Dragon Ball is one of the most popular and influential manga series of all time. Originally created by Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball first began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in 1984. Since then, it has grown into a massive multimedia franchise spanning anime, films, video games, and more.
But just how extensive is the Dragon Ball manga itself? Across how many chapters did Toriyama tell the stories of Goku, the Z Fighters, and the endless parade of colorfully wacky villains? Let’s take a look at the chapter count for each part of the Dragon Ball manga series.
Part 1 – Dragon Ball
The original Dragon Ball manga began in 1984 and ran for 519 chapters in Weekly Shōnen Jump. These chapters were published in tankōbon volume format by Shueisha from 1985 to 1995. In total, Part 1 spans 42 tankōbon volumes.
Here is a breakdown of the chapter count for each original Dragon Ball tankōbon volume:
| Volume | Chapters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 – 8 |
| 2 | 9 – 17 |
| 3 | 18 – 24 |
| 4 | 25 – 32 |
| 5 | 33 – 40 |
| 6 | 41 – 50 |
| 7 | 51 – 60 |
| 8 | 61 – 70 |
| 9 | 71 – 81 |
| 10 | 82 – 92 |
| 11 | 93 – 104 |
| 12 | 105 -115 |
| 13 | 116 – 126 |
| 14 | 127 – 137 |
| 15 | 138 – 149 |
| 16 | 150 – 161 |
| 17 | 162 – 172 |
| 18 | 173 – 183 |
| 19 | 184 – 194 |
| 20 | 195 – 205 |
| 21 | 206 – 216 |
| 22 | 217 – 228 |
| 23 | 229 – 240 |
| 24 | 241 – 251 |
| 25 | 252 – 262 |
| 26 | 263 – 273 |
| 27 | 274 – 284 |
| 28 | 285 – 295 |
| 29 | 296 – 306 |
| 30 | 307 – 317 |
| 31 | 318 – 329 |
| 32 | 330 – 341 |
| 33 | 342 – 352 |
| 34 | 353 – 363 |
| 35 | 364 – 374 |
| 36 | 375 – 385 |
| 37 | 386 – 397 |
| 38 | 398 – 408 |
| 39 | 409 – 419 |
| 40 | 420 – 430 |
| 41 | 431 – 441 |
| 42 | 442 – 519 |
As you can see, the chapter count per volume ranges from 8 to 11 chapters in early volumes, increasing to 11 to 15 chapters per volume in the middle, and then concluding with massive 78 chapter finale in volume 42.
Part 2 – Dragon Ball Z
After ending the first Dragon Ball series, Akira Toriyama returned a few years later with Dragon Ball Z in 1988. The Dragon Ball Z manga ran for 519 chapters through Weekly Shōnen Jump until 1995.
The chapter breakdown for the Dragon Ball Z tankōbon volumes is:
| Volume | Chapters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 – 12 |
| 2 | 13 – 24 |
| 3 | 25 – 36 |
| 4 | 37 – 48 |
| 5 | 49 – 60 |
| 6 | 61 – 72 |
| 7 | 73 – 84 |
| 8 | 85 – 96 |
| 9 | 97 – 108 |
| 10 | 109 – 120 |
| 11 | 121 – 132 |
| 12 | 133 – 144 |
| 13 | 145 – 156 |
| 14 | 157 – 168 |
| 15 | 169 – 180 |
| 16 | 181 – 192 |
| 17 | 193 – 204 |
| 18 | 205 – 216 |
| 19 | 217 – 228 |
| 20 | 229 – 240 |
| 21 | 241 – 252 |
| 22 | 253 – 264 |
| 23 | 265 – 276 |
| 24 | 277 – 288 |
| 25 | 289 – 300 |
| 26 | 301 – 312 |
| 27 | 313 – 324 |
| 28 | 325 – 336 |
| 29 | 337 – 348 |
| 30 | 349 – 360 |
| 31 | 361 – 372 |
| 32 | 373 – 384 |
| 33 | 385 – 396 |
| 34 | 397 – 408 |
| 35 | 409 – 420 |
| 36 | 421 – 432 |
| 37 | 433 – 444 |
| 38 | 445 -456 |
| 39 | 457 – 468 |
| 40 | 469 – 480 |
| 41 | 481 – 492 |
| 42 | 493 – 519 |
Dragon Ball Z likewise launches with around 12 chapters per volume before increasing to a steady pace of 12-15 chapters per volume for the majority of the series. It concludes with a massive 42 chapter finale in volume 42.
Part 3 – Dragon Ball Super
After ending Dragon Ball Z, Akira Toriyama would remain absent from the world of manga for years, as the Dragon Ball franchise continued on in anime form and spinoff manga by other writers. But in 2015, Toriyama surprised fans by announcing he would launch a new Dragon Ball Super manga series in V Jump magazine.
The ongoing Dragon Ball Super manga launched in 2015 and is still running as of 2023. So far, it spans:
- Volume 1 – Chapters 1 – 10
- Volume 2 – Chapters 11 – 20
- Volume 3 – Chapters 21 – 30
- Volume 4 – Chapters 31 – 40
- Volume 5 – Chapters 41 – 50
- Volume 6 – Chapters 51 – 60
- Volume 7 – Chapters 61 – 70
- Volume 8 – Chapters 71 – 80
- Volume 9 – Chapters 81 – 90
- Volume 10 – Chapters 91 – 101
- Volume 11 – Chapters 102 – 112
- Volume 12 – Chapters 113 – 123
- Volume 13 – Chapters 124 – 134
- Volume 14 – Chapters 135 – 145
As you can see, Dragon Ball Super has maintained a steady pace of 10 chapters per volume so far. With 14 volumes published, that brings the current Dragon Ball Super chapter count to 140 chapters and counting.
Dragon Ball Spinoff Series
In addition to the core Dragon Ball sagas, Akira Toriyama has also produced a number of Dragon Ball spinoff manga series over the years, often in collaboration with other artists:
- Dragon Boy – A 1983 prototype series for Dragon Ball, spanning just 11 chapters.
- Nekomajin – A 1999 gag manga spanning 34 chapters.
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock – A 3 chapter spinoff by Ooishi Naho.
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Vados – A 2 chapter entry by Toyotarō.
- Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission – A 2013 manga promoting the Heroes video game. It spans 87 chapters over 9 volumes.
- Dragon Ball Heroes: Charisma Mission – A 2014 spinoff manga, with 4 volumes and 31 chapters so far.
- Dragon Ball: Episode of Vegeta – A 2022 special by Toyotarō.
These spinoff entries add up to at least another 188 chapters of content to the Dragon Ball world.
Total Dragon Ball Manga Chapters
Adding up the chapter counts for all the main story arcs and spinoffs, we arrive at a total chapter count of:
- Dragon Ball: 519 Chapters
- Dragon Ball Z: 519 Chapters
- Dragon Ball Super: 140+ Chapters
- Spinoffs: 188+ Chapters
- Total: 1,366+ Chapters
So in total, across nearly 40 years and counting, the Dragon Ball manga has amassed over 1,300 chapters of content! And that’s not even counting the continued Dragon Ball Super manga, which adds more chapters monthly. It’s an absolutely staggering amount of manga from Akira Toriyama and serves as a testament to the amazing imagination and stamina he has brought to crafting the endless martial arts adventures of Son Goku and friends!
Conclusion
Dragon Ball stands tall as one of the most expansive and enduring manga series of all time. The core story arcs of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super account for over 1,100 chapters alone. Add in all the various spinoffs over the decades and the total Dragon Ball manga chapter count soars past 1,300 and counting.
It’s a truly amazing achievement by Akira Toriyama, especially considering he has created the vast majority of this content solo. Decades after its launch, Dragon Ball continues to thrill fans with new manga chapters in Dragon Ball Super showing no signs of stopping. The eternal struggle between Goku, Vegeta, and increasingly powerful villains will surely deliver even more Dragon Ball manga excitement for years to come!
