How Many Episodes of Dragonball Z Are There? 2024 Guide

Asian kids and audiences are not the only fans raring to see the Kamehameha Wave of Goku while fighting the evil villains trying to conquer and terrorize the universe. 

This anime series manga is also loved worldwide, but how many episodes of Dragonball Z is there?

Let’s all find out. 

Dragonball Z: An Overview

Everything started in 1984 when Akira Toriyama created the manga series Dragon ball or Doragon Bōru. There were 519 individual chapters written and printed, and there are 42 tankōbon volumes that ran from 1984 up to 1995. Having 6.53 million sales weekly is more than enough indication that it will be a hit when turned into a TV Series. 

Dragonball Anime (1) Series was first aired in 1986 which lasted until April of 1989 after 153 episodes. The next airing time, Dragonball Z was introduced, which depicted the adult life of Goku and his friends.

How Many Episodes Does It Have? 

Anime Series

The first Dragonball series had 153 episodes, which succeeded with the 291 episodes from Dragonball Z, from 1986 to 1996. All were adaptations from Akira Toriyama's Manga Series, Dragonball. The success of the anime led to another series. This time, it is Dragonball GT. It came out with 64 episodes but not based on the original Manga Series. 

What came next is a continuation to the manga (2) adaptation with 131 episodes, Dragonball Super. In commemoration of this anime's 20th and 25th anniversaries, Dragonball Z Kai was created, and it was a revision of DBZ, which ran for a total of 167 episodes. 

Also Read: DBZ Kai vs DBZ

Movies/Films

The anime started in 1984, but the first film about it was shown in 1986, entitled Dragonball. Two more Dragonball films were shown after that in 1987 and 1988. From 1989 until 1995, there were a total of 13 Dragonball Z films released during this period. And in 1996, another film was released for the 10th anniversary of Dragonball. 

One thing in common among all these films apart from the title is that these are animated. There was only one live-action film released, Dragonball: Evolution, which remains the only licensed live-action film.

Manga

From December 1984 until June 1995, there were 519 individual chapters released with 42 volumes. Dragonball has 153 episodes shown, while the succeeding Dragonball Z had 291 in total, which concluded in January of 1996. What followed next was Dragonball GT which had 64 episodes aired, and Dragonball Super had 131 episodes. The last series is Super Dragon Ball Heroes, which has a total of 38 episodes only.

Though Dragonball Kai is another popular anime depicting the life of Goku and the rest of the gang, this is actually a revision of the entire Dragonball Z series. This is to celebrate its 20th and the 25th anniversaries. It aired 167 episodes which were launched internationally, but there were only 159 launched in Japan. 

Also Read: Our Top Dragon Ball Z Gifts

DBZ Filler Episodes 

There are quite a good number of filler episodes. We cannot expect a brilliant mind such as Akira Toriyama to have something to offer at all times continually. Plus, anime have higher possibilities of running out of materials. Producers and part of the team made sure they have enough to offer their followers. 

For Dragonball alone, there were 21 filler episodes only, which is only 14% of the entire series. DBZ is one of the longest-running anime series aired worldwide, and fillers are essential to continue to provide everyone with exciting episodes while the genius writers are coming up with new concepts for the upcoming stories. 

Goku vs. Frieza: DBZ's Longest Fight in an Episode

The longest fight in DBZ Saga is Goku vs Frieza. It actually lasted for 19 episodes. This was a breathtaking Saga as the two have their powers and expertise. A couple of times, Frieza was able to land hits on Goku, but he lacked stamina, which is why he never stood a chance on defeating Goku, especially when he transformed into a Super Saiyan. 

Frieza may have had one or two chances in defeating him, but when he made the mistake of killing Goku's best friend, Krillin, it triggered the first transformation to being a Super Saiyan. That sealed his death because his strength is no match for Goku anymore.

Also Read: Dragon Ball Z Games vs Naruto Games

FAQs 

Are Dragon Ball Z episodes still being made?

No. Dragon Ball Z episodes are no longer being written, at least; that is what Toei Animation has announced. The last chapter aired was Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters, shown way back in 2015. There is still no announcement about a new chapter despite a plot being introduced in the last episode.

How long would it take to watch all of Dragon Ball Z?

It will literally take you 276 hours and 18 minutes to watch Dragonball Z or 11 days if you convert it to days. This excludes trips to the bathroom or the kitchen, so you should be totally prepared if you plan to hug the couch and do the DBZ marathon.

Why is Dragon Ball Z fights so long?

Dragon Ball Z fights are usually long because these catch up to the manga story since anime production is much faster. This is the reason why there are so many filler episodes to give the writers time to come up with a new story. 

What was Goku's biggest fight in Dragonball Z?

The biggest fight in Dragonball Z would probably be the fight between Goku and Frieza. Though Frieza is not his strongest opponent, their match was much celebrated because he first transitioned into a Super Saiyan. Their five-minute showdown went down in the history of this anime series as the greatest battle, which awakened the true powers of our hero Goku.

Check out our party decor ideas for your DBZ-themed party!

Wrapping Up!  

Dragonball had faced a lot of controversies, especially when it was aired internationally for so many reasons, too much violence, nudity, and a lot more. However, this was loved worldwide, or else it wouldn't last for over two decades. This was a very entertaining offering from the producers, both manga and anime series.

Toei Animation has not yet renewed Dragon Ball Super for Season 2. Until then, fans of this amazing anime can just hope that one day it will be aired once again, with stronger villains who will try to defeat the mighty heroes and get hold of the magical dragon balls. 

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References:

1.  https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/
2.  https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/12/27/beginners-guide-manga