The precursor to the highest-grossing anime film of the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball Super remains the magical series that breathed life back into the franchise. So, do you know all the ins and outs of the series?
After the late legendary Akira Toriyama‘s OG Dragon Ball Z anime ended in 1996, the iconic series practically went invisible for 18 years. Though Dragon Ball GT was released almost immediately after in 1996 to keep fans entertained, it was not directly based on Akira Toriyama’s manga and received mixed reactions from fans. The series then slowly began to lose its audience as the release of several new anime rapidly threatened its appeal.
It wasn’t until almost two decades later when Dragon Ball Super was released that the franchise magically regained its popularity. The series premiered in July 2015 and ran for 131 episodes, hypnotizing fans back to this alluring saga of Saiyans. It introduced the concept of multiple universes, expanding the Dragon Ball world and its lore to appeal to the new, young audience.
Characters like Beerus, Whis, and Jiren who were introduced in this series, along with new transformations like Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, and Ultra Instinct, also ultimately played a major role in shaping the franchise’s identity as a whole. Dragon Ball Super‘s popularity then led to the production of successful movies like Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018), which ended up as the highest-grossing anime film of the franchise.
Boosting merchandise sales, video games, and other media, Dragon Ball Super‘s role in solidifying the franchise’s commercial success is unparalleled. However, the fictional reality of Dragon Ball Super is equally monumental to the franchise as its commercial part. The series continued the long-running storyline and molded it to become relevant again after an 18-year hiatus. Here’s how the story progresses, arc by arc!
‘Dragon Ball Super’ anime arcs in order
Dragon Ball Super’s 131-episode adventure takes place during a time of peace on Earth. With new, greater stakes and formidable opponents, it continues the adventures of Son Goku and his friends during the ten-year time skip that follows Majin Buu’s defeat. Here are all its arcs in order:
1. God of Destruction Beerus Arc
- Anime Episodes: 1-15
- Manga Chapters: 1-4
2. Golden Frieza Arc
- Anime Episodes: 16-27
- Manga Chapters: 5-8
3. Universe 6 Arc
- Anime Episodes: 28-41
- Manga Chapters: 9-13
4. Copy-Vegeta Arc (Filler)
- Anime Episodes: 42-46
- Manga Chapters: N/A
5. Future Trunks Arc
- Anime Episodes: 47-76
- Manga Chapters: 14-26
6. Universe Survival Arc
- Anime Episodes: 77-131
- Manga Chapters: 27-42
Apart from these, certain arcs from the original manga didn’t make it into the anime adaptation. These include the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc (chapters 42-67), Granolah the Survivor arc (chapters 67-87), and the High School arc (chapters 88-90). On the other hand, the Broly and Super Hero (chapters 91-103) arcs were turned into the movies Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, respectively.