How to watch Dragon Ball in order

Let us guide you like the Turtle Hermit to the correct watch order of the Dragon Ball anime franchise.

Published: Wednesday, 26 February 2025 at 4:05 pm

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When it comes to monumental anime history, it's essential to acknowledge the late Akira Toriyama's most beloved anime franchise, Dragon Ball.

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Based on the manga from Toriyama, the original series first aired in 1986 and has since spawned plenty of spin-offs and sequels dedicated to not just our favourite Super Saiyan, but other characters too.

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.)

Dragon Ball Son Goku

Crunchyroll/Dragon Ball Super

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

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.

Dragon Ball's Goku looking into camera, smiling

Dragon Ball's Goku. Crunchyroll

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

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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Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our Sci-Fi hub for more news and features. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Aimee Hart

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Patrick Cremona, smiling against a lime green background.

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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