# List of Dragon Ball manga volumes
**Dragon Ball** (ドラゴンボール), written and illustrated by [Akira Toriyama](https://www.edgepedia.org/akira-toriyama), was serialized in Shueisha's *Weekly Shōnen Jump* from 20 November 1984 to 23 May 1995, producing 519 chapters that were collected into 42 tankōbon volumes published in Japan between 10 September 1985 and 4 August 1995[1](https://quelle-lecture.fr/dragon-ball-ordre-de-lecture/). Those 42 volumes are the base numbering for nearly every later edition, although several publishers, most prominently [Viz Media](https://www.edgepedia.org/viz-media) in the United States, have renumbered the series[2](https://mangaeditions.com/guides/dragon-ball-vs-z-numbering/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serialization | *Weekly Shōnen Jump*, 20 November 1984 to 23 May 1995; 519 chapters[1](https://quelle-lecture.fr/dragon-ball-ordre-de-lecture/) |
| Original tankōbon | 42 volumes, 10 September 1985 to 4 August 1995; volume 1, "Son Goku and Friends", collects chapters 1–11[3](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_release_chronology) |
| Kanzenban | 34 volumes, 2002–2004, with restored color pages and new covers by Toriyama[4](https://los40.com/2025/05/12/dragon-ball-celebra-su-40-aniversario-con-una-edicion-especial-del-manga-y-un-emotivo-homenaje-a-akira-toriyama/) |
| Viz numbering | *Dragon Ball* volumes 1–16 and *Dragon Ball Z* volumes 1–26, together covering the same 42 Japanese volumes[2](https://mangaeditions.com/guides/dragon-ball-vs-z-numbering/) |
| Sales | 160 million copies in Japan and 260 million outside Japan in print[5](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2024/11/20/dragon-ball-celebra-su-40-aniversario-rindiendo-un-nostalgico-homenaje-a-su-creador-cadena-ser/) |
| Anniversary box set | 42-volume Double Cover Box, 8,252 pages, 31,800 yen, scheduled for 3 April 2026[6](https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-908480-9) |
## The original tankōbon
Beginning in September 1985, the weekly chapters began to be compiled into separate volumes called tankōbon ([単行本](https://www.edgepedia.org/tankobon), "separate volume")[7](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Tank%C5%8Dbon). Volume 1, titled "Son Goku and Friends", collected chapters 1–11 and went on sale in Japan on 10 September 1985[3](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_release_chronology). The run ended with volume 42 on 4 August 1995[1](https://quelle-lecture.fr/dragon-ball-ordre-de-lecture/).
Each of the first 12 tankōbon volumes contains a short, two-page question-and-answer session with Akira Toriyama entitled "Toriyama-san's Dragon Ball Ask-Me-Anything Corner", in which he answers questions sent in by readers[7](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Tank%C5%8Dbon).
## Japanese reissues
**Kanzenban.** Between 2002 and 2004 Shueisha reissued the series as the Kanzenban ("perfect edition") in 34 volumes, a larger format with revised layout, color pages restored as they appeared in the original serialization, and new cover illustrations by Toriyama[4](https://los40.com/2025/05/12/dragon-ball-celebra-su-40-aniversario-con-una-edicion-especial-del-manga-y-un-emotivo-homenaje-a-akira-toriyama/).
**Full Color.** Shueisha also re-released the manga in full color over a smaller number of volumes, each containing more chapters than the original release[8](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Full_Color_Manga). Shueisha had tested a digitally colored version on its Manga Online website beginning in June 2009, but stopped in November 2009[9](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_%28manga%29).
## English-language editions
Viz Media split the series in two to match the anime's branding: *Dragon Ball* runs volumes 1–16 and *Dragon Ball Z* restarts at volume 1 and runs to volume 26, so the two English series together cover the same 42 Japanese volumes[2](https://mangaeditions.com/guides/dragon-ball-vs-z-numbering/). Viz's own catalog lists the *Dragon Ball* singles through volume 16, after which *Dragon Ball Z* begins with its own volume 1[10](https://www.viz.com/manga-books/manga/dragon-ball/all) • [11](https://www.dekuswisdom.com/manga/dragon-ball).
Later Viz releases removed the division. The 3-in-1 omnibus editions keep the single *Dragon Ball* title throughout; book 6 contains unified volumes 16–18, crossing the old DB/Z boundary[2](https://mangaeditions.com/guides/dragon-ball-vs-z-numbering/) • [11](https://www.dekuswisdom.com/manga/dragon-ball). Viz has also issued complete box sets for both *Dragon Ball* and *Dragon Ball Z*[12](https://www.viz.com/dragon-ball).
## Other international editions
In Mexico, after the 2015 bankruptcy of Grupo Editorial Vid, Editorial Panini began releasing *Dragon Ball* monthly in tankōbon format with a design closer to the Japanese original, keeping original terms and names; the publication finished in October 2018 with all 42 volumes[13](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Anexo%3AVol%C3%BAmenes_de_Dragon_Ball).
In Spain, Planeta Cómic holds the rights to the original manga and its derivative editorial products[14](https://as.com/meristation/series/dragon-ball-orden-cronologico-para-la-serie-manga-y-peliculas-f202511-n/). It publishes the Kanzenban edition and has also issued the Legend edition, 18 large-format softcover volumes with exclusive covers sold in three boxes of six[4](https://los40.com/2025/05/12/dragon-ball-celebra-su-40-aniversario-con-una-edicion-especial-del-manga-y-un-emotivo-homenaje-a-akira-toriyama/). In France, Glénat publishes the series along with Full Color and spin-off editions such as *Dragon Ball SD*[15](https://www.glenat.com/glenat-manga/collections-shonen/dragon-ball/).
## 40th anniversary box set
For the 40th anniversary of the serialization, Shueisha announced the *DRAGON BALL* Complete 42-Volume Double Cover Box, scheduled for release on 3 April 2026 after a postponement from 4 February 2026. The set contains all 42 Jump Comics volumes, each wrapped in a double cover with newly drawn artwork by a guest manga artist, volume 1 by Masakazu Katsura (桂正和) and volume 42 by [Eiichiro Oda](https://www.edgepedia.org/eiichiro-oda) (尾田栄一郎) among them, stored in four [Dragon Ball](https://www.edgepedia.org/dragon-ball)–designed boxes. It is priced at 31,800 yen, totals 8,252 pages, and carries ISBN 978-4-08-908480-9[6](https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-908480-9).
## References
1. [Dragon Ball ordre de lecture : tomes, arcs et éditions, Quelle Lecture](https://quelle-lecture.fr/dragon-ball-ordre-de-lecture/)
2. [Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z Box-Set Numbering, Manga Editions](https://mangaeditions.com/guides/dragon-ball-vs-z-numbering/)
3. [Dragon Ball release chronology, Kanzenshuu](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_release_chronology)
4. [Dragon Ball celebra su 40 aniversario con una edición especial del manga, Los40](https://los40.com/2025/05/12/dragon-ball-celebra-su-40-aniversario-con-una-edicion-especial-del-manga-y-un-emotivo-homenaje-a-akira-toriyama/)
5. [Dragon Ball celebra su 40 aniversario, Cadena SER](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2024/11/20/dragon-ball-celebra-su-40-aniversario-rindiendo-un-nostalgico-homenaje-a-su-creador-cadena-ser/)
6. [DRAGON BALL 全42巻セット Double Cover Box, Shueisha S-MANGA](https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-908480-9)
7. [Dragon Ball Tankōbon, Kanzenshuu](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Tank%C5%8Dbon)
8. [Dragon Ball Full Color Manga, Dragon Ball Wiki](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Full_Color_Manga)
9. [Dragon Ball (manga), Dragon Ball Wiki](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_%28manga%29)
10. [VIZ: Browse Dragon Ball Manga Products](https://www.viz.com/manga-books/manga/dragon-ball/all)
11. [Dragon Ball Manga: Volumes & Box Sets, Deku's Wisdom](https://www.dekuswisdom.com/manga/dragon-ball)
12. [VIZ: The Official Website for Dragon Ball Manga](https://www.viz.com/dragon-ball)
13. [Anexo:Volúmenes de Dragon Ball, Mexpedia](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Anexo%3AVol%C3%BAmenes_de_Dragon_Ball)
14. [Dragon Ball, orden cronológico para la serie, manga y películas, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/series/dragon-ball-orden-cronologico-para-la-serie-manga-y-peliculas-f202511-n/)
15. [Dragon Ball, Éditions Glénat](https://www.glenat.com/glenat-manga/collections-shonen/dragon-ball/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Anime and manga › Manga titles, publishers, and magazines › Manga bestsellers, sales records, and volume counts*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license