Dragon Ball has 153 episodes divided into 9 seasons, of which 21 are filler episodes, which is equivalent to 39% of the anime. There are 132 canon episodes. Although much of the anime is faithful to the manga, it's recommended to skip the filler to save time—especially considering the next step is to watch the sequel, Dragon Ball Z, which adapts the second part of the manga.
Watching classic Dragon Ball would take around 51 hours in total. However, by skipping the filler episodes, this time drops to approximately 44 hours, saving 7 hours that could be used to watch the sequel.
The best platform to watch Dragon Ball is Crunchyroll, which is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and more. Alternatively, it can be purchased on Prime Video or Fandango (only in the U.S.), and in other regions through the Microsoft Store.
Dragon Ball Filler Episodes to Skip
After selecting where to watch the anime, simply follow this episode list, which categorizes episodes by type: filler, canon, or mixed. The list also includes the conversion of episodes to chapters, making it useful for comparing the anime with the manga. The episode color codes are as follows:
| FILLER | Filler episodes will be colored red. These were not adapted from the manga, so they are not necessary to watch and are best skipped. |
|---|---|
| MIXED | Mixed episodes will be colored blue. These were only partially adapted from the manga, so we only watch the specified minutes. |
| CANON | The canon episodes will be black (white if you have dark mode activated). These were adapted from the manga, so you have to watch them. |
SEASON 1: Emperor Pilaf Saga (1986)
The first season has 13 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (1-13); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (1-13). ~ Adapted from manga 1 to 23.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 001. | The Secret of the Dragon Balls | 1 |
| 002. | The Emperor's Quest | 2, 3 |
| 003. | The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi | 3, 4 |
| 004. | Oolong the Terrible | 4, 5, 6 |
| 005. | Yamcha the Desert Bandit | 6, 7, 8 |
| <--------------------- Movie 1: The Legend of the Dragon Shenlong -------------------- -> | ||
| 006. | Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls | 9, 10 |
| 007. | The Ox King on Fire Mountain | 11, 12 |
| 008. | The Kamehameha Wave | 13, 14, 15 |
| 009. | Boss Rabbit's Magic Touch | 16, 17 |
| 010. | The Dragon Balls are Stolen! | 18 |
| 011. | The Penalty is Pinball | 19 |
| 012. | A Wish to the Eternal Dragon | 20, 21 |
| 013. | The Legend of Goku | 22, 23 |
SEASON 2: Tournament Saga (1986)
The second season has 15 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (14-28); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (14-28). ~ Adapted from manga 24 to 54.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 014. | Goku's Rival | 24, 25 |
| <--------------------- Movie 2: Sleeping Princess in the Castle of Evil ----------------- ----> | ||
| 015. | Look Out for Launch | 26, 27 |
| 016. | Find That Stone! | 28, 29 |
| 017. | Milk Delivery | 30 |
| 018. | The Turtle Hermit Way | 31 |
| 019. | The Tournament Begins | 32, 33 |
| 020. | Elimination Round | 33, 34 |
| 021. | Smells Like Trouble *Bacterian vs. Krilin | 35, 36 |
| 022. | Quarterfinals Begin *Jackie Chun vs. Yamcha, Ranfan VS. Nam | 37, 38 |
| 023. | Monster Beast Giran *Goku vs. Giran | 39, 40 |
| 024. | Krillin's Frantic Attack! *Jackie Chun vs. Krilin | 41, 42, 43 |
| 025. | Danger From Above *Goku vs. Nam | 44, 45, 46 |
| 026. | The Grand Finals *Jackie Chun vs. Goku | 46, 47, 48, 49 |
| 027. | Number One Under the Moon? *Jackie Chun vs. Goku | 49, 50, 51 |
| 028. | The Final Blow *Jackie Chun vs. Goku | 52, 53, 54 |
SEASON 3: Red Ribbon Army Saga (1986–87)
The third season has 17 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (29-68); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (29-68). ~ Adapted from manga 54 to 69.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 029. | The Roaming Lake *It’s a mixed episode; you only need to watch the beginning, from minute 1:48 to 6:22. On Crunchyroll, it runs from 1:47 to 6:12. | 54 |
| 030. | N/A | |
| 031. | N/A | |
| 032. | N/A | |
| 033. | N/A | |
| 034. | Cruel General Red *It’s a mixed episode; you only need to watch the second half, from minute 7:55 to the end. On Crunchyroll, it runs from 7:54 to the end. During the encounter between Colonel Silver and Goku, Silver seems to recognize him. This happens because they met in previous filler episodes; however, in the manga, this is their first meeting. (You can check this in chapter 55, page 14, of the manga). | 55, 56 |
| 035. | Cold Reception | 57 |
| 036. | Major Metallitron *Sargento Metálico vs. Goku | 58, 59 |
| 037. | Ninja Murasaki is Coming! *Sargento Mayor Púrpura vs. Goku | 60, 61 |
| 038. | Five Murasakis *Sargento Mayor Púrpura vs. Goku | 61, 62 |
| 039. | Mysterious Android No. 8 | 63 |
| 040. | Horrifying Buyon *Buyon vs. Goku | 64, 65 |
| 041. | The Fall of Muscle Tower *General White vs. Goku | 66 |
| 042. | The Secret of Dr. Flappe | 67 |
| 043. | A Trip to the City | 67, 68 |
| 044. | Master Thief, Hasky *It’s a mixed episode; you only need to watch from minute 2:43 to 10:47, and then from 14:50 to 18:00. On Crunchyroll, it runs from 2:42 to 10:45, and from 14:50 to 18:00. In the anime, Bulma and Goku explore the city—something that doesn’t happen in the manga. There, once the radar is fixed, they immediately set off in search of the remaining Dragon Balls. Also, the thief Hasky never appears in the manga. | 69 |
| 045. | N/A |
SEASON 4: General Blue Saga (1987)
The fourth season has 12 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (46-57); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (46-57). ~ Adapted from manga 70 to 83.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 046. | Bulma's Bad Day | 70 |
| 047. | Kame House — Found! | 71 |
| 048. | Deep Blue Sea | 72 |
| 049. | Roshi Surprise | 72, 73, 74 |
| 050. | The Trap is Sprung! | 74, 75 |
| 051. | Beware of Robot | 75, 76 |
| 052. | The Pirate Treasure *General Blue vs. Krilin | 76, 77 |
| 053. | Blue, Black and Blue *General Blue vs. Goku | 77, 78, 79 |
| 054. | Escape From Pirate Cave | 79, 80 |
| 055. | Penguin Village | 80, 81 |
| 056. | Strange Visitor | 81, 82 |
| 057. | Arale vs. Blue | 83 |
SEASON 5: Commander Red Saga (1987)
The fifth season has 11 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (58-68); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (58-68). ~ Adapted from manga 84 to 97.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 058. | The Land of Korin | 84, 85 |
| 059. | The Notorious Mercenary | 85, 86 |
| 060. | Tao Attacks! *Goku vs. Tao Pai Pai | 86, 87 |
| 061. | Korin Tower | 87, 88 |
| 062. | Sacred Water | 89, 90 |
| 063. | The Return of Goku *Goku vs. Tao Pai Pai (Revancha) | 90, 91, 92 |
| 064. | The Last of Mercenary Tao *Goku vs. Tao Pai Pai (Revancha) | 92, 93 |
| 065. | Confront the Red Ribbon Army | 93 |
| 066. | A Real Bind | 93, 94 |
| 067. | The End of Commander Red *Black vs. Goku | 95, 96 |
| 068. | The Last Dragon Ball *Black vs. Goku | 96, 97 |
| <--------------------- Movie 3: Mystical Adventure ---------------------> | ||
SEASON 6: Fortuneteller Baba Saga (1987)
The sixth season has 14 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (69-82); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (69-82). ~ Adapted from manga 97 to 112.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 069. | Who is Fortuneteller Baba? | 97, 98 |
| 070. | We are the Five Warriors *Krilin, Upa & Puar vs. Dracula Man, Yamcha vs. Hombre Invisible | 99, 100 |
| 071. | Deadly Battle *Yamcha vs. Hombre Invisible | 100, 101 |
| 072. | Goku's Turn *Yamcha vs. La Momia | 101, 102 |
| 073. | The Devilmite Beam *Goku vs. La Momia, Goku vs. El Demonio | 103, 104 |
| 074. | The Mysterious Fifth Man *Goku vs. El Demonio, Goku vs. Son Gohan | 104, 105 |
| 075. | The Strong Ones *Goku vs. Son Gohan | 105, 106, 107 |
| 076. | True Colors of the Masked Man *Goku vs. Son Gohan | 107, 108 |
| 077. | Pilaf's Tactics. | 109, 110 |
| 078. | The Eternal Dragon Rises | 111, 112 |
| 079. | N/A | |
| 080. | N/A | |
| 081. | N/A | |
| 082. | N/A |
SEASON 7: Tien Shinhan Saga (1987–88)
The seventh season has 19 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (84-101); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (84-101). ~ Adapted from manga 113 to 134.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 083. | N/A | |
| 084. | Rivals and Arrivals | 113 |
| 085. | Preliminary Peril | 114 |
| 086. | Then There Were Eight | 115 |
| 087. | Yamcha vs. Tien *Ten Shinhan vs. Yamcha | 116, 117 |
| 088. | Yamcha's Big Break *Ten Shinhan vs. Yamcha | 117, 118 |
| 089. | Full-Moon Vengeance *Jackie Chun vs. Lobo Hombre | 118, 119, 120 |
| 090. | The Dodon Wave *Chaoz vs. Krilin | 120 |
| 091. | Counting Controversy!! *Chaoz vs. Krilin | 121 |
| 092. | Goku Enters the Ring *Goku vs. Pamputt | 122 |
| 093. | Tien Shinhan vs. Jackie Chun *Jackie Chun vs. Ten Shinhan | 123 |
| 094. | Stepping Down *Jackie Chun vs. Ten Shinhan | 124 |
| 095. | Goku vs. Krillin *Goku vs. Krilin | 125, 126 |
| 096. | Tail's Tale *Goku vs. Krilin | 126, 127 |
| 097. | Final Match: Goku vs. Tien *Goku vs. Ten Shinhan | 127, 128 |
| 098. | Victory's Edge / Battle Power! *Goku vs. Ten Shinhan | 129, 130 |
| 099. | Tien's Insurrection *Goku vs. Ten Shinhan | 131, 132 |
| 100. | The Spirit Cannon *Goku vs. Ten Shinhan | 132, 133 |
| 101. | The Fallen *Goku vs. Ten Shinhan | 133, 134 |
| <--------------------- Movie 4: The road to the strongest ------------------- -> | ||
SEASON 8: King Piccolo Saga (1988)
The eighth season has 21 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (102-122); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (102-122). ~ Adapted from manga 135 to 161.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 102. | Enter King Piccolo | 135 |
| 103. | Tambourine Attacks! *Tambourine vs. Goku | 136 |
| 104. | Mark of the Demon | 137, 138 |
| 105. | Here Comes Yajirobe *Yajirobe vs. Goku, Cymbal vs. Yajirobe | 138, 139 |
| 106. | Terrible Tambourine | 139, 140 |
| 107. | Tien's Atonement | 140, 141 |
| 108. | Goku's Revenge *Tambourine vs. Goku (Revancha) | 141, 142 |
| 109. | Goku vs. Pikoro Dai-ma-ku. *Píkoro Daimakú vs. Goku | 142, 143 |
| 110. | Piccolo Closes In *Píkoro Daimakú vs. Goku | 144, 145 |
| 111. | Roshi's Gambit *Píkoro Daimakú vs. Maestro Roshi | 146, 147 |
| 112. | King Piccolo's Wish | 147, 148 |
| 113. | Siege on Chow Castle | 149 |
| 114. | Conquest and Power | 150 |
| 115. | Awaken Darkness | 151 |
| 116. | A Taste of Destiny | 151 |
| 117. | The Ultimate Sacrifice | 152 |
| 118. | Prelude to Vengeance | 152, 153 |
| 119. | Goku vs. King Piccolo *Drum vs. Ten Shinhan, Drum vs. Goku | 154, 155 |
| 120. | Battle Cry *Píkoro Daimakú vs. Goku | 155, 156, 157 |
| 121. | The Biggest Crisis *Píkoro Daimakú vs. Goku | 157, 158, 159 |
| 122. | Final Showdown *Píkoro Daimakú vs. Goku | 159, 160, 161 |
SEASON 9: Piccolo Jr. Saga (1988–89)
The ninth season has 31 episodes, the opening used is Makafushigi Adventure! (123-153); the ending used is Romantic Ageru Yo (123-153). ~ Adapted from manga 161 to 194.
| # | Title | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 123. | Lost and Found | 161, 162 |
| 124. | Temple Above the Clouds | 162, 163 |
| 125. | Earth's Guardian Emerges | 164 |
| 126. | Eternal Dragon Resurrected | 165 |
| 127. | N/A | |
| 128. | N/A | |
| 129. | N/A | |
| 130. | N/A | |
| 131. | N/A | |
| 132. | N/A | |
| 133. | Changes | 166 |
| 134. | Preliminary Peril | 167, 168 |
| 135. | Battle of the Eight | 168, 169 |
| 136. | The Assassin Taopaipai's Counterattack *Ten Shinhan vs. Tao Pai Pai | 169, 170 |
| 137. | Anonymous Proposal *Goku vs Milk, Pikoro vs. Krilin | 171, 172 |
| 138. | The Mysterious Hero *Pikoro vs. Krilin, Shen vs. Yamcha | 173, 174 |
| 139. | Rematch *Shen vs. Yamcha, Ten Shinhan vs. Goku | 175, 176 |
| 140. | Goku Gains Speed *Ten Shinhan vs. Goku | 177, 178 |
| 141. | The Four Faces of Tien *Ten Shinhan vs. Goku | 178, 179 |
| 142. | Kami vs. Piccolo *Shen vs. Pikoro | 180, 181 |
| 143. | Battle for the Future *Goku vs Pikoro | 182, 183 |
| 144. | Super Kamehameha *Goku vs Pikoro | 183, 184, 185 |
| 145. | Junior No More *Goku vs Pikoro | 185, 186, 187 |
| 146. | Goku's Trap *Goku vs Pikoro | 187, 188, 189 |
| 147. | Goku Hangs On *Goku vs Pikoro | 190, 191, 192 |
| 148. | The Victor *Goku vs Pikoro | 192, 193, 194 |
| 149. | N/A | |
| 150. | N/A | |
| 151. | N/A | |
| 152. | N/A | |
| 153. | N/A |
How To Watch Dragon Ball In Correct Order?
The Chronological Order to Watch Dragon Ball movies and ovas is as follows:
- Movie 1: Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies: We watch this movie after episode 5, since they tell us about the events of episodes 1 to 5 but with modifications, we can appreciate the first meeting of Goku and Bulma , Yamcha and Son Goku's first fight, as well as the confrontation against the first villain, who here is Gourmets (in the anime it was Pilaf).
- Movie 2: Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle: We watch this movie after episode 14, since it is an alternate version of episode 15, which is where Goku and Krillin go in search from a young lady to Master Roshi. It could be considered an extended version of said episode.
- Movie 3: Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure: We watch this movie after episode 68, this movie recounts the events of Dragon Ball in a different and alternative way, from the beginning of the series to the end of the Saga of the Red Patrol (episode 68) with notable better graphics.
- Movie 4: Dragon Ball: The Path to Power: We watch this movie after episode 101, although this movie takes place during the training of Goku and Krillin at the hands of Master Roshi, to be exact after episode 18, it takes a different direction. I alternate to the original story, adding different roles to characters that have not yet appeared. That is why it is recommended to watch it after the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament (episode 101), which is where all the characters from the film have already appeared.