Dragon Ball fans have something to look forward to in 2026, but it's probably not what many expected. According to @CNschedules on X, Dragon Ball Z Kai will return to Adult Swim later this month.
The series will replace Futurama in the 5:00 AM slot starting December 29. Kai previously aired on Adult Swim's Toonami block from 2014-2018.
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Dragon Ball is back on TV
After the rumors of a new project in 2026 and recent comments from former Weekly Shonen Jump editor-in-chief Kazuhiko Torishima that seem to confirm that a new movie would be released in 2026, it's safe to say that this was not Dragon Ball news that many fans were hoping for. But even if it's just running again, it's exciting to have Dragon Ball return in weekly format.
With the introduction of Kai, the new Adult Swim series will look something like this when the series is officially added on the 29th.
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5:00 PM EST – Dexter's Laboratory
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6pm EST – Bob's Burgers
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8:30pm EST – Family Guy
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11pm EST – Rick and Morty
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12:30 AM EST – Adult Swim Smalls
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1:00 AM EST – China, IL
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1:30am EST – American Dad
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3:30am EST – Rick and Morty
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4:30 AM EST – Off the Air
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05:00 EST – Dragon Ball Z Kai
It feels like it's a bit late of a slot too Dragon Ballbut there will definitely be some night owls out there willing to stay up and catch an episode. The Kai recut is generally considered a good way to experience Dragon Ball Z anime given that there is basically no filler content, although some fans prefer the original version, even though it is longer.
Dragon Ball Z Kai was first released in 2009 as part of the anime's 20th anniversary. The series aired on Fuji TV from April 5, 2009 to March 27, 2011, reducing the number of episodes of the original series from 291 to 159 in Japan and 167 internationally. By cutting out the filler, the new edit was said to be more faithful to the original manga. It also gave fans re-recorded audio for the voice actors along with new sound effects and sound design. Toei brought in Kenji Yamamoto to record new music for the series, which would replace Shunsuke Kikuchi's iconic score. However, Yamamoto was let go when he was exposed for plagiarizing a variety of artists during his time at Toei.
This is good, but when is Dragon Ball Really Coming back?
Dragon Ball has been on a bit of a hiatus since the tragic passing of series creator Akira Toriyama. The latest post in the series, Dragon Ball Daimapremiered months after Toriyama's death in March 2024 and concluded in February 2025. Dragon Ball Super anime TV series ended in 2018, with two films, Broly and Superhero released in 2018 and 2022. The Super manga released a chapter in February 2025, but the main story has not been developed since the end of Granolah the Survivor Saga in 2022.
Fans got an unexpected glimpse into potential plans to bring back the series earlier this month when Kazuhiko Torishima appeared on a podcast and casually stated that a new Dragon Ball The film was set to be released in 2026. This caught many fans off guard, with the future of the series uncertain and virtually no news on how, or if, the series would return after Toriyama's death.
With the mess we're in right now, we can't expect much from next year's movie, can we?
Torishima's comments definitely got fans excited, but at the end of the day, it's not a certainty that he really knows if a new movie is coming out next year or not. Although he is probably still connected to people in the know, Torishima has not been involved Dragon Ball for a while. What he said could turn out to be true, but fans shouldn't hold their breath.
Whether a new Dragon Ball movie, anime or saga will be released in 2026 is still uncertain. And while fans wait, at least they'll be able to spend 2026 watching again Kai and relive some of the show's best moments.
Source: X
Dragon Ball
- Release date
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1986 – 1989
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Directors
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Osamu Kasai, Daisuke Nishio, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Minoru Okazaki, Mitsuo Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yutaka Satoh, Yûji Endô
- Author
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Akira Toriyama, Keiji Terui, Toshiki Inoue, Takao Koyama, Michiru Shimada, Yasushi Hirano, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Yuichiro Oguro, Miho Maruo, Shunichi Yukimuro
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku (voice)
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Mayumi Tanaka
Krillin (voice)
