A Complete and Updated Filler Guide of Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z, or DBZ, is one of the most loved anime and longest-aired sequels to the original Dragon Ball series. 

DBZ has undoubtedly made the 80s and 90s one of the most memorable years for all the early otakus worldwide.

Dragon Ball Z, like its predecessor, requires no introduction. The power metamorphosis of Goku, the love and friendship spurred by adventures, and the flashy fighting styles are all reminiscent of the fantastic anime, i.e., Dragon Ball Z.

With nine seasons, Dragon Ball Z completes the remaining chapters of the original manga. A total of 291 episodes were aired, of which 44 episodes are fillers making up 15 % of the total. 

Allow me to walk you through the fillers with a quick list before you decide whether or not you want to watch them.

Quick List

• Manga Canon Episodes: 1-8, 17-38, 45-99, 101, 103-107, 118-123, 126-169, 172-173, 175-194, 200-201, 205-228, 230-250, 252-273, 275-286, 289-291
• Partial Filler Episodes: 11, 204, 229, 251, 287
• Filler Episodes: 9-10, 12-16, 39-44, 100, 102, 108-117, 124-125, 170-171, 174, 195-199, 202-203, 274, 288

Filler List

• Partial Filler List (Also known as Mixed Canon/Filler episode, these are fillers but also have some of their content taken from manga)

• Filler Episodes (These episodes are created to make time for the manga to release new chapters so that the anime does not run out of content)

Can You Skip The Filler Episodes?

By Definition, fillers mean a story that doesn’t fit into the main storyline. Watching a filler episode means you are watching something extra which was initially not intended by the main author.

It wouldn’t be entirely incorrect to say that watching fillers is also a waste of time. Yet. sometimes, these episodes reveal interesting backstories or plot points necessary for the next story arc.

Let me give you a list of fillers that you can skip, and I recommend you watch the rest without any hesitation.

• The Strangest Robot (episode 9)
• A New Friend (episode 10)
• Global Training (episode 12)
• Goz and Mez (episode 13)
• Princess Snake (episode 14)
• Plight of the Children (episode 16)
• Friends or Foes? (episode 39)
• Krillin’s Proposal (episode 117)
• Goku’s Ordeal (episode 125)
• Memories of Gohan (episode 171) 
• The Puzzle of General Tao (episode 174)
• Gohan’s First Date (episode 202)
• Blackmail (episode 204)
• He’s Always Late (episode 288)

Conclusion

For a series that acts as a sequel to the original Dragon Ball anime, DBZ has lower reported fillers and does a commendable job in sticking as closely as possible to the original manga work.

Almost every anime adaptation of the manga includes filler since the author is constantly working on new chapters, and the anime must wait for the new chapters to be released.

Whether you want to skip the episodes altogether or sit back and enjoy this classic show, it is entirely up to you since I have already mentioned the episodes that can be missed.

About Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z is the sequel series to the original Dragon Ball anime and manga by Akira Toriyama. It focuses on Goku’s adventures as an adult.

Goku faces Vegeta, Frieza, and other stronger adversaries like Cell and Majin Boo in this series to protect the Earth from the destruction caused by them.

Dragon Ball Z was initially an anime and was later adapted into a manga due to its growing popularity.

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