Dragon Ball Z (ドラゴンボールZ, Doragon Bōru Zetto?) is the title of an anime series that continues the adaptation of the Dragon Ball manga written, drawn and created by Akira Toriyama, making it the sequel to the original anime series. It was first released in Japan and Hong Kong, and later elsewhere in the world, first in European countries such as France, Italy and Spain, and later in the United States.

The series follows the adventures of the adult version of Goku who, along with his companions, defend the Earth and many other planets against various villains. While the original Dragon Ball anime followed Goku through childhood into adulthood, Dragon Ball Z is a continuation of his adulthood life, but at the same time parallels the maturation of his first child, Gohan, and to a lesser extent, his second child Goten. The separation between the series is also significant as the later series takes on a more dramatic and serious tone.

fter Dragon Ball Z, the story of Goku and his friends continues in the anime-based series Dragon Ball GT. This series is not based on an original manga by Toriyama.

Toriyama's humor/self-parody manga Neko Majin Z features several concepts introduced in Dragon Ball Z (several Dragon Ball Z characters even make various appearances), but that manga is designed as a parody and not a true continuation of the series.