List of Dragon Ball characters
The Dragon Ball manga series features an ensemble cast of characters created by Akira Toriyama. The series takes place in a fictional universe, the same world as Toriyama's previous series Dr. Slump, and follows the adventures of Son Goku during his boyhood years as he trains in martial arts and explores a fantastical version of Earth (地球 Chikyū) in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls that are used to summon a wish-granting dragon. The tone of the series becomes more action oriented and less comedic when Goku reaches adulthood, as he and his allies would find themselves defending Earth against various threats, overcoming seemingly insurmountable opponents and eventually emerging victorious against progressively more powerful foes.
During the course of the story, Goku encounters allies such as Bulma, Master Roshi, and Trunks, rivals such as Tien Shinhan, Piccolo, and Vegeta, and villains such as Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu. Goku's group of associates, known as the Dragon Team (ドラゴンチーム, Doragon Chīmu)[ch. 165], bolster its ranks throughout the series with the addition of former enemies and new heroes. The group is also known in Japanese as the Z Fighters (Z戦士, Zetto Senshi)[1] or TEAM "Z"[2] in other media, and in the English dub of Dragon Ball Z as the Earth's Special Forces.[3]
While many of the characters are humans with superhuman strength and/or supernatural abilities, the cast also includes anthropomorphic animals, extraterrestrial lifeforms, and even deities who govern the world and the universe. The series also includes depictions of the afterlife and time travel as a means of creating historical divergences. Dragon Ball Super in particular expanded the setting of the series to include parallel universes; Universe 7, or the Seventh Universe in the English dub, is designated as the universe where the vast majority of the Dragon Ball series takes place.
Creation and conception
Earth, known as the Dragon World (ドラゴンワールド) and designated as "Planet 4032-877" by the celestial hierarchy, is the main setting for the entire Dragon Ball series, as well as related media such as Dr. Slump, Nekomajin, and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. It is mainly inhabited by Earthlings (地球人 Chikyūjin), a term used inclusively to refer to all of the intelligent races native to the planet, including humans, anthropomorphic beings, and monsters. Earthlings play a predominant role in almost every media in the Dragon Ball franchise, a result of Earth's pride of place as the series' primary setting. Starting from the Dragon Ball Z series, various extraterrestrial species such as the Saiyans (サイヤ人 Saiya-jin) and Namekians (ナメック星人 Namekku-seijin) have played a more prominent role in franchise media.
Akira Toriyama initially based most of the characters on those of the Chinese novel Journey to the West,[4][5] Goku being Sun Wukong, Bulma as Tang Sanzang, Oolong as Zhu Bajie and Yamcha being Sha Wujing, and redeveloped one of his earlier one-shot manga series, Dragon Boy.[6] To be creative with the character, Toriyama stated in 1995 that he designed Goku not as a monkey like the Journey to the West character, but as a human-looking boy with a monkey's tail to give him a distinguishing feature.[7] However, in 2003 he elaborated saying he added the tail because his editor told him without it Goku had no distinguishing features; while this was probably a joke, he went ahead and did it.[8] Toriyama later stated that the tail was a pain to draw, hence why he had it get cut off early on,[9] and that he never thought of making Goku an alien until Vegeta appeared.[10]
Martial arts tournaments, as well as additional characters such as Krillin and Nam (ナム, Namu), a yogi-inspired recurring tournament competitor, were eventually added to give the series a greater emphasis on fighting and martial arts.[7] Knowing readers would expect Goku to win the tournaments, Toriyama had him lose the first two while continuing to plan an eventual victory.[7] When having fights in the manga, he had the characters go to a place where nobody lived to avoid difficulties in drawing destroyed buildings.[11] In order to advance the story quickly, he introduced Goku's signature flying nimbus cloud, then gave most fighters the ability to fly, and later granted Goku teleportation.[11]
Going against the normal convention that the strongest characters should be the largest in terms of physical size, he designed many of Dragon Ball's most powerful characters with small statures.[12] He later explained that he had Goku grow up as a means to make drawing fight scenes easier, even though his editor was initially against it because it was rare to have the main character of a manga series change drastically.[13] The reason there are many anthropomorphic characters is simply that he finds it easier to make them look different if they are animals rather than humans.[14] For the female characters, Toriyama created women he deemed "beautiful and sexy", but also "strong".[12] He did however state that he has trouble drawing females and this is the reason there are few women characters in the Dragon Ball series.[8] During the second half of the series, Toriyama placed less emphasis on the imagery, simplifying the lines and sometimes making things "too square"; found problems determining the colors; and sometimes altered them mid-story.[6]
Many of Dragon Ball's characters have names that are puns, and which match those of characters related to them. For example, Bulma and her family are named after undergarments, Saiyans are named after vegetables, and because Frieza is a pun on freezer, the Ginyu Force are named after products that one keeps in a refrigerator.[10] Toriyama explained that he does not like giving names to techniques, but did so at his editor's opinion.[11] His wife was the one who named the series' signature Kamehameha (かめはめ波, lit. "Kamehame Wave"), but he named all the others, even selecting them specifically for each character; saying someone like Vegeta would use names in English, and using kanji for the more sophisticated Piccolo.[11]
Toriyama came up with the Red Ribbon Army, particularly its Muscle Tower, from the video game Spartan X, in which enemies tend to appear very fast.[7] He said he created King Piccolo because all his villains up to that point had something "likeable" about them, so the character was born in an attempt to have a truly evil opponent.[7] The Ginyu Force and their poses were influenced from the sentai and tokusatsu television shows he watched with his children.[7][15] Toriyama created Androids 17 and 18 after Kazuhiko Torishima, his former editor, was disappointed with Androids 19 and 20 as villains.[16] When Torishima belittled them as well, he then created Cell.[16] Cell was also altered due to outside opinion, being given the ability to transform when Toriyama's then-current editor, Yū Kondō, said he was "ugly".[16]
Major characters
Son Goku
Son Goku (孫悟空, Son Gokū), the most prominent protagonist in the series, is immensely strong, pure of heart, and extremely competitive, but dedicated to defending his adopted home Earth from internal or external threats. First introduced as a young boy, Goku was originally conceived by creator Akira Toriyama as a variation of Sun Wukong, protagonist of the Chinese novel Journey to the West; wherefore Goku also sported a prehensile tail until later. Upon meeting Bulma at the beginning of the series, the two then embark on an adventure to gather the seven Dragon Balls.[ch. 1] After, Goku receives martial arts training from Master Roshi, meeting his lifelong friend Krillin and learning the famous Kamehameha technique, and enters the World Martial Arts Tournament to fight the strongest warriors on the planet. When the evil King Piccolo, and later his offspring Piccolo, tries to conquer the planet, Goku receives training from Earth's deities to defeat them.
Though he appears human, it is later revealed that Goku is descended from an alien warrior race known as the Saiyans, who sent him, originally named Kakarot, to Earth to prepare it for conquest.[ch. 197] Goku sacrifices his life to save the planet from his brother Raditz,[ch. 205] but must quickly get stronger in the afterlife under the tutelage of King Kai, to save it from the other incoming Saiyans Nappa and Vegeta. He later becomes a Super Saiyan and defeats a powerful tyrant Frieza. This sets the tone of the rest of the series, with each enemy the characters face becoming stronger than the last, requiring them to attain further training. The last battle of the original manga, against Majin Buu, has the entire universe at stake, and as such, has Goku and friends being asked for help from the gods of the universe, the Supreme Kai.
Bulma
Bulma (ブルマ, Buruma) first appears as a teenager, using the Dragon Radar, a fictional device she created to detect the energy signal emitted by Dragon Balls. She is led to Goku's location by the signal emitted by the four-star ball in his possession, and ends up recruiting him as a bodyguard while hoping to get his four-star ball to grant her wish for a boyfriend.[ch. 1] She gives up on the wish after meeting Yamcha,[ch. 23] and much later in the series, she ends up forming a relationship with Vegeta. Bulma has also assumed the role of inventor, providing critical tech support to Goku and his friends with their battles against various enemies and threats. Some of her notable innovations include a microband that could make her shrink, and a time machine that brought her son Trunks to the past.
Master Roshi
Kame-Sen'nin (亀仙人, "Turtle Hermit"), also known as Muten-Rōshi (武天老師, lit "Martial Arts Genius Master") which is localised as "Master Roshi" in the English versions, is a perverted elderly martial arts master instructor that lives on a small island and is the inventor of the Kamehameha technique. Though he seems frail, he is a mighty warrior, having trained Grandpa Gohan and Ox-King,[ch. 12] Goku and Krillin,[ch. 28] and a few others. Despite his lechery and occasional whimsy or foolishness he is often depicted as wise, cantankerous, and perceptive. He is often accompanied by his talking sea turtle companion, referred to as Umigame (ウミガメ, "Sea Turtle"), who often tries to point out his faulty ways. He is bald, sports a thick van dyke beard, and wears sunglasses, beach clothes, or martial arts suits. He usually wields a walking stick and, in early appearances, wears a turtle's shell on his back. When wishing to appear anonymously in the World Martial Arts Tournament, Master Roshi uses the name "Jackie Chun" (ジャッキー・チュン, Jakkī Chun), wears a wig and discards his sunglasses.[ch. 46] Master Roshi was trained by Master Mutaito (武泰斗), who have also trained his cohortian-turned-rival Tsuru-Sen'nin (鶴仙人, "Crane Hermit"); he has also received additional training from Korin. [ch. 135, 88]
Yamcha
Yamcha (ヤムチャ, Yamucha), known as Zedaki in the Harmony Gold dub, is introduced as a desert bandit alongside his constant companion Puar, trying to steal Goku and Bulma's Dragon Balls and wish not to feel nervous when near women.[ch. 8, 9] He eventually becomes Goku's ally and begins a relationship with Bulma, and later becomes a pupil of Master Roshi.[ch. 23, 112] His signature attack is the Rōgafūfūken (狼牙風風拳, "Fist of the Wolf Fang", rearranged as "Wolf Fang Fist" in the Funimation dub), a physical barrage of punches and palm strikes, ending with a double palm strike.[ch. 8] As a result of training under Master Roshi, Yamcha is able to perform the Kamehameha and develops the Sōkidan (繰気弾, "Spinning Chi Bullet"), an energy sphere directed by psychokinesis.[ch. 117, 175] He also later trains under Kami to prepare for the impending Saiyan invasion, but dies against one of their Saibamen.[ch. 209, 215] Before being wished back to life by the Namekian Dragon Balls, he trained under King Kai in the afterlife.[ch. 261, 329] He then helps out during the battles with the Red Ribbon Androids and Cell, but for the most part does not participate in fighting.
Krillin
Kuririn (クリリン), Krillin in the English anime dub, is a bald martial artist and one of Goku's best friends. He is the classmate of Goku under Master Roshi's tutelage;[ch. 28] initially his rival but later a friend, and a loyal companion in adventures thereafter. He is killed by King Piccolo's spawn Tambourine, but later revived by Shenron.[ch. 135, 165] After the fight with the Saiyans, he travels to Planet Namek, where, after several battles, he is killed by Frieza.[ch. 317] After once again being brought back to life, this time by the Namekian Dragon Balls,[ch. 329] he helps out during the Android and Cell arcs. He then forms a relationship with Android 18 and has a daughter, Marron (マーロン, Māron).[ch. 426, 431]
Tien Shinhan
Tenshinhan (
Piccolo
Piccolo (ピッコロ, Pikkoro) is the spawn of King Piccolo, created to get revenge on Goku in the wake of his death, subsequently assuming the role as the "evil half" of Kami.[ch. 161, 165] However, after just narrowly being defeated by Goku, he has to team up with him and his friends when opposing the invading Saiyans, including training Goku's son Gohan.[ch. 193, 198, 205] He is later revealed to be a Namekian – a green-skinned, four-fingered, hairless humanoid species who created the series' titular Dragon Balls.[ch. 214] He dies sacrificing himself to protect Gohan during the fight against the Saiyan Nappa, and trains in the afterlife under King Kai before being wished back to life by the Namekian Dragon Balls.[ch. 223, 261, 293] While during the fights with Frieza and the Androids he maintains the partnership temporarily, and by the time of the Cell and Majin Buu arcs he accepts the fact they are allies.
Son Gohan
Son Gohan (孫悟飯) is Goku's eldest son with Chi-Chi, who first appears at the age of four years.[ch. 196] He is then kidnapped by Goku's brother, Raditz, and locked up in a space pod. However, his temper flares and he bursts out of the space pod, dealing a blow to Raditz, but also knocking himself out. After the battle, Piccolo takes and trains him for a year as he realizes Gohan's potential.[ch. 205] Gohan slowly becomes one of the strongest characters in the series, at one point holding his own against Frieza and eventually defeats Cell. During the Majin Buu arc he forms a relationship with Videl, with whom at the end of the original manga he has a daughter named Pan.[ch. 518]
Vegeta
Vegeta (ベジータ, Bejīta) is the last prince of the Saiyan people, and the fourth generation of the Saiyan royal bloodline to bear his namesake. He is first shown conquering a planet with his partner Nappa by listening to Raditz's fight on Earth using their scouters.[ch. 204] The two of them travel to Earth in search of the Dragon Balls. He ends up fighting a newly revived Goku, but retreats after persistent attacks by Yajirobe, Krillin and Gohan.[ch. 235–240] He flees to recuperate before heading off to Planet Namek to collect its Dragon Balls before Frieza could[ch. 246] While on Namek, Vegeta proceeds to battle and kill many of Frieza's underlings. He is later forced to team up with Gohan, Goku, Piccolo, and Krillin so they could fight off Frieza. After Frieza's defeat, Vegeta lives on Earth and forms a relationship with Bulma. When the Androids arrive, it is revealed he has fathered a son with Bulma, Trunks.[ch. 337] Throughout the rest of the series, Vegeta fights alongside Goku and their associates to defeat their enemies, but they still maintain a competitive rivalry with each other. Later in the series, he and Bulma have a younger child daughter named Bra (ブラ, Bura), known as Bulla in the English dub; unlike her father and brother, and despite being half Saiyan, she does not show any interest in fighting.[ch. 518]
Trunks
Trunks (トランクス, Torankusu) first appears as an unknown young man who easily defeats Frieza and his father King Cold, prior to Goku's return to Earth from Planet Namek.[ch. 331, 332] It is then revealed that he is Vegeta and Bulma's future child, who has traveled back in time to inform Goku of the coming of the Androids that in his time have killed everyone besides Goku, who died of a heart disease around the same time.[ch. 334, 335] He helps fight against the Androids and Cell, before returning to the future. Just as the Androids arrived, the Trunks from the series' main timeline was born.[ch. 337]
Seven years later as a child, Trunks, already able to turn Super Saiyan despite his age,[ch. 429] fights against Majin Buu by using the fusion technique with his best friend Goten to form the composite being Gotenks (ゴテンクス, Gotenkusu).[ch. 480] In Dragon Ball GT, an adult Trunks travels through space with Pan and a de-aged Goku in search of the Black Star Dragon Balls during the first half of the series.
Android 18
Android 18 (人造人間18号, Jinzōningen Jū Hachi Gō, lit. "Artificial Human #18") is a human turned into a cyborg by Doctor Gero.[ch. 351] After being released, she travels with Androids 16 and 17 in order to kill Goku, though they are interrupted by Cell and the main characters several times. She and 17 are eventually absorbed by Cell, but later during the Cell Games, a hard blow from Gohan causes Cell to regurgitate her. Though Krillin is unable to wish for her to be turned into a human, he is able to have her self-destruct device removed.[ch. 418] Krillin later pursues 18 and, at some point, they have a daughter named Marron (マーロン, Māron).[ch. 426, 431]
In an alternate future timeline, she is a mass murdering android who is eventually killed by Trunks.[ch. 419] In 2014, Toriyama revealed her real name to be Lazuli (ラズリ, Razuri).[17]
Son Goten
Son Goten (孫悟天) is the youngest son of Goku and Chi-Chi. When first introduced, Goten strongly resembles his father in appearance, with the same hair-style and similar clothing.[ch. 424] However, as a teenager at the end of the series his appearance has changed to include a shirt bearing his name and a longer, shaggier hairstyle.[ch. 518] Goten was trained by his older brother Gohan in preparation for the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, which their father would be attending. During the training, Gohan discovers Goten is already quite strong, due to the fact that he has been training with their mother (in stark contrast to Gohan's childhood), and can become a Super Saiyan despite still being a child.[ch. 427] Like several characters in the series, he can also perform the Kamehameha technique.[ch. 434]
In order to save the world from Majin Buu, Goku and Piccolo teach Goten and Trunks the fusion technique which allows them to form the single being Gotenks (ゴテンクス, Gotenkusu).[ch. 480] Gotenks battles Buu multiple times but even when he transforms into a Super Saiyan 3 he is unable to defeat Buu. Buu temporarily absorbs Gotenks, increasing his own power, but Vegeta and Goku are able to retrieve them from Buu. When Buu destroys the Earth, Goten and Trunks are killed.[ch. 506] The Dragon Balls later bring Goten back to life along with the rest of the Earth in order to give energy to Goku's Genki-Dama attack, which defeats Buu.[ch. 514]
Japanese fans voted Goten the sixth most popular character of the Dragon Ball series in a 2004 poll.[18] Goten is ranked number 13 on IGN's Top 13 Dragon Ball Z Characters List,[19] and came in 6th place on Complex.com's list "A Ranking of All the Characters on 'Dragon Ball Z"; Sheldon Pearce notes that the character exists mostly as part of a pair with Trunks, who's the assertive member of the duo, and their bond makes them extremely compatible to undergo the fusion technique.[20]
Masako Nozawa voices Goten in Japanese,[21] while he is voiced by Kara Edwards (as a child) and Robert McCollum (as a teen) in the Funimation dub. He is also voiced by Dana Hayes in the Bang Zoom! Entertainment dub.[22]
Beerus
Beerus (ビルス, Birusu) is a deity who appears in the fourteenth and fifteenth Dragon Ball Z films, as well as in Dragon Ball Super. A purple catlike being seen wearing traditional Egyptian clothing and ornaments, he is a God of Destruction whose occupation is to maintain balance, who destroy planets, civilizations or external threats that put the development of the universe the deity oversees at risk. As a God of Destruction, he is capable of obliterating any target he desires, be it a living or undead being, an inert construct, or even an entire planet (or a specific portion at the deity's whim). His role is contrasted by the Supreme Kai who create and preserve them; together they rule over their respective universes and work with each other in order to maintain the balance of their respective universes. Because the Gods of Creation and Destruction share their life-force with each other, a Destroyer will die if their Supreme Kai counterpart perishes.
Contrary to what his title suggests, Beerus is not a villain, though he does find enjoyment in causing destruction. This is the main reason why Goku is unfazed by his actions. Goku understands that it is his job to destroy in order to maintain balance, and therefore respects him because of it. Often depicted as destroying planets (or half of one) in a whimsical manner, Beerus' two sole desires are enjoying the universe's finest cooking and fighting opponents who he considers to be worthy. The latter ultimately leads him to look for the Super Saiyan God who turns out to be one of the Saiyans now living on Earth. Eventually, Son Goku undertakes a ritual transformation into the Super Saiyan God and fights Beerus, just to be defeated by the God of Destruction. Having enjoyed the match, Beerus spares both Goku and the Earth, saying that Goku was the second strongest opponent he ever faced; first being his caretaker and martial arts teacher, Whis. Beerus later forms a team consisting of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Buu, and Monaka (モナカ) to participate in the Tournament of Destroyers after answering a challenge by his brother and fellow God of Destruction Champa. Beerus was modeled after Toriyama's Cornish Rex cat.[23]
Whis
Whis (ウイス, Uisu) is an angelic being who appears in the fourteenth and fifteenth Dragon Ball Z films, as well as in Dragon Ball Super. A tall teal humanoid with pronounced effeminate features, he is an Angel (天使, Tenshi), a being of extremely high status within the multiverse hierarchy. Each Angel is bound to the service of a God of Destruction of their respective universes, and rarely leaves them unaccompanied. Their role is to guide their deity to master their destructive capabilities, train their deity in martial arts and also to perform trivial duties such as preparing meals for their deity. They are tasked with supervising their deity and keeping them in check, and will intervene when they go too far.
Whis is Beerus' martial arts teacher who always accompanies him wherever he goes. He is unmatched in power and possesses tremendous speed, effortlessly defending himself against Goku and Vegeta and when training the two for the fight against the resurrected Frieza. As an attendant to his universe's God of Destruction, Whis is responsible for monitoring Beerus and keeping him in line; for example, he would not permit him to engage his brother and long time rival Champa in any physical fight, as it is said that both of their respective universes will be destroyed should their fighting escalate.
The character's name stems from a misunderstanding. Toriyama incorrectly believed that Beerus' name was a pun on the word "beer" and so decided to follow the same rule to name the character's assistant. Thus, he ended up naming the character Whis, a pun on "whisky" (ウイスキー, uisukī).[24] Whis is voiced by Masakazu Morita in Japanese media[25] and Ian Sinclair in the Funimation dub.
Antagonists
Red Ribbon Army
The Red Ribbon Army (レッドリボン軍, Reddo Ribon Gun) is a paramilitary organization led by Commander Red (レッド総帥, Reddo-Sōsui), a short man who has his forces raid towns in search for the Dragon Balls on a quest for world domination. However, the plan is secretly a ruse, so he can really use the power of the Dragon Balls to become taller.[ch. 95] The second in command, Adjutant Black (ブラック参謀, Burakku-Sanbō), who loyally obeys Red, shoots him after hearing the real plan and attempts to take command of the army, only to be killed by Goku after he was able to easily wipe out most of their forces.[ch. 95, 96]
The many operatives of the Red Ribbon Army serve as obstacles for Goku during his second quest for the Dragon Balls. Goku quickly becomes the top of their hit list when he first comes into contact with them by easily defeating Colonel Silver (シルバー大佐, Shirubā-Taisa), who is sentenced to death for losing to a little boy.[ch. 55, 56] Though they first believe it was only a fluke, they then realize the threat Goku is when he defeats the forces under General White (ホワイト将軍, Howaito-Shōgun) in their northern stronghold known as Muscle Tower (マッスルタワー, Massuru Tawā). Among the forces under General White is the android brute Sergeant Metallic (メタリック軍曹, Metarriku-Gunsō, "Full Metal Jacket" in Viz's English manga and "Major Metallitron" in the English anime), the ninja Sergeant Major Purple (ムラサキ曹長, Murasaki-Sōchō, simply "Murasaki" in the English anime) and his four identical brothers, and the large extraterrestrial monster Buyon (ブヨン, "Jiggler" in Viz's English manga).[ch. 58, 60, 62, 64]
Android 8 (人造人間8号, Jinzōningen Hachi-gō, "Artificial Human #8") or Mechanical Man No. 8, the first Red Ribbon Android operative seen in the series, is eventually activated and deployed against Goku. Android 8 turns out to be kindhearted and dislikes fighting; he befriends Goku, defects from the Red Ribbon Army, and later lives peacefully with the locals of Jingle Village (ジングル村, Jinguru Mura) and adopts the alias 8-Man (ハッチャン, "Hacchan") ("Eighter" in the anime) as suggested by Goku. Android 8 is seen towards the end of the original manga series, giving energy for Goku's Genki-Dama to destroy Majin Buu.[ch. 63, 67, 515]
Other members include General Blue, Colonel Yellow (イエロー大佐, Ierō-Taisa, "Captain Yellow" in the English anime) an anthropomorphic tiger whom Goku defeated when arriving at the land of Korin, and Colonel Violet (バイオレット大佐, Baioretto-Taisa), the only known female operative of the army.[ch. 84, 93] A General Copper (カッパ将軍, Kappa-Shōgun) is referred to once by Commander Red, but is never seen.[ch. 93] In the aftermath of the Red Ribbon Army's defeat, a surviving member known as Doctor Gero continues to create more advanced androids and uses them as part of his long term vendetta against Goku.
In the film Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure, Sergeant Metallic appear as a soldier in Emperor Chiaotzu's army. Several key members of the Red Ribbon Army appears in the alternate-retelling film Dragon Ball: The Path to Power, where many of them get altered character designs. Sergeant Major Purple appears in the 1990s Dr. Slump anime, as well as the unofficial live-action Korean film, Dragon Ball: Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku as one of Pilaf's subordinates. The North American English releases of the manga by Viz Media have edited Adjutant Black's lips by shading them in, possibly to downplay racist stereotypes, similar to their censorship of Mr. Popo.
Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network opined that the Red Ribbon army arc was where the Dragon Ball series was at its peak, a pleasant balance between the frivolity of early Dragon Ball and the ponderous solemnity of Dragon Ball Z in terms of series' tone. He thought the Red Ribbon Army were effective villains, as it was first time Goku has faced real bad guys, as opposed to goofy Team Rocket-esque wannabes like Emperor Pilaf.[26]
General Blue
General Blue (ブルー将軍, Burū-Shōgun), one of the Red Ribbon Army's leaders and seemingly its most powerful member in the original Dragon Ball series, has special telekinetic abilities that allow him to paralyze other individuals and can also be used to control objects.[ch. 77, 80] He is a neat freak, and when he does not enjoy Bulma's attempts at seduction, she states that he is gay.[ch. 76] He manages to steal the Dragon Radar during their final encounter but after returning to the army's headquarters is set to be executed for not obtaining any of the Dragon Balls after multiple failures.[ch. 81, 85] He is allowed to fight the mercenary Mercenary Tao to redeem himself, though Mercenary Tao easily kills Blue using only his tongue.[ch. 85]
Blue appears in the alternate-retelling film Dragon Ball: The Path to Power, and as a member of Emperor Chiaotzu's army and holds the rank of lieutenant in the film Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure where he is also murdered by Mercenary Tao in the same aforementioned manner. He also appears in the remade 1990s version of the Dr. Slump anime, where he attempts to take the Dragon Balls from Goku and Arale, and in a few episodes of Dragon Ball GT. He is voiced by Toshio Furukawa in Japanese, who said it was a difficult role to play because of the character's homosexuality,[27] and Sonny Strait in the Funimation dub.
Doctor Gero
Doctor Gero (ドクター・ゲロ, Dokutā Gero) was the chief scientist of the Red Ribbon Army.[ch. 335] After the downfall of the organization, he continues using his research and development work on Red Ribbon Androids to seek revenge against Goku. After creating a more advanced series of Red Ribbon Androids, such as Androids 16, 17 and 18, he eventually implants his own brain into an exact replica of his body, becoming Android 20 (人造人間20号, Jinzōningen Ni Jū Gō, lit. "Artificial Human #20").[ch. 348] Both he and Android 19 (人造人間１９号, Jinzōningen Jū Kyū Gō, lit. "Artificial Human #19"), a round, pale android and the most loyal of Gero's creations, are able to absorb the energy of others using small devices on their hands.[ch. 341, 345] The two eventually attack Goku and his friends. 19 successfully drains Goku of his energy while Goku is affected by his heart virus, but is destroyed by Vegeta afterwards.[ch. 342, 344] Doctor Gero flees and returns to his laboratory to release Androids 17 and 18 as a last resort, but 17 turns on his creator and murders him following a brief altercation.[ch. 349, 350]
Doctor Gero's death at the hands of Android 17 was retold in the seventh Dragon Ball Z film, which features his other creations, Androids 13, 14, and 15 as the antagonists; they do not appear in the manga or anime series. He appears once more in Dragon Ball GT, planning to return to Earth along with Doctor Myu by creating another Android 17. They succeed, though Myuu betrays Gero and has the newly formed Super 17 kill him once again. He is voiced by Kōji Yada in Japanese,[28] Brian Dobson in the Ocean dub, and Kent Williams in the Funimation dub.
Mercenary Tao
Tao Pai Pai (
In Japanese, he is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka in Dragon Ball and Yukimasa Kishino in Dragon Ball Z. In the Ocean dub, he is voiced by Scott McNeil, while in the Funimation dub, he is voiced by Kent Williams. Mercenary Tao was the model for the character Uonuma Usui in Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga. Watsuki stated that as the first villain to defeat Goku, Mercenary Tao made "a strong impression" on him.[29]
King Piccolo
Piccolo Daimaō (ピッコロ大魔王, Pikkoro Daimaō, "The Great Demon King Piccolo") is the evil half of the Namekian who removed his evil in order to become the god of the Earth; this negative energy took on a physical form, becoming a cast-off being.[ch. 164] He and the good half, Kami, are linked, so if one dies, the other will as well.[ch. 165] After being formed, he designates himself as the Great Demon King and begins to terrorize the world. He is eventually imprisoned by Mutaito, the master of Master Roshi and Master Shen, in a rice cooker by the suicidal Mafū-ba (魔封波, "Demon Seal" or "Evil Containment Wave") technique.[ch. 135] After being released by Pilaf, he attempts to kill anyone that could possibly seal him again (including Master Roshi and Chiaotzu) and uses the Dragon Balls to restore his youth before destroying Shenron, rendering them useless.[ch. 135, 148] He then takes over the King of the World's palace and has the King announce him as his successor, before being confronted by Goku, who, in their second battle, punches a large hole through his abdomen.[ch. 152, 161] Before dying, he regurgitates the egg containing his reincarnation, Piccolo Jr., in order to pursue his revenge.[ch. 161] He is voiced by Takeshi Aono in Japanese,[30] Scott McNeil in the Ocean dub, and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub. King Piccolo also appears in the American live-action film Dragonball Evolution, where he is portrayed by James Marsters; his voiced was dubbed over by Hōchū Ōtsuka in the Japanese version of the film.
Prior to Piccolo Jr., King Piccolo created several offspring in order to help him with his plans. His first shown offspring, Piano (ピアノ), helps him formulate his plan until he is killed when Goku knocks King Piccolo into him.[ch. 156] He also creates Tambourine (タンバリン, Tanbarin) to hunt down the contenders of the World Martial Arts Tournament to keep the sealing technique from resurfacing.[ch. 136] Tambourine kills Krillin and beats a weakened Goku, but Goku's Kamehameha vaporizes him in a rematch.[ch. 135, 136, 141] The third, Cymbal (シンバル, Shinbaru), is created to find Dragon Balls, but he is killed and eaten by Yajirobe.[ch. 137, 139] The fourth, Drum (ドラム, Doramu), is created to battle Tien Shinhan, who he easily defeats until Goku appears and crushes his head in one blow.[ch. 153, 154] Piano is voiced by Masato Hirano in Japan[31] and Sonny Strait in the Funimation dub; Tambourine is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao in Japan and Dameon Clarke in the Funimation dub; Cymbal is voiced by Daisuke Gōri in Japan and Mark Orvik in the Funimation dub; and Drum is voiced by Daisuke Gōri in Japan and Bob Carter in the Funimation dub.
Frieza's Army
Freeza's army (フリーザ軍, Furīza-gun), known as "Freeza's Gang" in the Viz Media localization and "Frieza Force" in the Funimation anime dub, is the organization run by Freeza (フリーザ, Furīza), or Frieza in the English anime dub. The organisation controlled a majority of Universe 7 at the peak of its power and serves as the primary antagonistic force of the first half of the Dragon Ball Z series. Frieza's father, King Cold (コルド大王, Korudo Daiō) was the leader of the organisation prior to passing control over to his son.
The organisation employs and enslaves powerful races, such as the Saiyans, to take over suitable planets so that they can be sold to the highest bidders, or alternatively to destroy planets which are determined to be not financially viable. Frieza's forces are equipped with scouters, portable computers mainly used to measure power levels, and wear standard-issue battle armor which usually have dual shoulder guards, matching gloves and boots, and some form of skirt armor or crotch guard.
Frieza himself does not really consider his soldiers as an army, looking at them more as a convenient group of followers. In reality, the soldiers follow him and his relatives out of fear, though some soldiers are known to be fiercely loyal to Frieza such as the Ginyu Force.
Frieza
The self-styled emperor of Universe 7, Frieza first appears on Planet Namek, where he systematically eradicates most of the entire native Namekian population in his quest to obtain the Dragon Balls so that he can wish for eternal life[ch. 249]. It is eventually revealed that Frieza was responsible for destroying the Saiyan planet Vegeta, killing all but a few Saiyans, as he had feared their power.[ch. 257] However, he retains three of them, Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz, as his underlings. Frieza later engages Goku and his associates in a protracted battle, with Goku transforming into a Super Saiyan after Frieza murders Krillin.[ch. 317] Out of anger and frustration at his inability to counter Goku's newfound power, Frieza blasted a hole into Namek's core in order to destroy the planet.[ch. 320] Frieza is then sliced in half by his own attack and begs for mercy, with Goku giving him some of his surplus energy.[ch. 326] After he uses that energy to attack, Goku then seemingly kills Frieza.[ch. 327] He is later rebuilt with cybernetic body parts and travels to Earth with his father King Cold and their forces to seek revenge, but all of them are eliminated with ease by Trunks who traveled back in time from the future.[ch. 331, 332] After the deaths of Frieza and Cold, the army soon fell into shambles and split into several factions.
In Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' and Dragon Ball Super series, one of Frieza's loyal officers named Sorbet (ソルベ, Sorube) travels to Earth along with his subordinate Tagoma (タゴマ) to resurrect their master by using Earth's Dragon Balls to summon Shenron.[32] Frieza takes his time to recuperate and train, and is later accompanied by Sorbet and a thousand-strong military force for his journey back to Earth to once again exact revenge on Goku and his family and friends. Sorbet was killed by his own master's ki blast towards the end of the battle, which was intended for Krillin but was deflected by Vegeta. Even though Frieza utilizes a powerful new form developed as a result of intensive training, Goku defeats him once again and sends him back to Hell. A deceased Frieza is later recruited by Goku to participate in the Tournament of Power (力の大会 Chikara no Taikai, lit. "Convention of Power") as a member of Team Universe 7.
Raditz
Raditz (ラディッツ, Radittsu) is a Saiyan warrior and the older brother of Goku.[ch. 197] Raditz is one of the few remaining Saiyans following the destruction of their homeworld, planet Vegeta.[ch. 197] He arrives on Earth, searching for his long-lost brother in order to recruit him in conquering other planets.[ch. 196] When Goku refuses, Raditz kidnaps his nephew, Gohan, and orders Goku to kill 100 Earthlings within a day if he wants his son back.[ch. 197] Instead, Goku and Piccolo team up to defeat Raditz, though not even their combined powers are enough.[ch. 198, 200] However, Goku makes the ultimate sacrifice by grappling with Raditz and allowing Piccolo to kill them both with his Makankosappo technique.[ch. 205] Before Raditz dies, Piccolo taunts him by explaining that Goku will be revived by the Dragon Balls, though Raditz manages to send one final transmission to inform Vegeta and Nappa of this, believing that his Saiyan comrades will come to Earth and use the Dragon Balls to revive him.[ch. 204] However, Vegeta and Nappa travel to Earth to use the Dragon Balls for their own purposes instead. In the anime, Raditz later makes a minor appearance in Dragon Ball GT along with many of the other villains who escaped Hell. He also makes a single panel appearance in Toriyama's 2014 Dragon Ball Minus: The Departure of the Fated Child special.[33] He is voiced by Shigeru Chiba in Japanese,[34] Jason Gray-Stanford in the Ocean dub, and Justin Cook in the Funimation dub.
Nappa
Nappa (ナッパ) is one of the few remaining Saiyans that were known to survive the destruction of their homeworld, Planet Vegeta.[ch. 197] An elite Saiyan warrior, Nappa uses Saibamen (栽培マン Saibaiman, lit. "Cultivation Man") as grunts to root out weaker opponents or to assess an opponent's power and skill level; known as Cultivars in the Viz translation of the manga, the Saibamen are green humanoid creatures that grow from a planted seed placed in the ground, which are stored in a special liquid prior to their use. Nappa encounters the Dragon Team after he traveled to Earth with the Saiyan prince Vegeta in search of the Dragon Balls. He survives Chiaotzu's self-destructing attack, causes Tien Shinhan to die of exhaustion and kills Piccolo.[ch. 217, 218, 223] He eventually meets his match against Goku, who had returned to Earth after receiving intensive training from King Kai. Upon discovering that Goku's new power level is well over 8000, Vegeta orders Nappa to stop fighting due to Goku's clear dominance over him, but he refuses and is incapacitated by Goku.[ch. 226] Seeing that Nappa has been defeated, Vegeta mercilessly kills him himself.[ch. 227] In Dragon Ball GT, Nappa briefly returned as one of the escapees from Hell, only to be killed by Vegeta once more. In Japanese he is voiced by Shōzō Iizuka in Dragon Ball Z, Kiyoyuki Yanada in Dragon Ball GT, and Tetsu Inada in Dragon Ball Kai. In English he is voiced by Michael Dobson in the Ocean dub, and by Christopher Sabat and Phil Parsons in the Funimation dubs.
Zarbon and Dodoria
Zarbon (ザーボン, Zābon) and Dodoria (ドドリア) are two of Frieza's top ranking henchmen, first seen alongside their master on Planet Namek collecting the planet's Dragon Balls. Dodoria's demeanour is brutish and vulgar, while Zarbon appears to be a handsome, long-haired humanoid alien with a refined temperament. Bulma is blinded by her attraction to Zarbon's uncommon physical beauty during their initial encounter, and initially mistakes him for an ally. While their former cohort Vegeta have little difficulty dispatching Dodoria, who inadvertably revealed to Vegeta that Frieza was ultimately responsible for the destruction of the Saiyan homeworld, Zarbon manages to defeat and capture him after transforming into a powerful reptilian beast following their initial encounter.[ch. 263] After Zarbon retrieves Vegeta's battered body and brings him to Frieza's ship in order to heal him for interrogation, Vegeta manages to escape and steal Frieza's Dragon Balls.[ch. 264–266] Zarbon sets out to find him once again, but Vegeta, having become stronger after experiencing the effects of a Saiyan genetic trait which increases his power level substantially following recovery from a near death experience, kills Zarbon in his beastly form.[ch. 268]
The duo have been referenced in Dragon Ball Super and make cameo appearances in flashbacks. They also appear in Bardock - The Father of Goku, where Zarbon advises Frieza to destroy the Saiyan homeworld, and Dodoria massacred Bardock's teammates. Both also make cameo appearances in Dragon Ball GT when they escape from Hell along with various other villains. In an issue of Beckett Anime, a Beckett magazine publication, Zarbon was voted as one of the top five greatest henchmen of all anime, and was the only character from Dragon Ball on the list.[35] Zarbon is voiced by Shō Hayami in the original Japanese series and by Hiroaki Miura in Dragon Ball Kai and Episode of Bardock. In the English versions of the series, he is voiced by Paul Dobson in the Ocean dub, by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub and by J. Michael Tatum in Dragon Ball Z Kai. Dodoria is voiced by Yukitoshi Hori in the original Japanese series and by Takashi Nagasako in Dragon Ball Kai and Episode of Bardock. In the English versions of the series, he is voiced by Paul Dobson in the Ocean dub, by Chris Forbis in the Funimation dub and by John Swasey in Dragon Ball Z Kai.
Ginyu Force
The Ginyu Force (ギニュー特戦隊, Ginyū Tokusentai, lit. "Ginyu Special Squadron") is a team of five mercenaries who are hired by Frieza. Though physically some of the strongest individuals in the universe, the Ginyu Force's members delight in coming up with strange poses, betting candy on fights, and playing Janken. Frieza calls upon them to assist in the defeat of Vegeta and help obtain the Dragon Balls on Planet Namek.[ch. 272] In the anime, the four deceased members of the Ginyu Force (sans their leader, Captain Ginyu, who was still alive) appear at King Kai's planet in the afterlife and battle Tien Shinhan, Yamcha and Chiaotzu, who defeat and knock them down to Hell after a short skirmish. Tien Shinhan defeats Jeice and Burter, Yamcha defeats Recoome, and Chiaotzu defeats Guldo. King Kai reveals that he actually invited the Ginyu Force there in order to test their new strength subsequent to his training.
Gurd (グルド, Gurudo), named Guldo in the English anime dub, is a fat, short, four-eyed, green-skinned humanoid who, although physically weak, has psychic powers, including the ability to freeze time for as long as he can hold his breath.[ch. 273] He can also immobilize opponents and control objects with telekinesis.[ch. 274] He is the first one killed when Vegeta interrupts his fight with Krillin and Gohan and decapitates him.[ch. 274] Guldo is voiced by Kōzō Shioya in the original series and Yasuhiro Takato in Kai. In English, he is voiced by Terry Klassen in the Ocean dub, Dylan Thompson in Funimation's original dub, Bill Townsley in their redub, and by Greg Ayres in Kai.
Reacoom (リクーム, Rikūmu), or Recoome in the English anime dub, is a sadistic, orange-haired humanoid who names his attacks after himself.[ch. 275] He uses Vegeta like a plaything in their fight, defeats Krillin in one blow, and nearly kills Gohan.[ch. 276–278] However, when Goku arrives, Recoome is the one defeated in a single blow, before being finished off by Vegeta.[ch. 280, 282] Recoome is voiced by Kenji Utsumi in the original series and Seiji Sasaki in Kai. In English, he is voiced by David Kaye in the Ocean dub and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dubs.
Butta (バータ, Bāta), named Burter in the English anime dub, is a blue-skinned reptile-like humanoid, who claims to be the fastest being in the universe.[ch. 273] He and Jeice attack Goku together, but neither of them get a single hit on him, and Burter is incapacitated, before Vegeta mercilessly kills him.[ch. 281, 282] Burter is voiced by Yukimasa Kishino in the original series and Masaya Onosaka in Kai.[36] In English, he is voiced by Alec Willows in the Ocean dub, Mark Britten in Funimation's original dub, Christopher Sabat in their redub, and by Vic Mignogna in Kai.
Jheese (ジース, Jīsu), named Jeice in the English anime dub, is a white-haired, red-skinned humanoid, though he resembles a normal human. He and Burter attack Goku together, but when Burter is incapacitated, he flees to fetch Captain Ginyu.[ch. 281, 282] After Ginyu switches bodies with Goku, they chase after Krillin, Gohan and Vegeta, where Jeice begins a fight with Vegeta and is killed.[ch. 289] Jeice is voiced by Kazumi Tanaka in the original series and Daisuke Kishio in Kai.[37] In English, he is voiced by Scott McNeil in the Ocean dub, Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub, and by Jason Liebrecht in Kai.
Captain Ginyu (ギニュー隊長, Ginyū-Taichō) is a horned purple-skinned humanoid who is the leader of the Ginyu Force. He is shown to be the most tactically skilled, as he deduced that Goku was masking his true power level by simply watching him fight. After seeing Goku's increased power level when using the Kaio-ken, Ginyu inflicts a near fatal injury on himself.[ch. 285, 286] He then uses his unique technique that allows him to switch bodies with anyone, leaving Goku with Ginyu's nearly dead body.[ch. 286, 287] Ginyu (as Goku) momentarily deceives Krillin, but has trouble fighting Krillin and Gohan when he realizes that he can not fully control Goku's power.[ch. 288, 289] Ginyu then tries to switch into Vegeta's body, but Goku intervenes getting his body back, and when Ginyu tries again, he inadvertently switches bodies with a Namekian frog Goku throws in the way.[ch. 290] In Dragon Ball Super, Ginyu is revealed to have survived the destruction of Planet Namek and escaped to Earth, although he is still trapped in the body of a Namekian frog. He takes the opportunity to swap bodies with one of Frieza's soldiers named Tagoma, but is killed by Vegeta not long afterwards. In Dragon Ball GT, he is briefly seen among several escapees from Hell as they return to there after they're defeated by Goku and the others. Ginyu is voiced by Hideyuki Hori in the original series and Katsuyuki Konishi in Kai. In English, he is voiced by Richard Newman in the Ocean dub, Dale Kelly in Funimation's original dub, Brice Armstrong in their redub, and by Robert Bruce Elliott in Kai.
Cell
Cell (セル, Seru) is the ultimate creation of Doctor Gero, former chief scientist of the Red Ribbon Army, to get revenge on Goku. He is an artificial life form created using the cells of several characters from the series, including Goku, Piccolo and Frieza. As a result, Cell is able to perform techniques such as the Kamehameha, which he gains from the cells of Goku.[ch. 363] Cell evolves several times throughout his appearances; he originally evolves from a cicada-like form into his Imperfect form, which is still insect-like in appearance. Both his first form and his second Semi-Perfect form have a long tail that ends in a stinger-like appendage and allows it to absorb other organisms.[ch. 361] The tail recedes under his wings in his final Perfect form, and he can use it to spawn Cell Juniors, minuscule childlike versions of himself. Requiring the androids 17 and 18 to evolve, he finds out that they are already dead in his timeline, so he kills the Trunks of his timeline and uses Trunks' time machine to travel back in time. He eventually absorbs both after many battles and ascends to his perfect form.[ch. 372, 380, 381] He decides to hold the Cell Games (セルゲーム, Seru Gēmu), a tournament in which he fights against Earth's strongest fighters.[ch. 389] Cell manages to defeat Goku, but he is eventually killed by Gohan.[ch. 416]
Broly
Broly (ブロリー, Burorī) is a character that appeared as the main villain in the films Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan and Broly Second Coming. His backstory was that he was born with a power greater than most elite adult Saiyans, and is mentally unsettled as an adult due to the crying of the infant Goku in the incubator next to him when they were born, traumatic events during his childhood (including nearly being executed as well as Frieza's genocide) and also in part due to his extreme power. He eventually becomes the "Legendary Super Saiyan" (伝説の超サイヤ人, Densetsu no Chō Saiya-jin) told of in legends, with his destructive tendencies only being quelled by a special controlling device created by scientists for his father, Paragus (パラガス, Paragasu). In the eighth film, after Paragus lures Vegeta, Goku, and their companions to another planet, Broly recalls Goku and goes into a rage, destroying the control device and becoming the unstoppable Legendary Super Saiyan. He effortlessly pummels Super Saiyan Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Trunks as well as Piccolo, before killing his father. He is eventually defeated by Goku, but somehow manages to make his way into an escape pod. In the tenth film, he lands on Earth and goes into a frozen state until the crying of Goku's son Goten awakens him. He is killed by Goku, Gohan and Goten by their combined Kamehameha attack after being blasted through the sun. In Bio-Broly, blood samples make their way into the hands of an industrialist, who creates a clone of the original Broly. The clone eventually wakes up and becomes mixed with bio-liquid, mutating him into a creature known as "Bio-Broly" (バイオブロリー, Baio Burorī). He fought Goten, Trunks, Android 18, and Krillin, and is eventually defeated by a combined Kamehameha attack after his body is exposed to sea water and becomes petrified as a result. He is voiced by Bin Shimada in the Japanese films, and Vic Mignogna in the Funimation dub.
A reworked version of Broly that fits into the official Dragon Ball series continuity appears in the animated film Dragon Ball Super: Broly. This Broly's backstory and physical appearance have been updated by Akira Toriyama, who had only created concept art of the original character for the Z films that featured him. This version of Broly is still voiced by the same actors listed in the paragraph above.
Babidi
Bobbidi (バビディ, Babidi), Babidi in the English anime dub, is a madōshi (魔導師) or warlock and son of Bibbidi (ビビディ, Bibidi), the creator of Majin Buu.[ch. 445] Long after Buu is sealed away and his father is dead, he sets out to revive Buu to help him conquer the universe. Babidi is capable of taking control of someone using his magic; a large "M" would appear on their foreheads as a result. Babidi manages to take over the minds of many strong warriors in order to help him achieve his goal, including Dabura,[ch. 447] alien warrior Pui Pui (プイプイ, "Pocus" in the English manga),[ch. 449] light-devouring monster Yakon (ヤコン),[ch. 451] and two muscle-bound humans, Yamu (ヤムー, Yamū) and Spopovitch (スポポビッチ, Supopobitchi). Babidi uses them to collect energy for Buu's revival, and later enlists Vegeta to help him, though Vegeta is able to ignore his orders.[ch. 457] After Buu is revived, Babidi manages to control him with the threat of resealing him,[ch. 462] though after being manipulated by Goku,[ch. 473] Buu turns on him and shatters his head with a single punch.[ch. 475, 476] In the anime, he later appears in Hell, cheering Goku and Vegeta on during their fight with Buu. Babidi is referenced in Dragon Ball Super and appears in flashback scenes, and he also makes a cameo appearance in Dragon Ball GT when various villains escape from Hell. Babidi is voiced by Jōji Yanami in the original series and by Bin Shimada in Kai,[38] Terry Klassen in the Ocean dub, and Duncan Brannan in the Funimation dub.
Dabura
Dabra, King of the Demon World (暗黒魔界の王ダーブラ, Ankoku Makai no Ō Dābura), named "Dabura" in the English anime dub, is Babidi's right-hand man, being placed under his control by a spell. Dabura is first seen when Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo and Krillin are led to Babidi's ship by Supreme Kai and his attendant Kibito to aid them in preventing Majin Buu's awakening. Dabura proved to be a formidable foe for the group, and is compared to Cell in his perfect form in terms of power level; he obliterates Kibito single-handedly, turns Piccolo and Krillin to stone by spitting at them, and aids Babidi in corrupting Vegeta with a spell. Not long after his successful awakening by Babidi, Buu would turn on Dabura by transmuting him into a large cookie and consumed him. This in turn reverts his petrification of Piccolo and Krillin, restoring them to normal. In a filler episode of the Dragon Ball Z anime, an apparently redeemed Dabura was shown accompanying Bulma, Chi-Chi and Videl in their search for Gohan in the afterlife. Dabura was sent to Heaven by the ruler of the afterlife since, being a demon, he would enjoy Hell. Dabura is referenced in Dragon Ball Super and appears in flashback scenes. Dabura is voiced by Ryūzaburō Ōtomo in the Japanese version of the anime series. In the Ocean Group English dub, his voice is supplied by Scott McNeil, and he is voiced by Rick Robertson in the Funimation English Dub.
Majin Buu
Majin Boo (魔人ブウ, Majin Bū), written as "Majin Buu" in the English anime dub and translated as "Djinn-Buu" in the English manga, is a magical life form created by the warlock Bibbidi (ビビディ), eons before the events of Dragon Ball took place.[ch. 445] He was temporarily sealed by Bibbidi and brought to Earth, their next target, but Bibbidi was killed by the last surviving Supreme Kai.[ch. 445] However, Bibbidi's son, Babidi makes it his goal to revive Buu.[ch. 445] Upon being released, Buu appears as an innocent looking pudgy pink genie-like creature.[ch. 460] After Buu kills Babidi, he becomes close friends with Mr. Satan, which eventually causes him to expel his evil side.[ch. 476, 483, 484] This evil manifests into a taller and much skinnier, almost frail, form that absorbs the fat Buu, becoming yet another new form that is muscular and much stronger.[ch. 485, 485] This Majin Buu is interested in a challenge, and later goes on to absorb Goten and Trunks (as Gotenks), Piccolo, and Gohan.[ch. 499, 502] It is revealed by the Supreme Kai that the fat form of Buu is actually the result of the original Majin Buu, known as "Pure Majin Boo (魔人ブウ 純粋, Majin Bū Junsui)" or Kid Buu in English dubs, absorbing the Dai Supreme Kai into his body.[ch. 508] The original Majin Buu is a sleek, child-sized being who is obsessed with chaos and destruction; Buu reverts to this form after Goku and Vegeta remove his benevolent aspect from his body[ch. 507, 508], who then sides with the Saiyans against his original incarnation. The original Majin Buu is defeated and killed by Goku, who wishes for him to be reincarnated as a good person.[ch. 512, 516–518] Ten years later, Goku encounters the reincarnation of Buu known as Uub and handpicks him for training as his potential successor[ch. 518, 519].
Goku Black / Zamasu
Goku Black (ゴクウブラック, Gokū Burakku), or simply Black, is an entity who is identical to Son Goku in appearance. It is revealed that Black had previously traveled to many worlds, wreaks havoc and eventually destroying them "for the sake of justice" whilst calling himself Son Goku. He eventually arrives on an alternate future earth, encounters that timeline's version of Trunks, and brings the remaining human population to the brink of extinction. Trunks later manages to travel into the present timeline using the Time Machine; however, Goku Black also finds a way to follow Trunks into the same timeline using the Time Ring. In the present timeline, Black meets Son Goku, but also recognizes Vegeta and Beerus. Wanting to get rid of him, Black challenges Son Goku to a duel. However, he proves to be no match for Son Goku at his full power. In order to safely escape Trunks' retribution for what he had done, Black destroys Trunks' Time Machine and travels back into their future timeline. Goku and his associates later discover that Goku Black is actually Zamasu (ザマス, Zamas), an apprentice Supreme Kai from Universe 10 of an alternate timeline who came to despise all mortal life and hijacked Goku's body using the Super Dragon Balls. Goku Black and Zamasu from the Universe 10 of Trunks' timeline would later fuse into a single being using the Potara (ポタラ) earrings, eventually defeated by the combined effort of Goku, Trunks and their allies. Zamasu is ultimately erased by Zeno of the alternate future timeline along with the entirety of that timeline's multiverse, which he had ravaged and ruined as part of the so-called Project Zero Mortals (人間ゼロ計画, Ningen Zero Keikaku, lit. "Zero Humans Plan").
Supporting characters
Oolong
Oolong (ウーロン, Ūron), named Mao-Mao in the Harmony Gold dub, is a shapeshifting, anthropomorphic pig that uses his abilities for his own greedy desires. He and Puar went to the same shapeshifting school together, before he was expelled for stealing the teacher's panties.[ch. 8] This is the reason he can only change his form for five minutes at a time, requiring a one-minute break. Oolong joins Goku and Bulma in the search for the Dragon Balls to eventually steal them, but abandons this plan. He does however make the first shown wish with the Dragon Balls, wishing for a girl's pair of panties.[ch. 20] Oolong plays a minor role as the series progresses, where he is often in the company of Master Roshi. He is voiced by Naoki Tatsuta in Japanese,[39] and by Alec Willows and Richard Newman in the Ocean dub. In Funimation's dubs he is voiced by Bradford Jackson, except in Dragon Ball Z Kai, where Bryan Massey voices him.
Puar
Pu'ar (プーアル, Pūaru), Puar in the Funimation anime dub, Pu-erh in their subtitles, and named Squeakers in the Harmony Gold dub, is a soft-spoken blue creature and the constant companion of Yamcha. Puar's abilities consist of transvection and shapeshifting. He and Oolong went to the same shapeshifting school together, where he was constantly mocked by Oolong.[ch. 8] When first introduced, he and Yamcha survive in a desert as bandits, where they encounter Goku, Bulma, and Oolong. They initially tail and assist the group in order to steal the Dragon Balls they are collecting, though they later reform and befriend the trio. When Goku transforms into a giant ape for the first time in the series, Puar transforms into a pair of scissors and cuts off his tail to revert him back to his regular state.[ch. 22] Together with Upa, Puar defeats Dracula Man while competing in Baba Uranai's tournament.[ch. 99] The character's name is a pun on pu-erh tea and was designed to slightly resemble a cat.[vol. 2:afterword] When questioned about gender, Toriyama disclosed that he looked at the character as male during illustrations.[40] Puar is voiced by Naoko Watanabe in Japanese,[41] by Cheryl Chase in the Harmony Gold dub, and by Kathy Morse and Cathy Weseluck in the Ocean dub. In Funimation's dubs he is voiced by Monika Antonelli, up until Dragon Ball Z Kai onwards, where Brina Palencia voices him.
Chi-Chi
Chi-Chi (チチ) is the wife of Goku and the mother of Gohan and Goten. She is very protective over the well being of her family, wishing to remove Gohan from Goku's lifestyle of fighting and constant conflict, but this is interrupted by the constant threats to Earth. She later relaxes with Goten, even training him herself.[ch. 427] As the daughter of Ox-King, she is considered a strong martial artist in her own right. She and Goku first meet as children when Ox-King asked Goku to take her to Master Roshi's house.[ch. 12] In a misunderstanding, Goku promises to marry her.[ch. 15] Years later, she confronts him to have him fulfill the promise in the quarter-finals of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, despite the misunderstanding.[ch. 171] She is voiced by Mayumi Shō in the Japanese version of the series up until Dragon Ball Z episode 88,[42] from which point she is voiced by Naoko Watanabe.[38][41] In the Ocean dub, she was voiced by Andrea Libman as a child and by Laara Sadiq and Lisa Ann Beley respectively as an adult. In the Funimation dub, she is voiced by Laura Bailey as a child and by Cynthia Cranz as an adult. In the Bang Zoom! Entertainment dub, she is voiced by Michelle Ruff.[22] Chi-Chi is portrayed by Jamie Chung in the American live-action film Dragonball Evolution; her voice was dubbed over by Ami Koshimizu in the Japanese version of the film.
Ox-King
Gyū-Maō (牛魔王, lit "Ox Demon King"), known as Ox-King in the English anime dub, is the wealthy owner of a castle on Frypan Mountain (フライパン山, Furaipan-yama) and the father of Chi-Chi. He is loosely based on the Bull Demon King from Journey to the West. He was trained in martial arts by Master Roshi alongside Goku's adoptive grandfather, Grandpa Gohan. Despite his imposing name and stature, he possesses a gentle and laid-back personality in contrast to his daughter Chi-Chi. He becomes the father in-law of Goku, the grandfather of Gohan and Goten, and the great-grandfather of Pan. In most Japanese media Ox-King was voiced by Daisuke Gōri, while Ryūzaburō Ōtomo voiced the character for Dragon Ball Kai and Dragon Ball Super. The character is voiced by Mark Britten and later by Kyle Hebert in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, by Dave Ward in the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z, and by Dave Pettitt in the Blue Water dub of Dragon Ball Z.
Launch
Lunch (ランチ, Ranchi), named Launch in the Funimation dub and Marilynn in the Harmony Gold dub, is a woman who Goku and Krillin rescue and bring to Master Roshi in exchange for him to train them.[ch. 26, 27] She has a split personality where she changes between a nice, polite, blue-haired woman and a trigger-happy blonde bad girl every time she sneezes.[ch. 26,] As her bad form is a known criminal, she decided to stay with Master Roshi, becoming their maid. Launch's blonde persona develops an attraction towards Tien Shinhan's fierce attitude. She is not seen after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, but is said to be chasing after Tien Shinhan.[ch. 196] However, in the anime she is seen in a few Dragon Ball Z filler episodes during the fight with the Saiyans, and is seen again at the series' end helping contribute energy to Goku's Genki-Dama to defeat Buu. She is voiced by Mami Koyama in Japanese,[43] Edie Mirman in the Harmony Gold dub, and Meredith McCoy in the Funimation dub.
Chiaotzu
Chaozu (
Dr. Briefs
Dr. Briefs (ブリーフ博士, Burīfu-hakase), sometimes written as Dr. Brief, is the father of Bulma and grandfather of Trunks and Bra. He is an elderly, brilliant and eccentric scientist and is one of the smartest and richest men in the world. Dr. Briefs is the founder and President of Capsule Corporation (カプセルコーポレーション, Kapuseru Kōporēshon), the largest company on Earth,[45] and the man responsible for the invention of the Hoi-Poi Capsules (ホイ ポイ カプセル, Hoi Poi Kapuseru), which can shrink inanimate objects down to pocket sized capsule of namesake.[46] He is responsible for modifying the Namekian spaceship that Bulma, Krillin and Gohan use on their journey to the Planet Namek, in a search for its Dragon Balls. He also creates Goku his own spaceship to journey to Namek, while allowing him to train in 100x Earth's gravity. Following their return to Earth and in preparation for the battle with the Androids, Vegeta forces him into creating him a ship to allow him to train under 300x Earth's gravity, which he reluctantly complies with. He later is essential in repairing the damaged Android 16 in preparation for the Cell Games, alongside his daughter. Dr. Briefs spends the majority of his time in his large home in West City (西の都, Nishi no Miyako), where he lives with his wife and daughter, along with their numerous pets. His favorite pet is a small black cat, named Tama (タマ) in the original anime and "Scratch" in the Funimation dub. He is voiced by Joji Yanami in Japanese. In English, he is voiced by Paul Dobson and Scott McNeil in Ocean dubs, and by Chris Forbis in the Funimation dub. Dr. Briefs appears in the final chapter of Toriyama's 2013 manga series Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, which is set before Dragon Ball.[47]
Korin
Karin (カリン), Korin in the Ocean and Funimation dub and known as Whiskers the Wonder Cat in the Harmony Gold dub, is a Senbyō (仙猫, immortal cat) and is at least 800 years old when he is introduced in the Dragon Ball.[48] He is a minor deity who lives at the top of the extremely tall Karin Tower (カリン塔, Karin-tō), which is situated underneath Kami's lookout; a warrior named Bora (ボラ) and his son Upa (ウパ) reside at the base of the tower, and serve as its guardians.[ch. 88, 162] He trained Master Roshi at one point back in the past for three years and gave him the Kinto'un (筋斗雲) and the Nyoi-bō (如意棒) ("Nimbus" and "Power Pole" in the English anime dub respectively), both of which are later passed on to Goku.[ch. 88, 152, 162] Korin trains Goku after his defeat by Mercenary Tao and, later, gives him a poisoned water from the gods to make him strong enough to beat King Piccolo.[ch. 88, 151] He is also the one in charge of deeming people worthy of meeting Kami; Goku being the first human he has ever deemed worthy.[ch. 162] He continues to help Goku and his friends by growing Senzu Beans (仙豆), which can fully heal any injuries and fatigue instantly, and is often accompanied by Yajirobe. Korin was modeled after the pet cat that Toriyama had at the time.[23] Japanese fans voted Korin the twelfth most popular character of the Dragon Ball series in a 2004 poll.[18] He is voiced by Ichirō Nagai[49] and Naoki Tatsuta in Japanese, Paul Dobson and Ted Cole in the Ocean dub, and Mark Britten and Chris Sabat in the Funimation dub.
Yajirobe
Yajirobe (ヤジロベー, Yajirobē) is an overweight samurai that is often considered to be rude, unmannered, timid, lazy, and cowardly. During their first meeting, Yajirobe gets mad at Goku for stealing his fish, and hates him.[ch. 138] However, he has a change of heart and helps Goku after he is defeated by King Piccolo, taking him to Korin's to be healed.[ch. 50] Yajirobe continues to support Goku and his companions from then on, though often from the sidelines. Originally he was a wanderer that lived off the land, but after meeting Korin and discovering the Senzu Beans, which provide the nutrients of ten days worth of meals, restore energy and heal wounds, he lives with Korin. He begins growing the beans with him, and often delivers them to Goku and his companions. He plays an integral part in Goku's first fight with Vegeta; although simply planning to watch while hidden, when Vegeta stares at a full moon and transforms into a giant ape, Yajirobe uses his sword to cut off his tail and turn him back to normal.[ch. 235] When Krillin died, Toriyama requested that Yajirobe be voiced by his voice actress Mayumi Tanaka. When Yajirobe and Krillin later appeared in the same scene together, Tanaka gave the former a Nagoya dialect in order to distinguish them.[50] Japanese fans voted Yajirobe the nineteenth most popular character of the Dragon Ball series in a 2004 poll.[18] He is voiced by Brian Drummond in the Ocean dub, Lucas Gilbertson in the Blue Water dub, and by Mike McFarland in the Funimation dub.
Mr. Popo
Mr. Popo (ミスター・ポポ, Misutā Popo) is a genie-like entity who serves as the attendant of Earth's guardian deity.[ch. 163] When he first appears, he easily gets the best of Goku in a skirmish.[ch. 163] He then assists Kami in training Goku for three years in preparation for his battle against Piccolo at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament as well as later training Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu and Yajirobe during their preparation against the Saiyans.[ch. 165, 209] Mr. Popo serves Dende as his attendant upon the latter's ascension as Earth's new guardian. Mr. Popo is voiced by Toku Nishio in the original series and Yasuhiko Kawazu in Kai. In English, he is voiced by Alvin Sanders and French Tickner in the Ocean dubs, and by Chris Cason and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dubs.
Mr. Popo's appearance has been considered an offensive racist stereotype related to Sambo or blackface by some,[51] such as Carole Boston Weatherford in an article she wrote in The Christian Science Monitor in May 2000.[52] While discussing the controversy, IGN suggested it is easy to see why by describing the character as "the black-skinned, red-lipped, turban-wearing servant of Kami", but noted that Japan does not have "the kinds of racial sensitivities that the Western world has."[51] The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University listed Mr. Popo as an example of racism in modern material.[53] The North American English releases of the manga by Viz Media censor Mr. Popo's lips by shading them in completely.[51][54] In the US airing of Dragon Ball Z Kai on the CW4kids/Toonzai block, Mr. Popo's skin was changed from black to blue.
Namekians
The Namekians (ナメック星人 Namekku-seijin), also known as Nameks, are indigenous to Planet Namek. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese word namekuji, which means "slug" in Japanese, the Namekians are a humanoid species with plant and slug-like characteristics. They possess green skin and antennae on their bald heads, and are able to make their own set of Dragon Balls. During the era of the Dragon Ball series, there were just over a hundred Namekians alive on their home planet, as most of their kind had died off a generation prior from a great calamity. While extraterrestrial in origin, the first Namekian characters encountered by Goku, King Piccolo and his mutated offspring, were known as the Demon Clan and thought of more earthly origin by the rest of the world.
Namekians are hermaphrodites that possess physiques similar to those of human males and are seen reproducing asexually using a mode of reproduction similar to the parthenogenesis, by spitting an egg out from their mouths. Despite this asexual reproductive system, there is still diversity in the species as each offspring is usually not an exact copy of their parent, like with King Piccolo, or the Great Elder (最長老, Saichōrō) who is the progenitor of every remaining Namekian on the planet prior to the events of Dragon Ball. The Great Elder, known as Guru in the English anime, pass on his position as leader of the Namekian people on to Muri (ムーリ) prior to his passing later in the series.[ch. 327]
During sixth volume of the Dragon Ball Z manga or Nama Saga arc of the anime, Planet Namek is terrorized by Frieza and his army. The Namekian homeworld is ultimately destroyed by Frieza as a last-ditch effort to kill Goku. All surviving Namekians are temporarily transported to Earth, where they reside for nearly a year before being resettled on another planet called New Namek. Later in the series, the young Namekian named Dende becomes the guardian deity of Planet Earth and its Dragon Balls.
The Namekians exist in both Universe 6 and Universe 7. Champa claims the Namekians of Universe 6 originally found the Super Dragon Balls and broke off pieces to create their own set of Dragon Balls.
Kami
Kami (神, lit. "God") is the creator of the Earth's Dragon Balls, and served as its guardian deity until the second half of the Dragon Ball Z series. The word "kami" is a generic term used by various characters throughout the series when referring to gods and deities in the original Japanese dialogue; this character is simply referred to as Kami (神様), and his actual name is never revealed. He and King Piccolo were once one being, later revealed to be a Namekian, who expelled the evil inside him order to assume the mantle of Earth's guardian deity.[ch. 164] The evil incarnation, King Piccolo, then went on to terrorize Earth until being sealed away by Master Roshi's master, Mutaito. Because they are one, if either Kami or King Piccolo dies, then the other will as well and the Dragon Balls cease to exist.[ch. 165, 207] Shortly before King Piccolo dies at the hands of Goku, he spawns a much stronger incarnation, Piccolo, who takes over these same traits and retains his memories. Kami later attempts to attempt to seal away the new Piccolo himself using the same technique as Mutaito, and enters the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, possessing a human named Shen (シェン, "Hero" in the English anime dub) as a guise.[ch. 175, 181] But Piccolo has learned to reverse the technique and traps Kami in a water jug instead and swallows it, later being released thanks to Goku.[ch. 181, 182, 187] During the fight against the Saiyans, Kami dies when Piccolo is killed by Nappa, but through the power of the Namekian Dragon Balls they both are wished back to life.[ch. 223, 293] During the Android Saga, Kami agrees to fuse with Piccolo, with Piccolo absorbing his energy, strength, memories, intelligence and thought pattern.[ch. 356, 360] A young Namekian named Dende later succeeds him as the new Kami. He is voiced by Takeshi Aono in Japanese,[30] who would do so up until the Frieza arc in Dragon Ball Kai. After Aono suffered a stroke, Bin Shimada voiced the character for his final appearance during the Cell saga. In English he is voiced by Michael Dobson and Dale Wilson in the Ocean dub, and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub.
Dende
Dende (デンデ) is a child of the Great Elder of Planet Namek. He was saved from Frieza's henchman Dodoria (ドドリア) by Gohan and Krillin as a youth and taken into their care.[ch. 255] Dende then guides Krillin to the Great Elder to tap into vast-hidden reserves of his power.[ch. 265] He also interprets the Earthlings' wishes when utilizing the Namekian Dragon Balls, as the wish must be said in the native language of the Namekians.[ch. 292, 293, 324] Dende later gains the power to heal injuries after having his own power unlocked by the Great Elder, which he uses to aid the warriors fighting Frieza until he is killed by the tyrant for being disruptive and helping the Earthlings.[ch. 299, 304] After being resurrected,[ch. 323] Dende resides on New Namek until he is asked by Goku to become Earth's guardian deity.[ch. 393, 394] He accepts the position, revives Earth's inert Dragon Balls, and continues to serve as Earth's guardian deity throughout the rest of the series. Dende develops a close working relationship with Piccolo, as the latter had fused with fellow Namekians Nail (ネイル, Neiru), whom Dende was friends with, and his predecessor. He is voiced by Tomiko Suzuki in the original Japanese series up to episode 288 of Dragon Ball Z,[55] by Hiro Yuuki in episodes 290-291 of Z and Dragon Ball GT,[56] and by Aya Hirano in Dragon Ball Kai and all media since.[57] In the Funimation dubs of the series, he is voiced by Ceyli Delgadillo as a child, Justin Cook as an adult, Laura Bailey in the redub, and by Maxey Whitehead in Kai.
Android 17
Android 17 (人造人間17号, Jinzōningen Jū Nana Gō, lit. "Artificial Human #17") is a human turned into a cyborg by Doctor Gero. His real name is Lapis (ラピス, Rapisu).[ch. 351] He has jet-black hair, unlike his sister, Android 18, who has blonde hair. 17 and 18 are released by Doctor Gero as a last resort to fend off Goku's associates, but they turn on their creator and quickly kill him instead.[ch. 349, 350] With nothing better to do, they begin to travel in order to find and kill Goku, coming into contact with the main characters several times. 17 is eventually absorbed by Cell,[ch. 372] but is brought back to life when those killed by Cell are revived with the Dragon Ball. He makes a cameo appearance at the end of the series giving energy for Goku's Genki-Dama to destroy Majin Buu.[ch. 418, 515] In Dragon Ball Super, 17 participates in the Tournament of Power (力の大会 Chikara no Taikai, lit. "Convention of Power") as a member of Team Universe 7.
In an alternate future timeline, Android 17 is a mass murdering android who is eventually killed by Trunks.[ch. 419] In the anime-only sequel Dragon Ball GT, 17 is manipulated into fusing with his machine mutant replica, created by Doctor Gero and Doctor Myuu, and become the villainous Super 17 (超１７号, Chō Jū Nana-Gō).
Mr. Satan
Mr. Satan (ミスター・サタン, Misutā Satan), known as Hercule in some of Funimation's dub and in Viz's English manga, is a flamboyant martial artist that becomes a world-renowned hero after the Cell Games. After Goku and his companions stop attending the World Martial Arts Tournament, Mr. Satan starts winning them and becomes the reigning champion for many years. During the Cell Games, he attempts to fight Cell, but even after being swatted away, he is given credit for Cell's death by the media.[ch. 421] He is soon called a world hero, gaining great wealth and a city named after him. Though Goku and his companions find his inflated ego and arrogance very annoying, he becomes their trusted friend after befriending Majin Buu. He helped defeat the evil version of Buu by using his celebrity to rally the people of Earth to contribute their energy to Goku's Genki-Dama. The benevolent incarnation of Buu later moves in and lives with Mr. Satan and his pet labrador retriever Bee (ベエ, Bē).
In their initial dub of the series, Funimation changed his name to "Hercule". However, when they recorded a new dub for uncut home video releases, they switched to using the original Mr. Satan.[58] In 2009, Toriyama revealed his real name to be Mark (マーク, Māku), a pun on the Japanese word akuma, which means devil or demon.[59] Japanese fans voted Mr. Satan the eleventh most popular character of the Dragon Ball series in a 2004 poll.[18][60][61] although his antics later in the series were more amusing compared to his earlier appearance.[62] He was voiced by Daisuke Gōri in Japan until his death,[63] with Unshou Ishizuka taking over the role afterward,[38] while in English he is voiced by Don Brown in the Ocean dub, and Chris Rager in the Funimation dub. In Filipino dub, in order to censor his name, he was given the name Master Pogi.
Videl
Videl (ビーデル, Bīderu) is the daughter of Mr. Satan. Her name is an anagram of "Devil", a play on words with her father's name. Like her father, she trains in martial arts, even surpassing him in strength. She uses her abilities to fight crime in the city, and after Gohan appears as the Great Saiyaman, she quickly figures out his identity. She uses that to blackmail him into teaching her how to fly. After Buu is defeated, the two form a relationship, eventually having a daughter named Pan.[ch. 518] When the two fight crime together afterwards, she takes on the role of the "Great Saiyaman 2" or "Great Saiyawoman". In the fourteenth Dragon Ball Z film and Dragon Ball Super , Videl participated in a ritual while pregnant with her unborn daughter to enable Goku to transform into a Super Saiyan God, her hair briefly becoming golden like that of a Super Saiyan. Japanese fans voted Videl the twentieth most popular character of the Dragon Ball series in a 2004 poll.[18] She is voiced by Yūko Minaguchi in Japanese, with the exception of Kai where she is voiced by Shino Kakinuma,[64] by Moneca Stori in the Ocean dub, Kara Edwards in the Funimation dub, and Erika Harlacher in the Bang Zoom! Entertainment dub.[22]
Marron
Marron (マーロン Māron) is the daughter of Krillin and Android 18, and appears as a recurring supporting character in the Dragon Ball media series where she is usually in her mother's care. As a toddler and later young child, she resembles her father: she has his eye shape and apparent lack of a nose. However, she does indeed have a nose, though small, and as she grows older, Marron begins to resemble her mother. Unlike her parents, Marron is not a martial artist and does not appear to possess any fighting ability or special powers. In Japanese media she was initially voiced by Tomiko Suzuki, by Naoko Watanabe in the TV special Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! and the Battle of Gods film, and by Hiroko Ushida in Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball Super. She is voiced by Melodee Lentz in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z, by Meredith McCoy in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball GT, by Lori Barnes Smith in the Blue Water dub, and by Tia Ballard in the Funimation dub of Resurrection ‘F’, Dragon Ball Z Kai, and Dragon Ball Super.
Mr. Buu
Mr. Boo (ミスター・ブウ, Misutā Bū), also referred to as Good Boo (魔人ブウ(善), Majin Bū (Zen)), lit. "Demon Person Buu (Good)", came into being after Majin Buu split himself into benevolent and malevolent forms using fission. After befriending Mr. Satan who convinced him of the error of his murderous ways, the Dai Supreme Kai's influence within Buu moved the creature to reform, leading him to expel his evil tendencies which become a different lifeform altogether. This aspect of Buu is identical in appearance to his chubby progenitor, although any malevolent behaviour previously displayed are gone; he is now a chidlike entity of good who is kind, caring, and is less likely to throw tantrums of anger. He is also much weaker in power, and lacks some of the original Majin Buu's unique capabilities. For example, he no longer needs to hibernate for incredibly long periods of time - instead entering an unwaking sleep for a brief period of time. Mr. Buu moves in with his best friend Mr. Satan after the original Majin Buu's demise, and continues to appear as a supporting character in subsequent Dragon Ball media.
Pan
Pan (パン) is the granddaughter of Goku and daughter of Gohan and Videl,[ch. 518] as such her ancestry comes from both humans and the extraterrestrials called the Saiyans. Pan appears as a young child in the final instalments of the original manga and Dragon Ball Z anime series, and is featured as one of the protagonists of Dragon Ball GT. In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods film and Dragon Ball Super, Videl, pregnant with Pan, volunteers for a ritual on behalf of her unborn daughter as a sixth Saiyan participant is required. She shows signs of being a prodigy in subsequent episodes of Dragon Ball Super, being able to fly as a toddler. According to Dragon Ball GT producer Kōzō Morishita, Pan's role in the GT series was intended to be a strong but constantly imperiled character who had to be rescued by Goku, essentially a “heroine who makes Goku a hero”.[65] In Japanese media she is voiced by Yūko Minaguchi.[66] In the English versions of Dragon Ball Z, she is voiced by Brenna O'Brien in the Ocean dub and Kate Bristol in the Funimation dub. In the English versions of Dragon Ball GT, she is voiced by Elise Baughman in the Funimation dub (who also voices her in Dragon Ball Kai) and by Caitlynne Medrek in the Blue Water dub. In Super, Baby Pan is voiced by Jeannie Tirado. In the English version of Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout, she is voiced by Julie Maddalena.
Uub
Oob (ウーブ, Ūbu), known as Uub in the English anime dub, is the human reincarnation of the evil Majin Buu. After Buu was destroyed, Goku asked for him to be reincarnated as a good person, so they may battle again.[ch. 518] Goku eventually senses Uub's hidden power and seeks him out ten years later, when Uub attends the tournament to gain money for his village.[ch. 518] Goku ends up deciding to train him to be a future defender of Earth and as an opponent that he can battle.[ch. 519]
A major supporting character in the Dragon Ball GT anime series, he would eventually be reunited and reintegrated with the good Majin Buu, transforming him into "MajUub" ("Majuub" in the English dub) or Super Oob (スーパーウーブ, Sūpā Ūbu) to face threats such as Baby, Super 17, and Omega Shenron. After fusing with Buu, he experiences a slight alteration of his physical appearance, and gains a massive boost in power as well as new abilities such as Buu's signature ability to turn enemies into candy.
He is voiced by Megumi Urawa in Dragon Ball Z and Atsushi Kisaichi in GT, and by Kara Edwards and Sean Teague in the Funimation dub.
Jaco
Jaco Teirimentenpibosshi (ジャコ・ティリメンテンピボッシ, Jako Tirimentenpibosshi) is an alien galactic patrolman who is the main character of Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, a manga by Akira Toriyama set before the events of Dragon Ball. A member of the Galactic Patrol, a cosmic police force that is led by the Galactic King (銀河王, "Gingaō") and tasked with keeping order throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, Jaco arrives on Earth to prevent it from being threatened by an evil alien. He fails to track down the alien, who turns out to be Son Goku, but befriends Bulma's older sister Tights (タイツ, "Taitsu") and returns to space. He appears in the fifteenth Dragon Ball Z film, and becomes a recurring character in Dragon Ball Super. Jaco is voiced by Natsuki Hanae in Japanese and by Todd Haberkorn in English.
Other characters
Android 16
Android 16 (人造人間16号, Jinzōningen Jū Roku Gō, lit. "Artificial Human #16") is a large fully mechanical android developed by Dr. Gero. He is deemed a failure, and is deactivated until Android 18 reactivates and releases him.[ch. 350, 351][67] Despite the other Androids enjoying fighting, 16 refrains from battle, only showing interest in following his orders to search for and kill Goku, who, along with Cell, is the only character he shows animosity towards. Unlike the other two, 16 processes a sophisticated mechanism to sense and track power levels in real time.[ch. 362][68][69] While trying to protect Android 17 and 18 from Cell, he is greatly damaged,[ch. 371–373][70] though Bulma and her father later repair him.[ch. 394] After he is repaired, he temporarily ignores his orders to kill Goku to focus on the fight against Cell. Like 17 and 18, 16 was designed with the ability to self-destruct, but the device was removed during his repairs. This is made known only when 16 tries to self-destruct and destroy Cell, with Cell retaliating and destroying him.[ch. 406][71] However, his head and consciousness survive, but later is destroyed by Cell, which pushes Gohan over the edge to Super Saiyan 2.[ch. 407, 408][72] He is voiced Hikaru Midorikawa in Japanese media, Scott McNeil in the Ocean dub, and Jeremy Inman in the Funimation dub.
Arale Norimaki
Arale Norimaki (則巻アラレ, Norimaki Arare) is a little girl android built by the scientist Senbei Norimaki in Penguin Village (ペンギン村, Pengin Mura) from Toriyama's previous manga Dr. Slump. She is very naive and fights as if she is simply playing around possessing the ability to run at mach speed and unbelievable strength. Arale is often accompanied by two cherubs known as the Gatchans that are capable of eating almost anything and shooting lasers from their antennas. Goku meets her during his final encounter against General Blue of the Red Ribbon Army and easily does away with him when Goku was unable to defeat him.[ch. 81–83] Arale also appears in the third Dragon Ball film where she defeats Mercenary Tao. In Dragon Ball Super, she easily defeats Vegeta when being controlled by her creators archenemy Dr. Mashirito and has a seemingly even match against Goku.
Bardock
Bardock (バーダック, Bādakku), Burdock in Viz's English manga translation, is the husband of Gine (ギネ), and the father of Raditz and Kakarrot (Goku). Bardock's story is shown in the 1990 Dragon Ball Z TV special and in Toriyama's 2014 Dragon Ball Minus: The Departure of the Fated Child special. In the TV special, during a routine planet conquering mission on the planet Kanassa, one of the surviving inhabitants strikes Bardock, giving him its native ability to see into the future in the process. Soon, Bardock began to see visions of Frieza's plan to destroy Planet Vegeta and all of the Saiyans, as well as Goku's future on Earth. Bardock attempts to prevent the destruction of his race by challenging Frieza in orbit of planet Vegeta, but is unsuccessful, and becomes the first of the Saiyans to be obliterated by Frieza. Before his death, however, Bardock has one final vision of Goku challenging Frieza, and is able to die pleased knowing his son would avenge their race.
In Dragon Ball Minus, which takes place a month before the destruction of Planet Vegeta, Bardock has a strong feeling that Frieza is up to something when they receive an order for all Saiyans to return home, so he convinces Gine to send their infant son, Kakarrot, in a space pod to Earth, a planet far enough away to escape Frieza's interest, with a native population weak enough to pose no threat to Kakarot.[33] This scenario for Goku's origin story is adapted in the film Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
Bardock's basic design was originally conceived for the TV special by the anime staff, with Toriyama slightly altering it.[8] His armor was based on that of Toshiro Mifune's character in Seven Samurai, at the insistence of director Mitsuo Hashimoto.[8] Toriyama stated that Bardock's tragic story moved him and so decided to include him in the manga;[8] Bardock appears in two panels during Goku's first confrontation with Frieza, when Frieza comments that Goku looks just like that Saiyan who resisted when he destroyed planet Vegeta and the narrator informs the reader that he was Goku's father.[ch. 307] He is voiced by Masako Nozawa in Japanese,[21] and by Sonny Strait in the Funimation dub. Bardock also stars in the 2011 spin-off manga Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock by Naho Ōishi, and the subsequent animated short film adaptation.[73] Atypical of most Saiyan characters depicted in the series, in Dragon Ball Super: Broly Bardock and Gine are shown to have compassion for their sons, and are in a genuine loving relationship with each other.[74]
Fortuneteller Baba
Uranai Baba (占いババ, Uranai-baba, lit. "All-seeing Crone"), Fortuneteller Baba in the English anime dub, is an old witch and Master Roshi's older sister.[ch. 101] She possesses a magic floating crystal ball that she rides on top of, which she can use to see the location of any lost item,[ch. 97] and to have a limited view of the future. She is also able to travel to the afterlife, where she recruits deceased individuals and brings them back to the living world to fight for her, albeit only for one day.[ch. 108] She lives in a big palace located over an oasis in the desert. She normally charges a very high price for her services unless her team of fighters are defeated.[ch. 98] Her regular fighters are Dracula Man (ドラキュラマン, Dorakyura Man, "Count Dracula" in Viz's manga and "Fangs" in the English anime dub), a boxing vampire; Suke-san (スケさん, "Invisible Man" in Viz's manga and "See-Through" in the English anime dub), an invisible man who is weak with his only advantage being that he can not be seen; Mummy-kun (ミイラくん, Miira-kun, "Mummy" in Viz's manga and "Bandages" in the English anime dub), a mummy with brute strength; and Devilman (アックマン, Akkuman, "Devil" in Viz's manga and "Spike" in the English anime dub), a humanoid devil who can destroy people using the evil in their hearts.[ch. 99–104] During the time Goku and his friends visit in order for her to find the last Dragon Ball after the defeat of the Red Ribbon Army, his adoptive grandfather Son Gohan was the last of her fighters, temporarily brought back to the real world to see his grandson.[ch. 108] She later makes many recurring appearances from time to time, including bringing Goku back to life for one day for the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament.[ch. 230] In Japanese she is voiced by Junpei Takiguchi in Dragon Ball and early Dragon Ball Z,[75] and by Mayumi Tanaka during the later half of Dragon Ball Z and during Dragon Ball Kai. In English she is voiced by Ellen Kennedy in the Ocean dub, and by Linda Chambers-Young in the Funimation dub.
Fusion characters
A recurring theme in the Dragon Ball series are characters created through the process of merging (合体 gattai, lit. "union") two or more separate beings into one. The idea to have two characters "fuse" together was suggested by Akira Toriyama's long-time friend and fellow manga artist Masakazu Katsura, leading to the introduction of amalgamations of characters formed through various techniques. In the anime, the resulting fused characters tend to be depicted as speaking with a dual voice consisting of both fusees' voices.
The Fusion (フュージョン Fyūjon) technique, first introduced when the threat of Majin Buu emerged, is a ritual dance developed by an alien species called the Metamorans which Goku learned in the Other World. The purpose of this technique is to temporarily merge two or more bodies into a single, superior entity with characteristics from both fusees. The newly fused body is dressed in Metamoran attire; a dark colored vest lined with light colored linen, white pants with a cloth belt and boots. When the ritual dance is performed properly, the single being created possesses an astounding level of power, far beyond what either fusee would have had individually by combining each other's attributes from strength and speed to reflexes, intelligence and wisdom. The resulting fusion only lasts up to 30 minutes, after which the fusees revert to their normal selves. Notable examples of composite characters created with this technique include Gotenks (ゴテンクス, Gotenkusu), the fusion of Goten and Trunks; and Gogeta (ゴジータ, Gojīta), the fusion of Goku and Vegeta.
Two individuals wearing a single matching Potara (ポタラ) earring but on opposite ears may trigger a Potara Fusion (ポタラの合体, Potara no Gattai).[76][77] These earrings, usually worn by the Supreme Kai and their aides, combine both users into a new body with complete attributes in the final product, as well as an increase in power and personality which is greater than the sum of the two individuals. However, there are alternate methods of dissolving the fusion regardless of whoever the participants are, usually by forcing the fusees apart (such as being magically split through a wish granted by Shenron). Notable examples of composite characters created by wearing a matching pair of Potara earrings include Kibito Kai, a fusion of Kibito and the East Supreme Kai of Universe 7; Vegito (ベジット Bejitto), a fusion of Goku and Vegeta also known as Vegerot in the Viz English manga; and Kefla (ケフラ Kefura), a fusion of Kale and Caulifla. Mortals have a one-hour time limit before the fusees de-fuse, but if a deity is one of the fusees, then the fusion will become permanent; the deity known as the Old Kaiōshin (老界王神, Rō Kaiōshin) is in fact created cfrom the fusion of the original East Supreme Supreme Kai from 15 generations prior (１５代前の東の界王神 Jūgo-Dai mae no Higashi no Supreme Kai, lit. "A God of a Boundary King of the East of 15 Generations Before") and an old witch who stole one of his Potara earrings and put it on without being aware of the consequences.
The Namekians demonstrate a related technique early in the Dragon Ball Z series, where one Namekian absorbs the energy, strength, memories, and intelligence or thought patterns of another through a process akin to assimilation (融合, Yūgō). Each participant must willingly consent to fuse in this manner and usually the pair agrees to the stronger of the two to serve their body as the host. The agreed host places his hand over the chest of the other one and through unknown means, they merge with a blinding flash. Only the body of the host remains in the aftermath, and the non-host is assimilated and ceases to exist as a body. The current incarnation of Piccolo is a notable example, having assimilated two other Namekian individuals into his very being. Villainous characters like Cell and Majin Buu are also capable of forcibly absorbing other characters in order to acquire greater power by taking advantage of their unique physiology.
Grandpa Gohan
Grandpa Son Gohan (孫悟飯じいさん, Son Gohan Jīsan) is the adoptive grandfather of Goku, whom he found in a crashed spaceship.[ch. 197] He teaches Goku martial arts, having originally studied under Master Roshi with Ox-King and also knows the Kamehameha technique.[ch. 12, 106] He warns Goku not to look at the full moon, but Goku disobeys him and accidentally kills him while on a rampage in his giant ape form.[ch. 21, 233] Goku does not learn this until Vegeta turns into an ape and tells Goku about the transformations.[ch. 233] He is brought back to life for one day by Baba Uranai in order to fight Goku and see his growth as a martial artist.[ch. 108] In the anime only, he later appears as an assistant to Annin (アンニン), the ruler of the "magical furnace". He is voiced by Osamu Saka in the Japanese version of the original series, by Kinpei Azusa in Bardock: The Father of Goku and by Shigeru Chiba in Dragon Ball Kai. In the Funimation dub of the series, he is voiced by Christopher Sabat. He is portrayed by Randall Duk Kim in the American live-action film Dragonball Evolution; his voice was dubbed by Hiroya Ishimaru in the Japanese version. Grandpa Son Gohan briefly appears in the final chapter of Toriyama's 2013 manga series Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, which is set before Dragon Ball.[47]
Kai
The Kaiō (界王), referred to as Lords of Worlds in Viz's English manga and the Kai in the English anime dub, are upper-level gods of the Dragon Ball multiverse.[ch. 205] There are five at a time; one presiding over each of the four quadrants of the universe and the last, the Dai Kaiō (大界王, "Great Lord of Worlds"), overseeing them all.[ch. 440] The Kai reside in the heavens and are responsible for the lower-level deities who rule over individual planets. Later in the series it is revealed that Supreme Kai exist; they are themselves in charge of the Kai.[ch. 440], and that all Kai and Supreme Kai hail from the same race of beings. It is possible for an individual Kai to be promoted to the rank of the Supreme Kai after a period of training as an apprentice. For example, Zamasu was the former North Kaiō (北の界王, Kita no Kaiō) of Universe 10 prior to being chosen by the ruling Supreme Kai of Universe 10 as his apprentice and eventual successor.
The North Kai of Universe 7, named King Kai in the English anime dub and as the Lord of the Northern Worlds in the Viz Media localization, trains Goku after his self-sacrifice to defeat Raditz, and eventually trains Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu and Piccolo. He is the only other Kai to appear in the original manga, besides a brief appearance of the South Kaiō (南の界王, Minami no Kaiō),[ch. 428] and as such is usually simply referred to as Kaiō-sama (界王様) or Northern King Kai. King Kai trains dead fighters that were allowed to keep their bodies, if they manage to reach his small planet at the end of Serpent Road (蛇の道, Hebi no Michi, "Snake Way" in the English anime dub).[ch. 205] Before training any students, he forces them to appeal to his strange sense of humor and catch his pet monkey Bubbles (バブルス).[ch. 210, 211] In the anime, they must also hit the flying cricket Gregory (グレゴリー) with a mallet. King Kai provides Goku with martial arts training and two of his own techniques, the Genki-Dama (元気玉) and the Kaiō-ken (界王拳), which he himself was never able to master.[ch. 212, 227] He continues to help Goku and his friends throughout the series, lending his planet locating and telecommunicating abilities for their use. When Goku brings a self-destructing Cell to his planet, the explosion kills King Kai and Bubbles and destroys his planet.[ch. 412, 413] As he is already in the afterlife, he only gains a halo, and in the anime appears to settle down on the Dai Kai's planet. He is voiced by Jōji Yanami in Japanese media until episode twelve of Dragon Ball Super, where Naoki Tatsuta took over the role,[78] Don Brown and Dave Ward in the Ocean dub, Sean Schemmel in the Funimation dub, and Michael McConnohie in the Bang Zoom! Entertainment dub.[22]
King Vegeta
King Vegeta (ベジータ王, Bejīta Ō), more specifically Vegeta III (ベジータ三世 Bejīta III, lit. "Vegeta the Third"), is the last King of the Saiyans (サイヤ人, Saiya-jin).[79] He is the strongest Saiyan warrior in his time, as well as the father of the Saiyan princes Vegeta and Tarble (ターブル).[80] While he is referred to throughout the series' media, he did not appear in the original manga. He led the Saiyan people, who have historically lived a violent and barbaric lifestyle where they attack numerous planets to build up wealth and goods, to victory in the ten-year war against the Tuffles (ツフル人, Tsufuru-jin), after which the Tuffles' home planet was renamed Planet Vegeta (惑星ベジータ, Wakusei Bejīta) in his honor.[80] Similar to his son Vegeta in nature and appearance, he is ruthless in dealing with his subordinates and delights in the death of others. After the Saiyans were annexed by Frieza as a vassal state, he had no choice but to pledge allegiance to him, while at the same time retaining power over his own people as a vassal. King Vegeta is killed by Frieza when he leads a rebellion against him and boards his spaceship to retrieve his son. After his death, Frieza destroys his home planet and commits genocide of the entire Saiyan race. In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and in both the anime and manga versions of Dragon Ball Super, King Vegeta is seen in flashbacks depicting his encounter with Beerus during the latter's visit to Planet Vegeta. In Japanese, he is voiced by Banjō Ginga in episode 78 of Dragon Ball Z, Yukimasa Kishino in episode 124 and Masaharu Satō in the eighth Dragon Ball Z film. Terry Klassen voices him in the Ocean dub, while Christopher Sabat voices him in the Funimation dub.
Monaka
Monaka (モナカ) is a short and slender, humanoid red alien from planet Wagashi. He is deliveryman whom the God of Destruction Beerus recruits for the Tournament of Destroyers and is used as motivation for Goku to get stronger. At the conclusion of the storyline, he inadvertently won the tournament on behalf of Universe 7 after Universe 6's Hit threw their fight.
He is voiced by Masami Kikuchi in the Japanese version of the series. In the Funimation English Dub, his voice is supplied by Daman Mills.
Pilaf Gang
Pilaf (ピラフ, Pirafu), Emperor Pilaf in the English anime dub, is a small impish blue creature who is the leader of the Pilaf Gang (ピラフ一味 Pirafu Ichimi) and dreams of ruling the world. Together with his two minions, Mai and Shu (シュウ, Shū), a humanoid dog in a ninja outfit, he seeks out the Dragon Balls to wish for world domination. After initially succeeding in obtaining the Dragon Balls, he is foiled by Goku and his companions after Oolong's wish is granted by Shenron just before he can speak his fully.[ch. 20] The Pilaf Gang returns to antagonize Goku a few more times throughout the series; while attempting to obtain the Dragon Balls again and when they release King Piccolo from his confinement.[ch. 109, 135] In the first case, their attempt is quickly cut short when they are defeated by Goku again, and in the second, King Piccolo betrays them after they have outlived their usefulness to him.[ch. 110, 148] Prior to the events of the fourteenth Dragon Ball Z film and Dragon Ball Super, the Pilaf Gang used the Dragon Balls to wish for the restoration of their youth, only for the wish to backfire and they are transformed into young children by Shenron. They later attempted to infiltrate Bulma's birthday party in order to claim the Dragon Balls again, with Pilaf being mistaken for a monkey while Trunks proclaim Mai to be his girlfriend. During the course of the Dragon Ball Super series the Pilaf Gang would gradually reform, much like several of Goku's past adversaries, and they even become Trunks' classmates at school.
The Pilaf Gang appear in the first episode of Dragon Ball GT, where they obtain the Black Star Dragon Balls and Pilaf accidentally wish Goku to be a child again, setting in motion the events of the entire series. Shu was originally named "Soba" (ソバ) when he first appeared, however, when the series was being adapted into an anime, the staff asked Toriyama what his name was and he instead replied with Shu, forgetting that he had already named him.[ch. 18][vol. 12:afterword] By the time he realized the mistake, the anime had already aired, so he decided to use Shu in the manga when the character reappeared.[vol. 12:afterword] Pilaf is voiced by Shigeru Chiba in Japanese,[34] Don Brown in the Ocean dub, Mike McFarland in the third Dragon Ball film, and by Chuck Huber in the Funimation dub. Shu is voiced by Tesshō Genda in Japanese,[81] Doug Parker in the Ocean dub, Justin Cook in the third film, and by Chris Cason in the Funimation dub.
Mai
Mai (マイ) is one of Pilaf's subordinates along with Shu. She is initially depicted as a beautiful, calculating enemy of Goku and his friends who always resorts to weaponry and technology; her serious tone is a foil to the comic personalities of her colleagues. At some point in time prior to the Cell Games, Mai and her colleagues had used the Dragon Balls to wish for their youth, resulting in them being turned into children.
During the Trunks Saga arc of Dragon Ball Super, a once again adult Mai is revealed to be leader of the resistance forces on Earth against the evil Goku Black in an alternate future timeline. This alternate future version of Mai (未来のマイ Mirai no Mai) is depicted as a close friend and potential love interest of her timeline's Trunks, and works closely with him and their allies from the main timeline in an effort to defeat Goku Black and foil his so-called Zero Mortal Plan, which involve the complete annihilation of all mortal life in the multiverse. This version of Mai also appears as a major supporting character in Super Dragon Ball Heroes, an original net animation based on the arcade game of the same name. Mai is voiced by Eiko Yamada in Japanese,[81] Teryl Rothery in the Ocean dub, Cynthia Cranz in Mystical Adventure, Colleen Clinkenbeard in the Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F', and by Julie Franklin in the Funimation dub. She was portrayed by Eriko Tamura in the American live-action film Dragonball Evolution; her voice was dubbed over by Yūko Kaida in the Japanese version.
Shenron
Shénlóng (神龍, Shenron, lit. "Dragon God"), Shenron in Funimation's anime dub, also known as the Eternal Dragon in the Ocean and Funimation dubs and as the Dragon God in the Harmony Gold dub, is the wish-granting dragon summoned when all seven of Earth's Dragon Balls are gathered together.[ch. 1] Throughout the series, several rules on the Dragon Balls' use and limitations on Shenron's power are explained. After the wish is granted the balls scatter across the planet, turn to stone and are useless for a year, meaning, during this year they can not be detected by Bulma's Dragon Radar.[ch. 1, 20] The Dragon Balls also become useless if Shenron is destroyed, in this case they must be recreated by their creator, or if their creator is killed.[ch. 148, 165, 194] Shenron can not bestow a wish that exceeds the power of his creator, this is why Shenron couldn't destroy the Saiyans before they came to earth.[ch. 243] Midway through the series, it is learned that the Dragon Balls are created by the extraterrestrials named Namekians, Earth's Kami being one of them.[ch. 242] A person can only be brought back to life once, and only if that person did not die of natural causes.[ch. 218, 321] Earth is without Dragon Balls for a period, when Kami re-merges with Piccolo, until Dende takes over the position of God.[ch. 355, 360, 393] When Dende recreates Earth's Dragon Balls, he makes them so that one can now have two wishes, but each wish is still capable of resurrecting multiple individuals at once.[ch. 394] Shenron is voiced by Kenji Utsumi in the Japanese version of the series until his death in 2013 with the exclusion of episodes 192 and 193 in the series and the films, in which he is voiced by Masaharu Satō; he is voiced by Daisuke Gōri in Dragon Ball GT, by Kōji Yada in the Dr. Slump remake and by Ryūzaburō Ōtomo since episode 97 of Kai. In the English versions of the series, he is voiced by Don Brown in the Ocean dub, and by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub.
Shenron's Namekian counterpart is Porunga (ポルンガ, Namekian for "God of Dreams").[ch. 292] Porunga has a large, muscular humanoid upper body and something similar to a dorsal fin down his back and the Dragon Balls are much larger than Earth's. Unlike Shenron, he can only bring a single person back to life at a time, but he can bring that person back multiple times which Shenron can not.[ch. 292, 327] He can also grant three wishes instead of one, additionally the user must speak in the Namekian language.[ch. 292] Porunga and the Namekian Dragon Balls were created by the planet's Great Elder, who kept one ball and gave each of the other six to a different elder.[ch. 252, 260] When the Namekian Dragon Balls are used again during the fight with Majin Buu, Porunga had been upgraded to be able to wish back multiple people at once and still grant three wishes.[ch. 513] Porunga is voiced by Junpei Takiguchi in the Japanese version of the series with the exclusion of episode 283, in which he is voiced by Daisuke Gōri; he is voiced by Masaharu Satō in the video games. In Dragon Ball Kai Daisuke Gōri originally performed the role; after his death, Ryūzaburō Ōtomo took over. He is voiced by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub of the series.
Dragon Ball GT introduces Ultimate Shenlong (究極神龍, Kyūkyoku Shenron), a much larger red Shenron made by Kami when he and King Piccolo were still one entity. He is summoned when the Dark Dragon Balls, Black Star Dragon Balls in the Funimation dub, are gathered, and can grant any single wish, regardless of any restrictions placed on the other dragons. Ultimate Shenron is voiced by Kenji Utsumi in Japanese, and by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub. GT also introduces Black Smoke Shenlong (黒煙の龍, Kokuen no Ryū, lit. "Black Smoke Dragon"), named Black Smoke Shenron in the Funimation dub, a cigar-smoking dragon who forms from all the negative energy accumulated from the selfish wishes granted throughout the series using the Dragon Balls. Summoned from the same Earth Dragon Balls, he splits into the seven Evil Dragons and they spread out over the Earth, causing the heroes to defeat each one. Daisuke Gōri voices Evil Shenron in Japanese, and Christopher Sabat voices him in the Funimation dub.
Dragon Ball Super introduces Super Shenlong (超神龍, Sūpā Shenron) and the Super Dragon Balls which are spread throughout Universes 6 and 7. The Super Dragon Balls were created by the Dragon God Zalama (ザラマ, Zarama), are the size of planets and have no restrictions on their wishes, although they only grant one and it must be spoken in the language of the gods. It is revealed that the Namekians took fragments of the Super Dragon Balls to create their own on Planet Namek. Super Shenron is voiced by Ryūzaburō Ōtomo in Japanese and by Christopher Sabat in English.
Supreme Kai
The Kaiōshin (界王神), referred to as Lords of Lords in Viz's English manga and the Supreme Kai in the English anime dub, are the highest-level deities in the Dragon Ball universe. Like the Kai whom they govern, all Supreme Kai hail from a race of naturally divine beings[82] While the Kai watch over the living world, the Supreme Kai watch over both the "Other World" (the afterlife in the Dragon Ball series) and the living world.[83] The Supreme Kai are known for recruiting mortal beings to become their disciples (界王神の弟子, Kaioshin no deshi); Gohan and Trunks trained under their universe's Supreme Kai to prepare for threats like Majin Buu and Dabura, and gained access to healing powers in the process. The Supreme Kai and their followers wear a pair of earrings known as the Potara (ポタラ), which allow two individuals to fuse into an amalgamation and permits the wearer to use a Time Ring. In Dragon Ball Super, it is revealed that Gods of Destruction exist and are equal in status to the Supreme Kai. Supreme Kai act as "creation gods" (創造神, sōzōshin), by providing the energy for the creation of new planets and species, while the Gods of Destruction serve a contrasting purpose by destroying planets or entire civilizations when appropriate to maintain the balance of the universe they oversee.
Universe 7
There were originally five Supreme Kai in the Seventh Universe, and much like the Kai, four of them ruled over each of the four quadrants of the universe and a fifth, the Dai Kaiōshin (大界王神, "Great Lord of Lords"), ruled over them in turn.[ch. 445] Prior to the events depicted in Dragon Ball, all but one met their fate at the hands of Majin Buu. The Dai Supreme Kai in particular was absorbed by Buu, who then takes a chubby form with an uncanny resemblance to the deity. The Dai Supreme Kai's spirit would continue to manifest within Buu, his benign influence dulling the creature's destructive nature to an extent. [ch. 445]
The East Kaiōshin (東の界王神, Higashi no Kaiōshin), originally the ruler of the eastern quadrant of Universe 7, became the de facto ruler of the entire universe as a result of the demise of his peers.[ch. 445, 440] He has purple skin and a white mohawk and is always accompanied by his larger, reddish-pink skinned, loyal attendant Kibito (キビト). In the Dragon Ball manga he came to Earth, under the alias "Shin" (シン), to meet Goku and his friends and recruit them to stop Babidi from reviving Buu.[ch. 438, 446, 460] After failing to prevent to Buu's return, Gohan is then taken to the Supreme Kai's faraway planet (界王神界 Supreme Kaikai, lit. "Realm of the Lord of Lords") where he is given the Zeta Sword (ゼットソード, Zetto Sōdo) ("Z Sword" in the English anime dub) and put to training. The sword is accidentally broken during Gohan's training, releasing an ancestor of the East Supreme Kai. He uses his power to increase Gohan's and his own life force to resurrect Goku, who made the decision to remain in the afterlife after his death by a self-destructing Cell. The elder Supreme Kai, referred to as the Old Kaiōshin (老界王神, Rō Kaiōshin), remains by his descendant's side as an advisor following Majin Buu's defeat, and makes recurring appearances in subsequent Dragon Ball media.[ch. 471, 479]
Kibito and the East Supreme Kai later gets permanently fused into one being, known as Kibitoshin (キビト神) in the manga and as Kibito Kai in the anime, via their use of Potara earrings.[ch. 501] Kibito Kai later assists in the final battle with Buu by teleporting Goku and the last survivors on Earth onto his planet and helps take Dende to New Namek to use its Dragon Balls to revive Earth and its people.[ch. 508, 513] In Dragon Ball Super, Kibito Kai uses a wish granted by the Namekian Dragon Balls to defuse himself back into the two original component entities.
The East Supreme Kai is voiced by Yūji Mitsuya,[38] and by Shinichirō Ōta in Dragon Ball Super and Battle of Gods. In English the Supreme Kai is voiced by Kent Williams in Funimation's English dub, and by Michael Dobson in the Ocean Group dub.
Kibito is voiced by Shin Aomori, by Don Brown in the Ocean Group dub and by Chuck Huber in the Funimation dub.
The Elder Kai is voiced by Reizō Nomoto in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, and by Ryōichi Tanaka in Dragon Ball Super and Battle of Gods. Tetsuya Iwanaga provides the voice for the Elder Kai's younger self in flashbacks. In English he is voiced by Scott McNeil in the Ocean dub, by Steve Olson in the Blue Water dub, and by Kent Williams in the Funimation dubs.
Universe 10
Gowasu (ゴワス), known as Gowas in the manga, is the ruling Supreme Kai of Universe 10. At some point in time in the past, Gowasu chose Zamasu, the North Kai of Universe 10, to be his successor based on his battle talent, a decision he would later regret as he chose an apprentice without noticing the potential for evil within him. Unlike many of his peers from the other Universes, he does not resent Goku or view him as being disrespectful, as he is the only deity outside of Universe 6 and Universe 7 who actually knows him on a personal level. Gowasu, along with his counterpart from Universe 7, traveled to an alternate future world where Zamasu has ravaged the world to assist Goku and his associates in dealing with his former apprentice. During the Tournament of Power arc, Gowasu is shown recruiting team members to fight on behalf of Universe 10, as well as recording and uploading their exploits on a channel known as "GodTube".
In an alternate future timeline, Zamasu succeeds Gowasu as the ruling Supreme Kai of Universe 10 after he successfully assassinates the latter.
Gowasu is voiced by Tetsuo Goto in the Japanese version and by Garrett Schenck in the Funimation dub.
Zeno
Grand Zeno (Zenō (全王), lit. "King of All"), also known as the Omni-King and as the Lord of Everything in Viz's English manga, is the supreme deity of the whole Dragon Ball multiverse. Depicted as a childlike humanoid figure, Zeno ranks above all other mortals and gods in the series and has the power to erase entire universes from existence at will. He is served by a pair of identical-looking attendants and is advised by Grand Minister. First appearing during the aftermath of the Tournament of Destroyers between Universes 6 and 7, Zeno is treated with utmost reverence and fear by the other gods and mortals. He is addressed by his subjects as Zenō-sama (全王様) in original Japanese media, and Grand Zeno or the Omni-King in the English dub. Goku is a notable exception; he befriends and addresses Zeno in a casual manner ("Zen-chan" (全ちゃん) in the original Japanese, "Zenny" in the English dub), which is considered disrespectful and lacking in etiquette by most characters in the series. Part of the caution others have around Zeno comes from the fact that he acts and behaves like a child, destroying entire planets and universes out of amusement or dismay. Since the "Future" Trunks Saga, there are two coequal Zenos. Zeno is voiced by Satomi Kōrogi in Japanese and by Sarah Wiedenheft in English.
Grand Minister
The Grand Minister (大神官, daishinkan), also known as the Grand Priest in Viz's English manga is an angelic being who serves as a close adviser and guiding figure to Zeno. He is the father of all twelve Angels in the multiverse. The Grand Minister's principal tasks are to implement Zeno's decrees and welcome guests to his palace. During the Zeno Expo and the Tournament of Power, the Grand Minister served as the referee.
The character is voiced by Masaya Takatsuka in the Japanese version and by Josh Grelle in the Funimation dub.
Universe 6 inhabitants
Universe 6 (第６宇宙, Dai roku Uchū), also known as the Challenging Universe (挑戦の宇宙 Chōsen no Uchū), is the sixth of the twelve parallel universes introduced in Dragon Ball Super; the God of Destruction is Champa, the Supreme Kai is Fuwa (フワ), and the Angel is Vados. Universe 6 is linked with Universe 7 as twin universes, and that any planets or species that have existed and/or exist in Universe 7 will exist or are likely have existed in Universe 6, and vice versa. For example, the Saiyan people also exist in Universe 6, but their fates are completely different compared to their Universe 7 counterparts; they live relatively peaceful lives on their homeworld Sadala (サダラ, Sadara), and were never enslaved or wiped out by their enemies. Instead of conquering other planets, the Saiyans of Universe 6 tamed their desire to battle for good, and use their skills to protect the civilizations of their universe from danger and unrest.
Characters from this universe were the first outside of Universe 7 to be introduced upon the reveal of there being multiple other universes.
Auta Magetta
Auta Magetta (オッタ マゲッタ, Otta Magetta) is a Metalman from Universe 6.
In the Tournament of Destroyers, Auta Magetta competed in a tournament against Universe 7. He fought Vegeta where his lava-spewing abilities started to heat up the ring. After breaking the barrier, Vegeta recovered from the overheating and knocked Auta Megetta out of the ring.
In the Tournament of Power, Auta Magetta assisted Frost in attacking Vegeta and Master Roshi. Vegeta managed to knock him out of the ring after insulting him.
Auta Magetta is voiced by Naoki Tatsuta in the Japanese version.
Botamo
Botamo (ボタモ, Botamo) is a tall yellow humanoid bear from Universe 6 with rubber skin that can withstand any punch.
In the Tournament of Destroyers, he faced off against Goku in the tournament against Universe 7. Goku had a hard time landing a blow on Botamo until he grabbed him by the arm and threw him out of the ring.
In the Tournament of Power, Botamo faced off against Gohan. The punches from Gohan started to lift Botamo off the ground until it was enough for Gohan to use the Kamehameha to blast Botamo out of the ring.
Botamo is voiced by Yasuhiro Takato in the Japanese version and by Cris George in the Funimation dub.
Cabba
Cabba (キャベ, Kyabe) is a Saiyan hailing from Planet Sadala and an elite member of the Sadala Defense Forces, first introduced in Dragon Ball Super. Planet Sadala is also the original homeworld of the Saiyans of Universe 7, but according to Vegeta, it has been destroyed by internal discord long ago and no longer exists. Unlike the arrogant and savage nature exhibited by the vast majority of Saiyans from Universe 7, Cabba is presented as a good-natured and humble individual who speaks respectfully to everyone and sees himself as a protector of the weak. As one of Universe 6's strongest warriors, he is recruited to join Champa's team during the Tournament of Destroyers. Cabba bonds with Vegeta following the events of the tournament and looks up to him as a mentor, in spite of the fact that they fight for opposing teams.
He is voiced by Daisuke Kishio in the Japanese version of the series. In the Funimation English Dub, his voice is supplied by Clifford Chapin.
Champa
Champa (シャンパ, Shanpa) is Beerus' twin brother and the God of Destruction of Universe 6, which is linked with the Seventh Universe as its "twin universe". He looks like an overweight version of Beerus and wears a variation of the traditional Egyptian clothing and ornaments Beerus is wearing and his name also derives from an alcoholic drink, Champagne (シャンパン, Shanpan). He has a long-running rivalry with Beerus, and the brothers often bicker or engage in acts of one-upmanship like food contests and proxy wars. During the Universe 6 Saga, Champa holds a fighting tournament known as the Tournament of Destroyers; he forms a team by gathering the strongest warriors from Universe 6 to challenge Universe 7, which consists of Hit, Cabba, Frost, Botamo, and Auta Magetta.
Champa is voiced by Mitsuo Iwata in the Japanese version of the series. In the Funimation bub, his voice is supplied by Jason Liebrecht.
Caulifla
Caulifla (カリフラ, Karifura) is a Saiyan from Universe 6 and a member of Team Universe 6 who participates in the Tournament of Power. Brash and headstrong, she is the leader of a group of Saiyan punks. She shows a strong contrast to the rest of her people, acting more akin to the Universe 7 Saiyans who are known for being naturally aggressive and prideful. She also displays a love for getting stronger, which is evident after she heard from her Universe 7 counterparts about various advanced, more powerful forms a Saiyan could attain.
Caulifla is voiced by Yuka Komatsu in the Japanese version and by Elizabeth Maxwell in the Funimation dub.
Frost
Frost (フロスト, Furosuto) is the ruler of an empire based in Universe 6, and hails from the same race of beings as Universe 7's Frieza. He is first introduced in Dragon Ball Super as a competitor for his universe during the Tournament of Destroyers. Unlike Frieza, he is apparently perceived in a positive light by the majority of his subjects in Universe 6. Frost's characterization differs between the manga and anime adaptions of Dragon Ball Super, being a malevolent being not unlike Frieza in the anime, while on the other hand the manga version of the character is simply amoral and unsportsmanlike. In the anime, Frost faces off against Goku, Piccolo and Vegeta in successive rounds in the tournament and defeats Goku and Piccolo by cheating and using his secret poison; Goku is allowed to return to the tournament after this is revealed and Frost is defeated by Vegeta. He is eventually exposed as a devious manipulator who feigns benevolence as a facade, and is in fact a space pirate and planet broker who discreetly profits from warmongering activities in his universe.
In the Tournament of Power, Frost meets Frieza before the tournament begins. He accompanied Auta Magetta in fighting Vegeta and Master Roshi. After a failed attempt to use the Evil Containment Wave on Vegeta, Frost fled. Then he met up with Frieza where they fought Gohan. Frieza then double-crosses Frost and blasts him out of the ring. When Frost tries to attack Frieza for double-crossing him, both Zenos erase Frost for violating the rules. This served as a warning to Champa to not let something like this happen again or else their entire universe will be erased. Frost is later restored when Android 17 uses the Super Dragon Balls to restore the erased universes.
In the manga, there is no mention of Frost being involved in criminal activities nor any indication of him being evil, and he appears to have a genuinely pleasant personality. He is indifferent to accusations of being a dirty fighter for using his poisonous stingers, as the tournament offers no prize money and the battles are ultimately pointless according to his perspective.
Frost is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao in the Japanese version of the series. In the Funimation English Dub, his voice is supplied by Greg Ayres.
Hit
Hit (ヒット, Hitto), also known as Hit the Infallible (百発百中のヒット, Hyappatsuhyakuchuu no Hitto) and as the Legendary Assassin (伝説の殺し屋, Densetsu no Koroshi-ya), is an assassin from Universe 6 introduced in Dragon Ball Super. He is known for using his signature Time-Skip (時とばし, Toki-Tobashi) ability to manipulate time and for his capability to eliminate his assassination targets with a single strike. Over a millennium old, he is the strongest member of his universe's team during the Tournament of Destroyers. Hit eventually rebels against Champa and throws his fight against Monaka (モナカ), easily the weakest participating member of the opposing Universe 7 team, by eliminating himself in the final match of the tournament.
In Japanese, Hit is voiced by Kazuhiro Yamaji. In the English dub, he is voiced Aaron Roberts in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and by Matthew Mercer in all subsequent appearances.
Kale
Kale (ケール, Kēru) is a Saiyan from Universe 6 and a member of Team Universe 6 who participates in the Tournament of Power. Kale is Caulifla's best friend, sister-figure, and protégé. Unlike most Saiyans who are assertive or at least strong-willed, Kale is by nature a very meek and timid individual. Her greatest desire is to fight alongside Caulifla as equals; her devotion to Caulifla have also become a strong trigger for her in battle. Much like Broly from Universe 7, she is the latest Legendary Saiyan of her universe, a demonic warrior who appears once every 1000 years. When accessing her Super Saiyan powers, Kale's personality becomes a polar opposite; shifting through emotions while in her berserker state, she would become excessively violent and savage, showing no mercy to anyone who stands in her way.
Kale is voiced by Yukana in the Japanese version and by Dawn M. Bennett in the English dub.
Vados
Vados (ヴァドス, Vadosu), the sister of Whis, is an Angel from Universe 6 who is the attendant and martial arts teacher of Champa. Like Whis, her name is also derived from an alcoholic drink, calvados (カルヴァドス, karuvadosu). In Dragon Ball Super, she is first seen accompanying Champa while searching for the Super Dragon Balls; they are successful in obtaining six of the seven Super Dragon Balls prior to the Tournament of Destroyers. Vados openly displays concern with Champa's physique and health problems and often teases him for being overweight, blaming his weight issues as the cause of his low stamina and his difficulty in keeping up with her training. She is also shown to be polite and respectful, even when addressing lesser beings or those who are not from her universe such as Goku.
Vados is voiced by Yuriko Yamaguchi in the Japanese version. In the English version, Vados is voiced by Caitlin Glass in the Funimation English dub and by Wendee Lee in the Bang Zoom! dub.
Universe 11 inhabitants
Universe 11 (第１１宇宙, Dai jūichi Uchū), also known as the Justice Universe (正義の宇宙 Sēgi no Uchū), is the eleventh of the twelve parallel universes introduced in Dragon Ball Super; the God of Destruction is Vermoud (known as Belmod in the anime), the Supreme Kai is Khai (カイ, Cae), and the Angel is Marcarita (マルカリータ, Marukarīta). Universe 11 is linked with Universe 2 as twin universes. The Pride Troopers (プライドトルーパーズ Puraido Torūpāsu) are a very powerful superhero team who operate in this universe; they work under their God of Destruction, and the most elite Pride Troopers made up the entirety of Team Universe 11 participating in the Tournament of Power.
Belmod
Belmod (ベルモッド, Berumoddo), known as known as "Vermoud" in the Viz Media localization, is a scrawny humanoid in clown makeup and the God of Destruction of Universe 11. He dislikes evil and praises the work of the Pride Troopers. Top is his candidate for God of Destruction when Belmod retires. He is usually accompanied by his attendant and martial arts teacher Marcarita.
Belmod is voiced by Masami Kikuchi in the Japanese version and by Markus Lloyd in the Funimation dub.
Dyspo
Dyspo (ディスポ, Disupo) is the Sphynx cat-like blitz captain of the Pride Troopers. In the Tournament of Power, he used his own super-speed when fighting Hit before retreating. During his fight with Frieza, Dyspo also fought against Gohan who sacrificed himself to get Dyspo out of the ring.
Dyspo is voiced by Bin Shimada in the Japanese version and by Christopher Dontrell Piper in the Funimation dub.
Jiren
Jiren (ジレン), also referred to as "Jiren The Gray" (灰色のジレン, Haiiro no Jiren), is a gray alien-styled member of the Pride Troopers who served as a major contestant in the Tournament of Power. His quiet, stoic demeanor is but a glimpse of his solitary nature; he is haunted by his past losses and desperately tries to undo it all by forging his own path of justice. While fighting for justice, he has no loyalty to anyone beyond himself, believing that trusting in others will ultimately backfire. Jiren is very proud of his strength and refuses to accept the help of his comrades even in dire moments where he is under severe pressured from his opponents.
Jiren is voiced by Eiji Hanawa in the Japanese version and by Patrick Seitz in the Funimation dub.
Toppo
Toppo (トッポ), known as Top in the anime, is the tall and burly leader of the Pride Troopers, who act as guardians of peace within Universe 11 and formed the majority of participants representing Universe 11 in the Tournament of Power. A hot-blooded yet humble fighter who passionately believes in the concept of justice, Toppo is a candidate to become Universe 11's next God of Destruction, being the second most powerful mortal within his home universe after his comrade Jiren. His commitment to pursuing justice is further seen from his tendency to name his techniques as an extension of justice, such as the Justice Flash.
Top is voiced by Kenji Nomura in the Japanese version and by Ray Hurd in the Funimation dub.
Anime-exclusive characters
The manga's anime and film adaptations feature some original characters not created by Toriyama but by Toei Animation staff; the vast majority of the film adaptations in particular exist in their own unique continuities which branch off from the anime television series at various points, hence original characters introduced in the films are usually unknown to the characters in either or both of the official anime and manga series continuities.[84] Toriyama personally designed certain characters which made their debut appearances in the animated films,[76][85][86] such as Slug, Cooler, Android 13, Broly, Bojack, and Tapion.
Garlic Jr.
Garlic Jr. (ガーリック・ジュニア, Gārikku Junia) is a character that first appears in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone. His father was imprisoned by Kami in the realm of darkness, leaving Garlic Jr. with a deep feeling of resentment and desire for revenge. He manages to obtain the seven Dragon Balls, wish for immortality, and begin his quest for revenge. He is defeated when faced with an angry Gohan, who pushes Garlic Jr. into the Dead Zone (デッド ゾーン, Deddo Zōn), an alternate dimension he can freely open. Garlic Jr. is one of the few original characters from the films to appear in the TV series. In the TV series, he breaks free using the Makyo Star (魔凶星, Makyō-sei, "Planet Makyo") as a power source, leading to the events of the Garlic Jr. arc.[87] After brainwashing and transforming all living creatures of the world with the Black Water Mist (アクアミスト, lit. "Aqua Mist"), he is once again trapped in the Dead Zone after the destruction of the Makyo Star. In the original Japanese versions, Garlic Jr. is voiced by Akira Kamiya in the film and by Shigeru Chiba in the anime. He is voiced by Don Brown in the Ocean dub of the film, while Chuck Huber voices Garlic Jr. in the Funimation dub of both the film and anime.
In the film, Garlic Jr. has three henchmen named Nicky (ニッキー, Nikkī), Sansho (サンショ) and Ginger (ジンジャー, Jinjā). They accompany him to kidnap Gohan, and attack and defeat Piccolo before fighting him again alongside Goku. Nicky and Ginger are killed together by Goku's Kamehamaha, while Sansho is killed by Piccolo. When he returns in the anime, Garlic is accompanied by a new group of henchmen known as the "Spice Boys", or the Four Monarchs (魔族四天王, Mazoku Shiten'nō, lit. "Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Clan"). Spice (ガッシュ, Gasshu, Gash) is their leader, with aqua skin and white hair in a similar style to Vegeta. Vinegar (ビネガー, Binegā) is a big light purple muscleman with long hair and horns. Mustard (タード, Tādo, Tard) is also a muscleman but with brown skin, long red hair, and bull horns. Salt (ゾルド, Zorudo, Zald) is the smallest, with red skin. They help Garlic Jr. take over Kami's, and fight Krillin and Gohan, but in the end, all four are killed by Gohan.
Cooler
Cooler (クウラ, Kūra) is a character that appears in the fifth and sixth Dragon Ball Z films as the main villain. He is the brother of Frieza who travels to Earth to seek revenge on Goku. While he admitted that he never liked his brother, he felt that he needed to punish the one who had ruined his family's honor. Despite transforming into his final form, which is one transformation higher than his brother, he is defeated by Super Saiyan Goku. He returns in the sixth film, his remains having combined with the Big Gete Star (ビッグゲテスター, Biggu Gete Sutā), a sentient planet-sized machine. This gives him the ability to create an indefinite amount of "Meta-Coolers" (メタルクウラ, Metaru Kūra), which have the ability to constantly repair and improve upon themselves. He tries to consume the planet New Namek, but is eventually destroyed by the efforts of Goku and Vegeta. Cooler also appears in the Prison Planet arc of Super Dragon Ball Heroes, an original net animation adaptation of the arcade game of the same name, in the Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans OVA, as well as a brief appearance in Dragon Ball GT. He is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao in Japanese media, and Andrew Chandler in the Funimation dub.
Pikkon
Paikuhan (パイクーハン, Paikūhan), known as Pikkon in the English anime dub, is a character who is a resident of the Other World (the afterlife in the Dragon Ball series), and first appears in the one hundred ninety-fifth episode of Dragon Ball Z and the first episode of the Other World arc, where he first encounters Son Goku and his mentor the North Kaiō (北の界王, Kita no Kaiō). While his mentor the West Kaiō (西の界王, Nishi no Kaiō) is a bitter rival of his northern quadrant counterpart due to a sense of competition among the Kai over whose quadrant has the best fighters, he develops a friendly rivalry with Goku after competing against each other in the Other World Tournament held in honor of the recently deceased North Kai. The character later appears in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn as a major supporting character, and in various Dragon Ball video games. Akira Toriyama had purposely designed the character to be similar to Piccolo in terms of appearance, role, and personality; there are even memos left for the anime's production staff which specifically instructs using Piccolo as a reference for facial expressions.[88] His popularity with the Dragon Ball fandom is noted by Screenrant's Craig Elvy;[87] in a V-Jump survey conducted in 2017 prior to the airing of the anime adaptation of the Tournament of Power storyline, he is voted by Japanese fans as the favourite choice to replace Mr. Buu as a participant from Universe 7.[89] The character is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa in Japanese media, by Brian Drummond in the Ocean Dub, and by Kyle Hebert in the Funimation anime dub.
Dragon Ball GT
Giru
Giru (ギル) is a character that first appears in the 3rd episode of Dragon Ball GT. Originally known as T2006 or DB4649T2006RS, Giru is a Machine Mutant, fully mechanical beings with organic properties: they can mold, contort, and reshape themselves like organic lifeforms, absorb and integrate metallic and mechanical materials into their own being, as well as restructuring themselves. He is encountered by Goku, Pan and Trunks on Imecka. Giru consumes their Dragon Radar for energy in an act of desperation for survival, inadvertably integrating the Dragon Radar's functionality into his software. Giru joins Goku's group and accompanies them to various planets in the galaxy on their quest to find the Black Star Dragon Balls. Giru would become good friends with Pan in the series; however, he is frequently the recipient of abuse, both verbal and physical, at the hands of Pan, which makes him somewhat fearful of her. Giru plays a pivotal role during the group's encounter with his creator Doctor Myuu as well as the parasitic Baby on the planet M-2, and aids them in their subsequent struggle against the villains. During the Shadow Dragons arc, Giru accompanies Goku and Pan to search for the seven Shadow Dragons using his built-in Dragon Radar functionality to track the creatures. He is voiced by Shinobu Satouchi in Japanese media and by Sonny Strait in the Funimation anime dub.
Doctor Myuu
Doctor Myuu (ドクター・ミュー, Dokutā Myū) is a recurring antagonistic character that first appears in the 13th episode of Dragon Ball GT. A brilliant but mad Machine Mutant scientist, he is assisted by his enforcer General Rilldo (リルド将軍, Rirudo Shōgun) and intends to gather the Black Star Dragon Balls to complete what appears to be his ultimate creation, Baby. His plans are eventually foiled by Goku, Pan and Trunks after they arrive on the planet M-2 and defeat most of his minions. Myuu escapes and evades Goku and his companions after Baby's apparent defeat, only to be killed when Baby suddenly emerges from his body. It is then revealed that Baby was the one who created and programmed Dr. Myuu, and not the other way around. He later joins forces with Doctor Gero while in Hell to create a duplicate of Android 17 using Myuu's machine mutant technology, who then manipulates the original Android 17 into converging their power together to open a rift between Earth and Hell, enabling him and his co-creators to escape. Android 17 and his machine mutant duplicate eventually fuse together to become Super 17, who subsequently turns on and murders both Gero and Myuu. He is voiced by Kazuyuki Sogabe in Japanese media and Duncan Brannan in the Funimation anime dub.
Baby
Baby (ベビー, Bebī) is a character that first appears in the 22nd episode of Dragon Ball GT. He is a parasitic alien created by combining the DNA of the king of the Tuffles (ツフル人, Tsufuru-jin) with a cybernetic body. Baby desires to exterminate all of the Saiyans to avenge the extinction of his people and the loss of their homeworld to the Saiyans. Baby is first reactivated from a sleep state by Doctor Myuu; he attempts to fight Goku, Trunks, and Pan, but is easily defeated. To boost his power, Baby infects various people with his DNA and begins gathering energy from them. After a second defeat at the hands of the three Saiyans, Baby infects Trunks and travels to Earth with his unsuspecting host. On Earth he battles Goten and Gohan, infects them both, and is able to infect Vegeta and make him his primary host. Goku, Trunks, and Pan return to Earth to find the entire population is now under Baby's control. Baby is able to defeat Goku, then he begins using the Black Star Dragon Balls to restore the planet Tuffle and transport the Earth population to it. During this time, Baby evolves into an even more powerful form and defeats Goku again. This causes Goku to transform into a Golden Great Ape and then into a Super Saiyan 4. In this new form, Goku is able to defeat "Baby-Vegeta". He has Bulma, also under his control, fire a radiation beam at him from her Blutz Wave Generator which enables him to transform into a Golden Great Ape as well. After a lengthy battle, Baby separates from Vegeta and attempts to escape in a spaceship, vowing to return to destroy the Saiyans. Goku blasts the spaceship with a 10x Kamehameha attack, sending it into the sun. The ship is destroyed and Baby is obliterated. He is voiced by Yusuke Numata in Japanese media and by Mike McFarland in the Funimation anime dub.
Shadow Dragons
The Shadow Dragons, known as Evil Dragons (邪悪龍, Jaakuryū) in the original Japanese, are a group of evil beings born from the evil energy caused by overuse of the Dragon Balls in Dragon Ball GT. When attempting to undo the damage caused by Super 17, the cigar-smoking Black Smoke Shenron, Evil Shenron in Japanese, is summoned from the Dragon Balls instead of the regular Shenron. He splits out the tainted Dragon Balls before fading away, each manifesting into one of the seven dragons as they proceed to cause chaos across the world. They are named after the One-Star through Seven-Star Dragon Balls; One-Star Dragon (一星龍, Īshinron, Chinese: Yī Xīng Lóng), Two-Star Dragon (二星龍, Ryanshinron, Chinese: Èr Xīng Lóng), Three-Star Dragon (三星龍, Sanshinron, Chinese: Sān Xīng Lóng), Four-Star Dragon (四星龍, Sūshinron, Chinese: Sì Xīng Lóng), Five-Star Dragon (五星龍, Ūshinron, Chinese: Wǔ Xīng Lóng), Six-Star Dragon (六星龍, Ryūshinron, Chinese: Liù Xīng Lóng), and Seven-Star Dragon (七星龍, Chīshinron, Chinese: Qī Xīng Lóng). In the English dubs their names are changed to Syn Shenron, Haze Shenron, Eis Shenron, Nuova Shenron, Rage Shenron, Oceanus Shenron, and Naturon Shenron respectively. Goku, Pan and Giru manage to defeat the other dragons before encountering Eis and Nuova Shenron. Being much more honorable than his siblings, Nuova helps Goku defeat Eis. However, Syn Shenron kills Nuova before absorbing both his Dragon Ball and the others as well to increase his power.
Syn Sheron, or the One-Star Dragon, was created as the result of Mr. Popo's wish with Earth's Dragon balls to revive everyone on Namek that died at the hands of Frieza and his forces. The nature of the wish in turn made Syn Sheron both the most powerful and most evil of the Shadow Dragons. Making himself known after the death of Eis Shenron, killing Nuova Shenron in the process, Syn Shenron manages to swallow the other six Dragon Balls to become Omega Sheron, Super One-Star Dragon (超一星龍, Sūpā Īshinron) in Japanese, with access to all of the abilities of his Shadow Dragon brethren. After a long battle, he is killed by Goku's Super Genki-Dama, and the Dragon Balls are purified. Syn/Omega Shenron is voiced by Hidekatsu Shibata in Japanese. Bob Carter and Christopher R. Sabat respectively voicing Syn Shenron and Omega Shenron in the Funimation dub, while Victor Atelevich voices them both in the Blue Water dub.
Merchandise
Several pieces of merchandise were released based on the characters from the series. These include key chains, action-figures and plush.[90][91][92] Other merchandise featuring characters includes T-shirts, tumblers and trading card games.[93][94][95] Characters are also featured in video games from the series. While initial games were role-playing games (RPG), the following became fighting games.[96]
Reception
Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network (ANN) stated, "Few anime series have mainstreamed it the way Dragon Ball Z has. To a certain generation of television consumers its characters are as well known as any in the animated realm, and for many it was the first step into the wilderness of anime fandom."[97] His colleague Allen Divers praised the story and humor of the manga for being very good at conveying all of the characters' personalities.[98] Carlo Santos, also of ANN, commented that the Dragon Ball cast "may not be as stylish-looking as today's shonen adventure protagonists, but every character has a distinctive set of physical features, making them identifiable at any moment."[99] DVD Talk's Todd Douglass had strong praise for the "deep, insightful, and well-developed" characters, writing "Few shows can claim to have a cast quite like Dragon Ball's, and that's a testament to the creative genius of Toriyama."[100] However, he felt the Red Ribbon Army was "hit or miss."[101] Tim Jones of T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews praised the series for having good characterization, saying "You do care about them, and want to get to know more about them."[102] He considered them to be different from stereotypical stock characters, but noted that they have much more development early on than when compared to later in the series.[103]
Theron Martin, also of ANN, wrote that while the characters are not complicated, they are "easy to love, hate, and respect" and are a major reason for the series popularity. "The immense pride of Vegeta, and how that can be a fatal flaw, especially shines through, as do the freewheeling spirits of Goten and Trunks, the naiveté of Buu and Mr. Satan's attention-loving, glory-hound nature, while Number 18 shows an unexpectedly cunning side.", "On the downside, Videl is entirely too under-used to make much of an impact and Bulma loses something just sitting around acting like a worried mother/wife."[104] He also praised the themes from the warriors, saying they speak to "basic yet powerful themes like faith, confidence, heroism, sacrifice, love, and understanding what is truly worth fighting for", and the ways they react while fighting, although the fights can sometimes become very long with little plot development.[105] He criticized how the series overused the plot device of having characters "grow seemingly untouchably powerful, only to be put out when eventually upstaged."[105] In a review of Dragon Ball GT, Jeffrey Harris of IGN commented that the material and characters had lost their novelty and fun, and also criticized the character designs of Trunks and Vegeta as being goofy.[106]
See also
References
Dragon Ball manga
Entire series
- Toriyama, Akira. ドラゴンボール [Dragon Ball] (in Japanese). 42 vols. Tokyo: Shueisha, 1985–1995.
- Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball. 16 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media, 2003–2004.
- Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball Z. 26 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media, 2003–2006.
Individual volumes
- Vol. 1 (ch. 1–11): The Monkey King. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-920-8. and 孫悟空と仲間たち (in Japanese). November 1985. ISBN 978-4-08-851831-2.
- Vol. 2 (ch. 12–24): Wish Upon a Dragon. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-921-5. and ドラゴンボール危機一髪 (in Japanese). January 1986. ISBN 978-4-08-851832-9.
- Vol. 3 (ch. 25–36): The Training of Kame-sen'nin. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-922-2. and 天下一武道会はじまる！！ (in Japanese). June 1986. ISBN 978-4-08-851833-6.
- Vol. 4 (ch. 37–48): Strongest Under the Heavens. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-923-9. and 大決勝戦 (in Japanese). October 1986. ISBN 978-4-08-851834-3.
- Vol. 5 (ch. 49–60): The Red Ribbon Army. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-924-6. and マッスルタワーの恐怖 (in Japanese). January 1987. ISBN 978-4-08-851835-0.
- Vol. 6 (ch. 61–72): Bulma Returns!. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-925-3. and ブルマの大失敗!! (in Japanese). March 1987. ISBN 978-4-08-851836-7.
- Vol. 7 (ch. 73–84): General Blue and the Pirate Treasure. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-926-0. and 追跡！！ブルー将軍 (in Japanese). May 1987. ISBN 978-4-08-851837-4.
- Vol. 8 (ch. 85–96): Taopaipai and Master Karin. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-927-7. and 孫悟空突撃 (in Japanese). July 1987. ISBN 978-4-08-851838-1.
- Vol. 9 (ch. 97–108): Test of the All-Seeing Crone. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-928-4. and こまったときの占いババ (in Japanese). September 1987. ISBN 978-4-08-851839-8.
- Vol. 10 (ch. 109–120): Return to the Tournament. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-929-1. and 第２２回天下一武道会 (in Japanese). November 1987. ISBN 978-4-08-851840-4.
- Vol. 11 (ch. 121–132): The Eyes of Tenshinhan. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-919-2. and 天下一のスーパーバトル！！ (in Japanese). February 1988. ISBN 978-4-08-851608-0.
- Vol. 12 (ch. 133–144): The Demon King Piccolo. September 2003. ISBN 978-1-59116-155-4. and ピッコロ大魔王の恐怖！ (in Japanese). April 1988. ISBN 978-4-08-851609-7.
- Vol. 13 (ch. 145–156): Piccolo Conquers the Earth. November 2003. ISBN 978-1-59116-148-6. and 孫悟空の逆襲！？ (in Japanese). June 1988. ISBN 978-4-08-851610-3.
- Vol. 14 (ch. 157–168): Heaven and Earth. February 2004. ISBN 978-1-59116-169-1. and さらなる飛躍 (in Japanese). August 1988. ISBN 978-4-08-851611-0.
- Vol. 15 (ch. 169–180): The Titanic Tournament. May 2004. ISBN 978-1-59116-297-1. and 群雄割拠！ (in Japanese). December 1988. ISBN 978-4-08-851612-7.
- Vol. 16 (ch. 181–192): Goku vs. Piccolo. August 2004. ISBN 978-1-59116-457-9. and 龍虎相討つ！ (in Japanese). February 1989. ISBN 978-4-08-851613-4.
- Vol. 17 (ch. 193–204): The World's Greatest Team. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-930-7. and かつてない恐怖 (in Japanese). May 1989. ISBN 978-4-08-851614-1.
- Vol. 18 (ch. 205–216): The Lord of Worlds. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-931-4. and 孫悟空とピッコロ大魔王 (in Japanese). July 1989. ISBN 978-4-08-851615-8.
- Vol. 19 (ch. 217–228): Earth vs. the Saiyans. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-932-1. and いそげ！孫悟空 (in Japanese). November 1989. ISBN 978-4-08-851616-5.
- Vol. 20 (ch. 229–240): Goku vs. Vegeta. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-933-8. and 天下分け目の超決戦 (in Japanese). January 1990. ISBN 978-4-08-851617-2.
- Vol. 21 (ch. 241–252): Dragon Ball in Space. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-934-5. and めざせ！ナメックの星 (in Japanese). April 1990. ISBN 978-4-08-851618-9.
- Vol. 22 (ch. 253–264): Battlefield Namek. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-935-2. and ナメック星人の抵抗 (in Japanese). July 1990. ISBN 978-4-08-851619-6.
- Vol. 23 (ch. 265–276): The Ginyu Force. March 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-936-9. and 恐怖のギニュー特戦隊 (in Japanese). October 1990. ISBN 978-4-08-851620-2.
- Vol. 24 (ch. 277–288): Goku vs. Ginyu. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-937-6. and 悟空か！？ギニューか！？ (in Japanese). January 1991. ISBN 978-4-08-851414-7.
- Vol. 25 (ch. 289–300): The Wrath of Freeza. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-938-3. and フリーザ超変身！！ (in Japanese). March 1991. ISBN 978-4-08-851415-4.
- Vol. 26 (ch. 301–313): Goku vs. Freeza. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-939-0. and 孫悟空...復活！！ (in Japanese). June 1991. ISBN 978-4-08-851416-1.
- Vol. 27 (ch. 314–325): The Super Saiyan. May 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-807-2. and 伝説の超サイヤ人 (in Japanese). August 1991. ISBN 978-4-08-851417-8.
- Vol. 28 (ch. 326–337): Enter Trunks. August 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-985-7. and 未来から来た少年 (in Japanese). November 1991. ISBN 978-4-08-851418-5.
- Vol. 29 (ch. 338–349): The Red Ribbon Androids. October 2003. ISBN 978-1-56931-986-4. and 悟空、敗れる！ (in Japanese). March 1992. ISBN 978-4-08-851419-2.
- Vol. 30 (ch. 350–361): Rise of the Machines. December 2003. ISBN 978-1-59116-180-6. and 邪悪な予感 (in Japanese). June 1992. ISBN 978-4-08-851420-8.
- Vol. 31 (ch. 362–373): The Terror of Cell. April 2004. ISBN 978-1-59116-186-8. and 忍びよるセル (in Japanese). August 1992. ISBN 978-4-08-851686-8.
- Vol. 32 (ch. 374–385): The Room of Spirit and Time. July 2004. ISBN 978-1-59116-328-2. and セルの完全体 完成！！ (in Japanese). November 1992. ISBN 978-4-08-851687-5.
- Vol. 33 (ch. 386–396): The Cell Game. October 2004. ISBN 978-1-59116-505-7. and セルゲーム始まる (in Japanese). December 1992. ISBN 978-4-08-851688-2.
- Vol. 34 (ch. 397–408): Gohan vs. Cell. January 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-637-5. and 悟空を越えた戦士 (in Japanese). June 1993. ISBN 978-4-08-851689-9.
- Vol. 35 (ch. 409–420): Death of a Warrior. April 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-751-8. and さようなら戦士たち (in Japanese). September 1993. ISBN 978-4-08-851700-1.
- Vol. 36 (ch. 421–432): The New Generation. May 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-808-9. and ニューヒーロー誕生！！ (in Japanese). November 1993. ISBN 978-4-08-851495-6.
- Vol. 37 (ch. 433–445): Tournament of the Heavens. August 2005. ISBN 978-1-59116-873-7. and 動き始めた作戦 (in Japanese). April 1994. ISBN 978-4-08-851496-3.
- Vol. 38 (ch. 446–459): Mark of the Warlock. October 2005. ISBN 1-4215-0051-5. and 宿命の対決 孫悟空対ベジータ (in Japanese). August 1994. ISBN 978-4-08-851497-0.
- Vol. 39 (ch. 460–472): Boo Unleashed!. December 2005. ISBN 978-1-4215-0148-2. and さらば誇り高き戦士 (in Japanese). December 1994. ISBN 978-4-08-851498-7.
- Vol. 40 (ch. 473–485): Hercule to the Rescue. February 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0273-1. and 地球軍、最後の秘密兵器！！ (in Japanese). March 1995. ISBN 978-4-08-851499-4.
- Vol. 41 (ch. 486–502): Last Hero Standing!. April 2006. ISBN 1-4215-0404-9. and がんばれ 超ゴテンクスくん (in Japanese). June 1995. ISBN 978-4-08-851500-7.
- Vol. 42 (ch. 503–519): Goodbye, Dragon World!. June 2006. ISBN 978-1-4215-0636-4. and バイバイ ドラゴンワールド (in Japanese). August 1995. ISBN 978-4-08-851090-3.
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