Dragon Ball Z Filler List June 2026
This is the complete Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) filler list for June 2026: every episode marked canon, filler or mixed, with a skip-or-watch verdict for each range. 38 of 291 episodes (~13%) are pure filler. All classifications are cross-checked against two independent sources — last verified June 16, 2026.
📋 Full Dragon Ball Z episode list — canon, filler & mixed
| Episodes | Arc | Type | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-8 | Saiyan Saga | CANON | Raditz arrival, Goku & Piccolo vs Raditz, Goku's death. |
| 9-10 | Saiyan Saga | FILLER | Gohan's solo wilderness survival training; anime-original padding during the year before the Saiyans arrive. |
| 11 | Saiyan Saga | MIXED | Gohan training / Snake Way; blends manga material with anime-added scenes. |
| 12-16 | Saiyan Saga | FILLER | More Gohan & Goku training filler (Snake Way, King Kai, Princess Snake) stretching the one-year gap. |
| 17-18 | Saiyan Saga | MIXED | King Kai training and the Z-Fighters' prep; partly manga, partly anime-extended. |
| 19 | Saiyan Saga | CANON | Saibamen battle begins. |
| 20 | Saiyan Saga | MIXED | Saibamen fight / Yamcha's death; manga base with anime padding. |
| 21-35 | Saiyan Saga | CANON | Nappa's rampage, Goku vs Vegeta, Spirit Bomb, end of the Saiyan invasion. |
| 36-38 | Namek/Frieza Saga | CANON | Departure for Namek begins; Bulma, Gohan, Krillin head to space. |
| 39-43 | Namek/Frieza Saga | FILLER | The infamous 'fake Namek' / wrong-planet detour and assorted space padding delaying arrival on the real Namek. |
| 44 | Namek/Frieza Saga | MIXED | Arrival on Namek; manga content with anime-added scenes. |
| 45-99 | Frieza Saga | CANON | Ginyu Force, Dragon Ball hunt, Goku vs Frieza, Super Saiyan transformation — core canon, though stretched in pacing (origin of the 'Frieza 5 minutes' meme). |
| 100 | Frieza Saga | FILLER | Anime-original padding during the Namek climax. |
| 101 | Frieza Saga | CANON | Frieza fight / planet's destruction nears. |
| 102 | Frieza Saga | FILLER | Earth/Other-World padding around Namek's destruction. |
| 103-107 | Frieza Saga | CANON | Goku escapes the exploding Namek; aftermath, wish to revive Namekians, move to New Namek. |
| 108-117 | Garlic Jr. Saga | FILLER | DBZ's only fully standalone filler arc — 10 episodes. Garlic Jr. returns via the Makyo Star while Goku is missing; never referenced in the manga or again afterward. Cut entirely from Kai. |
| 118-123 | Trunks/Androids Saga | CANON | Future Trunks warns of the Androids; Goku's heart virus; three-year training begins. |
| 124-125 | Androids Saga | FILLER | Anime-original filler during the three-year training gap before the Androids appear. |
| 126-169 | Androids/Imperfect Cell Saga | CANON | Androids 19/20, 17/18, Cell's emergence and absorption arc. |
| 170-171 | Cell Saga | FILLER | Anime-original padding during the Cell arc. |
| 172-173 | Cell Saga | CANON | Perfect Cell; Cell Games announced. |
| 174 | Cell Saga | FILLER | Filler padding before the Cell Games / Hyperbolic Time Chamber stretch. |
| 175-194 | Cell Games Saga | CANON | Cell Games, Gohan's Super Saiyan 2, Goku's sacrifice, Cell's defeat. |
| 195-199 | Other World Saga | FILLER | Other World Tournament — Goku vs Pikkon. Entirely anime-original but well-liked palate-cleanser between Cell and Buu; introduces fan-favorite Pikkon. |
| 200-201 | Great Saiyaman Saga | CANON | Seven-year time skip; Gohan as a teen / Great Saiyaman setup. |
| 202-203 | Great Saiyaman Saga | FILLER | Great Saiyaman / school-life filler padding. |
| 204 | Great Saiyaman Saga | MIXED | Great Saiyaman & World Tournament lead-in; manga base with anime additions. |
| 205-228 | World Tournament / Babidi Saga | CANON | 25th World Tournament, Goten/Trunks, Spopovich, Babidi's spaceship, Majin Vegeta. |
| 229 | Majin Buu Saga | MIXED | Babidi/Buu arc; manga content with anime-extended scenes. |
| 230-250 | Majin Buu Saga | CANON | Buu awakens, Vegeta's sacrifice, Fusion training, Gotenks. |
| 251 | Fusion/Buu Saga | MIXED | Fusion / Super Buu arc; manga with anime padding. |
| 252-273 | Fusion/Kid Buu Saga | CANON | Super Buu's absorptions, Vegito, inside-Buu rescue, Kid Buu emerges. |
| 274 | Kid Buu Saga | FILLER | Anime-original filler during the Kid Buu finale stretch. |
| 275-286 | Kid Buu Saga | CANON | Goku vs Kid Buu, Spirit Bomb, Buu's defeat. |
| 287 | Kid Buu / Peaceful World Saga | MIXED | Aftermath and 10-years-later setup; manga ending blended with anime content. |
| 288 | Peaceful World Saga | FILLER | Anime-original filler in the wind-down before the finale. |
| 289-291 | Peaceful World Saga | CANON | 28th World Tournament, Uub introduced, Goku leaves to train him — the manga's true ending. |
Mixed episodes contain canon scenes spliced with filler — skim them rather than skipping outright.
💎 Filler actually worth watching
- Episodes 195-199 (Other World Tournament): Goku vs Pikkon — widely considered the best DBZ filler; fun fights and the popular anime-original character Pikkon.
- Episodes 9-16 (Saiyan-gap training): some fans enjoy the Gohan survival/Snake Way training for early character building, though it's skippable.
- Garlic Jr. Saga (108-117): not 'worthwhile' for story, but the only full standalone arc — a curiosity since Garlic Jr. originates from the Dead Zone movie.
❓ FAQ
Should I watch Dragon Ball Z Kai instead?
Yes, if you want the manga story without padding. Kai (2009-2015, 159 episodes plus the 61-episode Buu-arc 'The Final Chapters') is a recut of DBZ that removes nearly all filler, tightens the pacing and re-records the dub. It's the recommended filler-free way to experience the same story.
Is the Garlic Jr. arc (108-117) filler?
Yes — entirely. Episodes 108-117 are DBZ's only fully standalone filler arc, written to bide time while the manga's Trunks/Android story was still being drawn. None of it appears in the manga and it's never referenced again. Kai cuts it completely.
How much of Dragon Ball Z is filler?
About 13%. Of 291 episodes, roughly 38 are pure filler and another 8 are 'mixed' canon/filler. That's relatively low for a long shonen — but DBZ is also infamous for stretching canon scenes with slow pacing, which feels like filler even when it technically isn't.
What's the deal with Frieza's '5 minutes' meme?
During the Frieza fight, Namek is said to be 5 minutes from exploding — yet the battle drags on for many episodes. Those episodes (45-99) are technically manga canon, not filler; the meme comes from the anime's slow pacing and added reaction shots, not inserted filler stories.
What's the best filler-free way to watch DBZ?
Watch Dragon Ball Z Kai. It follows the manga closely and strips out almost all the filler. If you specifically want the original DBZ, skip the pure-filler ranges (9-10, 12-16, 39-43, 100, 102, 108-117, 124-125, 170-171, 174, 195-199, 202-203, 274, 288) — though many keep 195-199 (Other World Tournament) for fun.
📚 Sources
Cross-checked against: Anime Filler List · Dragon Ball Wiki (Fandom). Last verified June 16, 2026.