Episode Guide | Dragon Ball Z

Original Run:	14 February 1990 – 16 January 1991 (49 weeks; spent 9 weeks on break)
Corresponding:	Dragon Ball Z Episodes 036 – 074 (39 episodes; 1 TV special) Dragon Ball Chapters 241 – 290 (50 chapters; approx. 1.3 chapters per episode)
Filler Content:	75% Canon / 25% Filler
Rating Shares:	Average: 21.7% Maximum: 25.7% (Episodes 063 & 067) Minimum: 17.2% (Episodes 055 & 056)

Goku and co. barely manage to drive Vegeta from the Earth. However, many of their allies were killed, and the Dragon Balls ceased to be. Thinking that there might be Dragon Balls there, Bulma and co. journey by spaceship to God’s birthplace, Planet Namek. However, at the same time Freeza had also heard of the Dragon Balls, and headed for Planet Namek aiming to find them. Knowing this, Vegeta came following after him, and then Goku came as well. The various warriors from around the galaxy began to gather on Planet Namek, and a new battle for the Dragon Balls begins.

On Planet Namek, Freeza and his men push the limits of inhumanity, killing anyone who gets in their way. Gohan somehow manages to rescue a Namekian child, Dende. Elsewhere, arriving on Planet Namek on his own, Vegeta also begins to slaughter Namekians and gather Dragon Balls. Defeating Freeza’s underlings, he aims to recapture the Dragon Balls Freeza has. However, being no match for a transformed Zarbon, one of Freeza’s henchmen, he is captured by Freeza. Meanwhile, Goku continues training in the gravity room of his spaceship on his way to Planet Namek.

Kuririn was able to meet Planet Namek’s Eldest, but his Dragon Ball was stolen by Vegeta, who had escaped from Freeza. Because he was revived from the brink of death, Vegeta powered up even further. Though he had been beaten before, Vegeta easily defeated Zarbon in his transformed state. However, Freeza played his next hand and called on the even more frightfully powerful Ginyu Special-Squad. Before their overwhelming power, Vegeta, Gohan, and Kuririn were completely unable to put up a fight.

With the power of the Ginyu Special-Squad, Freeza was finally able to gather all seven Dragon Balls. However, not knowing the crucial method of getting one’s wish granted, he flies to the location of the surviving Namekian, the Eldest. Vegeta and co. were about to be killed by Recoom, one of the Ginyu Special-Squad, but at the last moment Goku finally arrived. Showing the results of his training in his spaceship, he defeated one Ginyu Special-Squad member after another with super power. But through Captain Ginyu’s “Body Change” technique, Goku and Ginyu switched bodies.

However, Ginyu couldn’t properly fight with Goku’s body, and was soon defeated. Goku had somehow managed to return to his own body during the battle, but was grievously injured in the process. With Vegeta’s guidance, he is put into a medical machine to heal his wounds.

Dragon Ball Z Episode 036Air Date: 14 February 1990

飛び出せ宇宙へ！希望の星はピッコロの故郷
Tabidase Uchū e! Kibō no Hoshi wa Pikkoro no Furusato
We’re Off Into Space! The Planet of Hope is Piccolo’s Homeland

Scenario: Katsuyuki Sumisawa · Art: Shigenori Takada
Animation: Tomekichi Takeuchi · Director: Tatsuya Orime

Dragon Ball Z Episode 037Air Date: 21 February 1990

謎のユンザビット！神様の宇宙船を探せ
Nazo no Yunzabitto! Kami-sama no Uchūsen o Sagase
The Mysterious Yunzabit! The Search for God’s Spaceship

Scenario: Katsuyuki Sumisawa · Art: Tatsuo Yamamoto
Animation: Mitsuo Shindō · Director: Jōhei Matsūra

Dragon Ball Z Episode 038Air Date: 28 February 1990

ナメック星行き発進！悟飯たちを待つ恐怖
Namekku-sei Iki Hasshin! Gohan-tachi o Matsu Kyōfu
Blast-off for Planet Namek! The Terror Awaiting Gohan and Company

Scenario: Keiji Terui · Art: Shigenori Takada
Animation: Masayuki Uchiyama · Director: Yoshihiro Ueda

Dragon Ball Z Episode 039Air Date: 07 March 1990

敵か味方か？謎の巨大宇宙船の子供たち
Teki ka Mikata ka? Nazo no Kyodai Uchūsen no Kodomo-tachi
Friends or Foes? Children of the Mysterious Giant Spaceship

Scenario: Takao Koyama · Art: Tatsuo Yamamoto
Animation: Yukio Ebisawa · Director: Daisuke Nishio

Dragon Ball Z Episode 040Air Date: 14 March 1990

ホントにホント？あれが希望のナメック星
Honto ni Honto? Are ga Kibō no Namekku-sei
Really, for Real? There Lies Namek, Planet of Hope

Scenario: Katsuyuki Sumisawa · Art: Shigenori Takada
Animation: Tomekichi Takeuchi · Director: Mitsuo Hashimoto

Dragon Ball Z Episode 041Air Date: 21 March 1990

親切な宇宙人　いきなりあったよ五星球
Shinsetsu na Uchū-jin　Ikinari Atta yo Ūshinchū
Kind-hearted Aliens — There’s the Five-Star Ball Already

Scenario: Keiji Terui · Art: Tatsuo Yamamoto
Animation: Minoru Maeda · Director: Minoru Okazaki

Dragon Ball Z Episode 042Air Date: 04 April 1990

惑星フリーザＮｏ．７９　復活のベジータ！！
Wakusei Furīza Nanbā Sebunti Nain　Fukkatsu no Bejīta!!
Planet Freeza No. 79 — Vegeta Recovers!!

Scenario: Aya Matsui & Takao Koyama · Art: Shigenori Takada
Animation: Masayuki Uchiyama · Director: Jōhei Matsūra

Dragon Ball Z Episode 043Air Date: 11 April 1990

そろったぞ神龍球！ピッコロさんも生き返る
Sorotta zo Doragon Bōru! Pikkoro-san mo Ikikaeru
The Dragon Balls Are All Here! Piccolo-san Comes Back to Life

Scenario: Katsuyuki Sumisawa · Art: Tatsuo Yamamoto
Animation: Mitsuo Shindō · Director: Yoshihiro Ueda

Dragon Ball Z Episode 044Air Date: 18 April 1990

あらたな強敵！宇宙の帝王フリーザ
Arata na Kyōteki! Uchū no Teiō Furīza
A Tough New Enemy! Emperor of the Universe, Freeza

Scenario: Keiji Terui · Art: Hitoshi Nagasaki
Animation: Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru · Director: Tatsuya Orime

Dragon Ball Z Episode 045Air Date: 25 April 1990

野望のベジータ！宇宙一の戦士はオレだ！！
Yabō no Bejīta! Uchūichi no Senshi wa Ore da!!
Vegeta’s Ambition! I am the Greatest Warrior in the Universe!!

Scenario: Katsuyuki Sumisawa · Art: Shigenori Takada
Animation: Masayuki Uchiyama · Director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi

Episode Guide | Dragon Ball Z | Namek arc (2025)

References