They're combined power is well beyond 9000. Join Ashley as we look over the most iconic characters from across the Dragon Ball franchise
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking over the stars from Shonen Anime's most
00:10beloved franchise.
00:13It can't be easy being human in a series where immortal beings casually stroll up every
00:25other day to flex their power.
00:27But we're giving this triclops his due here, as back in the glory days of Dragon Ball,
00:32he was one of Kid Goku's greatest challenges.
00:43A master of martial arts whose ability to utilize ki made him a predominant force, even
00:49able to take on the likes of Demon King Piccolo and his lackeys.
00:53Even if he was relegated to the sidelines as soon as the Saiyan showed up, he still
00:58had a few shining moments here and there, like when he quite literally put Imperfect
01:03Cell six feet under.
01:20The second son of Goku may not share much of the accolades and defining moments of his
01:25older sibling or father, but he's still a fun character in his own right.
01:34This mostly stems from getting into trouble with partner-in-crime Kid Trunks, made all
01:39the easier given their near-instant access to Super Saiyan.
01:44If anything, their antics during the World Martial Arts Tournament made for some of the
01:48best moments from the Buu saga.
01:50He's nowhere near Gohan's level, but he's an enjoyable addition to the Saiyan bloodline.
02:08In a series that relies heavily on flying fists and titanic clashes, it's always nice
02:13to have a bit of levity.
02:15Enter Mr. Satan, or Hercule to some.
02:18While he may have some skill, he's nowhere near the level of the series' regulars.
02:22Or even his daughter, for that matter.
02:24And somehow, he still manages to ride the success of the Z Fighters' epic victories
02:29as his own.
02:30He is also technically responsible for saving Earth from Majin Buu, due to his overwhelming
02:36popularity amongst the populace.
02:39Strongest fighter?
02:40No.
02:41Lovable idiot?
02:42Absolutely.
02:43Buu is… an interesting one.
03:03After all, there are various entities that share that name.
03:06You've got the reformed monster, whose unlikely friendship with Mr. Satan proved to be unexpectedly
03:12endearing.
03:13Or you've got his dark half, the unhinged destroyer of worlds, with a crazy kill count
03:30to his name.
03:31Put them together and you have a flashy villain, worthy of being Dragon Ball Z's final big
03:36bet.
03:37Even if he's lacking the charm and complexity of those that came before.
03:41Though there's no denying, his reign of terror paved the way for some of the series'
03:46most hype moments.
03:58There have been some diabolical villains across Dragon Ball's tenure, but we don't think
04:02there's been a hater quite as devious as Zamasu.
04:06His messiah complex is so stratospheric, that in one timeline he goes out of his way to
04:11steal Goku's body for himself, slaughter his family and bring the entire Earth to ruin.
04:17And if that's not bad enough, he even teams up with an alternate version of himself to
04:22destroy all humans from all other timelines.
04:26The man is a menace, whose sense of godly entitlement make Vegeta look humble.
04:39He's a villain we love to hate, and responsible for giving Dragon Ball Super the adrenaline
04:43shot it desperately needed.
04:54The father of Goku might just be the most crucial character exclusive to a Dragon Ball
04:59movie.
05:00One that showcases Goku's origin and the genocide of the Saiyan race.
05:05After being imparted with precognition, Bardock foresees the end of his people by the hands
05:11of Frieza, and so desperately seeks a way to change the future.
05:16When his pleas fall on deaf ears, he leads a one-man charge only for its end in his demise.
05:22He may be a Saiyan soldier, but during his final moments, he demonstrated the kind of
05:28courage and willpower that would go on to be reflected in his son.
05:43An android from the future, Dr. Gero's greatest creation, the perfect being, Cell is many
05:50things, but we'll always remember him as one of Dragon Ball's most enduring villains.
05:55In his imperfect form, he was a horrifying entity that drained lifeforms to nothing to
06:00nourish his power level.
06:02After attaining his perfect form following his absorption of Android 17 and 18, he became
06:08a threat that could match Frieza every step of the way.
06:24From his bravado, his copied moveset, his final battle against Gohan, Cell turned the
06:29world into his stage, and all we could do was watch in awe as he nearly destroyed all
06:34of it.
06:45In an alternative future, she was one of a cybernetic duo that laid waste to humanity.
06:51Nowadays, she's our beloved Beyteen.
06:54Thanks to the riz and compassion of Krillin, Eighteen was able to forge a new life for
07:00herself away from villainy following the events with Cell.
07:04Don't get us wrong, she can still wreck anyone who gets in her path, but thankfully
07:12she found fulfilment as a wife and mother, as opposed to the slayer of mankind.
07:19Of course, it's still fun to look back on her days as a bad girl, especially when
07:29she crushed Vegeta's arm with a single kick.
07:34He's the loyalist of companions, and what he may lack in height, he easily makes up
07:50for in spirit.
07:52Whether by willpower or sheer luck, Krillin has stood by Goku through every major bout,
07:58even when he was drastically outmatched and lived to tell the tale, give or take dying
08:02a handful of times.
08:04Regardless, he's still a student of Roshi, who can hold his own in a fight.
08:09Plus, he made Android Eighteen fall in love with him.
08:13His pick-up game is well over 9,000.
08:19Not every character in this series needs a power level to make an impression.
08:23Bulma's brains, beauty and knack for adventuring have made her an endearing ally to Goku and
08:29friends.
08:30Though mostly in a supporting role, Bulma doesn't hesitate to get in on the action
08:34when the moment calls for her technical expertise.
08:43She also has zero filter, which is probably why she was able to captivate the likes of
08:47the Saiyan Prince and make a mostly honest man out of him.
08:51She may not throw any punches, but Bulma is nonetheless an essential member of the cast.
09:14During his inception, Seventeen was very much the more villainous of the Android brother-sister
09:20duo.
09:21He would repeat to go around with his prey, before moving on to the next spot of destructive
09:26fun.
09:27As it happens, getting devoured by Cell has a way of making one rethink their life choices.
09:32Throughout Dragon Ball Super, we see Seventeen go through quite the respec, becoming the
09:37most badass of conservationists as he endeavours to protect endangered species from poachers
09:43aplenty.
09:44This change of heart not only let him back into everyone's good graces, but led to
09:48him becoming the last man standing in the tournament of power, effectively saving the
09:53universe from annihilation.
10:06The introduction of the Gods of Destruction reshaped our concept of the power system across
10:11the Dragon Ball franchise.
10:13Alongside his faithful angel attendant, Whis, Beerus has demonstrated countless times just
10:18how good at his job he really is.
10:21Destroying planets, easily subduing Goku, acting as a force of nature that none below
10:26the status of Divinity can hope to contend with, Beerus and his pantheon are on another
10:39level that the likes of Goku and their brood have yet to reach.
10:43Also, he's the multiverse's biggest foodie.
11:02Every student needs a teacher, and for imparting the Kamehameha to Goku, Roshi has our undying
11:08gratitude.
11:23His time as one of the strongest beings on the planet may have come and gone by the time
11:27Z rolled around, but as both a source of wisdom and a barrel of laughs, we're glad Roshi
11:33has stuck around for as long as he has.
11:36When the moment calls for it, he can easily flex those hidden gains and level mountains.
11:41He's also shameless when it comes to his love for all things erotica, which explains
11:45why he lives alone on an island with only a turtle for company.
11:58For the longest time, the legendary Super Saiyan lived in the annals of a select few
12:03non-canon movies, but was loved for it all the same.
12:06A hulking ball of rage who loathed Goku with a passion who could take down multiple Saiyans
12:12at a time with overwhelming strength alone, he was a fun, yet basic antagonist with no
12:18real depth to him.
12:19And then he got the mother of all rewrites.
12:22Now a sympathetic figure whose absurd power was used by an egomaniacal father, Broly not
12:28only retained his monstrous strength, but now became someone we could root for in our
12:33own way.
12:34Now that he's officially joined the canon universe as a companion of Goku, we can't
12:39wait to see where he goes from here.
12:51For many, this alien tyrant is Goku's one true nemesis, and the greatest villain Dragon
12:56Ball has ever produced.
12:58Sadistic and completely without mercy, the only thing more lethal than Freeza's laser
13:03blasts is his sharp tongue.
13:08Death just seems to slow him down, and while he and Goku have been forced to team up on
13:13occasion, there's little doubt that he'll take any chance possible to claim the cosmos
13:18for himself, and likely unlock another absurd transformation along the way.
13:28Spawn of Kid Goku's greatest foe, originally living up to his demon moniker, this Namekian
13:34ended up swiftly changing allegiances for the better, not only becoming one of the Earth's
13:39defenders, but arguably a greater father figure to Gohan than Goku ever was.
13:44His skills, while not always on par with the likes of the Saiyan race, have continued
13:49to evolve, to such an extent that he and his special beam cannon can tango with the galaxy's
13:54worst and still come out on top.
14:00Papa Piccolo is in many ways the most respectable character in Dragon Ball history, who deserves
14:06every good thing that comes his way.
14:18This swordsman from the future changed the game, not only revealing the existence of
14:23other Super Saiyans, but also the revelation that he was the son of Vegeta and Bulma.
14:34He was the stepping stone for arguably the series' best romance, held the darkest backstory
14:40and signalled the start of the Cell Saga, which for many is their favourite in Dragon
14:45Ball.
14:46Effortlessly cool, give or take a few daddy issues, Trunks became an instant household
14:50name.
14:51His decimation of Freeza and King Cold can attest to that.
14:58When you're the son of the most powerful warrior on the planet, you've got some big
15:01shoes to fill.
15:03Originally a sheltered bookworm, Gohan grew to become as brave and powerful as his dear
15:08old dad.
15:14He may not be a fan of fighting, but he certainly isn't one to stand around when others are
15:19threatened.
15:20Of course, when someone does push him over the edge, bodies start hitting the floor.
15:24A rageful Gohan is someone you don't want to mess around with.
15:28Fighter, scholar and superhero, Gohan may not have stepped out of Goku's shadow, but
15:33he sure earned his Saiyan stripes.
15:45Going from bitter enemy to eternal rival to comrade in arms, Vegeta's arc has been one
15:51of the franchise's greatest strengths.
15:53Fuelled by pride and a desire to be worthy of his position, Vegeta's moral compass
15:58has certainly swayed to and fro over the years, before eventually deciding to settle
16:03down and somehow become the best family man out of them all.
16:10There's more layers to this former world-ender than possibly any other character.
16:22So here's hoping he, and his ego, can continue to shine for years to come.
16:52Goku isn't only the face of the franchise and one of its strongest fighters, but one
17:06of the most recognisable characters in the whole medium.
17:09He's all about reaching new heights, pushing himself to fight stronger opponents, all with
17:14a smile on his face and that same naivete he's carried since the early days of Dragon
17:19Ball.
17:20This is unless you threaten to destroy his world, of course.
17:23Then out comes the Kamehameha.
17:25It doesn't matter who his opponent is.
17:27An intergalactic warlord, the ultimate android, or even a god of destruction, Goku will always
17:34be there to answer with his fists, boundless optimism, and Super Saiyan swagger.
17:39We love you, Goku.
17:41Don't ever change.
17:44Which Dragon Ball character remains your favourite all these years later?
17:48Let us know in those comments below.