How to Watch the Original Dragon Ball Series in Order (With Movies)

The original Dragon Ball anime is one of the oldest and most popular series. The series begins with a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku, who befriends a teenage girl named Bulma. Together, they go on an adventure to find the seven mystical Dragon Balls, which can summon the powerful dragon Shenron, who can grant whoever summons him their greatest desire.

The original Dragon Ball is a classic series that almost every anime fan remembers watching after school when they were kids. While the original series aired in the 80s, it has received several sequels, eventually becoming a cult classic. The 1986 Dragon Ball has nine seasons that cover the 194 chapters of the original manga in 153 episodes. In addition, there are four original movies associated with it.

The best way to watch the Dragon Ball anime is the order in which it was released. Moreover, even though the movies and the two special episodes are part of the original series, they are primarily non-canon and do not fit into the main plot. Fans looking to watch the original Dragon Ball series can check it out on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu.

Check out the full list of Dragon Ball episodes, movies, specials, and the order to watch them below:

Dragon Ball Release and Watch Order

TV Series

• Dragon Ball Season 1: Emperor Pilaf Saga (1986)
• Dragon Ball Season 2: Tournament Saga (1986)
• Dragon Ball Season 3: Red Ribbon Army Saga (1986 – 87)
• Dragon Ball Season 4: General Blue Saga (1987)
• Dragon Ball Season 5: Commander Red Saga (1987)
• Dragon Ball Season 6: Fortune Teller Baba and Training on Road Sagas (1987)
• Dragon Ball Season 7: Tien Shinhan Saga (1987 – 88)
• Dragon Ball Season 8: King Piccolo Saga (1988)
• Dragon Ball Season 9: Heavenly Training, Piccolo Jr and The Wedding Dress in Flames Sagas (1988 – 89) 

Movies 

• Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986)
• Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle  (1987)
• Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988)
• Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (1996)

Specials 

• Dragon Ball Specials 

1. Goku’s Traffic Safety (1988)
2. Goku’s Fire Brigade (1988)

Note: The two Dragon Ball specials were made as two educational short films based on the anime. 

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