Timeline

Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. Chapters of the series that run in Weekly Shōnen Jump are collected and published in tankōbon volumes under the Jump Comics imprint every two to three months. It is one of the longest-running manga magazines, with the first issue being released on July 11, 1968.

Dragon Ball is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. Originally serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, the 519 individual chapters were collected in 42 tankōbon volumes. Dragon Ball was inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West and Hong Kong martial arts films. It initially had a comedy focus but later became an action-packed fighting series. The story follows the adventures of Son Goku, from childhood to adulthood, as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the Dragon Balls, seven magical orbs which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.

Son Goku is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is based on Sun Wukong, a main character of the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, combined with influences from the Hong Kong action cinema of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Goku made his debut in the first Dragon Ball chapter, Bulma and Son Goku, originally published in Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984.

Dragon Ball is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. It ran for a total of 153 episodes on Fuji Television and its FNS affiliates from February 26, 1986, to April 19, 1989. The series adapts first 194 chapters of the manga series Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama, which was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995. The anime was broadcast in 81 countries worldwide and is the first animated television series in the Dragon Ball franchise. It follows the adventures of Goku, a young eccentric boy with a monkey tail and exceptional strength who has a passion for fighting and battling enemies.

Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the Dragon Ball media franchise, it serves as a direct sequel to the 1986 Dragon Ball television series, adapting the remaining 325 chapters of the manga series Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. The series aired in Japan on Fuji Television and its FNS affiliates from April 1989 to January 1996 and was later dubbed for broadcast in at least 81 countries worldwide.

Piccolo is a fictional character in the Japanese Dragon Ball media franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He made his appearance in chapter #161 "Son Goku Wins!!", published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on February 9, 1988, as the reincarnation of the evil King Piccolo, who was positioned as a demonic antagonist of the series. However, it is later revealed that he is, in fact, a member of an extraterrestrial humanoid species called Namekians from an exoplanet called Namek, those able to create the series' eponymous wish-granting Dragon Balls. After losing to Son Goku in the World Martial Arts Tournament, Piccolo teams up with him and his friends to defeat newer, more dangerous and powerful threats, such as Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu, Beerus, Zamasu, Jiren, Broly, and Moro. He also trains Goku's eldest son, Gohan, and the two form a powerful bond.

Son Gohan is a fictional character in the Japanese franchise Dragon Ball created by Akira Toriyama. The elder son of Son Goku and Chi-Chi, he made his appearance in chapter #196 "Kakarrot", published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on October 8, 1988.

Vegeta , fully referred to as Prince Vegeta IV , is a fictional character in the Japanese franchise Dragon Ball created by Akira Toriyama. Vegeta made his appearance in chapter #204 "Sayonara, Son Goku", published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on January 7, 1989, seeking the wish-granting Dragon Balls to achieve immortality.

Frieza , also spelled as Freeza in Funimation's English subtitles and Viz Media's release of the manga, is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists of the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama. He makes his debut in Chapter #247: "Dark Clouds Swirl Over Planet Namek", first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on October 24, 1989, as the main antagonist of his eponymous saga, depicted as a galactic tyrant feared as the most powerful being in the universe.

Trunks is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. Within the series, he is the half-Saiyan half-human son of Vegeta and Bulma and has at least two noteworthy incarnations. Trunks makes his debut appearance in chapter #331 "The Young Boy of Mystery", first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on July 2, 1991, as an unidentified young man who traveled back in time to warn Son Goku and his allies of a deadly new enemy, the Androids of the Red Ribbon Army. This alternate future timeline incarnation of Trunks, who is usually referred to as "Future Trunks" in media to distinguish him from his present-timeline counterpart, is one of the Dragon Ball series' most popular characters and has been praised for his unique role within the series.

Dragon Ball GT is a Japanese anime television series based on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga franchise that ran from February 1996 to November 1997. Produced by Toei Animation, the series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television and its FNS affiliates, running for a total of 64 episodes. Unlike Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, the previous two television adaptations in the Dragon Ball media franchise, Dragon Ball GT does not adapt the manga. It serves as an anime-exclusive sequel to the Dragon Ball Z anime series, with an original story incorporating the same characters and universe. It follows the exploits of Son Goku, the series' main protagonist who is turned back into a child due to a Black Star Dragon Ball wish. After discovering that if they do not recollect all the balls within one year, the Earth will explode, Goku, his granddaughter Pan, and Trunks set off to traverse the universe in an attempt to find them.

Dragon Ball Z Kai, known in Japan as Dragon Ball Kai , is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga series Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. Produced by Toei Animation to commemorate the anime television series Dragon Ball Z's 20th anniversary, Kai serves as a recut and remastered version of it that re-records dialogue, improves animation cel quality, and omits most anime exclusive content that was not featured in the original manga. The series aired on Fuji Television and its FNS affiliates from April 2009 to March 2011. A continuation that covers the final Z sagas, respectively titled internationally as Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters, aired on the same network from April 2014 to June 2015 under the same Japanese title from its original run.

Dragon Ball Super is a Japanese manga series written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. Set during the time frame of Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga, it follows the adventures of Son Goku and his friends during the ten-year timeskip after the defeat of Majin Boo. After meeting the destructive deity Beerus, and attaining the power of a god, Goku ends up traveling to other universes. It began serialization in Shueisha's monthly shōnen manga magazine V Jump in June 2015, and is currently on hiatus following Toriyama's death in March 2024. Viz Media has licensed the series for release in North America.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly is a 2018 Japanese animated martial arts fantasy adventure film. It is the twentieth animated feature film in the Dragon Ball franchise, the first to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding, and is the third film in the franchise to be personally supervised by series creator Akira Toriyama. The film serves as a canonical reimagining of the Broly character from the films Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993), Broly – Second Coming (1994), and Bio-Broly (1994) into the main Dragon Ball continuity. Set after the events of the Universe Survival Saga, the plot follows Goku and Vegeta as they encounter the powerful Saiyan named Broly. The film chronicles the history of the Saiyans and the background story of these three Saiyans with different destinies connected to the turbulent period of their race.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is a 2022 Japanese animated martial arts fantasy adventure film and the sequel to Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018). It is the twenty-first animated feature film in the Dragon Ball franchise, the second to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding, the first to be produced mainly using CGI animation, as well as the fourth and final animated Dragon Ball film to be produced under the supervision of franchise creator Akira Toriyama before his death in March 2024. In the film, Piccolo and his former student Gohan head on a mission to save the world from the newly reformed Red Ribbon Army.