Dragon Ball Z is known for being one of the best shonen anime in the world. Thanks to Akira Toriyama’s creation, Toei Animation gave us an anime adaptation filled with incredible action and interesting characters. The anime aired in Japan from 1989 to 1996, reaching almost 300 episodes. Given its length, you might need a Dragon Ball Z watch order for your journey.
First of all, what can you expect when you watch Dragon Ball Z? The story picks up from the events of its predecessor, Dragon Ball. Throughout the series, the main character Goku will fight powerful enemies as he explores the reach of his Saiyan power. Along the way, he’ll also meet new characters that’ll join the Z-Fighters for the rest of the series.
When you watch Dragon Ball Z, you’ll see the growth of Goku and the Z-Fighters as they try to defeat otherworldly threats. If you want to fully immerse yourself, here’s the recommended Dragon Ball Z watch order.
Dragon Ball Z Watch Order
Recommended Dragon Ball Z Watch Order & Relevant Arcs
Dragon Ball Z has a fair amount of filler content that you can skip. If you’re only looking for the main story, then here’s how you should watch Dragon Ball Z.
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 1 (Saiyan Saga) (Episodes 1-8, 11, 17-35)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 2 (Namek and Captain Ginyu Sagas) (Episodes 36-38, 44-74)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 3 (Frieza Saga) (Episodes 75-99, 101, 103-107)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 4 (Androids Saga) (Episodes 118-123, 126-139)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 5 (Imperfect Cell and Perfect Cell Sagas) (Episodes 140-165)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 6 (Cell Games Saga) (Episodes 166-169, 172-173, 175-194)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 7 (Great Saiyaman and World Tournament Sagas) (Episodes 200-201, 204-219)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 8 (Babidi and Majin Buu Sagas) (Episodes 220-253)
– Dragon Ball Z: Season 9 (Fusion, Kid Buu, and Peaceful World Sagas) (Episodes 254-273, 275-287, 289-291)
The anime released its episodes in chronological order, with a few fillers included in between sagas. Another alternative to skipping the fillers is to watch Dragon Ball Z Kai. This is a revised version that only contains the relevant events of Dragon Ball Z. However, Dragon Ball Z Kai is incomplete since it doesn’t include the Buu Saga. Still, watching Dragon Ball Z Kai is an efficient way to watch the series up to the Cell Saga.
Dragon Ball Z also has OVA episodes that you can watch if you want more Dragon Ball content. However, are the OVAs really worth your time?
Should You Watch The Dragon Ball Z OVAs?
Most of the Dragon Ball Z OVAs are actually pretty enjoyable. OVAs such as Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans feature the return of villains like Frieza, Cooler, Turles, and Lord Slug. It also introduces a new villain named Dr. Lychee, who plans on eradicating the last remaining Saiyans. In this OVA, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Future Trunks, and Piccolo join forces to stop the mad scientist.
Meanwhile, Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends shows the events two years after Kid Buu’s defeat. Here you’ll meet a new Saiyan named Tarble, who asks for help from the Z Fighters to defeat two remnants of the Frieza Force, Abo and Kado. The two monsters are said to have power that even Frieza himself couldn’t match. Still, the task is given to Goten and Trunks to beat these two powerhouses.
And finally, Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock tells the story of Goku’s father, Bardock, surviving the destruction of Planet Vegeta. Instead of dying, Bardock is sent to the past, back when Planet Vegeta was still named Planet Plant. During his time here, Bardock encounters Frieza’s ancestor Chilled, so Bardock charges him after mistaking him for Frieza. Despite the OVA giving a good story, this was just a What-if scenario of the actual events of the manga.
So are the Dragon Ball Z OVAs worth your time? They definitely are since they provide you with immersive stories and Dragon Ball’s trademark action.
Where Can You Watch Dragon Ball Z?
You can watch Dragon Ball Z on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Funimation. Funimation also includes the more condensed Dragon Ball Z Kai.
If you want your own copy, physical versions of Dragon Ball Z are also available on online websites like Amazon.
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