Best Order to Watch Dragon Ball

Have you ever wondered what is the best order to watch Dragon Ball? Dragon Ball is one of the most influential anime and manga series ever created by Akira Toriyama. It follows Goku, a powerful martial artist, through different stages of his life. Dragon Ball helped bring anime to the Western world in the 1990s and 2000s. It popularized concepts like power levels, transformation sequences, and the idea of characters getting stronger through training and determination. The franchise includes multiple series that follow Goku from childhood to adulthood. Considering the breadth of the franchise, it begs the question: what is the best Dragon Ball watch order?

Best Dragon Ball watch order as of 2025

For the best experience, watch Dragon Ball first to see Goku’s origins, then Dragon Ball Z for the legendary battles. Dragon Ball Daima comes next as it takes place right after Z’s ending. Dragon Ball Super continues the main story with godly powers and universal threats. Finally, Dragon Ball GT offers an alternate ending to the series, though it’s not part of the official storyline. This order lets you experience Goku’s complete journey while following the proper timeline of events. Let’s look at the details of the best Dragon Ball watch order below.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball is the foundational series that started Akira Toriyama’s legendary manga and anime franchise. It follows young 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 one wish. The series chronicles Goku’s journey from innocent child to skilled martial artist.

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’s 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. You should absolutely start here!

Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z is where the Dragon Ball series transformed into the legendary action anime that defined a generation. DBZ picks up five years after the original series, revealing that Goku is actually an alien Saiyan warrior named Kakarot. This shift transforms the series from adventure-comedy into epic science fiction battles. The power scaling exploded exponentially. Where Dragon Ball featured regional threats, DBZ deals with planetary and universal destruction. The fights became longer, more intense, and the transformations (Super Saiyan, etc.) became series-defining moments.

DBZ popularized 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!” became mainstream memes. DBZ established the template of escalating power levels, tournament arcs, training montages, and dramatic transformations that countless anime would later follow. Watching this next not only clues you into the cultural zeitgeist, but you get to witness the transformation of Goku to Super Saiyan.

Dragon Ball Daima

Dragon Ball Daima is the newest anime series in the franchise, and it’s special because it was one of the last projects creator Akira Toriyama was deeply involved in before his death in March 2024. Due to a conspiracy, Goku and friends are transformed into children and must travel to a mysterious new world (the Demon Realm) to undo this change. The story begins when Gomah becomes the new King of the Demon Realm after Dabura’s death, and he uses Earth’s Dragon Balls to transform Goku and everyone who fought against Majin Buu into children to weaken them and prevent interference.

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 major contribution to Dragon Ball, making it both a new adventure and a farewell gift from the series’ creator. The “mini” versions of beloved characters offer a freshness while maintaining the series’ core action and humor elements. It’s essentially Dragon Ball’s exploration of a completely new realm with a unique twist on familiar characters.

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 created with Akira Toriyama’s direct involvement.

Super introduces god-tier transformations (Super Saiyan God, Blue, Ultra Instinct) and cosmic-level threats. The series reveals there are 12 universes, each with their own gods of destruction, massively expanding the breadth beyond anything in Z. Super balances the high-stakes action of Z with more of the original Dragon Ball’s 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 recent Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film.

Dragon Ball GT (non-canon)

Dragon Ball GT is the black sheep of the Dragon Ball family. It’s a series that’s simultaneously beloved and criticized by fans. GT was created by Toei Animation without Akira Toriyama’s direct involvement (he only provided some character designs). This makes it officially non-canon, existing as an alternate timeline separate from the main Dragon Ball continuity that Super follows. 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, forcing Goku, Trunks, and his granddaughter Pan on a 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 (still popular in games), 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.

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 viewing order ensures you understand character relationships and story developments in the order they actually happen in the Dragon Ball universe.

______________________________________________

Keywords:

Dragon Ball

Dragon ball daima

Dragon Ball Super

dragon ball z

Evergreen

watch order