If you are looking for the dragon balls, but don’t want much filler getting in the way, you can’t go wrong with the OG – the original Dragon Ball anime series. In this guide, we lay out which episodes you can safely skip on your quest for the dragon balls.
First airing in the 1980s, Dragon Ball is an anime based on the classic manga created by Akira Toriyama and published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows the adventures of a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku on his quest to collect seven dragon balls which will grant him wishes.
This classic anime spawned many more seasons of iconic shows, including Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.
Table of Contents
How Much Filler is in Dragon Ball?
The original Dragon Ball anime series aired from 1986 to 1989 with a total of 153 episodes. With 23 anime-only episodes during the series run, Dragon Ball is 15% filler.
Quick Filler & Canon Lists
Canon Episodes
1-28, 34-41, 43-44, 46-78, 84-126, 133-148
Filler Episodes
29-33, 42, 45, 79-83, 127-132, 149-153
Complete Filler List
| # | Episode Title | Type | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secret of the Dragon Ball | Canon | 02/26/1986 |
| 2 | The Emperor's Quest | Canon | 03/05/1986 |
| 3 | The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi | Canon | 03/12/1986 |
| 4 | Oolong the Terrible | Canon | 03/19/1986 |
| 5 | Yamcha the Desert Bandit | Canon | 03/26/1986 |
| 6 | The Midnight Visitors | Canon | 04/02/1986 |
| 7 | The Ox-King of Mount Frypan | Canon | 04/09/1986 |
| 8 | The Turtle Hermit's Kamehameha | Canon | 04/16/1986 |
| 9 | The Boss Rabbit's Special Skill | Canon | 04/23/1986 |
| 10 | The Dragon Balls are Stolen | Mostly Canon | 04/30/1986 |
| 11 | At Long Last, the Dragon Appears! | Canon | 05/07/1986 |
| 12 | A Wish to Shenlong | Canon | 05/14/1986 |
| 13 | Goku’s Great Transformation | Canon | 05/21/1986 |
| 14 | Goku's Rival Arrives | Canon | 05/28/1986 |
| 15 | The Peculiar Girl, Lunch | Canon | 06/04/1986 |
| 16 | Training: The Stone Hunt | Canon | 06/11/1986 |
| 17 | Milk Delivery | Canon | 06/18/1986 |
| 18 | The Turtle Hermit Way | Canon | 06/25/1986 |
| 19 | The Tournament Begins | Canon | 07/02/1986 |
| 20 | Elimination Round | Canon | 07/09/1986 |
| 21 | Smells Like Trouble | Canon | 07/16/1986 |
| 22 | Quarterfinals Begin | Canon | 07/23/1986 |
| 23 | Monster Beast Giran | Canon | 07/30/1986 |
| 24 | Krillin's Frantic Attack! | Canon | 08/06/1986 |
| 25 | Danger From Above | Canon | 08/13/1986 |
| 26 | The Grand Finals | Canon | 08/20/1986 |
| 27 | Number One Under the Moon? | Canon | 08/27/1986 |
| 28 | The Final Blow | Canon | 09/03/1986 |
| 29 | The Roaming Lake | Mostly Filler | 09/10/1986 |
| 30 | Pilaf and the Mystery Force | Filler | 09/17/1986 |
| 31 | Wedding Plans? | Filler | 09/24/1986 |
| 32 | The Flying Fortress - Vanished! | Filler | 10/01/1986 |
| 33 | The Legend of a Dragon | Filler | 10/08/1986 |
| 34 | Cruel General Red | Canon | 10/15/1986 |
| 35 | Cold Reception | Canon | 10/22/1986 |
| 36 | Major Metallintron | Canon | 10/29/1986 |
| 37 | Ninja Murasaki is Coming! | Canon | 11/05/1986 |
| 38 | Five Murasakis | Canon | 11/12/1986 |
| 39 | Mysterious Android No. 8 | Canon | 11/19/1986 |
| 40 | Horrifying Buyon | Canon | 11/26/1986 |
| 41 | The Fall of Muscle Tower | Canon | 12/03/1986 |
| 42 | The Secret of Dr. Flappe | Mostly Filler | 12/10/1986 |
| 43 | A Trip to the City | Canon | 12/17/1986 |
| 44 | Master Thief, Hasky | Canon | 12/24/1986 |
| 45 | Danger in the Air | Filler | 01/07/1987 |
| 46 | Bulma's Bad Day | Canon | 01/14/1987 |
| 47 | Kame House - Found! | Canon | 01/21/1987 |
| 48 | Deep Blue Sea | Canon | 01/28/1987 |
| 49 | Roshi Surprise | Canon | 02/04/1987 |
| 50 | The Trap is Sprung | Canon | 02/11/1987 |
| 51 | Beware of Robot | Canon | 02/18/1987 |
| 52 | The Pirate Treasure | Canon | 02/25/1987 |
| 53 | Blue, Black and Blue | Canon | 03/04/1987 |
| 54 | Escape From Pirate Cave | Canon | 03/11/1987 |
| 55 | Penguin Village | Canon | 03/18/1987 |
| 56 | Strange Visitor | Canon | 03/25/1987 |
| 57 | Arale vs. Blue | Canon | 04/08/1987 |
| 58 | The Land of Korin | Canon | 04/15/1987 |
| 59 | The Notorious Mercenary | Canon | 04/22/1987 |
| 60 | Tao Attacks! | Canon | 04/29/1987 |
| 61 | Korin Tower | Canon | 05/06/1987 |
| 62 | Sacred Water | Canon | 05/13/1987 |
| 63 | The Return of Goku | Canon | 05/20/1987 |
| 64 | The Last of Mercenary Tao | Canon | 05/27/1987 |
| 65 | Confront the Red Ribbon Army | Canon | 06/10/1987 |
| 66 | A Real Bind | Canon | 06/17/1987 |
| 67 | The End of Commander Red | Canon | 06/24/1987 |
| 68 | The Last Dragon Ball | Canon | 07/01/1987 |
| 69 | Who is Fortuneteller Baba? | Canon | 07/08/1987 |
| 70 | We Are The Five Warriors | Canon | 07/15/1987 |
| 71 | Deadly Battle | Canon | 07/22/1987 |
| 72 | Goku's Turn | Canon | 07/29/1987 |
| 73 | The Devilmite Beam | Canon | 08/05/1987 |
| 74 | The Mysterious Fifth Man | Canon | 08/12/1987 |
| 75 | The Strong Ones | Canon | 08/19/1987 |
| 76 | True Colors of the Masked Man | Canon | 08/26/1987 |
| 77 | Pilaf's Tactics | Canon | 09/02/1987 |
| 78 | The Eternal Dragon Rises | Canon | 09/09/1987 |
| 79 | Terror and Plague | Filler | 09/16/1987 |
| 80 | Goku vs. Sky Dragon | Filler | 09/23/1987 |
| 81 | Goku Goes to Demon Land | Filler | 09/30/1987 |
| 82 | The Rampage of InoShikaCho | Filler | 10/07/1987 |
| 83 | Which Way To Papaya Island? | Filler | 10/14/1987 |
| 84 | Rivals and Arrivals | Canon | 10/21/1987 |
| 85 | Preliminary Peril | Canon | 10/28/1987 |
| 86 | Then There Were Eight | Canon | 11/04/1987 |
| 87 | Yamcha vs. Tien | Canon | 11/11/1987 |
| 88 | Yamcha's Big Break | Canon | 11/18/1987 |
| 89 | Full-Moon Vengeance | Canon | 11/25/1987 |
| 90 | The Dodon Wave | Canon | 12/02/1987 |
| 91 | Counting Controversy!! | Canon | 12/09/1987 |
| 92 | Goku Enters the Ring | Canon | 12/16/1987 |
| 93 | Tien Shinhan vs. Jackie Chun | Canon | 12/23/1987 |
| 94 | Stepping Down | Canon | 12/30/1987 |
| 95 | Goku vs. Krillin | Canon | 01/06/1988 |
| 96 | Tail's Tale | Canon | 01/13/1988 |
| 97 | Final Match: Goku vs. Tien | Canon | 01/20/1988 |
| 98 | Victory's Edge | Canon | 01/27/1988 |
| 99 | Tien's Insurrection | Canon | 02/03/1988 |
| 100 | The Spirit Cannon | Canon | 02/10/1988 |
| 101 | The Fallen | Canon | 02/17/1988 |
| 102 | Enter King Piccolo | Canon | 02/24/1988 |
| 103 | Tambourine Attacks! | Canon | 03/02/1988 |
| 104 | Mark of the Demon | Canon | 03/09/1988 |
| 105 | Here Comes Yajirobe | Canon | 03/16/1988 |
| 106 | Terrible Tambourine | Canon | 03/23/1988 |
| 107 | Tien's Atonement | Canon | 04/06/1988 |
| 108 | Goku's Revenge | Canon | 04/13/1988 |
| 109 | Goku vs. King Piccolo | Canon | 04/20/1988 |
| 110 | Piccolo Closes In | Canon | 05/04/1988 |
| 111 | Roshi's Gambit | Canon | 05/11/1988 |
| 112 | King Piccolo's Wish | Canon | 05/18/1988 |
| 113 | Siege on Chow Castle | Canon | 05/25/1988 |
| 114 | Conquest and Power | Canon | 06/01/1988 |
| 115 | Awaken Darkness | Canon | 06/08/1988 |
| 116 | A Taste of Destiny | Canon | 06/22/1988 |
| 117 | The Ultimate Sacrifice | Canon | 06/29/1988 |
| 118 | Prelude to Vengeance | Canon | 07/06/1988 |
| 119 | Battle Cry | Canon | 07/20/1988 |
| 120 | Goku Strikes Back | Canon | 07/27/1988 |
| 121 | The Biggest Crisis | Canon | 08/03/1988 |
| 122 | Final Showdown | Canon | 08/10/1988 |
| 123 | Lost and Found | Canon | 08/17/1988 |
| 124 | Temple Above the Clouds | Canon | 08/24/1988 |
| 125 | Earth's Guardian Emerges | Canon | 08/31/1988 |
| 126 | Eternal Dragon Resurrected | Canon | 09/14/1988 |
| 127 | Quicker than Lightning | Filler | 09/21/1988 |
| 128 | Secret of the Woods | Filler | 09/28/1988 |
| 129 | The Time Room | Filler | 10/12/1988 |
| 130 | Goku's Doll | Filler | 10/19/1988 |
| 131 | Walking Their Own Ways | Filler | 10/26/1988 |
| 132 | Hotter than Lava | Filler | 11/02/1988 |
| 133 | Changes | Canon | 11/09/1988 |
| 134 | Preliminary Peril | Canon | 11/16/1988 |
| 135 | Battle of the Eight | Canon | 11/23/1988 |
| 136 | Tien Shinhan vs. Mercenary Tao | Canon | 11/30/1988 |
| 137 | Anonymous Proposal | Canon | 12/07/1988 |
| 138 | The Mysterious Hero | Canon | 12/14/1988 |
| 139 | Rematch | Canon | 12/21/1988 |
| 140 | Goku Gains Speed | Canon | 01/11/1989 |
| 141 | The Four Faces of Tien | Canon | 01/18/1989 |
| 142 | Kami vs. Piccolo | Canon | 01/25/1989 |
| 143 | Battle for the Future | Canon | 02/01/1989 |
| 144 | Super Kamehameha | Canon | 02/08/1989 |
| 145 | Junior No More | Canon | 02/15/1989 |
| 146 | Goku's Trap | Canon | 02/22/1989 |
| 147 | Goku Hangs On | Canon | 03/01/1989 |
| 148 | The Victor | Canon | 03/08/1989 |
| 149 | Dress in Flames | Filler | 03/15/1989 |
| 150 | The Fire-Eater | Filler | 03/22/1989 |
| 151 | Outrageous Octagon | Filler | 04/05/1989 |
| 152 | Mystery of the Dark World | Filler | 04/12/1989 |
| 153 | The End, The Beginning | <Filler | 04/19/1989 |
Our Guide to Dragon Ball Story Arcs
Dragon Ball features very little filler and adheres closely to the manga its based on. Throughout the series, Goku joins up with various fun and interesting characters as he pursues the dragon balls and develops his skills and powers.
The main story arcs and sagas featured in Dragon Ball are listed below.
Dragon Ball Story Arc & Saga List
Son Goku’s Boyhood Arc:
- Emperor Pilaf Saga (Episodes 1 through 13)
- Tournament Saga (Episodes 14 through 28)
Red Ribbon Army Arc:
- Red Ribbon Army Saga (Episodes 29 through 45)
- Filler: Episodes 29 – 34, 42 – 45
- General Blue Saga (Episodes 46 through 57)
- Filler: Episode 50
- Commander Red Saga (Episodes 58 through 68)
- Fortuneteller Baba Saga (Episodes 69 through 82)
- Filler: Episodes 79 – 82
Piccolo Arc:
- Tien Shinhan Saga (Episodes 83 through 101)
- Filler: Episode 83
- King Piccolo Saga (Episodes 102 through 122)
- Filler: Episodes 115 & 116
- Piccolo Jr. Saga (Episodes 123 through 153)
- Filler: Episodes 132, 149 – 153
Related Filler Guides:
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