While retaining the absolute spirit of its creator Akira Toriyama’s humor and style, <em>Dragon Ball's</em> original anime never quite reached the hype levels of its numerous successors. Regardless, it’s a wonderfully charming anime focused on gags and adventure, with its Journey to the West inspiration readily apparent from the offset. But for those looking to experience Dragon Ball purely for its adventures as based on the manga, it’s important to know when filler factors in.
Dragon Ball had filler episodes much like the rest of the industry’s popular anime, a trend that’d continue even as the most stubborn long-standing pillars finally moved away in 2026. Intended to give the animators breathing room to work on manga-canon adaptations while also providing something new and fun for the viewers on a given week, Dragon Ball’s filler stories are skippable. But with only 21 of its 153 episodes being filler, a mere 14% of its run, it’s a fairly impressive, concise run with few detours for discerning fans, much like for Dragon Ball Z’s filler content.
Every Filler Episode of Dragon Ball
|
Episode # |
Title |
|
30 |
Pilaf and the Mystery Force |
|
31 |
Wedding Plans? |
|
32 |
The Flying Fortress – Vanished! |
|
33 |
The Legend of a Dragon |
|
45 |
Dangers in the Air |
|
79 |
Terror and Plague |
|
80 |
Goku Vs. Sky Dragon |
|
81 |
Goku Goes to Demon Land |
|
82 |
The Rampage of InoShikaCho |
|
83 |
Which Way To Papaya Island? |
|
127 |
Quicker than Lightning |
|
128 |
Secret of the Woods |
|
129 |
The Time Room |
|
130 |
Goku’s Doll |
|
131 |
Walking Their Own Ways |
|
132 |
Hotter than Lava |
|
149 |
Dress in Flames |
|
150 |
The Fire-Eater |
|
151 |
Outrageous Octagon |
|
152 |
Mystery of the Dark World</t>. |
The relationship between fans of both series is interesting; while fans of Naruto may be tempted to wonder if The Rampage of InoShikaCho served as inspiration for Team 10, both actually derive their name from a card game featuring a boar, a deer, and a butterfly, which is what Ino, Shika, and Cho translate to in Japanese.
Dragon Ball Filler Episodes That Are Worth Watching
The perception of filler has developed negatively over time; however, not all filler is bad. In fact, some episodes of Dragon Ball stand out as enhancing the story or at least providing enjoyable adventures. Toriyama contributed to some of Dragon Ball’s filler, which is evident in their quality. Episode 81, Goku Goes to Demon Land features Goku battling demons and saving a princess. Although it’s a simple story, it effectively captures the series’ adventurous tone.
An additional notable filler episode is episode 129, The Time Room. This episode showcases Goku traveling back in time to train with a young Master Roshi. Roshi is an essential character who often lacks significant moments in the series; thus, dedicating an episode to explore his rivalry with Master Shen is a treat for fans.
“Enjoy It Like A Toriyama Manga”: Dragon Ball Super’s Artist Gives The Best Possible Praise To An Underrated Manga
In a heartfelt tribute to his sensei, Dragon Ball’s Toyotarou gives special commendation to a little-known manga that Toriyama helped launch.
If there’s one filler episode every fan of Dragon Ball should watch though, it’s episode 130, Goku’s Doll. This episode revolves around Goku facing an exact duplicate of himself. While Goku isn’t typically introspective, this battle against himself forces him to confront his weaknesses and limitations so that he can exploit them in the doll. It’s an excellent episode that deepens Goku’s character while providing an engaging battle.
Which Dragon Ball Filler Episodes Should Fans Skip?
The filler content in Dragon Ball is generally solid and at worst inoffensive. However, not every non-canon episode is worth watching. Most fans can agree that the arc from episodes 149 to 152 starting with Dress in Flames is largely unnecessary. This arc revolves around Ox King’s castle catching fire as Goku and Chi-Chi try to find a special fan to extinguish the flames so they can rescue Ox King and procure a wedding dress for Chi-Chi.
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