Dragon Ball Z (ドラゴンボールZ, Doragon Bōru Zetto?) is the title of the anime adaptation of the second portion 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 including the United States. The 'Z' was originally added to the title by Toriyama for the anime, to signify it as being the ending portion of the Dragon Ball series.

The series follows the adventures of the adult version of Son 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, Son Gohan, and to a lesser extent, his second child Son Goten. The separation between the series is also significant as the later series takes on a more dramatic and serious tone.