There are only a few shows out there that have been able to create a global impact that Dragon Ball has. Making its debut in 1986, the series is still going strong after two decades and has no signs of slowing down. The journey of Goku- and later on Vegeta- keeps raising the stakes with every series.
The enemies might be different, but the key lessons of standing up for yourself, teamwork, and love remain throughout the series. Goku's cheerful personality and resolve make him one of anime's most iconic heroes. With 20 movies and 6 anime series under its belt, Dragon Ball is available to be stream on a bunch of sites. Here's where you can watch it.
7 Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball, it is where it all started. Fans fell in love with Goku and his childish attitude towards battles. It was simple back then, Goku was just a child, riding his nimbus and having fun while defeating villains. He used to amaze everyone with his strength and made friends along the way.
Many main characters like Master Roshi, Krillin, and Bulma were introduced in Dragon Ball. Although, things are different now, with Goku surpassing the level of Gods. Also, the characters have transformed quite a bit from when they were first introduced. The story has completely changed from what it was at the beginning.
Since it's a big part of the anime culture, all the major sites- AnimeLab, Funimation, and Hulu- are streaming it. This catalog will grow in the future as the series gets popular.
6 Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball ended with Goku and Chi-Chi marrying, Dragon Ball Z picks up right after that. It was lacking in many parts but that did not put a dent in its growing popularity. It was the peak of the series and gave fans many moments to remember.
"It's Over 9000" meme, Saiyan arc, Buu arc, Frieza and Vegeta are all things fans love about it. The quality bar was also raised for animations, storytelling, and dialogues. The series gave Goku an exponential increase in power from Super Saiyan to Super Saiyan 3. Only Dragon Ball Super was able to make the same impact as Dragon Ball Z.
Funimation and AnimeLab are streaming Dragon Ball Z with all its movies. It is also available on Netflix, but it is only for the Japanese audience.
5 Dragon Ball GT
Akira Toriyama gave his best in Dragon Ball Z. He put every card on the table and now he was at peace with the ending. But not Toei animation, they thought they could pull off another sequel without Toriyama. Least to say, it did not go well. The problem with Dragon Ball GT is that it is situated in the Dragon Ball timeline but does not stay true to the essence of Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z. Therefore, it ended with 64 episodes.
Goku whips out a new form whenever cornered. If he can't defeat an enemy with a strong attack, he would just use a stronger one. That took out all the fun. Goku was 10x stronger from the time he fought Frieza. However, the ending almost redeemed the lack of story. It was novel and spiritual with Goku sacrificing his life to protect Earth.
Dragon Ball GT is available to stream on Funimation, AnimeLab, and JBOX.
4 Dragon Ball Kai
Remakes are made to make up for the flaws in the original and add better elements that enhance the story. The same happened with Dragon Ball Kai, which was a remake of Dragon Ball Z. Following the success of Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Kai was tailored for the western audience.
It featured new openings, endings, and scores, which all captured the energy of the original. The story was more streamlined and all the bloat from the original was removed. It was also true to the original source of Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga, including the dialogues and scenes.
Dragon Ball Kai plays on Funimation, and JBOX.
3 Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super was a worthy successor of the Dragon Ball Kai. It breathed a new life into the series and was produced under the direction of Toriyama himself. So there were fewer chances to go wrong. While the series may not be perfect and still faces some issues but it all gets covered by the amazing fight sequences and story arcs.
The heroes, Vegeta and Goku, reached new levels of strength because stronger villains pushed them to do so. It captures the spirit of Dragon Ball Z. The introduction of Jiren opened up the series to new possibilities going forward as well. So much hype was created around it that streaming services broke down.
Dragon Ball Super plays on almost every legal anime streaming site like Netflix, AnimeLab, Funimation, Prime Video, JBOX, Crunchyroll, and others.
2 Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is the only movie on the list since it's canon to Dragon Ball Super. The studio had the time and budget, so the quality was top-notch. The fight scenes never, even once, used the repeated animation. Each action was detailed and the animation was smooth.
It had vivid colors and a complete story which really opens up some great narrative possibilities moving forward.
It streams on Netflix, Prime Video, and STARZ.
1 Dragon Ball Heroes
Dragon Ball Heroes is purely for promotional purposes. It is 100% fanservice and there is not story progressing. New transformations, epic fights, and more screaming is the perfect recipe for an entertaining show. Dragon Ball Heroes, with all its cheesy stuff, is still worth watching. There are two Gokus in the story, don't ask, just enjoy them.
There are two playlists- Ep# 1-6 and Ep#7-20- on Youtube from where fans can stream the series. The episodes are only 10 minutes long, including the opening and ending.