The DBZ movies are a unique part of the Dragon Ball story. Most of them have plot points that don’t quite match up with the main series – like bringing back characters who’ve died or introducing villains at illogical times. However, a select few DBZ films actually fit perfectly into the timeline and are considered official canon for the anime.
It’s easy to get confused about the Dragon Ball timeline! The original Dragon Ball Z anime has its own ending with Dragon Ball GT and isn’t considered part of the story that leads into Dragon Ball Super. The current Dragon Ball Super anime follows a different path, starting with the original Dragon Ball, then Dragon Ball Z Kai, and continuing with Dragon Ball Super (which will soon be followed by a remake). Because of this, the Dragon Ball Super movies fit into the story alongside Kai and the original manga by Akira Toriyama, rather than being connected to the original Dragon Ball Z anime.
Honorable Mention: Bojack Unbound
Easily Fits Between The Cell Games & Great Saiyaman Saga
The movie Bojack Unbound actually fits quite seamlessly into the Dragon Ball Z storyline. The biggest problems some fans have are Future Trunks joining the tournament and Gohan struggling to use his Super Saiyan 2 form consistently. However, both of these can be easily explained: Trunks could have simply returned to visit the main timeline after defeating the Androids in his own future – and the story even shows him getting the Time Machine ready.
Gohan hasn’t been training consistently since the Cell Games, so he’s not as quick to transform into Super Saiyan 2 as he used to be. While it’s strange that Goku was able to briefly return from the afterlife to defeat Bojack, it’s not a significant plot problem. The Bojack Unbound movie doesn’t contradict any major story elements and takes place during a relatively peaceful time in the Dragon Ball universe. It’s also one of only two films (along with Broly – The Second Coming) where Gohan takes the lead, showing a time when the series was considering shifting focus away from Goku.
You can watch Bojack Unbound immediately after the ‘Other World’ episodes, and it flows seamlessly into Gohan’s story in the ‘Great Saiyaman’ saga without disrupting the timeline. The movie also explains Vegeta’s decision to stop fighting after Goku’s death, connecting the end of the Cell saga to the beginning of the Majin Buu saga.
Honorable Mention: Wrath of the Dragon
Takes Place After the Fight With Kid Buu With No Major Contradictions
Similar to Bojack Unbound, there’s nothing in Wrath of the Dragon that definitively makes it separate from the main storyline. The ending credits hint that a sword given to Trunks is the same one Future Trunks uses, but this could just be a nod to fans. Wrath of the Dragon takes place after the Kid Buu Saga, and shows Gohan using his Ultimate form, Gotenks being able to transform into Super Saiyan 3, and a noticeably changed Vegeta who is shown saving people.
Wrath of the Dragon is a standout animated film in the Dragon Ball series, serving as a satisfying conclusion to Dragon Ball Z with a surprisingly touching story that focuses on Trunks. The main criticism of the movie is that Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 form is powerful enough to beat the villain, Hirudegarn, while Ultimate Gohan isn’t, despite Gohan being stronger in other versions of the story. This difference stems from how the anime and manga handled power levels – in the anime, Super Saiyan 3 Goku was the strongest single character by the end of Dragon Ball Z, whereas the manga positioned him as weaker than Ultimate Gohan and Gotenks.
Honorable Mention: A Hero’s Legacy
The Original Dragon Ball Anime Continuity Ends With Dragon Ball GT
Although Dragon Ball GT isn’t considered part of the main Dragon Ball story, it continues the events of the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime series. Toei Animation officially made it as a sequel to DBZ, offering a concluding chapter to that anime’s storyline. Because of this, A Hero’s Legacy can’t take place in the same universe as Battle of Gods or Resurrection ‘F’; Dragon Ball GT‘s events simply wouldn’t fit in a world where Goku possesses God Ki.
Despite its flaws, A Hero’s Legacy is still considered official canon within the Dragon Ball Z storyline, acting as a final chapter to the entire series up to that point. The movie takes place a century after Dragon Ball GT and follows Goku Jr., Goku’s grandson, on a quest to find the Four-Star Dragon Ball and heal his grandmother, Pan. While it’s not the most exciting Dragon Ball story, A Hero’s Legacy offers a unique narrative and successfully elevates Goku to legendary status, fitting for his impact across the three anime series.
Honorable Mention: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Officially Acknowledged in the Battle of Gods Movie
Although titled Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, this movie is considered part of the Dragon Ball Z story. Events from it are mentioned in Dragon Ball Z: Battle Gods, officially making it canon to the anime series. The film takes place after the defeat of Majin Buu and introduces Tarble, Vegeta’s younger brother.
The movie focuses on the everyday lives of the Z-Fighters and doesn’t have a particularly high-stakes plot. During Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Tarble is briefly brought up while the characters search for five pure-hearted Saiyans to help Goku. Interestingly, both the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga removed this reference to Tarble, implying that the movie is considered canon to DBZ but not necessarily part of the Super storyline.
TopMob Quiz
—
Results
—
Dead Zone
Confirmed Canon in Daizenshuu 7
As much as I love Dead Zone, it’s kinda messy when you really think about it! It feels off that Goku and Piccolo hadn’t teamed up before Raditz, and it’s supposed to be the first time! Plus, Bulma, Master Roshi, and Krillin weren’t ever meant to have crossed paths with Gohan before this point. But the biggest issue for me is Garlic Jr. using the Dragon Balls – that should have made them unusable for a whole year! That means they wouldn’t have been able to bring Goku back in time to fight Nappa and Vegeta, which is a huge problem for the timeline!
Despite often being overlooked, the movie Dead Zone is officially part of the Dragon Ball Z story. The official Dragon Ball guidebook, Daizenshuu 7, confirms it fits within the series’ timeline. It directly follows the Garlic Jr. Saga, a non-essential story arc that takes place between the Frieza and Cell sagas. Many fans consider Dead Zone to be one of the best films in the franchise, thanks to its exciting battles, great music, and unique lore that builds on the original Dragon Ball‘s mystical elements, rather than the more action-focused style of DBZ.
Bardock – The Father of Goku
Akira Toriyama Made Bardock Canon in the Dragon Ball Manga
The special, Bardock – The Father of Goku, tells the story of the final days of Planet Vegeta and serves as a prequel to the entire Dragon Ball series. While later stories like Dragon Ball Minus have changed some details, the events of Bardock’s fight are still shown in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, meaning a version of the movie must be part of the current storyline. Importantly, Bardock – The Father of Goku is considered canon to the Dragon Ball Z anime and is the only film that aligns with the original manga’s story.
Akira Toriyama really liked the character Bardock, Goku’s father, and even included hints about him in the Dragon Ball manga before Goku’s fight with Frieza. The Dragon Ball Z anime expands on Bardock’s story with flashbacks during the Frieza Saga. If you’re watching the complete Dragon Ball Z series, the best time to watch the Bardock – The Father of Goku special is right after Vegeta’s death in episode 86, before Goku and Frieza begin their final battle.
Cooler’s Revenge
Confirmed Canon in Daizenshuu 7
Similar to Dead Zone, the movie Cooler’s Revenge is officially part of the Dragon Ball timeline as presented in Daizenshuu 7. It takes place during the three-year period between the end of the Frieza Saga and the arrival of the Androids, when the Z-Fighters were training. The main points of contention with the movie’s canonicity are that Goku doesn’t immediately transform into a Super Saiyan, and Gohan still has his haircut from the Namek Saga instead of the longer style he had when facing Mecha Frieza and King Cold.
Honestly, these aren’t huge issues when you think about it. Goku always likes to drag out fights by not going all-out with his transformations, and Gohan could’ve just gotten a trim! What’s really interesting is Cooler showing up in Dragon Ball GT – that confirms the Cooler’s Revenge movie actually happened within the anime’s timeline. But here’s the kicker: he appears as his fifth-form self, not Meta-Cooler. That basically means he died on Earth during that fight, so the events of Return of Cooler never actually happened in the Dragon Ball Z anime continuity. It’s a cool little detail!
The History of Trunks
Referenced in the DBZ Anime Multiple Times
The Dragon Ball Z anime sometimes alters details when showing events from Future Trunks’ timeline, such as how the Z-Fighters perished. However, History of Trunks is officially considered part of the DBZ story. Interestingly, the Dragon Ball Super anime treats the movie as canon, even though the manga presents things differently. Specifically, in the manga, Trunks already knows how to transform into a Super Saiyan before Gohan’s death. But the Dragon Ball Super anime depicts the well-known scene of Trunks discovering Gohan’s death and achieving Super Saiyan for the very first time.
The movie History of Trunks is a powerful story showing Future Gohan’s final battle and Trunks becoming the last hope for his future. It adds a lot of emotional depth to Trunks’ eventual victory after the Cell Games. While the best time to watch it is right when the Cell Games begin in Dragon Ball Z Episode 175, you can watch it anytime after Androids 17 and 18 are activated without spoiling the story. In fact, understanding Trunks’ experiences makes his story even more impactful.
Battle of Gods
Written to Be an Official Sequel to Dragon Ball Z
After a long break, Akira Toriyama brought Dragon Ball back with Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Interestingly, this movie isn’t part of the Dragon Ball Kai series; it continues the story directly from Dragon Ball Z. However, it mostly follows the manga storyline. A key difference is the absence of Gregory on King Kai’s planet, suggesting the film aligns with the manga’s continuity and doesn’t fully incorporate elements from the anime series.
Even though it introduces new elements, Battle of Gods is still fundamentally a Dragon Ball Z movie and even references the earlier short film, Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!. Interestingly, Battle of Gods is no longer considered official canon. The Dragon Ball Super manga retells the movie with several changes, and the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Beerus anime will essentially remake the film’s adaptation this fall, becoming the official, canon version of the story.
Resurrection F
The Final Dragon Ball Z Movie & Personally Written By Akira Toriyama
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F was the last movie released under the Dragon Ball Z name before the series transitioned to Dragon Ball Super. Similar to Battle of Gods, Akira Toriyama himself wrote the story, making it officially part of the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z storylines. Like its predecessor, Resurrection F also disregards the events that happened in Dragon Ball GT.
The movie Resurrection ‘F’ is considered official story material only for the Dragon Ball Z anime and the Dragon Ball Super manga. The Dragon Ball Super anime tells a slightly different version of the story. After the Beerus arc of the anime finishes, it’s very likely the show will adapt Golden Frieza next. This anime version will then be considered the official telling of the Resurrection ‘F’ events, replacing the movie’s version.
Read More
- All Skyblazer Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- One Piece Chapter 1180 Release Date And Where To Read
- New Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie Leaked Online
- All Shadow Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- How to Get the Sunset Reed Armor Set and Hollow Visage Sword in Crimson Desert
- Cassius Morten Armor Set Locations in Crimson Desert
- Red Dead Redemption 3 Lead Protagonists Who Would Fulfill Every Gamer’s Wish List
- Grime 2 Map Unlock Guide: Find Seals & Fast Travel
- Euphoria Season 3 Release Date, Episode 1 Time, & Weekly Schedule
- USD RUB PREDICTION
2026-04-15 20:59