The Dragon Ball franchise is what you’d call being in the long haul for. It has been running for so long that it now has multiple timelines, alternate realities, retellings, non-canon movies, canon movies that used to be non-canon, and a brand-new anime that casually slid into the timeline.
Naturally, figuring out the correct Dragon Ball watch order feels like homework you didn’t sign up for. This guide fixes that. Below is a full, comprehensive watch order that includes every Dragon Ball anime, movie, special, and spinoff.
Dragon Ball Watch Order: The Complete Master List
Here’s the master list of all Dragon Ball titles, in recommended viewing order, before we break them down one by one.
*IMDb rating subject to change as the series continues.
Dragon Ball Watch Order: Full Breakdown of Every Series, Movie, and Special
1. Dragon Ball
| Created by | Episodes | Release Date | IMDb |
| Akira Toriyama | 153 | 1986 | 8.5 |
This is the show that started it all with kid Goku, pure adventure, and way more chaotic than people remember. It’s fully focused on martial arts and questionable early anime humor.
2. Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 50 min | 1986 | 6.7 |
This loose alternate version of early Dragon Ball is short, flashy, and clearly not canon. But it is fun if you want more classic-era content.
3. Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 43 min | 1987 | 6.5 |
Follow Goku and Krillin as they go on a bizarre side quest. Watching this really cements the fact that these early works are a product of their time.
4. Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Kazuhisa Takenouchi | 48 min | 1988 | 6.8 |
This movie mixes Red Ribbon Army elements with tournament chaos. Is it canon? No. But is it enjoyable? Absolutely yes!
5. Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Shigeyasu Yamauchi | 80 min | 1996 | 7.2 |
If you’re on a binge roll, then you can skip this since it is basically a polished retelling of early Dragon Ball with better animation. It’s great if you just want the nostalgia.
6. Dragon Ball Z
| Program creator | Episodes | Release Date | IMDb |
| Akira Toriyama | 291 | 1989 | 8.8 |
This is the core of Dragon Ball’s legacy. You’ve got Saiyans, Frieza, Androids, Cell, Buu, and enough screaming to power a city.
7. Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Mitsuo Hashimoto | 48 min | 1990 | 7.8 |
Get your tissues ready for a tragic Saiyan origin story that adds emotional weight to Goku’s past. It is short, brutal, and worth watching.
8. Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 48 min | 1993 | 7.8 |
Welcome to what is probably the most emotionally devastating Dragon Ball story. The future timeline is pain, and Trunks carries it.
9. Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 45 min | 1989 | 6.7 |
In this whole movie, Garlic Jr. pulls up, causes problems, and disappears forever. Now that’s classic early-Z movie energy.
10. Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 59 min | 1990 | 6.6 |
Why is it that villains have big plans and zero long-term relevance? Well, this is just another movie to add to your list if you want to watch it just for the fights.
11. Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 61 min | 1990 | 6.7 |
What happens when you combine an evil Goku clone, a planet-draining tree, and peak early DBZ nonsense? The concoction is too good to miss.
12. Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Mitsuo Hashimoto | 50 min | 1991 | 6.5 |
Meet a Namekian villain before Namek mattered. This has an interesting concept, but the mid execution really lets it down.
13. Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Mitsuo Hashimoto | 60 min | 1991 | 7.0 |
When Frieza’s brother shows up angry, you can’t help but admire his style. This is one of the better DBZ movies.
14. Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Daisuke Nishio | 45 min | 1992 | 6.9 |
The movie is cooler than its predecessors, and it has nothing to do with the robots in it. While it’s less iconic, it’s still entertaining.
15. Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Kazuhito Kikuchi | 46 min | 1992 | 7.0 |
Denim shorts, a trucker hat, and Android chaos might seem like a strange combo for those unfamiliar with the DBZ world. But regulars know that sometimes, you have to set aside logic to enjoy these films.
16. Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Shigeyasu Yamauchi | 69 min | 1993 | 7.4 |
This is the iconic movie that made Broly a legend. It’s loud and violent, but you were kind of expecting that already.
17. Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Yoshihiro Ueda | 82 min | 1993 | 7.1 |
This movie is the post-Cell Games cleanup with a solid villain. The fights are really underrated here.
18. Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Shigeyasu Yamauchi | 48 min | 1994 | 6.5 |
Broly returns because…well, you just have to watch the movie to find out. It’s not an amazing movie, but certainly not terrible either.
19. Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Yoshihiro Ueda | 50 min | 1994 | 5.8 |
If the IMDb rating wasn’t enough of a giveaway, this movie is a contender for one of the worst DBZ movies. Unless you’re a completionist, you can skip this for your own sanity.
20. Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Shigeyasu Yamauchi | 55 min | 1995 | 7.6 |
This movie is almost an apology for the earlier one. It has Janemba, Gogeta, and is just 55 minutes of pure hype.
21. Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Mitsuo Hashimoto | 52 min | 1995 | 7.4 |
Tapion’s story really hits the emotional notes perfectly. The best thing about this movie is that it actually feels complete.
22. Dragon Ball GT (Optional)
| Director | Episodes | Release Date | IMDb |
| Osamu Kasai | 64 | 1996 | 6.8 |
The GT series doesn’t fall under canon, and it’s pretty divisive. But Super Saiyan 4 alone keeps it relevant.
23. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Masahiro Hosoda | 105 min | 2013 | 7.1 |
The Gods have officially entered the franchise! Naturally, the power scale explodes.
24. Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Tadayoshi Yamamuro | 93 min | 2015 | 7.1 |
Frieza returns yet again to take revenge against the Super Saiyans. The movie itself is fun and flashy.
25. Dragon Ball Super
| Director(s) | Episodes | Release Date | IMDb |
| Masatoshi Chioka; Morio Hatano; Kōhei Hatano; Tatsuya Nagamine; Ryōta Nakamura | 131 | 2015 | 8.3 |
This modern Dragon Ball adaptation is filled with multiverses and tournaments. So, you can definitely grab your popcorn because the series does a great job of entertaining.
26. Dragon Ball Super: Broly
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Tatsuya Nagamine | 100 min | 2018 | 7.7 |
Not only do you get canon Broly in this one, but it has some of the most insane animation and one of the best fights in the franchise. Consider this a MUST-WATCH.
27. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
| Director | Runtime | Release Date | IMDb |
| Tetsurô Kodama | 100 min | 2022 | 7.1 |
Gohan and Piccolo finally get their moment again. This one was long overdue.
28. Dragon Ball Daima
| Director(s) | Episodes | Release Date | IMDb |
| Yoshitaka Yashima, Aya Komaki | Ongoing | 2024 | 7.8* |
This ongoing series is a nostalgic throwback with modern animation for long-time viewers. It’s basically Dragon Ball looping back to its roots.
29. Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
| Produced by | Episodes | Release Date | IMDb |
| Hiroyuki Sakurada | Short eps | 2018 | 6.6 |
These short episodes are pure fanservice with zero canon rules and maximum chaos. Watching this last is like having dessert after a full-course meal.
This Dragon Ball watch order is the complete version, including every anime, movie, special, and spinoff accounted for. If you follow this list, you won’t miss a single transformation, timeline jump, or questionable sequel decision.
It’s long, and honestly, it’s a bit messy. But it’s still legendary, just like Dragon Ball itself.
Writer. Dreamer. Journalist (maybe?). Anime lover (definitely). I turn curiosity into stories and everyday life into a narrative worth reading.
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