Dragon Ball Z run, in their release order: Dead Zone (1989): A prequel where Garlic Jr. seeks immortality. The World's Strongest (1990): Dr. Wheelo attempts to steal the world's strongest body. The Tree of Might (1990): An evil Saiyan look-alike, Turles, plants a life-draining tree. Lord Slug (1991): An ancient, wicked Namekian attempts to terraform Earth. Cooler's Revenge (1991): Frieza’s brother arrives on Earth seeking vengeance. The Return of Cooler (1992): Cooler returns as a metallic army on New Namek. Super Android 13! (1992): Three new Androids are activated to kill Goku. Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993): The debut of the unstoppable Saiyan powerhouse. Bojack Unbound (1993): Set after the Cell Games, Gohan must defend Earth from space pirates. Broly – Second Coming (1994): Broly returns to terrorize Gohan, Goten, and Trunks. Bio-Broly (1994): A clone of Broly is accidentally unleashed as a slime monster. Fusion Reborn (1995): Janemba breaks Hell, forcing Goku and Vegeta to fuse into Gogeta. Wrath of the Dragon (1995): The origin of Trunks' sword and the giant monster Hirudegarn. Show more The Modern "Canon" Films While the original 13 are "side stories," the modern movies written by Akira Toriyama are considered official continuations of the story: 10 sites Akira Toriyama saw the Dragon Ball movies as separate from ... Sep 12, 2025 —
For years, fans have debated where these films fit into the timeline. Traditionally, the first 13 films are considered —they exist in "alternate dimensions" or as "what-if" scenarios. Many of them contain continuity errors that make it impossible for them to happen in the main series (for example, Goku and Vegeta being dead at the same time Gohan is on Earth in Fusion Reborn ). Facebook·The Anime Nerds District 👺 Everything is canon in own timelines - Facebook dragonball z movies
The represent a high-octane, experimental corner of one of the world's most popular anime franchises. Between 1989 and 2015, Toei Animation released 15 theatrical films under the "Z" banner. These movies are famous for introducing legendary villains like Broly and Cooler , as well as showcasing iconic transformations and techniques that often never appeared in the main TV series. The Eternal Debate: Canon vs. Non-Canon Dragon Ball Z run, in their release order:
: Introduced one of the most iconic (though originally non-canon) villains in the franchise. Cooler’s Revenge Wheelo attempts to steal the world's strongest body