Dragon Ball Watch Order: How to Watch Every Series in Order

Dragon Ball has been running, on and off, for four decades, and it now has a remake in the mix too. If you are wondering how to watch Dragon Ball in order, the good news is that the answer is simple: watch the series in release order. This guide walks you through every step, explains where Dragon Ball GT and the movies fit, and shows you how the new Dragon Ball Super: Beerus retelling changes the route.

The short answer: the best order for new viewers

Watch Dragon Ball, then Dragon Ball Z, then Dragon Ball Super. That is the main story, in the order it was made and the order it was meant to be seen. Dragon Ball GT is an optional side trip, and Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is an alternative way to watch the opening of Super, not an extra step. Everything else in this guide is detail.

Dragon Ball watch order (release order, step by step)

Step 1: Dragon Ball (the beginning)

The original series from 1986 follows young Goku (a cheerful, impossibly strong boy with a tail) as he meets Bulma, trains under Master Roshi and searches for the seven Dragon Balls. It is lighter and funnier than what came later, and its 153 episodes introduce almost every character who matters in the later series. Do not skip it just because it is old: the emotional core of the whole franchise is built here.

Step 2: Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z picks up with Goku as an adult and raises everything: alien invaders, the Saiyan past, Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu. Its 291 episodes contain the most famous battles in anime history. If Z's length worries you, Dragon Ball Z Kai is a remastered cut of the same series with most of the filler removed. Either version tells the same story, so pick one and stick with it.

Step 3: Dragon Ball Super, and where Beerus fits in

Dragon Ball Super (2015) continues after the defeat of Majin Buu and expands the story to gods and whole universes across 131 episodes. Its opening arcs retell the movies Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F', then move into the Universe 6 Tournament and beyond.

This is where Dragon Ball Super: Beerus comes in. Premiering on 11 October 2026 on Fuji TV and Crunchyroll, with Netflix following days later, Beerus is an enhanced edition that rebuilds the first three arcs of Super (Battle of Gods, Resurrection F and the Universe 6 Tournament) with fresh animation and a tighter cut. Episode listings currently show 19 episodes, though Toei has not officially confirmed the total. Practically, you have a choice: watch Super's original opening arcs, or watch Beerus instead and then continue with the rest of Super. You do not need both.

Chronological order vs release order: which is better?

For Dragon Ball, the two orders are nearly the same thing, which is why release order wins: it is simpler and it is how the surprises were designed to land. The one wrinkle is that Super's story is set in the gap near the end of Z, before Z's final episodes jump forward in time. That sounds confusing, but in practice you just watch Z fully, then Super. The shows were made to be seen that way.

What about Dragon Ball GT and the movies?

Dragon Ball GT (1996, 64 episodes) was made after Z ended, as an anime-original sequel that Super later ignored. Treat it as a "what if" side story: watch it after Z if you want more time with the cast, and skip it without missing anything the main story needs.

The movies are mostly standalone adventures that do not change the TV story. The two important ones for Super fans, Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, are set after the Super TV series ends, so save them for last. The older Z movies can be watched any time after the arc they borrow their villains from, or not at all.

Where to watch Dragon Ball in India and worldwide

Crunchyroll is the home of the franchise in most of the world, including India: Dragon Ball, Z and Super all stream there, and Dragon Ball Super: Beerus arrived day-and-date with Japan in October 2026. In the United States, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super are also on Hulu, and Beerus has followed onto Netflix in many regions, a few days behind Crunchyroll. Availability can shift by country, so check the service you use, each series page on AnimeYug lists its current platforms.

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