First Dragon Ball Anime Finally Returns to Streaming After 9 Months

In February 2025, Hulu removed Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball anime from the site’s expansive content catalog. However, the entire show is set to return to the popular streaming service next month.

Per Hulu Press, the English-dubbed version of Dragon Ball is scheduled to return to the platform on Nov. 18, 2025. Having re-acquired the streaming rights from Toei, Hulu is restoring access to all 153 episodes of the original series, which was removed along with Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super earlier this year. Initially released in 1986, the Dragon Ball anime chronicles franchise protagonist Son Goku’s earliest adventures, laying the foundation for the prolific animated canon that would follow in subsequent decades.

Hulu Returns First Dragon Ball Anime to Streaming Catalog After Toei License Loss

Dragon Ball‘s upcoming return to Hulu will mark the near-completion of the streaming service’s Dragon Ball TV anime catalog. Currently, the site offers access to both Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima. While the original Dragon Ball Z anime is not included on Hulu, the dubbed version of Dragon Ball Kai — a recut version of DBZ that features less filler and shorter fight scenes — is currently available on the platform. Among Dragon Ball‘s theatrical releases, Hulu also streams Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods (2013) and Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018).

Although Hulu is one of the most popular premium content services in North America, license expirations are an inevitability that all streaming sites must contend with. When Dragon Ball and its sequels listed expiration dates on Hulu earlier this year, many subscribers voiced their dismay on X (formerly Twitter). Hulu addressed the situation via its @Hulu_Support page on X: “Sorry for any disappointment! Our rights to offer several Dragon Ball shows in our streaming library are currently expiring. That said, we’ll let our team know you’d like to see them stick around if possible…” The vocal fan outcry is what possibly compelled Hulu’s staff to renew Dragon Ball‘s license in such an expedient manner, restoring the series’ availability in just under a year.

Notably, Toei Animation’s other shonen titan, One Piece, will also receive several major updates on Hulu next month. Based on Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling manga series, One Piece revolves around Monkey D. Luffy, an energetic youth with the power to stretch out his body like a living piece of rubber. As Captain of the “Straw Hats,” Luffy leads a motley crew of misfit pirates on an epic quest to locate the mythical “One Piece” treasure and achieve his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. Starting Nov. 6, subscribers will have access to the dubbed versions of One Piece‘s “Silver Mine” arc, the “Zou” arc and the “Whole Cake Island” arc. Together, these seasons comprise episodes 747-812 of the internationally renowned anime series.

While awaiting Dragon Ball‘s return to Hulu, fans can also stream the series on Crunchyroll. Additionally, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga series is available in English from VIZ Media.