A Complete Filler Guide to the Original Dragon Ball Anime

Goku began his journey in the 1980s as a young boy on the quest to find dragon balls, but more importantly, become the strongest martial artist in the world.

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Dragon Ball has practically defined the anime genre for multiple generations. It has become a staple in the anime industry, earning a massive global fanbase with its unforgettable characters and thrilling storylines.

However, embarking on the DB journey with over 150 episodes may seem daunting. That’s where this guide comes in!

Running from 1986 to 1989, the Dragon Ball anime spans 153 episodes. Among these, the anime has 21 filler episodes and 3 partial fillers. Impressively, Dragon Ball anime has kept the non-canon content to a minimum with just about 16% filler percentage.

Quick Filler List & Streaming

Arcs	Episodes
Emperor Pilaf Saga	–
Tournament Saga	–
Red Ribbon Army Saga	29, 30-33, 42, 44-45
General Blue Saga	–
Commander Red Saga	–
Fortuneteller Baba Saga	79-83
Tien Shinhan Saga	–
King Piccolo Saga	–
Piccolo Jr. Saga	127-132, 149-153

Episode List

#	Title	Type	Watch It or Skip It	Air Date
Arc	Emperor Pilaf Saga (Chapter 1-23)
1	The Secret of the Dragon Balls	Canon		2/26/1986
2	The Emperor’s Quest	Canon		3/5/1986
3	The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi	Canon		3/12/1986
4	Oolong the Terrible	Canon		3/19/1986
5	Yamcha the Desert Bandit	Canon		3/26/1986
6	Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls	Canon		4/2/1986
7	The Ox King on Fire Mountain	Canon		4/9/1986
8	The Kamehameha Wave	Canon		4/16/1986
9	Boss Rabbit’s Magic Touch	Canon		4/23/1986
10	The Dragon Balls are Stolen!	Canon		4/30/1986
11	The Penalty is Pinball	Canon		5/7/1986
12	A Wish to the Eternal Dragon	Canon		5/14/1986
13	The Legend of Goku	Canon		5/21/1986
Arc	Tournament Saga (Chapters 24-54)
14	Goku’s Rival	Canon		5/28/1986
15	Look Out for Launch	Canon		6/4/1986
16	Find That Stone!	Canon		6/11/1986
17	Milk Delivery	Canon		6/18/1986
18	The Turtle Hermit Way	Canon		6/25/1986
19	The Tournament Begins	Canon		7/2/1986
20	Elimination Round	Canon		7/9/1986
21	Smells Like Trouble	Canon		7/16/1986
22	Quarterfinals Begin	Canon		7/23/1986
23	Monster Beast Giran	Canon		7/30/1986
24	Krillin’s Frantic Attack!	Canon		8/6/1986
25	Danger From Above	Canon		8/13/1986
26	The Grand Finals	Canon		8/20/1986
27	Number One Under the Moon?	Canon		8/27/1986
28	The Final Blow	Canon		9/3/1986
Arc	Red Ribbon Army Saga (Chapters 54-69)
29	The Roaming Lake	Partial Filler	Watch	9/10/1986
30	Pilaf and the Mystery Force	Filler	Skip	9/17/1986
31	Wedding Plans?	Filler	Skip	9/24/1986
32	The Flying Fortress – Vanished!	Filler	Skip	10/1/1986
33	The Legend of a Dragon	Filler	Skip	10/8/1986
34	Cruel General Red	Canon		10/15/1986
35	Cold Reception	Canon		10/22/1986
36	Major Metallitron	Canon		10/29/1986
37	Ninja Murasaki is Coming!	Canon		11/5/1986
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		12/3/1986
42	The Secret of Dr. Flappe	Partial Filler	Watch	12/10/1986
43	A Trip to the City	Canon		12/17/1986
44	Master Thief, Hasky	Partial Filler	Watch	12/24/1986
45	Danger in the Air	Filler	Skip	1/7/1987
Arc	General Blue Saga (Chapters 70-83)
46	Bulma’s Bad Day	Canon		1/14/1987
47	Kame House – Found!	Canon		1/21/1987
48	Deep Blue Sea	Canon		1/28/1987
49	Roshi Surprise	Canon		2/4/1987
50	The Trap is Sprung!	Canon		2/11/1987
51	Beware of Robot	Canon		2/18/1987
52	The Pirate Treasure	Canon		2/25/1987
53	Blue, Black and Blue	Canon		3/4/1987
54	Escape From Pirate Cave	Canon		3/11/1987
55	Penguin Village	Canon		3/18/1987
56	Strange Visitor	Canon		3/25/1987
57	Arale vs. Blue	Canon		4/8/1987
Arc	Commander Red Saga (Chapters 84-96)
58	The Land of Korin	Canon		4/15/1987
59	The Notorious Mercenary	Canon		4/22/1987
60	Tao Attacks!	Canon		4/29/1987
61	Korin Tower	Canon		5/6/1987
62	Sacred Water	Canon		5/13/1987
63	The Return of Goku	Canon		5/20/1987
64	The Last of Mercenary Tao	Canon		5/27/1987
65	Confront the Red Ribbon Army	Canon		6/10/1987
66	A Real Bind	Canon		6/17/1987
67	The End of Commander Red	Canon		6/24/1987
Arc	Fortuneteller Baba Saga (Chapters 97-112)
68	The Last Dragon Ball	Canon		7/1/1987
69	Who is Fortuneteller Baba?	Canon		7/8/1987
70	We Are the Five Warriors	Canon		7/15/1987
71	Deadly Battle	Canon		7/22/1987
72	Goku’s Turn	Canon		7/29/1987
73	The Devilmite Beam	Canon		8/5/1987
74	The Mysterious Fifth Man	Canon		8/12/1987
75	The Strong Ones	Canon		8/19/1987
76	True Colors of the Masked Man	Canon		8/26/1987
77	Pilaf’s Tactics	Canon		9/2/1987
78	The Eternal Dragon Rises	Canon		9/9/1987
79	Terror and Plague	Filler	Skip	9/16/1987
80	Goku vs. Sky Dragon	Filler	Watch	9/23/1987
81	Goku Goes to Demon Land	Filler	Watch	9/30/1987
82	The Rampage of InoShikaCho	Filler	Watch	10/7/1987
83	Which Way To Papaya Island?	Filler	Watch	10/14/1987
Arc	Tien Shinhan Saga (Chapters 113-134)
84	Rivals and Arrivals	Canon		10/21/1987
85	Preliminary Peril	Canon		10/28/1987
86	Then There Were Eight	Canon		11/4/1987
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		12/2/1987
91	Counting Controversy!!	Canon		12/9/1987
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		1/6/1988
96	Tail’s Tale	Canon		1/13/1988
97	Final Match: Goku vs. Tien	Canon		1/20/1988
98	Victory’s Edge	Canon		1/27/1988
99	Tien’s Insurrection	Canon		2/3/1988
100	The Spirit Cannon	Canon		2/10/1988
101	The Fallen	Canon		2/17/1988
Arc	King Piccollo Saga (Chapters 135-161)
102	Enter King Piccolo	Canon		2/24/1988
103	Tambourine Attacks!	Canon		3/2/1988
104	Mark of the Demon	Canon		3/9/1988
105	Here Comes Yajirobe	Canon		3/16/1988
106	Terrible Tambourine	Canon		3/23/1988
107	Tien’s Atonement	Canon		4/6/1988
108	Goku’s Revenge	Canon		4/13/1988
109	Goku vs. King Piccolo	Canon		4/20/1988
110	Piccolo Closes In	Canon		5/4/1988
111	Roshi’s Gambit	Canon		5/11/1988
112	King Piccolo’s Wish	Canon		5/18/1988
113	Siege on Chow Castle	Canon		5/25/1988
114	Conquest and Power	Canon		6/1/1988
115	Awaken Darkness	Canon		6/8/1988
116	A Taste of Destiny	Canon		6/22/1988
117	The Ultimate Sacrifice	Canon		6/29/1988
118	Prelude to Vengeance	Canon		7/6/1988
119	Battle Cry	Canon		7/20/1988
120	Goku Strikes Back	Canon		7/27/1988
121	The Biggest Crisis	Canon		8/3/1988
122	Final Showdown	Canon		8/10/1988
Arc	Piccollo Jr. Saga (Chapters 162-194)
123	Lost and Found	Canon		8/17/1988
124	Temple Above the Clouds	Canon		8/24/1988
125	Earth’s Guardian Emerges	Canon		8/31/1988
126	Eternal Dragon Resurrected	Canon		9/14/1988
127	Quicker than Lightning	Filler	Skip	9/21/1988
128	Secret of the Woods	Filler	Skip	9/28/1988
129	The Time Room	Filler	Watch	10/12/1988
130	Goku’s Doll	Filler	Skip	10/19/1988
131	Walking Their Own Ways	Filler	Skip	10/26/1988
132	Hotter than Lava	Filler	Skip	11/2/1988
133	Changes	Canon		11/9/1988
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		12/7/1988
138	The Mysterious Hero	Canon		12/14/1988
139	Rematch	Canon		12/21/1988
140	Goku Gains Speed	Canon		1/11/1989
141	The Four Faces of Tien	Canon		1/18/1989
142	Kami vs. Piccolo	Canon		1/25/1989
143	Battle for the Future	Canon		2/1/1989
144	Super Kamehameha	Canon		2/8/1989
145	Junior No More	Canon		2/15/1989
146	Goku’s Trap	Canon		2/22/1989
147	Goku Hangs On	Canon		3/1/1989
148	The Victor	Canon		3/8/1989
149	Dress in Flames	Filler	Watch	3/15/1989
150	The Fire-Eater	Filler	Watch	3/22/1989
151	Outrageous Octagon	Filler	Watch	4/5/1989
152	Mystery of the Dark World	Filler	Watch	4/12/1989
153	The End, The Beginning	Filler	Watch	4/19/1989

How much of Dragon Ball can you skip?

Filler episodes are mostly a nuisance in anime that doesn’t make sense. Nevertheless, they sometimes reveal crucial plot points regarding the main storyline, and it is only later that we realize we made a mistake by not watching the episode.

In the original Dragon Ball anime, there are about 24 fillers, and you can safely skip 11 of them without missing anything important or losing out on any potential fun.

1. Pilaf and the Mystery Force (episode 30)
2. Wedding Plans? (episode 31)
3. The Flying Fortress – Vanished (episode 32)
4. The Legend of a Dragon (episode 33)
5. Danger in the Air (episode 45)
6. Which Way to Papaya Island? (episode 79)
7. Quicker than Lightning (episode 127)
8. The Secret of the Woods (episode 128)
9. Goku’s Doll (episode 130)
10. Hotter than Lava (episode 131)
11. Dress in Flames (episode 132)

Should I skip Dragon Ball and go to Dragon Ball Z?

This question is common among newcomers to the Dragon Ball universe. As with many things, the answer depends on what you’re looking for in your anime journey.

Ideally, you shouldn’t skip Dragon Ball and start with Dragon Ball Z because the original anime is fundamentally important to the overall DB lore and fun to watch. However, you can skip the anime if you’re primarily interested in adult-focused storylines and larger-than-life battles.

There’s nothing to worry about if you start with Z. The series does a fairly solid job of recapping the most essential backstory elements as it progresses. You’ll certainly get the heart of Goku’s adult journey without needing the detailed context of his youth.

The original Dragon Ball introduces us to a younger, more innocent Goku and many core characters playing crucial roles in Dragon Ball Z. Furthermore, the original anime gives a deeper understanding of the universe’s underlying systems, such as Ki, Dragon Balls, and martial arts philosophies.

So, while skipping Dragon Ball might not leave you utterly lost in Dragon Ball Z, the overall experience of witnessing Goku’s journey from an innocent boy to a universe-defending adult becomes more impactful and rewarding when you see the entire story unfold from the very beginning.

Conclusion

At best, the filler episodes are superfluous, but fans and viewers should consider the other aspects of releasing such fillers. These episodes are an inevitable part of watching an anime.

With only 24 total filler episodes, Dragon Ball completely adheres to the original work of Toriyama and has given us a franchise that this world is thankful for.

To watch filler is a personal preference, and it is entirely up to you whether you want to fully skip the episodes or simply sit back and enjoy the entire show.

About Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama’s brainchild, came into existence in 1984. It has spawned several manga, anime, films, and other media adaptations.

The initial series follows Son Goku and his adventures when he was a child. It is here that we are first introduced to Goku as he meets Bulma, Yamcha, and others.

He trains in martial arts and participates in the World Martial Arts Championship for the first time in this series.