Summary
Dragon Ball Zis one of the most recognizable anime of all time, with the show attracting an entire generation that has become hooked on anime ever since. The massive popularity ofDragon Ball Zcan’t be stated enough, with the characters and battles in this anime being the stuff of legends. Long-time fans of the series still remember the first time Goku turned Super Saiyan in his battle against Frieza, turning this anime into something truly remarkable. It was the first major step the series took to make power levels more important than ever before, with fans being treated to a wealth of amazing transformations that have become iconic in the anime landscape.
That being said,Dragon Ball Zis far from being a perfect anime. The show suffers from various problems, with its pacing being the biggest deterrent to watching this classic.The release ofDragon Ball Z Kaihas mitigated this issue and also brought to light the sheer amount of egregious filler in the anime. While there’s no denying that some of these fillers hold a soft spot in the hearts of many fans, even the most ardentDragon Ball Zfans can’t deny that the vast majority of filler in a series that is already stretched does nothing to compel viewers to watch more of what this series has to offer.
Updated on July 14, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Dragon Ball Z is one of the most popular shows of all time, with an entire generation of fans being enamored by the adventures of the Z Warriors as they reached new heights of power and took out the many enemies standing in their way. This classic shonen series followed a weekly release format without any breaks, which is why there were times when the series used filler to give the late great Toriyama the time he needed to pen more chapters. Thankfully, the majority ofDragon Ball Z filleris iconic and worth checking out for fans of the series who want to spend more time with their favorite characters.
9-16
39-44
An Extended Battle Between Goku And Frieza
100, 102
108-117
124
Goku And Piccolo’s Driving Test
125
170, 171, 174
195-199
202-204
274
287, 288
9Season 1 Filler: 9-16
Extensively Shows Gohan’s Training Regimen Under Piccolo And Goku’s Snake Way Adventures
The first season ofDragon Ball Zcovers the events to the end of the Saiyan Saga. It’s during this time that Goku passes away and Piccolo is given the responsibility of training Gohan, forming the building blocks of a relationship that will stay strong throughout the entirety of theDragon Ballseries.
The anime expands upon this moment by extensively showing Gohan’s training regimen. It might seem like an unnecessary extension, but this filler did a great job of showing the development of Gohan’s strength… and his relationship with Piccolo. This is great for two reasons — it further reinforces why Gohan considers Piccolo to be his guardian, and it also makes a later moment in the series more emotional.
There are also a few episodes that lengthen Goku’s journey across Snake Way. Not only do they make this pathway appear as long as the anime builds it up to be, but they also flesh outDragon Ball Z’s Otherworld lore, which is very much appreciated. The fact that fans still love checking out this iconicDragon Ball Zfilleris a testament to how smart this filler content was, hammering in the fact that the journey through Snake Way was far from a walk in the park and that Goku had to travel at a breakneck speed to reach King Kai’s planet.
8Season 2 Filler: 39-44
The Fake Namek Arc
The Namek Saga is one of the best arcs inDragon Ball Z. That being said, anime fans had to wait a bit before the trio of Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan landed on this planet. There are five episodes in Season 2 where the Earthlings end up landing on a fake version of Namek, where shape-shifting aliens take on the form of Namekians in a bid to steal a ship and escape the planet they’d been stranded on.
This entire arc is a huge waste of time, and viewers are better off skipping this part of the story entirely and focusing on the events of the real Namek instead. It’s especially egregious given that the jokes in this arc fall flat and the placement of this arc undermines the impact of landing on Namek and finding a new set of Dragon Balls. Still, fans who want to see Krillin, Gohan, and Bulma take part in a mini-adventure before landing on the real Namek will find thisDragon Ball Zfillerto be tolerable.
7Season 3 Filler: 100, 102
Extends Events On Namek Following Goku’s Legendary Transformation
Season 3 mainly deals with Frieza himself and the terror he unleashes on Namek and the visitors of Earth. It also marksthe series' first appearance of a Super Saiyan, with Goku transforming into one after watching Krillin perish in front of his eyes in what he thought was a permanent death. This is one of the most iconic moments in the show, with many people considering the Frieza Saga as their favorite arc for this moment alone.
In the manga, the Super Saiyan transformation leads to Frieza standing no chance against the might of this Saiyan. However, the anime prolongs this fight massively and gives Frieza more of a fighting chance, with Goku being incapacitated for a while and Gohan returning to the battle as well. Fillers like these along with a bunch of extended scenes are the major reason why so many fans vividly remember the Frieza fight for both good and bad reasons. This prolonged fight may not be the easiest thing to watch on a second go, but it does a great job of highlighting just how much of a threat Frieza was.
6Season 4 Filler: 108-117, 124, 125
The Infamous Garlic Jr. Saga & The Z Warriors Training For Their Battle Against The Androids
Season 4 begins with the onset of the infamousGarlic Jr. Saga,which is nothing short of a complete waste of time. It might be a great way to showcase just how far the Z Warriors have come since their trials on Planet Namek, but the battles in this arc feel almost lifeless. It doesn’t help that Garlic Jr. is a pretty generic and unengaging antagonist as well, even for people who’ve seen the amazing and well-animated movie that featured this character as a villain before thisDragon Ball Zfiller. Still, this arc does let the rest of the Z Warriors shine in Goku’s absence and highlights their powers in a positive light.
Aside from this, episode 124 is a fairly uneventful episode that shows the Z Warriors training in preparation for the Androids. However, the next episode is one of the most legendary filler episodes of all time,showing Goku and Piccolo struggling to get their driving licensesin one of the most hilarious moments in the entire show. Despite fans asking players to avoid most of the filler in the series, this is one episode that people can watch for the shenanigans that ensue.
5Season 5 Filler: None
The Introduction Of Cell Isn’t Marred By Any Filler Content
Season 5 marks the appearance of Cell and how he strives to reach his perfect being byabsorbing Android 17 and 18. It’s a wildly entertaining arc, and it’s befitting that there’s absolutely no filler in this arc. Watching Imperfect Cell try his hardest to find these Androids and using clever tactics to disguise his lack of power is surprisingly fun to watch even now.
That being said, there are a few dragged-out episodes in otherwise canon scenes. It’s a staple of the oldDragon Ball Zepisodes, so this won’t catch anyone by surprise. All of this is worth it just to see how Cell develops as a villain and the central antagonist of this arc. The lack of anyDragon Ball Zfillerensures that the series boasts a sharp focus on this new villain and the threat he’ll pose to the Z Warriors.
4Season 6 Filler: 170, 171, 174
Some Misadventures Before The Start Of The Cell Games
The Cell Games kick off in Season 6, with a few episodes beforehand showing the Z Warriors preparing along with a host of other canon occurrences. However, the animators also snuck in a bit of filler before the Cell Games started. For the most part, these additional storylines are fine, but most people would understandably want to jump directly into the Cell Games since it’s the best part of the entire show.
These fillers include the return of General Tao, a rather humanizing look at the victims of Cell, and flashbacks of Gohan as a child. The latter is a pretty brilliant inclusion, given that his battle against Cell is when Gohan sheds the last few dregs of his immaturity and turns intoone of the most powerful Saiyans of all time. Ultimately, the highlight of this season is when Gohan transforms into an Ascended Super Saiyan, turning Perfect Cell into a joke as he dishes out the beatdown of a lifetime on this bio-android.
3Season 7 Filler: 195-199, 202-204
The Beloved Otherworld Tournament & Gohan’s Adventures As The Great Saiyaman
Season 7 depicts a brief period of peace before the next threat that Earth faces. During this time, Gohan transforms into The Great Saiyaman and participates in the World Tournament as well. It’s not exactly the most liked arc in the series, in no small part due to its treatment of Gohan. Watching this powerful Saiyan turn into a gag character is a major blow to his reputation which Gohan is still reeling from to this day.
The season starts with the Other World Tournament where Goku, Pikkon, and a bunch of other dead warriors compete in a heavenly tournament. This arc is completely missing from the manga and was just meant toshow off Goku’s skills once again. Most people love this piece ofDragon Ball Zfiller, to the point where Pikkon is hailed by many as an underrated character who deserves more time in the spotlight. The other filler episodes mainly take an extended look at Gohan’s time as The Great Saiyaman, although episode 204 does have a canon moment where Videl and Gohan’s relationship blossoms as well.
2Season 8 Filler: None
The Majin Buu Arc Commences, With No Filler To Break Things Up
Babidi and his vile magical powers make their appearance for the first time in Season 8, making for a great introduction indeed. It featuresthe brilliant clash between Goku and Majin Vegetabefore the rise of Majin Buu and the terrors that ensue. It’s a strong start to an arc that might be too long for many people’s liking but is still undoubtedly a great part of the series.
This season thankfully has no filler, barring a few episodes with extra scenes in them. Thankfully, this minor filler doesn’t take away from what is otherwise a pretty great season ofDragon Ball Z. After all, most episodes ofDragon Ball Zused lengthy shots to pad out the runtime, so pointing this season out, in particular, feels a bit accusatory.
1Season 9 Filler: 274, 287, 288
A Brief Amount of Filler Before the Grand Finale
There’s only a bit of filler present in the final season ofDragon Ball Z. Episode 274 takes a look at Goku and Vegeta’s adventures through the body of Super Buu before they reach their compatriots. It’s a pretty meaningless episode, although watching Goku and Vegeta bond throughout this icky adventure is pretty engaging in its way.
Meanwhile, episodes 287 and 288 focus on the pleasant aftermath of Kid Buu’s demise. This involves Majin Buu trying to fit in with Earthlings who hate him for his past actions, while the latter episode focuses on Goku’s ordeals to protect four dragon eggs. Given thatDragon Ball Zis a show that many people would start loving, these anime-original stories feel like the cherry on top of a well-stuffed and satisfying cake.
