Complete Dragon Ball Original Filler List Guide – Skip Episodes Like a Pro

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.

1. Quick Filler List & Streaming

2. Complete Episode List

Info

#	Title	Type	Watch?	Air Date
1	The Secret of the Dragon Balls	Canon		02/26/1986
2	The Emperor’s Quest	Canon		03/05/1986
3	The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi	Canon		03/12/1986
4	Oolong the Terrible	Canon		03/19/1986
5	Yamcha the Desert Bandit	Canon		03/26/1986
6	Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls	Canon		04/02/1986
7	The Ox King on Fire Mountain	Canon		04/09/1986
8	The Kamehameha Wave	Canon		04/16/1986
9	Boss Rabbit’s Magic Touch	Canon		04/23/1986
10	The Dragon Balls are Stolen!	Canon		04/30/1986
11	The Penalty is Pinball	Canon		05/07/1986
12	A Wish to the Eternal Dragon	Canon		05/14/1986
13	The Legend of Goku	Canon		05/21/1986
14	Goku’s Rival	Canon		05/28/1986
15	Look Out for Launch	Canon		06/04/1986
16	Find That Stone!	Canon		06/11/1986
17	Milk Delivery	Canon		06/18/1986
18	The Turtle Hermit Way	Canon		06/25/1986
19	The Tournament Begins	Canon		07/02/1986
20	Elimination Round	Canon		07/09/1986
21	Smells Like Trouble	Canon		07/16/1986
22	Quarterfinals Begin	Canon		07/23/1986
23	Monster Beast Giran	Canon		07/30/1986
24	Krillin’s Frantic Attack!	Canon		08/06/1986
25	Danger From Above	Canon		08/13/1986
26	The Grand Finals	Canon		08/20/1986
27	Number One Under the Moon?	Canon		08/27/1986
28	The Final Blow	Canon		09/03/1986
29	The Roaming Lake	Mixed		09/10/1986
30	Pilaf and the Mystery Force	Filler		09/17/1986
31	Wedding Plans?	Filler		09/24/1986
32	The Flying Fortress – Vanished!	Filler		10/01/1986
33	The Legend of a Dragon	Filler		10/08/1986
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		11/05/1986
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		12/03/1986
42	The Secret of Dr. Flappe	Mixed		12/10/1986
43	A Trip to the City	Canon		12/17/1986
44	Master Thief, Hasky	Mixed		12/24/1986
45	Danger in the Air	Filler		01/07/1987
46	Bulma’s Bad Day	Canon		01/14/1987
47	Kame House – Found!	Canon		01/21/1987
48	Deep Blue Sea	Canon		01/28/1987
49	Roshi Surprise	Canon		02/04/1987
50	The Trap is Sprung!	Canon		02/11/1987
51	Beware of Robot	Canon		02/18/1987
52	The Pirate Treasure	Canon		02/25/1987
53	Blue, Black and Blue	Canon		03/04/1987
54	Escape From Pirate Cave	Canon		03/11/1987
55	Penguin Village	Canon		03/18/1987
56	Strange Visitor	Canon		03/25/1987
57	Arale vs. Blue	Canon		04/08/1987
58	The Land of Korin	Canon		04/15/1987
59	The Notorious Mercenary	Canon		04/22/1987
60	Tao Attacks!	Canon		04/29/1987
61	Korin Tower	Canon		05/06/1987
62	Sacred Water	Canon		05/13/1987
63	The Return of Goku	Canon		05/20/1987
64	The Last of Mercenary Tao	Canon		05/27/1987
65	Confront the Red Ribbon Army	Canon		06/10/1987
66	A Real Bind	Canon		06/17/1987
67	The End of Commander Red	Canon		06/24/1987
68	The Last Dragon Ball	Canon		07/01/1987
69	Who is Fortuneteller Baba?	Canon		07/08/1987
70	We Are the Five Warriors	Canon		07/15/1987
71	Deadly Battle	Canon		07/22/1987
72	Goku’s Turn	Canon		07/29/1987
73	The Devilmite Beam	Canon		08/05/1987
74	The Mysterious Fifth Man	Canon		08/12/1987
75	The Strong Ones	Canon		08/19/1987
76	True Colors of the Masked Man	Canon		08/26/1987
77	Pilaf’s Tactics	Canon		09/02/1987
78	The Eternal Dragon Rises	Canon		09/09/1987
79	Terror and Plague	Filler		09/16/1987
80	Goku vs. Sky Dragon	Filler		09/23/1987
81	Goku Goes to Demon Land	Filler		09/30/1987
82	The Rampage of InoShikaCho	Filler		10/07/1987
83	Which Way To Papaya Island?	Filler		10/14/1987
84	Rivals and Arrivals	Canon		10/21/1987
85	Preliminary Peril	Canon		10/28/1987
86	Then There Were Eight	Canon		11/04/1987
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		12/02/1987
91	Counting Controversy!!	Canon		12/09/1987
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		01/06/1988
96	Tail’s Tale	Canon		01/13/1988
97	Final Match: Goku vs. Tien	Canon		01/20/1988
98	Victory’s Edge	Canon		01/27/1988
99	Tien’s Insurrection	Canon		02/03/1988
100	The Spirit Cannon	Canon		02/10/1988
101	The Fallen	Canon		02/17/1988
102	Enter King Piccolo	Canon		02/24/1988
103	Tambourine Attacks!	Canon		03/02/1988
104	Mark of the Demon	Canon		03/09/1988
105	Here Comes Yajirobe	Canon		03/16/1988
106	Terrible Tambourine	Canon		03/23/1988
107	Tien’s Atonement	Canon		04/06/1988
108	Goku’s Revenge	Canon		04/13/1988
109	Goku vs. King Piccolo	Canon		04/20/1988
110	Piccolo Closes In	Canon		05/04/1988
111	Roshi’s Gambit	Canon		05/11/1988
112	King Piccolo’s Wish	Canon		05/18/1988
113	Siege on Chow Castle	Canon		05/25/1988
114	Conquest and Power	Canon		06/01/1988
115	Awaken Darkness	Canon		06/08/1988
116	A Taste of Destiny	Canon		06/22/1988
117	The Ultimate Sacrifice	Canon		06/29/1988
118	Prelude to Vengeance	Canon		07/06/1988
119	Battle Cry	Canon		07/20/1988
120	Goku Strikes Back	Canon		07/27/1988
121	The Biggest Crisis	Canon		08/03/1988
122	Final Showdown	Canon		08/10/1988
123	Lost and Found	Canon		08/17/1988
124	Temple Above the Clouds	Canon		08/24/1988
125	Earth’s Guardian Emerges	Canon		08/31/1988
126	Eternal Dragon Resurrected	Canon		09/14/1988
127	Quicker than Lightning	Filler		09/21/1988
128	Secret of the Woods	Filler		09/28/1988
129	The Time Room	Filler		10/12/1988
130	Goku’s Doll	Filler		10/19/1988
131	Walking Their Own Ways	Filler		10/26/1988
132	Hotter than Lava	Filler		11/02/1988
133	Changes	Canon		11/09/1988
135	Battle of the Eight	Canon		11/23/1988
136	Tien Shinhan vs. Mercenary Tao	Canon		11/30/1988
137	Anonymous Proposal	Canon		12/07/1988
138	The Mysterious Hero	Canon		12/14/1988
139	Rematch	Canon		12/21/1988
140	Goku Gains Speed	Canon		01/11/1989
141	The Four Faces of Tien	Canon		01/18/1989
142	Kami vs. Piccolo	Canon		01/25/1989
143	Battle for the Future	Canon		02/01/1989
144	Super Kamehameha	Canon		02/08/1989
145	Junior No More	Canon		02/15/1989
146	Goku’s Trap	Canon		02/22/1989
147	Goku Hangs On	Canon		03/01/1989
148	The Victor	Canon		03/08/1989
149	Dress in Flames	Filler		03/15/1989
150	The Fire-Eater	Filler		03/22/1989
151	Outrageous Octagon	Filler		04/05/1989
152	Mystery of the Dark World	Filler		04/12/1989
153	The End, The Beginning	Filler		04/19/1989

3. 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)

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. About Dragon Ball (Original)

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.