Dragon Ball AF Episodes: Why We All Thought They Were Real

If you grew up in the early 2000s with a dial-up connection and a burning obsession with Goku, you probably remember the chaos. You likely spent hours on message boards or Geocities sites looking for Dragon Ball AF episodes. There was that one grainy image of a silver-haired Goku—Super Saiyan 5, they called it—and suddenly, the internet exploded. We all wanted to believe it. Honestly, it's one of the greatest pieces of internet folklore ever created. But here is the cold, hard truth that still stings a bit: there are no official episodes. Not a single one.

Dragon Ball AF is a "doujinshi," or a fan-made project. It never aired on Fuji TV. It wasn't produced by Toei Animation. It didn't come from the mind of Akira Toriyama. Yet, the search for these non-existent episodes became a rite of passage for every DBZ fan.

The Myth of the Lost Season

The rumor mill was relentless back then. You’d hear kid-on-the-playground stories about how AF stood for "After Future" or "Alternative Final." Some people even claimed it was a secret project only released in Japan on some obscure satellite channel. It sounds silly now, but in a pre-streaming era where information was scarce, a single piece of fan art was enough to launch a thousand rumors.

That famous Super Saiyan 5 image? It wasn't a leak. It was actually drawn by a Spanish artist named David Montiel Franco (known as Young Jijii) for a magazine. Or rather, the most famous version was. Another major player was Toyotarou—who went by the pen name "Toyble" back then. He actually wrote a Dragon Ball AF manga that was so good, it basically got him hired by Shueisha. Now, he’s the guy drawing the official Dragon Ball Super manga. Talk about a glow-up.

Because these high-quality manga chapters existed, fans naturally assumed an anime adaptation was right around the corner. We saw fan-made intros on YouTube that used clever editing, spliced footage from GT and the movies, and some very 2006-era Linkin Park music. It looked real enough to a twelve-year-old.

What People Are Actually Seeing on YouTube

If you search for Dragon Ball AF episodes today, you'll find hundreds of videos. Some have millions of views. So, what are they?

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Usually, they fall into three buckets. First, you have "Motion Manga." These are fans taking Toyble’s or Young Jijii’s manga pages, adding some basic animation, sound effects, and voice acting. Some of them are surprisingly well-done. They give you the vibe of a real episode without actually being one. Then, you have the "Fan Animations." These are completely original animations made in programs like Adobe Flash or more modern software. They’re often short, choppy, and focus on one specific fight, like Goku vs. Zaiko (Xicor).

Lastly—and this is the most common one—you have the "Mods." Thanks to games like Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Xenoverse 2, modders have brought the AF characters to life. People record their gameplay, slap a "Dragon Ball AF Episode 1" title on it, and call it a day. It’s misleading, sure, but it keeps the dream alive.

The Story Everyone Wanted to See

Since there are no official episodes, the "canon" of AF is whatever the most popular fan-manga says it is. Most fans point to Toyble’s version as the gold standard.

The plot usually kicks off after the end of Dragon Ball GT. Goku is gone with the Shenron, and the world is at peace. Suddenly, a new threat arrives: Xicor. He claims to be Goku's son, born from the DNA of Goku and a rogue Western Supreme Kai. He’s absurdly powerful. He hits like a truck and forces the Z-Fighters to reach levels we never thought possible.

This is where the Super Saiyan 5 transformation comes in. It’s the peak of the AF mythos. It features long, silver hair and fur, looking like a hybrid between Super Saiyan 3 and 4. In a weird way, AF actually predicted the future. Years later, Dragon Ball Super gave us Ultra Instinct, which looks remarkably similar to the fan-designs of the early 2000s.

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Why the Hoax Refuses to Die

It’s about nostalgia. Pure and simple.

For a long time, Dragon Ball GT was the end. There was nothing else. Fans were desperate for more content, more transformations, and higher stakes. We didn't want the story to be over. This desperation created a vacuum that AF filled perfectly. Even now, with Dragon Ball Super being the official continuation, people still have a soft spot for the "AF Era." It represents a time when the community built its own lore.

Real "Dragon Ball AF" Projects You Can Actually Watch or Read

While you can't find official TV episodes, you shouldn't give up hope if you want to experience the story. You just have to know where to look.

• Toyble’s Dragon Ball AF Manga: This is the most famous version. It’s unfinished because the author went on to work on the official series, but it’s the closest thing to "official" fan-fiction you'll find.
• Young Jijii’s Dragon Ball AF: This is a separate, completed manga series. It’s known for having art that is almost indistinguishable from Toriyama’s 90s style. It features the "Ize Saga" and is quite long.
• Dragon Ball New Age: Created by Malik, this is another fan project that often gets lumped in with AF. It’s a distinct story but shares that same "What happens after GT?" DNA.
• Fan-made "Webisodes": Look for creators like Mellavelli on YouTube. They have spent years crafting high-quality animations that act as a spiritual successor to the series.

Acknowledging the Limitations

We have to be honest here. Even the best fan-made episodes aren't perfect. The voice acting is usually done by hobbyists, and the animation—while impressive—rarely matches the fluid choreography of the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie or the classic Z-era fights. If you go in expecting a professional production, you might be disappointed.

But if you go in looking for a "what if" scenario fueled by passion, it's incredible.

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The legacy of these non-existent episodes is that they proved how much staying power the franchise has. Without the fan-demand seen during the AF era, who knows if Toei would have ever bothered to bring the series back with Battle of Gods? The fans kept the fire burning during the dark years.

How to Navigate the Search for AF Today

If you’re still hunting for Dragon Ball AF episodes, stop looking for a DVD or a streaming link on Crunchyroll. It doesn't exist. Instead, change your strategy.

Look for "Dragon Ball AF Manga Dub" on YouTube. This is the most cohesive way to experience the story. You get the professional-looking art of Toyble or Young Jijii combined with voice acting and music. It’s as close to a real anime experience as you’re going to get.

Also, check out the modding community for Budokai Tenkaichi 4 (the fan-made overhaul of the third game). They have fully realized models for Xicor, Super Saiyan 5 Goku, and even the "Evil" Gohan variants. Playing the story is often more satisfying than watching a low-budget animation.

The myth of AF is a testament to the creativity of the Dragon Ball community. It wasn't a lie to trick people; it was a collective dream. Even though the "episodes" aren't real, the impact they had on the fandom is undeniable.

Next Steps for Your Search:
Start by reading the Toyble manga chapters online. Once you're familiar with the Xicor arc, head to YouTube and search for "Dragon Ball AF Motion Manga" to see those scenes brought to life with sound. If you're a gamer, download the AF character mods for Xenoverse 2 to actually play through the transformations yourself.