Every 'Dragon Ball' Series & Movie You Need To Watch Before 'DBS' Season 2
There is no other anime series quite like Dragon Ball. From humble beginnings as a comedy martial arts series to the explosive popularity of Dragon Ball Z (1996), there isn’t an anime fan who doesn’t know about the series. It’s endured for 40 years, and while its creator, Akira Toriyama, passed away in 2024, the show must go on, so to speak. Dragon Ball Super (2015) just had its second season announced, and as the first new Dragon Ball series to release without Toriyama’s direct involvement, all eyes are on it.
While Super may have been polarizing upon its release, it has more than earned its place in the series canon. Renewed interest in the series has abounded on Crunchyroll, and here, on JustWatch, where it currently ranks at #634 on the streaming charts, which is notable for a decade-old anime. While there is no confirmed release date for Dragon Ball Super’s second season, it gives fans plenty of time to catch up on the franchise and prepare themselves for the next installment of the world’s most popular anime. If you want to be ready for when the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc begins, here’s what you need to watch.
If you’re going to watch the next major season of Dragon Ball Super, then watching the first season is mandatory, especially to see the setup for the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc. Dragon Ball Super expanded the universe in interesting ways, mostly with new concepts like gods, angels, and parallel realities.
Each of the five arcs builds logically on the others to create a fulfilling narrative where the show’s large supporting cast is able to shine. It may take some time to go through Super’s 131-episode run, but the deeper you get into it, the more the action will hit you. With Majin Buu defeated half-a-year prior, peace returns to Earth, where Son Goku (now a radish farmer) and his friends now live peaceful lives.
However, a new threat appears in the form of Beerus, the God of Destruction. Considered the most terrifying being in the entire universe, Beerus is eager to fight the legendary warrior seen in a prophecy foretold decades ago known as the Super Saiyan God. The series retells the events from the two Dragon Ball Z films, Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' before proceeding to an original story about the exploration of alternate universes.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is in a weird spot. It exists as this bridge between many earlier non-canon films and Dragon Ball Super, yet the movie itself was never adapted into manga, but is still referenced within it. It’s kind of complicated, but it doesn’t change the fact that Broly is all kinds of awesome. Dragon Ball Super: Broly is as simple a story as you can get. It’s about Goku and Vegeta fighting against Broly, an unfathomably strong foe who smashes through everything like it’s tissue paper.
The plot of this 100-minute film gets the job done because Broly is all about spectacle. If you were stunned by the attention to detail in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s (2025) fight scenes, Broly goes one step further. The way the score and the action sync up to make the fight feel like a true battle of gods is the definition of hype. It’s popcorn entertainment at its finest, and even if the arc doesn’t get adapted following the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc, it’s still worth watching for the sheer quality of the animation on display.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly’s odd placement in the series canon makes it tricky to recommend. However, if Dragon Ball Super goes beyond the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc, then it would adapt the plot of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, making the film worth checking out if you want insight into the future of the series.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is a remarkably different film from the other entries in the series. Most obviously, it eschews traditional 2D animation and completely uses CGI. It gives the film a unique flavor, one that fans of Orange Studio productions like Leviathan (2025) will instantly find familiar. It makes the fight scenes more dynamic, and the sheer scale of them grander than ever before. Not only that, but Goku and Vegeta are barely in the movie, which allows the supporting cast to take the spotlight. If you’ve been eager to see Gohan and Piccolo take leading roles after years of irrelevance, then Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will offer a breath of fresh air for longtime veterans.
While it goes without saying that fans of Dragon Ball Super have most likely seen Dragon Ball Z since it first hit the scene, it’s still worth mentioning that the series that made Dragon Ball a worldwide phenomenon deserves a rewatch as well. Dragon Ball Z is one of those genre-defining shows that’s impossible to replicate. It was released at just the right time in America for Western anime fans to grab onto and never let go.
Despite gaining popularity in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, there’s a timelessness to Dragon Ball Z that is still entertaining to this day. There’s a real sense of impact in the fight scenes that captures the charm of the era, much like other action anime like Yu Yu Hakusho (1992). Each punch and ki blast looks like it hurts, and the focus on telling long storylines that span dozens of episodes makes the show perfect for those looking for something that’ll last them months.
Dragon Ball DAIMA is the most recent Dragon Ball anime, though don’t expect it to impact Super’s second season all that much. DAIMA was conceived as a self-contained 40th anniversary project set between Z and Super. While it may not be essential viewing to understanding the next chapter of the Dragon Ball story, it is essential in understanding how Toei Animation will approach making Super’s new season.
While Dragon Ball Super had difficulties finding a healthy mix of comedy and action, DAIMA does so expertly. The comedy never feels forced, and the action set pieces are some of the best that the franchise has ever seen. While the series is only 20 episodes long and can feel rushed at points, when it focuses on action, it’s sensational and rivals modern action masterpieces like Jujutsu Kaisen (2020). If Toei takes its time and forces Super’s second season to match the pacing of DAIMA as opposed to Super Season 1, then the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc could be the best Dragon Ball arc ever animated.
