Furukawa

Scores

IMDb 8.8

Episodes

291 across 9 seasons

No. 03 · 1996 · Series · 26h 40m · 9th in story order · optional

Dragon Ball GT

Ten years have passed since Goku left his friends and family to hone his skills. But Goku soon finds himself helpless against the mystical power of the Dragon Balls and an accidental wish made by the devious Emperor Pilaf. The wish; that Goku once again become a child! Goku, together with Trunks, and his own granddaughter Pan, blast off into the outer reaches of space in search of the mysterious Black Star Dragon Balls. But these Dragon Balls have a fatal secret: if not collected within one year Earth will be destroyed.

Why it matters: A non-canon sequel; optional.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Yuko Minaguchi, and Takeshi Kusao

Scores

IMDb 6.8

Episodes

64

No. 04 · 2013 · Film · 1h 25m · optional

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

After the defeat of Majin Buu, a powerful God of Destruction known as Beerus searches for the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to Earth, the Z-fighters must stop him. Only Goku, humanity’s last hope, can ascend to the level of a legendary Super Saiyan God and save the planet, and possibly the entire universe!

Why it matters: Beerus arrives; retold in Super's first arc, so watch one or the other.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Koichi Yamadera, and Masakazu Morita

Director

Masahiro Hosoda

Box office

$50 million

Scores

IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 89%

No. 05 · 2015 · Film · 1h 33m · optional

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'

One peaceful day on Earth, two remnants of Frieza's army named Sorbet and Tagoma arrive searching for the Dragon Balls with the aim of reviving Frieza. They succeed, and Frieza subsequently seeks revenge on the Saiyans.

Why it matters: Frieza returns; also retold in Super.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Ryo Horikawa, and Ryusei Nakao

Director

Tadayoshi Yamamuro

Box office

$62 million on a $5 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%

No. 06 · 2015 · Series · 52h 24m

Dragon Ball Super

With Majin Buu defeated, Goku has taken a completely new role as...a radish farmer?! With Earth at peace, our heroes have settled into normal lives. But they can’t get too comfortable. Far away, the powerful God of Destruction, Beerus, awakens to a prophecy revealing his demise at the hands of an even more formidable being. When his search for the Saiyan God brings him to Earth, can Goku and his friends take on their strongest foe yet?

Why it matters: Gods, multiverses and the Tournament of Power.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Ryo Horikawa, and Hiromi Tsuru

Scores

IMDb 8.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 87%

Episodes

131

No. 07 · 2018 · Film · 1h 41m

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Earth is peaceful following the Tournament of Power. Realizing that the universes still hold many more strong people yet to see, Goku spends all his days training to reach even greater heights. Then one day, Goku and Vegeta are faced by a Saiyan called 'Broly' who they've never seen before. The Saiyans were supposed to have been almost completely wiped out in the destruction of Planet Vegeta, so what's this one doing on Earth? This encounter between the three Saiyans who have followed completely different destinies turns into a stupendous battle, with even Frieza (back from Hell) getting caught up in the mix.

Why it matters: A canon film after Super's TV run; Broly reimagined.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Aya Hisakawa, and Ryo Horikawa

Director

Tatsuya Nagamine

Box office

$125 million on a $1 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 84%

No. 08 · 2022 · Film · 1h 40m

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

The Red Ribbon Army, an evil organization that was once destroyed by Goku in the past, has been reformed by a group of people who have created new and mightier Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, and seek vengeance against Goku and his family.

Why it matters: Gohan and Piccolo take the lead.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Toshio Furukawa, and Yuko Minaguchi

Director

Tetsuro Kodama

Box office

$87 million

Scores

IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%

No. 09 · 2024 · Series · 8h 8m · 3rd in story order

Dragon Ball Daima

Mysteriously transformed into mini versions of themselves, Goku and his friends travel to the Demon Realm to uncover the truth and find a cure.

Why it matters: Canon, set between the Buu saga and Super.

Starring

Masako Nozawa, Koki Uchiyama, and Yumiko Kobayashi

Scores

IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 100%

Episodes

20

Dragon Ball box office and budgets

The 4 Dragon Ball films with reported numbers have grossed $324 million worldwide on about $6 million in combined budgets, roughly 31 times what they cost. The biggest is Dragon Ball Super: Broly at $125 million, 39% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero ($87 million) and Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' ($62 million).

The best and worst rated Dragon Ball shows

Across 9 rated titles, Dragon Ball averages 7.7 on IMDb. The top of the list is Dragon Ball Z at 8.8, then Dragon Ball (8.5) and Dragon Ball Super (8.3). At the bottom: Dragon Ball GT (6.8) and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (7.1). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, is only the 4th best rated.

1. Dragon Ball Z8.8
2. Dragon Ball8.5
3. Dragon Ball Super8.3 · RT 87%
4. Dragon Ball Super: Broly7.7 · RT 84%
5. Dragon Ball Daima7.7 · RT 100%
6. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods7.1 · RT 89%
7. Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'7.1 · RT 83%
8. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero7.1 · RT 95%
9. Dragon Ball GT6.8

Who appears in the most Dragon Ball shows

Masako Nozawa leads with 9 appearances as Son Goku and Son Gohan, ahead of Toshio Furukawa (8) and Mayumi Tanaka (7). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.

Dragon Ball directors and creators

4 filmmakers have directed or created Dragon Ball.

• Masahiro HosodaDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013)
• Tadayoshi YamamuroDragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' (2015)
• Tatsuya NagamineDragon Ball Super: Broly (2018)
• Tetsuro KodamaDragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022)

How long it takes to watch every Dragon Ball show

All 9 titles add up to 279 hours: 6 hours of film and 273 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 140 two-hour evenings, or 28 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 250 hours. The longest film is Dragon Ball Super: Broly at 1h 41m.

Which Dragon Ball shows can you skip?

3 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 30 hours.

• Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods2013 · Film · 1h 25m · optionalBeerus arrives; retold in Super's first arc, so watch one or the other.
• Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'2015 · Film · 1h 33m · optionalFrieza returns; also retold in Super.
• Dragon Ball GT1996 · Series · 26h 40m · optionalA non-canon sequel; optional.

Common questions

Keep reading

• Skip guideWhat can you skip in Dragon Ball?3 titles you can skip
• RecapDragon Ball recap: the story so far9 titles recapped
• Skip guideWhat can you skip in Game of Thrones?2 titles you can skip
• RecapChainsaw Man recap: the story so far2 titles recapped
• Watch order guideHow to watch the One Piece movies in order8 titles · 498 hours
• Skip guideWhich Star Wars movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip