1 - A Sheltered Boy: My Name is Son Gohan
The episode begins with the telling of events that have happened since the end of Dragonball to the present time. Out in space a space pod approaches and lands in a field below. To a local farmer's surprise, a strange man in habits the space pod, the man kills the farmer, then takes off to find something. Meanwhile, Son Gohan, Son Gokou's son (a surprise in the first episode) is rescued from a cliff by his father. The two converse and head off to Muten Roshi's house. Arriving at the Kame house, Son Gohan is introduced to Son Gokou's friends, this is the first time Son Gohan meets Kuririn, Buruma, and Muten Roshi. Elsewhere, the strange visitor from space confronts, Piccolo. After realizing that who he was really after was close by the strange man takes off towards Son Gokou and the others at the Kame House.

2 - History's Greatest Warrior is Gokou's Older Brother...
Back at the Kame House, Son Gokou and Kuririn become distressed when the feel a strong ki approaching them. The strange man lands and confronts Son Gokou and Kuririn, he then explains that he is Son Gokou's brother Radditz, and explains that Son Gokou's real name is Kakarotto, and that he is from an ancient warrior race called the saiya-jin! Radditz explains that the saiya-jin conquer planets and sell them to buyers. After realizing that Son Gokou's boyhood concussion caused him to lose his saiya-jin mission, he tells Son Gokou to come join him in space, and become a saiya-jin again. Son Gokou refuses; angered Radditz takes Son Gohan and flies off.

3 - This is it! The World's Strongest Team.
After Radditz leaves, Piccolo arrives and suggest him and Son Gokou team up against Radditz, because they aren't strong enough by themselves. Meanwhile, Radditz locks up a crying Son Gohan in his space pod, and then goes walks nearby. Shortly after Son Gokou and Piccolo the world's strongest team arrive to fight Son Gokou's evil brother.

4 - Piccolo's Secret Ace! Son Gohan the Crybaby.
Son Gokou and Piccolo begin their struggle against Radditz, and soon realize that they have met their match. During the action Piccolo loses an arm to Radditz, then realizing what he must do he tries out his new technique, the Makkanpossapo, on Radditz. He easily dodges Piccolo's attack, and continues his attack; out of nowhere an enraged Son Gohan show awesome power and bursts out of Radditz's space pod.

5 - The Death of Son Gokou!
Surprised by Son Gohan, Radditz stops his assault on Son Gokou, to get smashed in the stomach by Son Gohan. Taking this to his advantage, Son Gokou grabs Radditz and tells Piccolo to try his technique again. Piccolo successfully executes the attack, striking down Radditz, and Son Gokou in the process.

6 - The King is shocked. Fighting in his Netherworld?
With his last dying words, Radditz explains to Piccolo that his scouter device is a communicator, and that two much stronger saiya-jin that will be arriving in a year. Roshi, Kuririn, and Buruma then arrive on the seen. Son Gokou takes his last breath and his body fades away. Son Gokou then finds himself in Heaven with Kame-sama, he is told by King Enma, the one in charge of heaven and hell, that in order to beat the saiya-jin he must travel 10,000 miles to receive training from the ancient god Kaio-sama. Son Gokou then goes to start his long journey. Back on Earth, Piccolo takes Son Gohan to train him to use his special powers to help beat the saiya-jin.

7 - Son Gohan's Harsh Survival Training with Dinosaurs.
Arriving at a deserted spot Piccolo explains to Son Gohan of his special power, he then tells Son Gohan that he is going to leave him out in the wilderness for survival training. Left by himself by Piccolo, Son Gohan soon discovers that living in the wild alone will not be an easy task. After he is attack by what looks like a T-rex and he ends up getting stuck on the top of a lonely plateau.

8 - A Full Moon Transformation: The Secret of Son Gohan's Power.
In the middle of the night Son Gohan awakens to the surprise of a full moon, a sight he had never seen before. Son Gohan's saiya-jin blood begins to take over and he transforms into Oozaru (Were-Monkey) form. Piccolo witnesses the event from near by and is attacked by the Oozaru Son Gohan, nearly getting killed Piccolo realizes that the moon is what made Son Gohan transform, Piccolo then destroys then moon with a ki blast. Son Gohan goes back to his real self and falls asleep. Piccolo then rips off the other part of the problem, Son Gohan's saiya-jin tail.

9 - Sorry Mr. Robot. The Tears that Disappeared in the Desert.
Son Gohan awakens to realize that his tail is gone, and is almost eaten by a giant bird. Not watching where he was going Son Gohan falls into a hole to discover a robot in some ancient ruins, he then activates the robot, his new friend. The re-activated robot tells Son Gohan how an earthquake buried him there 8 years ago when the ruins were being excavated. Suddenly the cave begins to crumble, the robot throws Son Gohan out of the ruins just in time, the ruins crushed the robot, Son Gohan has lost his first friend. Sad over the loss of his friend, Son Gohan wipes away his tears and continues on.

10 - Don't Cry! Son Gohan's First Battle.
Not much happens in this episode. Adapting to his life out in the wild, Son Gohan play's doctor to an injured dinosaur that was attack by that T-rex thing. Son Gohan had earlier got in a fight with the "T-rex", and cut off his tail…for food! Meanwhile, elsewhere Kuririn arrives at a baseball game to find an unhappy Yamcha, as a baseball player, getting into a fight. Kuririn then tells Yamcha about the saiya-jin; Yamcha accepts the invitation and leaves with Kuririn to train.

11 - The Saiya-jin, Greatest Warriors in the Universe, Awake.
Vegeta and Nappa, the two evil saiya-jin stop on a planet to investigate it for sale, or "galactic market potential", they are soon discovered by the cricket-type people that inhabit the planet. The saiya-jin's allow themselves to be captured in order to have a little fun. The two encounter the strange prisoners planning on rebelling against the planet's monarchy, the two are then taken to fight, the saiya-jin easily kills all those around them. Vegeta then claims the planet is worthless and the two take off, before leaving Vegeta easily destroys the planet with a ki blast. The two continue their way to Earth.

12 - Napping on the Path of the Snake... Son Gokou Falls Off!
Not much happens here either. The duo of Tenshinhan and Chazou make their DBZ debut in this episode, they are living in a house with Lunch (someone which is almost never heard from again later on during the series). Meanwhile Son Gokou after taking a nap on a street cleaner's truck (why are there street cleaners in heaven?) falls off into hell (oh no!).

13 - Keep your Hands Off! Lord Enma's Secret Fruit.
Son Gokou awakens in hell, thinking he has reached the end of Snake Way, he soon realizes where he really is from two strange ogres that he encounters. The ogres tell him that if he wants to escape he needs to pass several tests; Son Gokou of course passes them with ease. The ogres then show him the way out which leads to…Enma's Desk! Son Gokou now has to start his journey over again.

14 - Sweet Seduction...The Snake Princess' Hospitality.
Son Gokou has already past where he was before he fell off; along the road he finds a strange house. Inside the house he finds a princess that makes him stay with her. Son Gokou is doesn't even try in his efforts to leave, but the princess realizes that she will not be able to keep him there. In her last attempt the princess shows here true form, that of a giant snake! Son Gokou escapes her (of course) and succeeds in tying her in a knot. Meanwhile, Kuririn, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chazou and Yajirobe gather at Kami-sama's temple and begin their training.

15 - Escape from Piccolo! Son Gohan and the Storm.
While Piccolo is off somewhere training, Son Gohan decides that he wants to go home, Son Gohan does this by launching himself into the sea on his home made raft, shortly after he becomes the victim of a treacherous storm.