Several decades worth of fans grew up watching the adventures of Akira Toriyama’s Goku, but the stories of theDragon Ballfranchise are too grand to fit into only oneanime series. Even though the original manga reached its end in 1995, that didn’t stop the production of the anime series' from expanding on the lore and story of the wish-granting Dragon Balls and the lost outcast alien boy who grew to become the universe’s savior.
In 1986, theanime adaptation of Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballmangabegan to entrance viewers as it aired on television. Over the years, the show’s popularity grew, especially when its sequel series started to air in countries worldwide. Now, almost forty years later, there have beenseven differentDragon Ballanime seriesthat have each helped grow the franchise’s universe, captivate new fans, and delight existing ones.
7The First Dragon Ball Anime Helped Introduce The Story That Changed The World
Toei Animation’s 153 EpisodeDragon BallSeries Ran From 1986 to 1989
The originalDragon Ballplayed a considerable role in popularizing the anime medium in many cultures thanks to its skillful blending of comedy, drama, and action. Toriyama’s art style was recreated with charming animation that brought his characters to life. And for fans of the franchise who didn’t discoverDragon Balluntil after seeing one of its sequel series, the way it builds the universe and introduces its eventual iconic cast is more than worth a look, especially because many fans still consider it thebestDragon Ballseries in the entire franchise.
The fateful meeting between the teenage Bulma and the young Goku would eventually prove to be an essential trigger for universe-changing events, but before those would happen, the two went on a considerable adventure to find seven magical spheres that were said to grant any wish. Luckily, the first series takes little to no time to provide loveable characters and exciting action, especially with Master Roshi’s first mountain-destroying demonstration of the Kamehameha Wave inDragon Ballepisode #8. However, that only proved to be an appetizer for excitement to come.
How to Watch Dragon Ball In Order Staying True to the Canon
Dragon Ball is a daunting series to get into, but with the knowledge of these 3 watch orders any fan can enjoy the iconic anime!
Throughout the originalDragon Ballseries, Goku travels to different locations and meets powerful fighters, some of whom become lifetime friends, while others push the young warrior to evolve his considerable skills for battle. Many of itsarcs rank among theDragon Ballfranchise’s best, especially its tournament arcs, which were so well constructed that they inspired many future Shōnen series to create their own. Despite its age,Dragon Ballis a series that holds up surprisingly well and deserves the attention of newer fanswho enjoyed the franchise’s more recent projects.
6Dragon Ball Z Pushed The Franchise And Its Reputation Into The Cosmos
Toei Animation’s 291 EpisodeDragon Ball ZSeries Ran From 1989 to 1996
Akira Toriyama’s original manga kept theDragon Balltitle throughout its run. However, theDragon Ball Zanime broke the series up and adapted the second half of the beloved storyline.DBZ’s arcs took several dramatic turns that helped set it apart from the adventures of Goku’s youth. The direct continuation of Goku’s story effectively expanded the franchise by revealing that he was an alien known as a Saiyan, a powerful warrior race whose planet was mysteriously destroyed. It also introduced some of fiction’s most iconic villains.
Goku became a fan-favorite character that was difficult to move the spotlight away from, even if the original plan was to make his sonGohan the main character of theDragon Ball Zseries. Still, Toriyama, his team, andthe producers of theDBZanime created an entertaining space opera that captivated fans worldwideand inspired generations of animators. Its art style, animation, voice acting, and direction framed the sequel series action to revolutionary heights, and when that was combined with its storytelling, it became legendary.
The originalDragon Ballanime aired its final episode on August 18, 2025, and theDragon Ball Zseries premiere one week later, on April 26.
Many aspects helped makeDragon Ball Zone of thebest anime of all time, including its storylines, which saw characters like Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta strive to push themselves against stronger opponents. Antagonists like Frieza, Cell, and Buu pushed the Z Warriors past their limits, causing them to reach stunning new heights and inspiring countless people to improve themselves.
Toei Animation’s 64 EpisodeDragon Ball GTSeries Ran From 1996 to 1997
AfterDragon Ball Z ended, the franchise reached a level of popularity that made it difficult not to want more, even if the manga didn’t have more stories to adapt. This led to the creation ofDragon Ball GT, which began airing one week after the final episode ofDBZ. Franchise creator Akira Toriyama did little more than provide character designs and approve certain story elements ofDBGT. However, certain aspects of its plot worked better than others and stood out from its more mediocre moments.
Beginning ten years after the end ofDBZ, Goku gets turned into a child after an accidental wish on the Dark Star Dragon Balls. The different set of Balls risk blowing up Earth if they are not found from across the galaxy within a year. Throughout the series, memorable foes like Baby, Super Hell Fighter Android #17, and Omega Shenron of The Shadow Dragons clash against Goku and the iconic Super Saiyan 4 transformation.Compared to the original series andDBZ, DBGT’s narrative became increasingly lackingcompared to Toriyama’s works, but is worth looking into for hardcore fans.
4Dragon Ball Z Kai Made The Series Easier Than Ever To Enjoy
Toei Animation’s 167 EpisodeDragon Ball Z KaiSeries Ran From 2009 to 2011, and 2014 to 2015
One complaint potential fans had about starting theDBZseries was its length of 291 episodes, whose episodes contain questionable pacing and filler material that often madeDragon Ball Zfeel like a drag to watch during specific sections. However, in an effort to make the series more digestible and to profit by repackaging the work that’s already been done,Dragon Ball Z Kaiwas created, which condensed the beloved series into 167 episodes with even more upgrades.
Dragon Ball Z Kaiis the same asDBZbut with editing that helps it more closely resemble the source material from Akira Toriyama’s manga. Besides the shorter runtime, the revised series included newly recorded voice lines and remastered visuals and audio. The series played a big role in introducing the iconicDBZanime to more viewers, and manyfans recommend that people try DBZ Kai as an entry pointto get into the franchise. WhileDBZ Kaithankfully cuts away unnecessary gags and overly long staredowns, it’s missing belovedDragon Ball Zfillerfans have grown to love.
3Dragon Ball Super Resurrected The Franchise
Toei Animation’s 131 EpisodeDragon Ball SuperSeries Ran From 2015 to 2018
It had been several years since the divisiveDragon Ball GTended, and the franchise’s reputation was threatened to end in infamy thanks to the Live-ActionDragonballfilm. When interest swelled to bring the franchise back with a new animated movie, Akira Toriyama felt compelled to come out of retirement to play a more prominent role in the creation ofDragon Ball Z: Battle of Godsthan anyone expected. That involvement helped create the entireDragon Ball Supersequel series, bringing the franchise back with enough excitement to fill city streets with fansthrilled to watch its battles together.
The animated filmsDragon Ball Z: Battle of GodsandResurrection ‘F’laid the groundwork for the first arcs of theDBSanime, which dramatically expanded on the theatrically released movies. The long-awaited anime series had a worrying start with questionable pacing and even more concerning animation. However, after a few changes with the anime’s production schedules and teams, theDragon Ball Superanime produced arcs that thrilled audiences with intense battles, fascinating antagonists, and new transformations that replicated the excitement long-time fans felt when they watched the series during their youth.
Dragon Ball Super Proved Why It’s Z’s True Successor With One Incredible Callback To An Iconic Goku Moment
The battle against the terrifying Moro contains a small but amazing tribute to the Cell Saga and to one of Goku’s most iconic moments.
DBSfurther expanded on the franchise’s lore by introducing The Gods of Destruction, Angels, and the child-like King of All, all of whom held a level of power nearly unimaginable in past series. The concept of multiverses also added a lot with their vibrant cast of characters that all helped make the final Tournament of Power arc one of the best in the franchise, especially withDBS’s final battles involving Ultra Instinct Gokuversus Jiren. WhileDragon Ball Superisn’t without its faults, there is no denying that it reignited love for theDragon Ballbrand in a big way.
2Super Dragon Ball Heroes Is Ment To Sell Cards, Not To Tell A Story
Toei Animation’s 56 Episode Super Dragon Ball Heroes Series Ran From 2018 to 2024
It’s known that Akira Toriyama had little to do with much of theDBZsequel series, but he had even less involvement with the mostcontroversial anime,Super Dragon Ball Heroes, which exists to advertise the incredibly lucrativeDragon Balltrading card game. The promotional anime web series released ten to fifteen-minute episodes at a sporadic pace and with a level of quality to match. While the series plotline takes place soon after the events ofDragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power, its consistent lackluster battles help remind viewers what makes otherDragon Ballanimes great.
Because the paper-thin plot of theSDBHseries is loosely based on the extremely non-canon video games based on the card game, it goes in many wild directions that make it difficult to take seriously. Time manipulation, mysterious portals, hybrid villains, and the clashing of alternate versions of characters from all previousDragon Ballseries happen almost every minute of the short series.WithSuper Dragon Ball Heroesgiving its characters and story so little time to build, it’s the equivalent of smashing action figures together, which can be fun for some.
1Dragon Ball Daima Will Be Toriyama’s Last Adventure With Goku
Toei Animation’sDragon Ball DaimaSeries Will Begin Releasing Episodes Weekly On July 04, 2025
The final project in the franchise that Akira Toriyama helped with is the upcominganime seriesDragon Ball Daima. A lack of preproduction severely limited the quality of the beginning ofDBS’s anime, butDaimashould be a different story since it’s been in the works for more than a year. While its plot seemingly takes place before the God of Destruction, Beerus, came to Earth, much of the new story is currently a mystery. Still, Toriyama played a much more involved role that fans are anxious to see unfold whenDragon Ball Daimabegins to air on October 11.
Sources:Junior,Crunchyroll Dubs,Toei Animation/ YouTube
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
