Dragon Ball fans have a lot 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 slot from 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 rumors of a new project in 2026 and recent comments from former Weekly Shonen Jump editor-in-chief Kazuhiko Torishima seemingly confirming that the new film will be released in 2026, it's safe to say that it wasn't Dragon Ball the news that many fans were hoping for. But even if it's just repetitive, it's exciting Dragon Ball return in weekly format.
With inclusion Kai, Adult Swim's new weekday lineup will look something like this when the series is officially added on the 29th.
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5:00 PM EST – Dexter's Lab
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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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3:30 EST – Rick and Morty
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4:30am EST – Broadcast
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5:00 AM EST – Dragon Ball Z Kai
It seems to me that it is a little late Dragon Ballbut there are bound to be some night owls 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 essentially no filler content, although some fans prefer the original version even though it is longer.
Dragon Ball Z Kai it was first released in 2009 as part of the anime's 20th anniversary celebrations. The series aired on Fuji TV from April 5, 2009 to March 27, 2011, reducing the original series' episode count from 291 to 159 in Japan and 167 internationally. By cutting out the filler, the new adaptation was supposedly more faithful to the original manga. It also provided fans with 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 to replace Shunsuke Kikuchi's iconic score. However, Yamamoto was fired when it was revealed that he had plagiarized various artists during his time at Toei.
That's cool, but when is Dragon Ball Really Return?
Dragon Ball has been on hiatus since the tragic death of series creator Akira Toriyama. The latest post in the series, Dragon Ball Daimapremiered a month after Toriyama's death in March 2024 and ended in February 2025. Dragon Ball Super anime television series concluded in 2018 with two films, Broly and Super hero releases in 2018 and 2022 Cool the manga released a chapter in February 2025, but the main plot has not progressed since the end of the 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 nonchalantly stated that the new Dragon Ball movie is set to come out in 2026. This caught a lot of fans off guard, as the future of the series was in doubt and there was 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 in the end, it's not certain that he actually knows if there will be a new movie coming out next year. While he's probably still in touch with people who know, Torishima didn't mess with them Dragon Ball for a moment. What he said may turn out to be true, but fans shouldn't hold their breath.
Whether or not a new Dragon Ball movie, anime, or saga will drop in 2026 remains uncertain. And while fans wait, at least they'll be able to spend 2026 rewatching 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
- Writers
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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)
