Dragon Ball watch order: every series and film, where Daima fits, Kai and the filler to skip

Dragon Ball series in order

By Japanese release date the TV series run Dragon Ball (1986 to 1989), Dragon Ball Z (1989 to 1996), Dragon Ball GT (1996 to 1997), Dragon Ball Z Kai (2009 to 2015), Dragon Ball Super (2015 to 2018), Dragon Ball Daima (2024 to 2025) and Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, which began on October 11, 2026 ^{Wikipedia, official Beerus site}. Neither Toei nor Shueisha publishes a story chronology; the official site lists the works by year only ^{official site}.

Story order differs in two places. Super and Daima are set in the ten years between the end of the Buu saga and Z's final episodes: Z's episode 289 opens "ten years later" ^Wikipedia, and Crunchyroll says Super "is set before the timeskip that took place in the final three episodes of Dragon Ball Z" ^Crunchyroll. GT picks up after Z's last episode.

Where does Dragon Ball Daima fit?

Crunchyroll's watch-order guide puts Daima "after the Dragon Ball Z Majin Buu Saga (but before Dragon Ball Super and the ending of Dragon Ball Z)" ^Crunchyroll. Anime News Network's encyclopedia lists it as a prequel to Super, and Wikipedia agrees ^{ANN, Wikipedia}. Its 20 episodes aired from October 11, 2024 to February 28, 2025. A few details don't match Super: Crunchyroll points out that Daima separates Shin and Kibito in a different way ^Crunchyroll.

Is Dragon Ball GT canon?

GT is an anime-original story, not adapted from Akira Toriyama's manga, set five years after Z's last episode. Toriyama called it a grand side story to the original ^{Japanese Wikipedia}. Crunchyroll's list of canon arcs leaves it out ^Crunchyroll, so watch it after Z if you want more, or skip it.

Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Z Kai?

Kai is Toei's recut of Z, "edited to more closely follow Akira Toriyama's original manga" ^ANN. It aired in two runs: 98 episodes from 2009 to 2011 covering the Saiyans to the Cell Games, then The Final Chapters for the Buu saga from 2014 to 2015. The Final Chapters has 61 episodes in Japan and 69 in the international version, so Kai comes to 159 or 167 episodes, compared with Z's 291 ^{Wikipedia, ANN}. Streaming services use the 167-episode numbering.

Watching Kai instead of Z brings the main route down from about 239 hours to about 187. Kai drops the anime-only Garlic Jr. saga ^{ANN review}, and the Other World Tournament survives only as a brief recap in episode 98 ^{Japanese Wikipedia}. Watch one or the other, not both.

Dragon Ball filler list: the episodes you can skip

Anime Filler List supplies the counts ^{Dragon Ball, Z, Super}. The "mixed" column counts episodes that still adapt part of the manga, so watch those.

The two longest Z detours are the Garlic Jr. saga (episodes 108 to 117) and the Other World Tournament (195 to 199), which Crunchyroll's guide also marks as non-canon ^Crunchyroll. Super has another 15 episodes that Anime Filler List calls "anime canon", original stories that the manga doesn't have. GT is anime-original from start to finish, Kai has only two filler episodes, and Daima has no Anime Filler List page. Skipping the filler cuts the main route to about 210 hours.

Dragon Ball movies in order

There are 21 films. Only four belong to the main story: Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F', which Super retells in its first 27 episodes, and Broly and Super Hero, which come after Super ^{Wikipedia, Crunchyroll}. Toriyama said he saw the films as separate from the manga's story, so the older films' slots are guesses. The "guidebook estimate" placements come from the official Daizenshuu guide, quoted on Japanese Wikipedia, which itself notes the contradictions ^{Japanese Wikipedia}. The TV specials are listed after the films.

Dragon Ball Super: Beerus and The Galactic Patrol

Dragon Ball Super: Beerus started on Fuji TV on October 11, 2026. It is an "enhanced" edition of Super's opening arc, with many new and redrawn cuts and a reworked story, and no episode total has been announced ^{official site, Crunchyroll}. It retells the start of Super, so it's optional if you've seen Super, or a newer way into the story if you haven't ^Crunchyroll.

Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol was announced on January 25, 2026. The official announcement says it continues from the Universe Survival arc that ended the Super anime and that the story is the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc of the Super manga. As of October 25, 2026, it has no date or platform ^{official site}.

Where the anime stops in the manga

Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995: 519 chapters in 42 volumes. Dragon Ball adapts chapters 1 to 194 and Z adapts 195 to the end, so after Z or Kai there's nothing left of the original manga to read ^{Wikipedia, chapter list}. GT and Daima have no manga.

The Dragon Ball Super manga, drawn by Toyotarou from Toriyama's story, started in 2015 alongside the anime. Anime News Network reported that its chapter 42 "finished the manga's version of the events of the Dragon Ball Super anime" ^ANN. The manga then goes on with the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc (chapters 43 to 67), the Granolah arc (67 to 87) and its version of Super Hero (88 to 104), so start at chapter 43 in volume 9 ^{Wikipedia chapter list}. The manga has been on hiatus since 2024 apart from a one-off chapter 104 in 2025. All 24 volumes are out in Japan and from VIZ in English ^{V Jump, VIZ}.

Where to watch Dragon Ball

• Crunchyroll streams Dragon Ball, Z, GT, Super and Daima in the US ^Crunchyroll, and Dragon Ball, Z, GT and Kai in the UK ^{Crunchyroll UK}. Crunchyroll also streams Super: Beerus ^{official site}.
• Hulu (US) has Daima and Super: Beerus ^{official Daima site, official Beerus site}.
• Netflix has Daima and Super: Beerus in the US and UK ^{ANN, AnimeBlurayUK}.
• UK only: Disney+ added Kai and all of Super in 2026, and BBC iPlayer has the edited UK TV version of Super ^{AnimeBlurayUK, BBC}.
• The four original Dragon Ball films and the TV specials are only available to buy, not on any US subscription service ^{JustWatch, checked October 25, 2026}.

How long does it take to watch Dragon Ball?

Plan on roughly 239 hours for the main route below, assuming episodes run 23 to 24 minutes. Swapping Kai in for Z cuts that to about 187 hours, and skipping the filler brings it to about 210. GT puts 26 hours back on.

Dragon Ball questions

What order do you watch Dragon Ball in?

Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Daima, Dragon Ball Super, then the films Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Super Hero. That's about 239 hours. Z's last three episodes are set ten years later, so in story order you can watch them last. GT is optional.

Where does Dragon Ball Daima fit in the timeline?

After the Majin Buu saga and before Dragon Ball Super, according to Crunchyroll, Anime News Network and Wikipedia. Watch it after Dragon Ball Z episode 288 or after all of Z.

Should I watch Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Z Kai?

Either. Kai is the official recut of Z, edited to follow the manga more closely, and tells the same story in 167 episodes instead of 291. Pick Z for the original, or Kai to save about 50 hours.

Is Dragon Ball GT canon?

It is an anime-original sequel, not based on Akira Toriyama's manga, set five years after Z's last episode. Crunchyroll's canon guide leaves it out, so treat it as optional.

Where does the Dragon Ball Super anime end in the manga?

Chapter 42 of the Dragon Ball Super manga finishes the anime's story. Start at chapter 43 in volume 9, the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc, which the anime hasn't adapted yet.