Dragon Ball is Officially Returning to TV in 2026

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Good news for Dragon Ball fans! While a major new release isn’t expected until 2026, classic episodes are coming back sooner. According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by @CNschedules, Dragon Ball Z Kai will be airing on Adult Swim later this month.

Starting December 29th, this new series will be shown at 5:00 AM, taking the place of Futurama. Kai originally aired on Adult Swim’s Toonami from 2014 to 2018.

Dragon Ball is Back on TV

Rumors have been circulating about a new Dragon Ball project planned for 2026, and comments from former editor Kazuhiko Torishima hinted at a new movie. However, the recent announcement wasn’t quite what fans expected. Still, many are excited to see Dragon Ball back in a weekly format, even if it’s just classic episodes.

Once Kai joins the schedule on the 29th, here’s what Adult Swim’s weekday lineup will look like.

  • 5:00 PM EST – Dexter’s Laboratory
  • 6:00 PM EST – Bob’s Burgers
  • 8:30 PM EST – Family Guy
  • 11:00 PM EST – Rick and Morty
  • 12:30 AM EST – Adult Swim Smalls
  • 1:00 AM EST – China, IL
  • 1:30 AM EST – American Dad
  • 3:30 AM EST – Rick and Morty
  • 4:30 AM EST – Off the Air
  • 5:00 AM EST – Dragon Ball Z Kai

While it might be a bit late in the day for Dragon Ball, there are likely still plenty of viewers who will stay up to watch. The Kai version is often considered a great way to watch Dragon Ball Z because it cuts out most of the unnecessary filler, though some fans still prefer the original, even with its extra length.

Dragon Ball Z Kai premiered in 2009 as a special event marking the anime’s 20th anniversary. It originally aired on Fuji TV from April 5, 2009, to March 27, 2011. This version was a streamlined edit of the original series, reducing the total number of episodes from 291 to 159 in Japan and 167 worldwide. The edit aimed to be more true to the original manga by removing unnecessary filler content. It also featured updated audio, including re-recorded lines from the voice actors and new sound effects. While Toei initially brought in Kenji Yamamoto to create new music, replacing Shunsuke Kikuchi’s well-known score, Yamamoto was later removed from the project after it was discovered he had plagiarized work from other artists.

This Is Great, But When is Dragon Ball Really Coming Back?

Following the sad death of creator Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball series took a break. The newest installment, Dragon Ball Daima, aired from March 2024 to February 2025. While the Dragon Ball Super anime ended in 2018, it was followed by two films, Broly (2018) and Super Hero (2022). The Super manga had a new chapter released in February 2025, but the overall story hasn’t moved forward since the end of the ‘Granolah the Survivor’ arc in 2022.

Earlier this month, fans were surprised to hear that a new Dragon Ball movie might be released in 2026. This news came from Kazuhiko Torishima during a podcast appearance. It was unexpected because, after Akira Toriyama’s passing, there was a lot of uncertainty about the future of the series and no official announcements about its return.

With the mess we’re in right now, we can’t expect much from next year’s movie, can we?

Torishima’s recent statements have definitely generated a lot of hype among fans, but it’s unclear if he actually has inside information about a new movie being released next year. Although he likely still keeps in touch with people who are involved with Dragon Ball, he hasn’t been directly involved with the series for some time. His comments might be accurate, but fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too much.

It’s still unclear if a new Dragon Ball movie, anime series, or story arc will be released in 2026. However, fans will at least be able to enjoy rewatching Kai and revisit some of their favorite moments from the show that year.

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2025-12-11 03:05