How to Watch Dragon Ball Z in Order: The Definitive Guide - Outsider Gaming (2024)

Dragon Ball Z is one of the most popular anime series, holding worldwide cultural impact more than 30 years after it began airing. The series ran from 1989-1996 and was adapted from the last 326 chapters of the manga. The story picks up five years after the events of the original Dragon Ball.

Below, you will find the definitive guide to watching Dragon Ball Z. The order includes all movies – though they’re not necessarily canon – and episodes including fillers. Movies will be inserted where they should be watched based on release date.

These Dragon Ball Z watch order lists include every episode, manga canon, and filler episodes. For reference, the anime begins with chapter 195 of the manga and runs through the end (chapter 520).

Dragon Ball Z watch order with movies

1. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 1-11)
2. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 1: “Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone”)
3. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 12-35)
4. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 2: “Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest”)
5. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 1-19 or 36-54)
6. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 3: “Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might”)
7. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 20-39 or 55-74)
8. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 1-7 or 75-81)
9. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 4: “Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug”)
10. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 8-25 or 82-99)
11. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 5: “Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge”)
12. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 26-33 or 100-107)
13. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 1-23 or 108-130)
14. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 6: “Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler”)
15. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 24-32 or 131-139)
16. Dragon Ball Z (Season 5 “Cell Saga,” Episodes 1-8 or 140-147)
17. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 7: “Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!”)
18. Dragon Ball Z (Season 5 “Cell Saga,” Episodes 9-26 or 148-165)
19. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 1-11 or 166-176)
20. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 8: “Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan”)
21. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 12-27 or 177-192)
22. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 9: “Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound”)
23. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 28-29 or 193-194)
24. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 1-25 or 195-219)
25. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episode 1 or 220)
26. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 10: “Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming”)
27. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episode 2-13 or 221-232)
28. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 11: Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly”)
29. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episodes 14-34 or 233-253)
30. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 1-5 or 245-258)
31. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 12: “Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn”)
32. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 6-17 or 259-270)
33. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 13: “Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon”)
34. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 18-38 o 271-291)
35. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 14: “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods”)
36. Dragon Ball Z (Movie 15: “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’”)

Note that the final two movies were released nearly two decades after “Wrath of the Dragon.” They basically served to reintroduce people to the characters of Dragon Ball Z, introduce new ones, and set the stage for the sequel in Dragon Ball Super.

How to watch Dragon Ball Z in order (without fillers)

1. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 1-8)
2. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episode 11)
3. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 17-35)
4. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 1-3 or 36-38)
5. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 9-38 or 45-74)
6. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 1-25 or 75-99)
7. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episode 27 or 101)
8. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 29-33 or 103-107)
9. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 11-16 or 118-123)
10. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 19-32 or 126-139)
11. Dragon Ball Z (Season 5 “Cell Saga,” Episodes 1-16 or 140-165)
12. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 1-4 or 166-169)
13. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 7-8 or 172-173)
14. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 10-29 or 175-194)
15. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 6-7 or 200-201)
16. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 10-25 or 204-219)
17. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episodes 1-34 or 220-253)
18. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 1-20 or 254-273)
19. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 22-34 or 275-287)
20. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 36-38 or 289-291)

With manga and mixed canon episodes, this brings the total to 252 out of 291 episodes. The list below will be a manga canon episodes list. There will be no fillers. Luckily, there were only five mixed canon episodes.

Dragon Ball Z canon episodes list

1. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 1-8)
2. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga, Episodes 17-35)
3. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 1-3 or 36-38)
4. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 10-39 or 45-74)
5. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 1-25 or 75-99)
6. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episode 27 or 101)
7. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episodes 29-33 or 103-107)
8. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 11-16 or 118-123)
9. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 19-32 or 126-139)
10. Dragon Ball Z (Season 5 “Cell Saga,” Episodes 1-16 or 140-165)
11. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 1-4 or 166-169)
12. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 7-8 or 172-173)
13. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 10-29 or 175-194)
14. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 6-7 or 200-201)
15. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 11-25 or 205-219)
16. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episodes 1-9 or 220-228)
17. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episodes 11-31 or 230-250)
18. Dragon Ball Z (Season 8 “Babidi and Majin Buu Saga,” Episodes 33-34 or 252-253)
19. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 1-20 or 254-273)
20. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 22-33 or 275-286)
21. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episodes 36-38 or 289-291)

With just canon episodes, this brings the total episodes to 247 episodes. Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z have relatively few filler episodes, with the former having only 21 and the latter 39.

Dragon Ball show order

1. Dragon Ball (1988-1989)
2. Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996)
3. Dragon Ball GT (1996-1997)
4. Dragon Ball Super (2015-2018)

It’s important to note that Dragon Ball GT is an anime-exclusive non-canonical story. It has no relation to the manga. Dragon Ball Super is the adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s sequel series of the same name, the ongoing manga beginning in 2015.

Dragon Ball movie order

1. “Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies” (1986)
2. “Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle” (1987)
3. “Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure” (1988)
4. “Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone” (1989)
5. “Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest” (1990)
6. “Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might” (1990)
7. “Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug” (1991)
8. “Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge” (1991)
9. “Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler” (1992)
10. “Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!” (1992)
11. “Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan” (1993)
12. “Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound” (1993)
13. “Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming” (1994)
14. “Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly” (1994)
15. “Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn” (1995)
16. “Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon” (1995)
17. “Dragon Ball: The Path to Power” (1996)
18. “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods” (2013)
19. “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’” (2015)
20. “Dragon Ball Super: Broly” (2018)
21. “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” (2022)

Aside from the aforementioned note on the last two Dragon Ball Z movies, “Super Hero” is set to release in April 2022.

Below, you will find a list of filler episodes only should you want to view them.

How to watch Dragon Ball Z fillers

1. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 9-10)
2. Dragon Ball Z (Season 1 “Saiyan Saga,” Episodes 12-16″
3. Dragon Ball Z (Season 2 “Namek Saga,” Episodes 4-9 or 39-44)
4. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episode 30 or 100)
5. Dragon Ball Z (Season 3 “Frieza Saga,” Episode 32 or 102)
6. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 1-10 or 108-117)
7. Dragon Ball Z (Season 4 “Android Saga,” Episodes 17- 18 or 124-125)
8. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episodes 5-6 or 170-171)
9. Dragon Ball Z (Season 6 “Cell Games Saga,” Episode 9 or 174)
10. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 1-5 or 195-199)
11. Dragon Ball Z (Season 7 “World Tournament Saga,” Episodes 8-9 or 202-203)
12. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episode 21 or 274)
13. Dragon Ball Z (Season 9 “Evil Buu Saga,” Episode 35 or 288)

That’s a total of 39 filler episodes, relatively small compared to other series that came after Dragon Ball Z.

Can I skip all Dragon Ball Z fillers?

Yes, you can skip all filler episodes as they have no bearing on the canon plot.

Can I watch Dragon Ball without watching Dragon Ball Z?

Yes, for the most part. If you watch Dragon Ball after you watch Dragon Ball Z, then you’ll get a lot of origin stories for many of the main characters such as Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, and Muten Roshi, among others.

Can I watch Dragon Ball Super without watching Dragon Ball Z?

Again, yes for the most part. There are new characters and storylines introduced in Super, but many of the main characters from Z appear as main characters in Super. In particular, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Frieza play large roles in the five seasons of Dragon Ball Super.

How many episodes and seasons are there of Dragon Ball Z?

There are nine seasons and 291 episodes. The seasons match that of Dragon Ball, but the episodes far exceed the 153 of the original. If you watch only the manga canon episodes, this number drops to 247.

There you go, our Dragon Ball Z watch order! Now you can relive or experience for the first time many iconic moments, such as Goku’s first time going Super Saiyan or the Cell Games Saga!

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