Every Dragon Ball Series In Order!! Know The Dragon Ball Series Order 

Dragon Ball has been one of the top anime franchises across the world. Running for around 30+ years, the franchise has delivered a bag full of super-entertaining series. However, if you are new to the anime, you may be a bit confused about the Dragon Ball series in order.

As the plot is beautifully designed by Akira Toriyama, watching the show in the correct order is important to get the true essence of the story.

So, here is your complete guide for watching all Dragon Ball series in order. 

Dragon Ball Series In Order 

Dragon Ball is one of the most loved franchises in the anime world. It has a long storied history. Though some fans love to watch Dragon Ball Z and are stuck with the series only, there is much more to explore. Dragon Ball has an extensive wealth of content as it extends beyond Saiyans, deadly battles, and mind-boggling transformations.

With a wide range of deadly villains and other characters, the show is divided into multiple series to offer the viewers an edge of entertainment. 

So, for the newcomers, hunting through the extensive library of content can be a bit tricky as most of them will be unaware of the right dragon ball series in order to watch the best parts. 

The show initially debuted in 1986 with the Dragon Ball Original series, and after the immense popularity of the show, it delivered tons of spinoffs like Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and more.

Though the original manga comes under the title Dragon Ball, Toei Animation distributed it into different series to create a sense of hype and interest within the fanbase. 

Not just that but the show tried its hands out into official sequels with the premiere of series like Dragon Ball GT.

Though Akira Toriyama is titled the anime magician who has created an insane series, “Dragon Ball”, without his involvement too, Toei Animation has managed to weave the best content for the viewers. 

Initially, after Dragon Ball Z, the anime started losing its spark, and the games began to attract fans. With the entry of Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Super in the scene, the franchise got back its charm, and these series turned out to be fan-favorite. 

Apart from the core series, there are tons of TV specials that may confuse the newbies. So, we are here with the complete guide on how to watch all dragon ball series in order. 

All Dragon Ball Series In Order 

The method mentioned below is frowned upon by the true Dragon Ball fans, one good way to enjoy the true essence of the storyline is to watch all series and movies in chronological order in terms of time scale or premiere scale. 

Note – This order does not take into account whether any series is titled canon or not. Meanwhile, we have included all the series coming from the Dragon Ball franchise. So, here is the Dragon Ball series in order – 

• Dragon Ball 
• Dragon Ball Z Episode 1 to 86
• Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father Of Goku (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 87 to 107  (Make sure to watch the three movies namely Episode of Bardock, The World’s Strongest & The Tree of Might before jumping into the next episodes)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 108 to 123 
• Dragon Ball Z: History of Trunks (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 124 & 125
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 126 to 146 (Watch Cooler’s Revenge movie before this)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 147 to 207 
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 207 to 289 
• Dragon Ball GT, All Episodes 
• Dragon Ball Super, All Episodes 
• Dragon Super Dragon Ball Heroes 

How To Watch Dragon Ball Series In Canon Order?

If you don’t want to watch all the series and the movies that are not considered canon, make sure to check out the list below.

The list is prepared by skipping all the series and movies that have less to no connections with the official manga and are created without the intervention of Akira Toriyama. 

Here is the complete list of all Dragon Ball series in order – 

• Dragon Ball, All Episodes 
• Dragon Ball Z or Kai, till the climax of Frieza Saga
• Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – the Father of Goku (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z, from the climax of Frieza Saga till Cell Saga
• Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z, All episodes
• Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball Z Series In Order With Movies & Episodes 

Here is the list of Dragon Ball Z series organized in proper chronological order – 

• Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 1 to 86 
• Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father Of Goku (TV Special)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 87 to 107
• Dragon Ball Z: Episode of Bardock (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z: The Tree Of Mighty (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 108 to 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 to 146 
• Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13 (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episode 147 to 173 
• Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 174 to 194 
• Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 195 to 207
• Dragon Ball Z: Broly’s Second Coming (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 208 to 250 
• Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 251 to 253 
• Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 254 to 288
• Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (Movie)
• Dragon Ball Z Episodes 289 to End

Dragon Ball Series In Order To Watch 

If you are curious to know the dragon ball series correct order to watch, we have covered all the series in chronological order below – 

#1 Dragon Ball (1986 to 1989)

The debut of the Dragon Ball franchise, with the original anime adaptation in 1986, led to a revolution in the world of anime. It’s one of the best series coming from the Dragon Ball franchise.

Being free from awkward fillers or inconsistency in animation, the Dragon Ball original series truly adapted its six-story arc. The series took the audience to the depths of the main story, guided by the original manga created by Akira Toriyama. 

The Dragon Ball’s 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai arc marked the entry of Dragon Ball Z in the scene. While the flow of content or the pace of the show in Dragon Ball Z has been a major issue, it managed to offer an added gravitas to the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.

So, the Dragon Ball comes first in the list of Dragon Ball series order. 

#2 Dragon Ball Z (1989 to 1996)

Dragon Ball Z is simply a continuation in the story of the main Dragon Ball original series. The series debuted with its first episode just after the climax of its predecessor.

Though the series was initially titled under the name Dragon Ball, the creators rebranded the show, which pumped lifeblood into the anime in terms of budget, animation, and popularity.

Dragon Ball Z with the most flavorful characters and a bunch of super deadly villains got the attention of the viewers and turned out to be an instant hit.

With larger-than-life fight sequences, amazing transformations, Dragon Ball Z covered up the four arcs from the original manga with some commercial twists. 

#3 Dragon Ball GT 

Though Akira Toriyama marked a beautiful climax of the Dragon Ball with the Buu Saga, Toei Animation wanted to try its hand on the show by milking it. Toei Animation released a sequel of the series titled “Dragon Ball GT”, which turned out to be a mess.

It was a major setback for the franchise as the series decreased the popularity of Dragon Ball. The fans showered their hate and troll on the series due to its roughly written content and unplanned execution of the plot.

Though the Dragon Ball GT series introduced some cool elements like Super Saiyan 4 transformation, it was ultimately a big flop for the franchise. 

#4 Dragon Ball Kai (2009 to 2011)

With Dragon Ball Z touching its 20th anniversary, Toei Animation played its MasterCard trying to recur DBZ to line in with Akira Toriyama’s original manga.

With a bunch of re-edited scenes, a new performance from the cast, and a lower episode count, the Dragon Ball Kai offered a reinterpretation of the Z’s story. 

#5 Dragon Ball Kai: The Final Chapters (2014 to 2015)

Most fans desired a bombastic sequel with the release of Dragon Ball Kai: The Final Chapters following its original DBZ Kai series. However, it led to a complete disappointment as the filler did not offer a clear vision and could be cut at times.

The episodes were pretty bloated and did not grab the audience’s attention. 

#6 Dragon Ball Super (2015 to 2018)

With the decrease in popularity of the franchise, the Dragon Ball franchise needed a trump to create hype among the audience and Dragon Ball Super turned out to be the magical move. Debuting with the series, the franchise got huge recognition for its insane storyline and quality animation. 

#7 Super Dragon Ball Heroes (2018)

Though Dragon Ball Super marked its climax, Super Dragon Ball Heroes has kept the fans busy since 2018. The series tells a different story but it’s solely created to maintain the hype and for promotional purposes. 

Dragon Ball Series Ranked As Per Popularity 

Here is are the Dragon Ball series ranked as per popularity – 

#1 Dragon Ball Z

#2 Dragon Ball 

#3 Dragon Ball Z Kai

#4 Dragon Ball Super 

#5 Super Dragon Ball Heroes 

#6 Dragon Ball GT 

Read more:-  God Of Destruction | Everything You Need To Know [2021-2022]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion 

We have presented the complete guide to watching the Dragon Ball series in order. Hope the article will guide you to the best episodes and series and help you get an edge on entertainment. Share it with your friends and all Dragon Ball fans. Follow us for more valuable content.