Emperor Pilaf Saga
13 eps
13 canon 📷 8
Canon. A monkey-tailed boy surviving alone in Mount Paozu meets a teenage tech heiress from West City. Bulma wants seven magical spheres; Goku just thinks she's a weird creature with no tail. The multi-decade global phenomenon starts right here.
Canon. Goku leaves his mountain home for the first time. Bulma introduces him to motorcycle mechanics and instant Capsule Corp technology, establishing the foundational blend of ancient folklore and sci-fi.
Canon. Master Roshi makes his legendary debut. After helping a lost sea turtle, Goku is gifted the Flying Nimbus (Kinto-un), testing his pure-hearted nature while Bulma trades her dignity for the Four-Star Dragon Ball.
Canon. The shapeshifting pig Oolong terrorizes a local village. Goku exposes his shape-shifting time limit in a slapstick brawl, drafting Oolong as the group's unwilling third companion.
Canon. Yamcha and Puar ambush the team in the burning Diablo Desert. The Wolf Fang Fist debuts, but Yamcha's crippling, debilitating phobia of pretty girls saves Goku from a desert defeat.
Canon. Yamcha stalks the group under the cover of darkness to steal their dragon balls. A night-time shootout in an RV reveals just how fragile early Goku's sleep schedule really is.
Canon. Fire Mountain is in flames. Goku meets the massive Ox-King and a young, helmet-wearing Chi-Chi, setting up a childhood connection that pays off a decade later at the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Canon. Master Roshi buffens up to 100% full power to extinguish Fire Mountain with the inaugural Kamehameha wave. Goku replicates the legendary 50-year technique on his first try, leaving Roshi completely stunned.
Canon. The Rabbit Mob terrorizes a small town. Monster Carrot turns Bulma into a literal carrot, forcing Goku and Yamcha to team up and launch the mob to the literal moon with the Power Pole.
Canon. Emperor Pilaf's minions Mai and Shu ambush the gang's vehicle, stealing six of the seven Dragon Balls and locking the group inside a high-tech dungeon castle.
Canon. The climax of the opening saga. Pilaf summons Shenron to claim world domination, only for Oolong to leap through a blasted wall and scream his legendary wish for a comfortable pair of panties.
Canon. Locked inside a glass oven chamber to be baked alive by Pilaf, Goku looks up at the full moon. The Saiyan biological curse reveals itself for the first time as Goku transforms into a giant Great Ape.
Canon. Great Ape Goku tears Pilaf's castle to absolute rubble. Yamcha and Puar slice off his monkey tail to reverse the transformation. Goku wakes up naked, bids Bulma goodbye, and sets off to train with Master Roshi.
21st Tenkaichi Budokai Saga
14 eps
14 canon
Canon. Krillin arrives at Kame House on a rowboat, bribing Master Roshi with adult magazines to accept him as a student. Goku and Krillin's iconic lifelong friendship opens as an intense, petty rivalry.
Canon. Roshi throws a marked stone into a dense jungle to test his new pupils. Krillin resorts to dirty tricks and forgery to beat Goku, proving early on that Krillin's wits make up for his physical gaps.
Canon. The grueling Turtle School training regime begins. Delivering milk at 4:00 AM across mountain peaks, plowing fields with bare hands, and dodging sharks - all while wearing 50-pound turtle shells.
Canon. Eight months of exhausting manual labor culminate. When Roshi finally orders the boys to move a massive boulder, they realize they've developed superhuman strength without ever practicing a single punch.
Canon. The 21st World Martial Arts Tournament kicks off at Papaya Island. Goku and Krillin remove their heavy turtle shells for the first time, leaping into the sky and leaving the audience stunned.
Canon. The preliminary matches commence. Goku effortlessly knocks out massive adult fighters with a single finger tap, while Krillin handles his former temple bullies with ease.
Canon. Quarterfinals begin. Krillin faces Bacterian, a giant who uses unwashed body stench as a bio-weapon. Krillin is losing until Goku reminds him of a crucial biological fact: Krillin doesn't have a nose.
Canon. Yamcha steps into the ring against Jackie Chun, an old martial artist who is secretly Master Roshi in disguise. Jackie Chun effortlessly dodges Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist and blows him out of the ring with a air palm.
Canon. Goku fights Giran, a winged dinosaur monster who binds him in sticky Guru-Guru Gum. Pushed to the brink, Goku's monkey tail suddenly regrows, giving him the raw lever-power to shatter the trap.
Canon. Semifinal #1: Krillin vs. Jackie Chun. Krillin uses high-level spatial tactics and panty-bribes to catch Roshi off-guard, but Chun's veteran experience seals a high-speed victory.
Canon. Semifinal #2: Goku vs. Nam. Nam attacks from the sky with his lethal Aerial X-Slash. Goku counters by using the Kamehameha as an aerial booster rocket, advancing to the finals.
Canon. The Grand Final: Goku vs. Jackie Chun. Two Turtle School masters trade mirrored techniques, energy blasts, and high-speed martial arts in the most celebrated fight of early Dragon Ball.
Canon. Goku sees the full moon and transforms into a Great Ape inside the arena. Desperate to stop the monster without killing his student, Jackie Chun charges a 100% Kamehameha and obliterates the literal moon.
Canon. Both fighters exhausted and back in base forms, Goku and Jackie Chun deliver a simultaneous mid-air flying kick. Roshi stands up first by a fraction of a second, teaching Goku that there will always be someone stronger.
Red Ribbon Army Saga
17 eps
13 canon 1 mixed 3 filler
Mixed. Goku sets out alone to find his grandfather's Four-Star ball. He crosses paths with early Red Ribbon scout units and a mobile lake, kicking off a global military confrontation.
Filler. Emperor Pilaf re-emerges with his flying fortress to claim a Dragon Ball, clashing with Colonel Silver's Red Ribbon forces in a three-way game of keep-away.
Filler. Goku encounters a fake Ox-King and Chi-Chi in a local market town while Colonel Silver's army closes in on the local Dragon Ball coordinates.
Filler. Goku infiltrates Pilaf's fortress to rescue the Dragon Ball, resulting in the complete destruction of Pilaf's aerial base at the hands of the Red Ribbon Army.
Canon. Colonel Silver shoots down the Flying Nimbus with a rocket launcher and steals Goku's Dragon Radar. Goku responds by completely destroying Silver's entire base camp in under two minutes.
Canon. Commander Red executes Colonel Silver for failing to stop a child. Goku crashes his plane in the freezing northern land of Jingle Village while tracking General White's unit.
Canon. Goku is rescued from freezing to death by a young girl named Suno. Learning that General White is holding the mayor hostage inside Muscle Tower, Goku storms the military fortress.
Canon. Goku reaches Floor 3 of Muscle Tower and faces Major Metallitron, a massive Terminator-style android. Goku blows off his head with a Kamehameha, but the machine only stops when its batteries die.
Canon. Floor 4: Ninja Murasaki. A hilariously inept ninja who attempts shuriken tricks, camouflage fails, and sword clashes against Goku's Power Pole inside a indoor Japanese garden.
Canon. Murasaki deploys his "cloning technique" - which is actually just him and his four identical quintuplet brothers jumping out at once. Goku beats all five simultaneously.
Canon. Murasaki activates Android 8 (Eighter), Frankenstein-style creation programmed to kill. Eighter refuses to fight due to his gentle soul, siding with Goku and punching Murasaki through the wall.
Canon. General White drops Goku and Eighter into a trap door containing Buyon, a giant gummy monster immune to physical strikes. Goku freezes Buyon solid by blasting open a wall to let the arctic air in.
Canon. General White pretends to surrender before shooting Goku in the back. Enraged, Eighter unleashes a full-power punch that launches General White out of the top floor of Muscle Tower, liberating the village.
Filler. Goku and Eighter track down Dr. Flappe to safely remove the self-destruct bomb planted inside Eighter's chest, permanently securing the gentle android's civilian life.
Canon. Goku travels to West City to have Bulma repair his broken Dragon Radar. He experiences big-city technology, arcade games, and modern traffic for the first time.
Canon. Bulma invents the Micro-Band shrinking device to tag along with Goku. Meanwhile, General Blue's elite naval division is dispatched to intercept them at Kame House.
Canon. General Blue launches an aerial ambush on Kame House. Launch transforms into her blonde persona and defends the island with an anti-aircraft heavy gun as Goku and Bulma dive underwater.
General Blue Saga
12 eps
12 canon
Canon. General Blue corners Goku, Bulma, and Krillin, forcing them to dive into a deep ocean cavern in a mini-sub to search for a hidden Dragon Ball.
Canon. General Blue's fleet surrounds Kame House, but Master Roshi single-handedly dismantles his frontline soldier squad with casual Turtle School martial arts.
Canon. The mini-sub runs out of fuel in the underwater trench. The trio escapes on foot into an ancient, booby-trapped subterranean pirate cove.
Canon. General Blue pursues them into the pirate cave, dodging mechanical traps and setting up a high-stakes subterranean game of cat-and-mouse.
Canon. Goku and Krillin battle a giant mechanical pirate robot safeguarding the hidden treasure room, forcing Goku to use his Power Pole to breach its core.
Canon. Goku is separated while fighting a giant octopus. Krillin steps up to fight General Blue 1-on-1, holding his own until Blue reveals his paralysis gaze.
Canon. Goku arrives just in time to save Krillin, breaking Blue's telekinetic grip and retrieving the Three-Star Dragon Ball as the cave begins to collapse.
Canon. The pirate cave collapses into the sea. The trio escapes in an old pirate submarine right before the cavern floods completely.
Canon. Returning to Kame House, General Blue uses telekinesis to bind the entire gang to chairs, stealing all four Dragon Balls and leaving a live bomb behind.
Canon. Launch frees the group at the last second. Goku chases General Blue across the globe on Nimbus, crashing into Penguin Village from Toriyama's Dr. Slump!
Canon. Goku meets Arale Norimaki and the Slump cast. Bulma's radar is fixed by Senbei Norimaki while Blue tries to procure a getaway vehicle.
Canon. General Blue steals the Dragon Radar and takes Senbei hostage. Arale casually headbutts General Blue into the stratosphere, sending him flying out of the arc.
Commander Red Saga
11 eps
11 canon
Canon. Goku travels to the Sacred Land of Korin, meeting Bora and his son Upa. Meanwhile, Commander Red hires the legendary assassin Mercenary Tao.
Canon. Mercenary Tao arrives at Red Ribbon HQ and casually executes General Blue using only his tongue to demonstrate his absolute, lethal efficiency.
Canon. Tao throws a massive stone pillar into the sky and rides it to Korin Land. He murders Bora in cold blood and effortlessly defeats Goku with a Dodon Ray.
Canon. Saved by the Four-Star ball in his shirt, Goku decides to climb the 50,000-foot Korin Tower to drink the Sacred Water and acquire the strength to defeat Tao.
Canon. Goku reaches the top and meets Korin, a martial arts deity cat who forces Goku into a three-day game of keep-away for the water jug, rapidly sharpening his reflexes.
Canon. Tao returns to Korin Land to finish off Upa. Goku descends the tower and intercepts Tao, effortlessly dodging his strikes with his newly elevated speed.
Canon. Desperate, Tao drinks Korin's fake water and attempts a fake surrender before throwing a grenade at Goku. Goku kicks the grenade back, vaporizing the assassin.
Canon. Goku single-handedly assaults the central Red Ribbon Army headquarters. His friends assemble an armada to help, unaware Goku is already clearing the base alone.
Canon. Goku tears through artillery, tanks, and infantry units. Commander Red panics as his entire global military empire collapses around him.
Canon. Staff Officer Black discovers Red wanted the Dragon Balls just to wish to be taller. Disgusted, Black executes Red and fights Goku inside a massive battle-mech.
Canon. Goku shatters Black's mech, officially wiping out the Red Ribbon Army. However, the final Dragon Ball doesn't register on Bulma's radar, leading them to Fortuneteller Baba.
Fortuneteller Baba Saga
15 eps
10 canon 5 filler
Canon. Master Roshi directs Goku to his sister, Fortuneteller Baba. She demands 10 million Zeni or a tournament victory against her five undead champion fighters.
Canon. Match #1: Yamcha vs. Fangs the Vampire. Yamcha struggles against the flying vampire before Puar and Krillin deploy a hilarious garlic-and-cross strategy.
Canon. Match #2: Yamcha vs. See-Through the Invisible Man. Krillin pulls down Bulma's shirt to give Roshi a massive nosebleed that coats the invisible man in blood.
Canon. Match #3: Yamcha vs. Bandages the Mummy above the Devil's Toilet pit. Mummy's brutal physical strength easily overpowers Yamcha, knocking him out.
Canon. Goku steps into the ring and one-shots Mummy. Match #4: Goku vs. Devilman. Devilman fires the Devilmite Beam, which turns evil thoughts lethal - but Goku's pure heart renders it useless.
Canon. Match #5: Goku vs. a mysterious masked man wearing a halo. The masked warrior matches Goku's movement step-for-step, executing a flawless Kamehameha.
Canon. The masked man grabs Goku's tail, exploiting his singular physical weakness. He slams Goku repeatedly until the tail accidentally rips off, freeing Goku.
Canon. The masked man surrenders and unmasks himself as Grandpa Gohan! A deeply emotional reunion unfolds as Goku leaps into his late grandfather's arms in tears.
Canon. Baba reveals the final Dragon Ball was hidden in a lead box by Emperor Pilaf. Goku easily dismantles Pilaf's new combined mech suit to retrieve it.
Canon. Goku summons Shenron at Korin Land and wishes Upa's father Bora back to life. Goku vows to walk across the world on foot to train for the next World Tournament.
Filler. On his global training journey, Goku saves a village from two terrorizing brothers using a magic gourd device.
Filler. Goku defends a rival martial arts dojo from Sky Dragon, a disgraced fighter using illegal drugs to boost his physical strength.
Filler. Goku travels to the Demon Realm to rescue a kidnapped princess from the demon king Shula, using his Power Pole to seal the realm's doorway.
Filler. Goku meets Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu for the first time. They are running a scam where they unleash a giant boar monster on towns and charge fees to "save" them.
Filler. Goku saves a cruise ship from a storm while navigating toward Papaya Island, barely arriving in time to register for the 22nd World Tournament.
22nd Tenkaichi Budokai Saga
18 eps
18 canon
Canon. Three years after the last tournament, Goku reunites with Krillin and Roshi on Papaya Island. Master Shen introduces his star pupils, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, sparking an intense rivalry between the Crane and Turtle schools.
Canon. Preliminary elimination rounds begin. Chiaotzu uses his telekinesis to manipulate the match numbers so the Crane and Turtle students meet only in the main bracket.
Canon. The final eight fighters are set: Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Jackie Chun, Tien, Chiaotzu, Pamput, and Man-Wolf.
Canon. Quarterfinal #1: Yamcha vs. Tien. Yamcha debuts his newly perfected Neo Wolf Fang Fist and fires a Kamehameha, but Tien deflects it and brutally snaps Yamcha's leg while he lies unconscious.
Canon. Yamcha is rushed to the hospital. Goku swears retribution against Tien's cruel assassin style as the second match begins between Jackie Chun and Man-Wolf.
Canon. Man-Wolf seeks revenge against Roshi for destroying the moon. Jackie Chun hypnotizes Man-Wolf and uses Krillin's bald head as a replacement moon to cure him.
Canon. Quarterfinal #3: Krillin vs. Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu fires lethal Dodon Rays from his fingers and uses telekinesis to cause severe stomach cramps in Krillin.
Canon. Krillin figures out Chiaotzu needs both hands free to use telekinesis, tricking him with basic math questions to force him to count on his fingers and opening a winning counter-attack.
Canon. Quarterfinal #4: Goku vs. Pamput. Goku knocks out the international Muay Thai champion in two seconds with three rapid elbow strikes to the chest.
Canon. Semifinal #1: Tien vs. Jackie Chun. Two martial arts grandmasters engage in an incredible speed battle, mirroring techniques and testing philosophy.
Canon. Roshi realizes the future belongs to the new generation. After warning Tien to abandon Master Shen's assassin lifestyle, Roshi steps out of the ring and surrenders.
Canon. Semifinal #2: Goku vs. Krillin. Two best friends give everything they have. Krillin grabs Goku's tail, but Goku reveals he trained his tail to no longer be a weak spot.
Canon. Goku defeats Krillin at high speed, advancing to the final match against Tien while earning Tien's deep respect.
Canon. The Grand Finals: Goku vs. Tien Shinhan. The absolute peak of martial arts choreography, with both fighters matching every blow and energy wave.
Canon. Tien debuts the Solar Flare and Volleyball Attack. Master Shen secretly commands Chiaotzu to paralyze Goku with telekinesis from the crowd.
Canon. Tien catches onto the cheating, defiance against his master, and forces Chiaotzu to stop. Roshi blasts Master Shen out of the stadium with a Kamehameha.
Canon. Tien sprouts two additional arms from his back (Four Witches Technique). Goku counters by moving his arms so fast it looks like he has eight.
Canon. Tien destroys the entire arena with a Tri-Beam (Kikoho). In mid-air, Goku bounces off a truck, but strikes a car bumper first, giving Tien a technical ring-out victory.
King Piccolo Saga
20 eps
20 canon
Canon. The story undergoes a dark, shocking pivot. Krillin is found murdered in the waiting room, his soul stolen alongside the Dragon Radar by a demon named Tambourine.
Canon. Enraged, Goku hunts down Tambourine on Nimbus. Exhausted from his fight with Tien, Goku is easily beaten and Nimbus is destroyed.
Canon. King Piccolo's origins are revealed: an ancient demon king freed by Emperor Pilaf, systematically assassinating world martial artists.
Canon. Goku wakes up in a forest and steals a roasted fish belonging to Yajirobe, a wandering, sword-wielding samurai.
Canon. Cymbal, another demon mutant, approaches them for Yajirobe's Dragon Ball. Yajirobe casually slices Cymbal in half and eats him.
Canon. Tambourine tracks Goku down. Now fully fed and rested, Goku completely obliterates Tambourine with a high-speed Kamehameha.
Canon. Sensing Tambourine's death, King Piccolo descends personally on his airship to confront Goku.
Canon. Goku gives everything he has, but King Piccolo effortlessly overpowers him, stopping Goku's heart and leaving him for dead.
Canon. Yajirobe carries Goku's body up Korin Tower to save him. Meanwhile, Roshi, Tien, and Chiaotzu gather the remaining Dragon Balls.
Canon. Master Roshi attempts the Evil Sealing Wave (Mafuba) to seal King Piccolo inside an electric cooker, but misses the target and dies of exhaustion.
Canon. King Piccolo shoots Chiaotzu in cold blood, summons Shenron, restores his youth, and kills Shenron immediately afterward so no one can undo his reign.
Canon. King Piccolo takes over King Castle, deposing the King of the World and declaring an era of global terror where legal crime is celebrated.
Canon. Reaching Korin Tower, Goku demands a power-up. Korin tells him about the Ultra Divine Water, a lethal poison that unlocks hidden potential if the drinker survives.
Canon. Goku travels to ice caves with Yajirobe to retrieve the Ultra Divine Water, passing psychological trials to prove his worth.
Canon. Goku drinks the poison, suffering hours of agonizing fever before surviving and unleashing his dormant inner power.
Canon. Tien learns the Mafuba and travels to King Castle alone to confront Piccolo, but is forced to fight Piccolo's newly spawned demon, Drum.
Canon. Drum brutally beats Tien. Just as Drum moves to crush Tien's skull, Goku arrives and kicks Drum's head completely off in one shot.
Canon. The final battle begins. Goku matches restored young King Piccolo punch-for-punch, shocking the demon king with his immense new strength.
Canon. King Piccolo uses the King of the World as a human shield and cripples Goku's legs and right arm with raw ki blasts.
Canon. With only one functional arm left, Goku fires a single-handed Kamehameha into the ground to launch himself into the air like a missile.
Piccolo Jr. Saga
31 eps
20 canon 11 filler
Canon. Korin reveals the Power Pole connects his tower to Kami's Lookout in the upper atmosphere. Goku ascends to meet the Guardian of Earth.
Canon. Goku reaches the Lookout, meeting Mr. Popo, who easily deflects Goku's strikes to prove Goku's martial arts are still unrefined.
Canon. Kami appears, revealing a green Namekian face identical to King Piccolo. Kami restores Shenron so Roshi, Krillin, and Chiaotzu can be resurrected.
Canon. Shenron is reassembled and grants the mass resurrection wish. Goku agrees to stay on the Lookout for three years to train under Kami for Piccolo Jr.'s arrival.
Filler. Mr. Popo sends Goku on a spiritual journey to learn how to move faster than lightning and quiet his mind.
Filler. Goku meets an old fisherman in the forest, learning how to sense energy and flow like water instead of relying purely on sight.
Filler. Kami sends Goku back in time to train under Master Roshi's ancient teacher, Master Mutaito, witnessing the origin of the Mafuba.
Filler. Mr. Popo creates a clay doll copy of Goku that mirrors his thoughts, forcing Goku to eliminate his emotional openings.
Filler. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu climb Korin Tower and set off across the world to train independently for the 23rd Tournament.
Filler. Goku saves a mountain village from an active volcanic eruption by manipulating ki currents before completing his Lookout training.
Canon. Three years pass. The Z-Fighters reunite at Papaya Island. Goku arrives taller, broader, and wearing a turban, having officially grown into an adult.
Canon. Preliminaries begin. Goku easily dodges attacks without taking off his heavy weighted clothing, while Piccolo Jr. (Ma Junior) radiates terrifying killing intent.
Canon. The final eight fighters qualify: Goku, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Cybernetic Tao Pai Pai, Hero (Shen), an anonymous Anonymous Kunoichi, and Ma Junior.
Canon. Quarterfinal #1: Taipai (rebuilt as a cyborg) vs. Tien. Tien easily outclasses his former master, begging him to keep his dignity before knocking him out.
Canon. Quarterfinal #2: Goku vs. Anonymous Kunoichi. Goku knocks her out of the ring with an air palm, revealing her as Chi-Chi! Goku fulfills his childhood promise and proposes mid-ring.
Canon. Quarterfinal #3: Yamcha vs. Hero, a nerdy civilian in a suit. Yamcha underestimates him, only for Hero to reveal god-tier martial mastery and knock Yamcha out.
Canon. Semifinal #1: Goku vs. Tien rematch. Goku takes off his 250-pound weighted undershirt and shoes, moving with blinding, untouchable speed.
Canon. Tien splits into four copies (Multi-Form). Goku identifies the flaw - divided power and speed - and knocks all four copies out of the ring.
Canon. Goku advances to the finals. Semifinal #2: Hero vs. Ma Junior. Hero reveals himself as Kami possessing a human body to seal Piccolo with the Mafuba.
Canon. Kami executes the Mafuba, but Piccolo Jr. performs the Reverse Mafuba, sealing Kami inside a bottle and swallowing it!
Canon. The Grand Final: Goku vs. Piccolo Jr. Two titanic forces collide in a battle for the fate of planet Earth.
Canon. Goku unleashes the Super Kamehameha. Piccolo Jr. responds by revealing his Namekian ability to expand into a giant colossus (Super Giant Form).
Canon. Goku flies directly down giant Piccolo's throat, retrieving the swallowed bottle and liberating Kami!
Canon. Piccolo Jr. shrinks back to normal size and levels the entire island with a massive explosive wave, reducing the arena to a crater.
Canon. Piccolo blasts a mouth beam straight through Goku's shoulder, breaking all four of his limbs and leaving him bleeding in the crater.
Canon. Thinking Goku is defeated, Piccolo leaps into the air. Goku activates Bukujutsu (flight) for the first time, headbutting Piccolo out of the ring to become the World Martial Arts Champion!
Filler. Goku spares Piccolo's life so he has a rival to fight. Fire breaks out at Fire Mountain during Goku and Chi-Chi's wedding preparations.
Filler. Goku and Chi-Chi travel to retrieve the Bansho Fan to extinguish the magical flames surrounding Ox-King's castle.
Filler. Chi-Chi learns ancient domestic and martial protocols while Goku searches for the magical materials needed to repair the fan.
Filler. Goku travels to the Five Elements Mountain, meeting Annin, the guardian of the furnace between the living world and the afterlife.
Filler. Goku seals the leak in the Magical Furnace, saving Ox-King and Fire Mountain. Goku and Chi-Chi ride off into the clouds on Nimbus to get married. The original Dragon Ball era concludes.
