Figuring out the ideal Dragon Ball watch order is tricky. The franchise spans hundreds of episodes, and some of the associated anime are not canon. With that in mind, the following guide will explore the six main series and how they fit together. Or, in same cases, don’t.
Best Dragon Ball watch order as of March 2026
As of March 2026, the Dragon Ball watch order is fairly stable. However, Toei Animation recently announced a new series, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol, has begun production. No release date has been announced. However, in addition to the new series, Toei also confirmed a new remake of Dragon Ball Super. This new series will be called Dragon Ball Super: Beerus and premiere in Fall 2026.
Until that time, the Dragon Ball watch order below offers a reasonable guide for enjoying all the existing series in chronological order. For the sake of simplicity, this guide focuses only on the original anime series and does not include any of the movies. This guide also only includes those series inspired by the original manga by Akira Toriyama. Thankfully, this only excludes Super Dragon Ball Heroes; a web-only anime based on the video game of the same name.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball is the foundational series that started Akira Toriyama’s legendary manga and anime franchise. It follows Son Goku, a naive boy with incredible strength and a monkey tail, as he searches for the seven magical Dragon Balls alongside the brilliant inventor Bulma. When gathered, these balls summon the dragon Shenron, who grants the gatherer one wish. The series chronicles Goku’s journey from innocent child to skilled martial artist, under the tutelage of Master Roshi.
The original Dragon Ball has a much more adventurous, comedic tone compared to the later series. It’s heavily inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West and blends martial arts action with slapstick humor, quirky characters, and exploration. There is also less focus on world-ending threats and more on personal growth and adventure.
Dragon Ball establishes the foundation for everything that follows: the fighting techniques, character relationships, and the series’ unique blend of humor and action. Many fans consider it essential viewing because it gives context and emotional weight to the events in Dragon Ball Z. It is undoubtedly the best place to start with any Dragon Ball watch order.
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Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z is where the Dragon Ball series evolved into the legendary action anime that defined a generation. DBZ was one of the main series that helped popularize anime in the West during the late 90s/early 2000s. Its influence on action anime, video games, and internet culture is immeasurable. Phrases like “It’s over 9000!” and “This isn’t even my final form!” even became mainstream memes.
DBZ picks up five years after the original series ended, revealing that Goku is actually an alien Saiyan warrior named Kakarot. This shift transforms the series from an adventure-comedy into an epic space opera. Whereas Dragon Ball featured regional threats, DBZ deals with planetary and universal destruction.
DBZ also established the template of escalating power levels, tournament arcs, training montages, and dramatic transformations that countless anime would later follow. The fights became longer, more intense, and the many transformations, with various levels of Super Saiyan, became series-defining moments. Watching this next not only clues you into the cultural zeitgeist, but you get to witness Goku’s transformation into an intergalactic legend.
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Dragon Ball Kai
Dragon Ball Kai is mentioned for the sake of completeness and to avoid confusion. Released in 2009, Kai is essentially a director’s cut special edition of Dragon Ball Z intended to mark the series’ 20th anniversary. It was edited to follow the manga more closely and eliminate all the filler. The end result is a faster-paced and more focused production. In terms of overall story, however, there is little practical difference between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Kai.
Dragon Ball Daima
Dragon Ball Daima is the most recent release in the franchise. It is notable for being retroactively set during the events of Dragon Ball Z. However, it is also special because it was one of the last projects Akira Toriyama was involved in before his death in March 2024.
The story begins when Gomah becomes the new King of the Demon Realm after Dabura’s death. He uses Earth’s Dragon Balls to transform Goku and everyone who fought against Majin Buu into children to weaken them and prevent their interference. To undo this change, the heroes must travel to the Demon Realm themselves, at great risk.
Unlike previous series, Daima explores an entirely new dimension with its own politics, characters, and magic systems. The series blends old-school Dragon Ball battles with fresh characters and world-building. This represents Toriyama’s final contribution to Dragon Ball, making it both a new adventure and a farewell gift from the series’ creator. Dragon Ball Daima came to a close in 2025 and will be released on Blu-Ray in 2026.
Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super is the official continuation of the Dragon Ball manga and anime that brought the franchise back after nearly two decades. Super began in 2015 as both a manga (by Toyotarou under Toriyama’s supervision) and anime, marking the first new Dragon Ball content since the 1990s. Unlike GT, this series is fully canon and was created with Akira Toriyama’s direct involvement.
Super introduces god-tier transformations (Super Saiyan God, Blue, and Ultra Instinct) and cosmic-level threats. The series reveals there are 12 universes, each with their own gods of destruction, massively expanding the cosmology beyond anything in Z. Super also balances the high-stakes action of Z with more of the original series’ humor and slice-of-life moments. Super successfully modernized Dragon Ball for a new generation while respecting its roots, leading to continued manga chapters and the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Beerus remake.
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Dragon Ball GT (non-canon)
Dragon Ball GT is the black sheep of the Dragon Ball family. It’s a series that is both beloved and criticized by fans. The chief reasons for this are that GT is not based on the original manga and Akira Toriyama was not as involved in its production. He designed the main cast, title, and logo, but otherwise served in a purely supervisory role. This makes it non-canon, though Toriyama himself described it as “a grand side story of the original Dragon Ball.”
GT starts with Emperor Pilaf accidentally wishing Goku back into a child using the Black Star Dragon Balls. Unlike regular Dragon Balls, these scatter across the galaxy and will destroy Earth if not collected within a year. This forces Goku, Trunks, and his granddaughter Pan to go on a deep space adventure.
GT attempted to return to Dragon Ball’s adventure roots while maintaining Z’s power levels. The series explored consequences of relying too heavily on Dragon Balls and featured more creative villains rather than just stronger fighters. Despite being non-canon, GT contributed lasting elements like Super Saiyan 4, the concept of Dragon Ball consequences, and some of the most memorable opening themes in the franchise. Placing GT at the end respects both its alternate timeline status and allows viewers to see it as one possible conclusion to Goku’s story, separate from the canonical path that continues through Super.
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How we chose the best Dragon Ball watch order
We prioritized chronological story flow over release dates to create the most coherent viewing experience. Dragon Ball Daima fits perfectly after Z since it directly follows the Buu Saga events, while Super works better after Daima because it takes place several years later. Placing GT last respects both its non-canon status and allows it to serve as an alternate conclusion. This Dragon Ball watch order also ensures you come to appreciate the character relationships and story developments in the order they actually happened.
