Photos used with permission. ©2026 The LEGO Group.
Dragon Ball
Watch Order, Age Guides and the First LEGO Set, From a Dad Who Grew Up on Goku
Son Goku is the clearest example I know of good mood and positive thinking. The naivety he brings to every problem is a big part of why Dragon Ball works at all: he is charming, he wants to keep getting better, he sees the good in people, and his enemies tend to end up as his friends. Seeing child-sized Goku still gives me a lift, which is why a Goku figure stands in the middle of my desk at work. I only have to look at it to refocus.
This hub is the map. Dragon Ball (1986 to 1989, 153 episodes) and Dragon Ball Z (1989 to 1996, 291 episodes) are the two essentials, and both get 5 out of 5 from me. Dragon Ball GT (1996 to 1997, 64 episodes) is an original story rather than an adaptation of the manga; it gets 4 out of 5, and I think the full experience includes it. Dragon Ball Super (2015 to 2018, 131 episodes) and the films around it come next. Dragon Ball Daima (20 episodes) is built on Akira Toriyama's original story and character designs. It premiered in October 2024, seven months after his death on 1 March 2024, and gets 4 out of 5.
The honest warning: Dragon Ball looks like a children's cartoon and in my eyes it is not one. It is often brutal, it is mostly about fighting, and the way the manga draws women is a second reason I would point it at older kids. Common Sense Media recommends Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima from age 10. My own six-year-old is not watching it yet.
And the shelf: the first LEGO Dragon Ball set, Shenron and Kid Goku (11390), arrives in November. It is a day-one buy in this house.
🧭Dragon Ball: Where to Start
LEGO Dragon Ball Shenron & Goku (11390)
The first LEGO Dragon Ball set: 1,764 pieces, Kid Goku on the Nimbus, $179.99, out 4 November.
View Series→LEGO 18+ Sets
Where the Dragon Ball set sits: the adult display sets that compete for the same shelf.
View Series→Is It OK for Kids? Every Age Guide
Our age guides for films, shows and games, graded by what actually happens in them.
View Series→One Piece Hub
The other anime every dad on this site ends up explaining to a colleague.
View Series→🎛️The Dadnology Dragon Ball Standard
Start with Dragon Ball, then Dragon Ball Z, and treat everything after them as extras you can take or leave. Do not hand either to a young child because it looks like a cartoon. Common Sense Media says 10 and up for all four series, and for Dragon Ball Z in particular we would lean older.
★ Featured Picks
LEGO Icons Dragon Ball: Shenron & Goku (11390)
1,764 pieces, rated 18+, Kid Goku on the Flying Nimbus and Shenron above seven Dragon Balls. $179.99, LEGO Insiders from 1 November, everyone from 4 November 2026.
Dragon Ball Complete Box Set
The original Dragon Ball manga in one box. If you only read one thing from this hub, read this and then the Z set.
Dragon Ball Z Complete Box Set
The Dragon Ball Z manga in one box, the other half of the story the two anime series tell.
TAMASHII NATIONS - Dragon Ball DAIMA - Son Goku (Mini) -DAIMA- S.H.Figuarts Action Figure
The child-sized Goku from Daima, the figure that sits in the middle of the desk at work.
TAMASHII NATIONS - Dragon Ball Z - Son Goku (The Kind-Hearted Saiyan) S.H.Figuarts Action Figure
Goku in his Dragon Ball Z Cell Saga outfit, for the shelf at home.
Ichibansho Figure - Dragon Ball - Son Goku & Chichi (Fantastic Adventure 2) Collectible Statue
Son Goku and Chichi as kids on the cloud. It sits at the top of my wish list.
Dragon Ball: All Guides and News
Explore every entry in the franchise.