Dragon Ball: Where To Start, What To Know, And How To Watch
A lot of important anime and manga permanently change their industries through their bold storytelling, but Dragon Ball has established an impressive legacy that's still going strong after four decades. Dragon Ball is frequently cited as one of the biggest battle shonen series, and it's gone on to influence other shonen hits like One Piece, Naruto, and My Hero Academia. Dragon Ball's story begins in a fairly grounded place with its hero, Goku, but it slowly evolves into an epic battle between good and evil where entire universes are on the line.
Dragon Ball's story is still being told and its substantial quantity of content has understandably intimidated some from giving the series a shot. Those who commit to the entire Dragon Ball experience have hundreds of hours of content to consume, but that's not to say that every Dragon Ball chapter needs to be experienced or will be a good fit for everyone. Newcomers may experience confusion between Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball DAIMA and beyond, but there are some simple explanations of how these series connect and the best way to check them out.
Everything To Know About Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Is Akira Toriyama's Shonen Masterpiece
The first chapter of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball hit Weekly Shonen Jump on November 20, 1984, with the anime premiering shortly after on February 26, 1986. Dragon Ball is set in a fantastically heightened version of the real world where seven magical orbs, the Dragon Balls, will grant anyone's wish if they can collect all seven and summon Earth's Eternal Dragon, Shenron. The original Dragon Ball lasted for 153 episodes and follows Goku's adventures from a child into a young adult as he conquers personal and literal demons in his quest to become stronger. Goku meets some powerful allies and frequently uses the Dragon Balls, but it remains a largely grounded series that focuses on martial arts fundamentals instead of constant energy attacks, aerial battles, and transformations that make up its sequel series, Dragon Ball Z.
There's also Dragon Ball Z Kai, a 167-episode condensed retelling of Dragon Ball Z that sticks to Toriyama's original manga. Dragon Ball Z's success led to another inevitable sequel, Dragon Ball GT from '96, which was produced by TOEI largely without Toriyama's involvement beyond the initial concept and character designs. This, in addition to how there was also no manga for Dragon Ball GT to adapt, has led to the belief that the 64-episode series is non-canonical.
Dragon Ball GT, which stands for "Grand Tour," kicks off with Goku getting turned back into a child from a reckless Dragon Ball wish and heading across the galaxy to collect new Dragon Balls to prevent the Earth's destruction. Dragon Ball GT begins with a more comedic and adventure-driven story, much like the original Dragon Ball, only for bold action sequences to eventually take over with its extravagant Super Saiyan 4 transformations. Dragon Ball GT has been continually reappraised and the polarizing anime has become more popular in recent years. That being said, there were such reservations around Dragon Ball GT's introductory Black Star Dragon Ball Saga that the anime's English dub actually skipped the first 16 episodes, only to later release them as "The Lost Episodes."
Dragon Ball Super, which represents modern Dragon Ball, began in 2015 and is still turning out new material, albeit through feature films and manga chapters. Dragon Ball Super is 131 episodes, and it's set shortly after Kid Buu's defeat towards the end of Dragon Ball Z, but still before the ten-year time-skip that occurs in Dragon Ball Z's epilogue. Dragon Ball Super introduces bold new transformations like Super Saiyan God and Ultra Instinct, powerful new celestial deities, and even the existence of a multiverse. Dragon Ball Super is viewed as the proper Dragon Ball Z successor and better than Dragon Ball GT, even if the tide continues to turn with GT.
Finally, Dragon Ball DAIMA is the franchise's most recent anime and the final piece of Dragon Ball media that Akira Toriyama worked on before his tragic passing on March 1, 2024. Produced in celebration of Dragon Ball's 40th anniversary, DAIMA tells an original story that fits in between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super's events. The story sends Goku and several of his heroic friends to the Demon Realm, a cryptic destination that's been teased as early as the original Dragon Ball, but never properly explored.
Who Should Watch Dragon Ball?
Dragon Ball Is A Shonen Series Geared Towards Young Males, But Connects With All Audiences
Dragon Ball is a franchise that's suitable for all ages, but as a shonen series, it was specifically designed with younger male audiences in mind. Dragon Ball is a unique case where the series has lasted for so long that audiences have gradually grown up with the characters, and it connects with adults just as much as children. Dragon Ball cleverly covers its bases in Dragon Ball Z with Goku, who is now an adult, and his young son, Gohan. Dragon Ball keeps this tradition going when Gohan later matures into a parent, but there are still Goten and Trunks to represent the next crop of heroes.
What Episode of Dragon Ball Z Does Goku Turn Super Saiyan for the First Time?
Goku's Super Saiyan debut is one of the most iconic transformations in anime history.
Where to Start With Dragon Ball?
Dragon Ball Has Multiple Entry Points
The best place to start Dragon Ball is with the original series so that audiences get the most complete picture of Goku's journey and the layered relationship that he has with individuals like Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo. That being said, the original Dragon Ball doesn't need to be a newcomer's introduction if they're short on time and can't watch over 600 episodes. Many North American audiences started with Dragon Ball Z, which is a suitable starting point for those who prefer action to comedy; an even more efficient way to watch the show would be to choose Dragon Ball Z Kai over Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Just Gave Goku Everything He Needs to Beat Superman
Dragon Ball DAIMA has finally ended the debate over who would win in a fight between Goku and Superman.
Casual Dragon Ball fans have also likely heard of Super Dragon Ball Heroes, which is actually a promotional series meant to advertise an accompanying arcade game. Getting lost in Super Dragon Ball Heroes is easy, since it's full of wild clashes between characters like Golden Cooler, Super Saiyan God Future Trunks, and even duplicate versions of the same fighters, like Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Ultra Instinct Goku. However, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is its own entity and isn't official canon (even if it does have its own manga). Super Dragon Ball Heroes solely exists to promote a video game where anything goes and this niche chapter of the franchise shouldn't be considered mandatory viewing. It's a fun "What If?" scenario, if anything.
Where To Read & Watch Dragon Ball?
Dragon Ball Is Readily Available On Crunchyroll & Other Streaming Services
Dragon Ball is one of the most popular manga and anime in the world, which fortunately means that it's quite easy to read and watch. VIZ Media published the Dragon Ball manga's English localizations and Viz's website also has the materials available to read online. All 103 chapters of Dragon Ball Super's ongoing manga are available to read there.
At the heart of the Dragon Ball is a story about accepting there will always be someone better and passing the torch onto the next generation.
There have never been more options for reading and watching the many Dragon Ball series. Hopefully, these prospects are more exciting than they are intimidating after this essential breakdown. Dragon Ball DAIMA's recent popularity proves that the franchise isn't going away anytime soon and that there's no better way to give Dragon Ball a chance than to just check it out.
