Ultimate Dragon Ball Fillers List Guide!

Goku started his journey as a young boy in the 1980s. He wanted to find the dragon balls, but he was more interested in becoming the best martial artist in the world.

Whether you like it or not, you can’t deny that Dragon Ball has pretty much set the standard for anime for many years.

It has become a mainstay of the anime industry, with a huge fan base around the world thanks to its memorable characters and exciting plots.

But starting the DB journey, which has more than 150 episodes, may seem scary. This guide is here to help!

From 1986 to 1989, there were 153 episodes of Dragon Ball. Out of these, 21 are fillers episode and 3 are only half fillers.

With only about 16% filler, it’s impressive that the Dragon Ball series has kept the non-canon content to a minimum.

Dragon Ball Filler List – What to Watch ? What to Skip ?

Let’s get to the guide of Dragon ball filler list shall we ?

• Manga Canon Episodes: 1-28, 34-41, 43, 46-78, 84-126, 133-148
• Mixed Canon/Filler Episodes: 29, 42, 44
• Filler Episodes: 30-33, 45, 79-83, 127-132, 149-153

Note: Mixed Canon/Filler Episodes contain some part of additional content that doesn’t exist in the manga. On the other hand, manga canon episodes define the story that follows the original events of the manga. But to enjoy and understand the anime completely, you need to watch these Mixed Canon Episodes too.

Filler List According to Arcs

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

Dragon Ball Filler Episodes To Skip

In the Dragon Ball Filler List that follows, I’ll tell you which episodes you have to watch and which ones you can skip.

The Movies and Ovas will also be put in order of when they happened, so you can watch Dragon Ball in order.

At the end of this list, I’ll tell you where in the manga, the anime ends or where to start reading the manga if you want to keep following the story.

#	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?

Most filler shows in anime that doesn’t make sense are a bother.

Still, they sometimes give away important plot points about the main story, and we don’t understand until later that we should have watched the episode.

There are about 24 filler episodes in the original Dragon Ball series, and you can skip 11 of them without missing anything important or 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)

Listed below in detail why you should watch these fillers.

Dragon Ball Filler Episodes That are Worth Your Time!

There are some of the best dragon ball filler episodes that you might consider watch afterwards from this dragon ball filler list.

So, Here are my top 10 picks from the filler episodes that you can enjoy after watching the series.

1. Pilaf and the Mystery Force (30)

Goku is enjoying traveling the world on the flying nimbus–that is, until his dragon radar is stolen while he is swimming.

He must track down the thief and get it back so that he can find his grandfather’s dragon ball. Meanwhile, Emperor Pilaf is trying once again to assemble the dragon balls.

There is also a mysterious military force that is searching for the dragon balls.

2. Goku vs Sky Dragon (80)

On the advice of an old woman whom he helps, Goku goes to a small town looking to battle Master Chen, the strongest fighter in town.

Chen, however, has his own fight with Sky Dragon, a rival martial artist from the same town. In order to win the title of Master of Martial Arts, and save his struggling dojo, Chen must defeat Sky Dragon the next day in the King’s Match.

Unfortunately, Chen is in poor health and cannot fight, so Goku fights in his stead.

3. The Rampage of InoShikaCho (82)

Goku meets a family who has fled its village, which is being rampaged by a monster called InoShikaCho.

Goku goes to the village to fight the beast, but two other mysterious fighters get there first and defeat it, for a fee.

Later, Goku learns that they are working together with InoShikaCho to scam villagers out of money, and he confronts them.

Meanwhile, Roshi continues to train Krillin and Yamcha, and he tells the story of InoShikaCho.

4. Secret of the Woods (128)

After recovering from being struck by lightning, Goku is sent to the woods to train. While there, he meets a family and stays with them.

He learns from the grandfather of a fighter named Yao Chun, and he heads to the mountains to fight him.

Meanwhile, Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin continue to train.

5. The Time Room (129)

Goku travels back in time to train with Master Mutaito, and he learns about spirit energy.

While there, he meets a young Roshi, and he runs afoul of Shen.

Meanwhile, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, and Chiaotzu decide to climb Korin Tower.

6. The Fire Eater (150)

Goku and Chi-Chi visit the Kame House to find Roshi’s instructions for making the Bansho fan.

They see that they need a feather from a mystical bird called a fire-eater, so they go to Mt. Kiwi to retrieve one.

Once there, they are followed by Mai and Shuu, who are also looking for the bird.

7. Outrageous Octagon (151)

Goku and Chi-Chi reach the mountain that reportedly holds the Bansho fan, but a heavy snowstorm causes them to crash at the mountain’s base.

They meet an old woman who explains to them that no woman can climb the mountain without causing a storm. She also tells them that there is no fan on the mountain.

Goku scales it hoping to gather enough snow to put out the fire at the Ox King’s castle. While Goku is climbing the mountain, the old woman teaches Chi-Chi about being a good wife. Meanwhile, Goku is followed by Pilaf, who thinks the fan might be worth something.

8. Mystery of the Dark World (152)

The Bansho fan has no effect on the flames because the fire was forged in the Magical Furnace.

Goku and Chi-Chi must travel to the other side of the world to Mt. Five Elements, where they must venture through the Gate of the Five Elements into the Dark World.

There, they must find Tajoro, the keeper of the furnace, and convince her to help put out the flames.

9. The End, The Begining (153)

Goku tries to convince Tajoro to extinguish the flame long enough to fix the leak that causes the Ox King’s castle to ignite, but she refuses.

This is because the flame is what creates the fog that shrouds Mt. Five Elements, and the fog is what allows spirits to pass between the spirit world and the world of the living–without it.

No spirit could ever visit the world of the living again, and all spirits already in the world of the living would be trapped forever. Therefore, they must find another way to put out the flame at the Ox King’s castle.

10. The Flying Fortress- Vanished! (32)

Pilaf leaves the village with the dragon ball. Colonel Silver follows him, but Pilaf shoots down Silver’s plane.

Goku returns to the ruined village with Chi Chi, and they learn what happened from the Ox King.

Goku leaves to find the dragon ball. He and Silver both track Pilaf to his underground desert fortress, where a battle ensues.

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

People who are new to the Dragon Ball world often ask this. As with many things, the answer relies on what you want from your anime journey.

You shouldn’t skip Dragon Ball and start with Dragon Ball Z because the first anime is important to the general story of Dragon Ball and is fun to watch.

But you can skip the anime if you’re more interested in stories for adults and fights that are bigger than life.

If you start with Z, there’s nothing to worry about. As the series goes on, it does a pretty good job of going over the most important parts of the background. You won’t need to know a lot about Goku’s childhood to understand his journey as an adult.

In the first Dragon Ball, we meet a younger, more innocent Goku and a lot of important characters who will play important parts in Dragon Ball Z.

Also, the original anime shows more about the universe’s core systems, like Ki, Dragon Balls, and the ideas behind martial arts.

So, you might not be completely lost in Dragon Ball Z if you don’t watch Dragon Ball, but you’ll get a much better sense of Goku’s journey from a young boy to an adult who protects the world if you watch the whole story from the beginning.

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