Best Dragon Ball Characters

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is arguably the most famous shonen manga of all time, and its anime adaptation played a major role in establishing Japanese animation as an international phenomenon. Dragon Ball Z is particularly beloved, garnering a reputation for its high-octane fight sequences that are spectacular in scope and presentation. Even all these decades later, the manga and anime hold up as all-time greats that can still be enjoyed by folks who do not have any nostalgia for them.

With new anime shows, movies, manga sequels, and games still regularly coming out, the franchise’s popularity has hardly faded with time, and this long-term success can be largely attributed to Dragon Ball‘s iconic characters. The Z-Fighters are probably the most recognizable figures in anime, and the same can be said for DBZ‘s main antagonists. However, who are the best Dragon Ball characters?

The best Dragon Ball character is not the same thing as the most famous, as Goku would naturally rank in the top spot if that were the case. This article takes into account a character’s relevance across arcs and series, story-based development, contributions, and sheer entertainment value.

Honorable Mentions

There have been so many great Dragon Ball characters over the years; some of the ones that just missed out deserve to be highlighted briefly.

• Android 18
• Baby
• Beerus
• Broly (Dragon Ball Super)
• Majin Buu
• Master Roshi
• Yamcha

10

Tien

An Early Example Of The Villain-Turned-Hero Journey

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Human

If somebody has primarily just watched DBZ and the subsequent sequels, they might disregard Tien as a minor character who does not accomplish much, except for one awesome sequence where he bombards Imperfect Cell with the Neo Tri-Beam. He appears occasionally in Dragon Ball Super, but his only notable contribution is eliminating Hermila during the Tournament of Power, who is not a particularly strong enemy. He straight up skips Daima, and he might as well not be in DBGT.

However, Tien is fantastic in the original Dragon Ball, and his journey arguably served as the blueprint that would be followed by other popular characters like Vegeta and Piccolo. A dedicated martial artist who trained under Master Shen and Mercenary Tao, Tien’s initial goal is to get revenge on his masters, which means taking out Goku and Roshi during the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. Vicious, deliberate, and intense, he proves to be by far Goku’s biggest challenge to this point. That said, Tien’s honor shines through during the battle, and this aspect would become his defining trait.

Tien is cool, committed to his training, and a great mentor and friend to Chiaotzu. He has a good relationship with pretty much all the Z-Fighters, but he typically keeps them at a distance.

9

Frieza

Dragon Ball Z’s Most Iconic Villain

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: No Official Name

Universe 7’s spoiled emperor, Frieza, played a significant role in shaping the lives of so many Dragon Ball characters. His annihilation of the Saiyan race and destruction of Planet Vegeta played a direct role in Goku coming to Earth, along with fueling a lot of Vegeta’s actions during the early parts of DBZ. Lore-wise, Dragon Ball does not happen without this genocidal monster.

As a villain, Lore Frieza is comfortably among the most recognizable in anime, particularly his final form in DBZ. His introduction during the Namek saga set the bar so high for big bads that an argument could be made that no subsequent villain managed to surpass it. An extremely powerful and temperamental ruler, Frieza is deadly, arrogant, and prone to fits of childish anger. While incredibly intimidating, he also reflects Dragon Ball‘s tendency to incorporate humor alongside action, something that most of DBZ and Super‘s other main villains lack.

Frieza returned in a major way in Super, showing up as a villain before becoming an unlikely ally to the Z-Fighters. While fun overall, he did threaten to become overexposed.

8

Cell

The Perfect Dragon Ball Villain

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Also Appears In (Series): Dragon Ball Super (Not The Real Cell), Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Bio-Android

Personal preference aside, Dragon Ball Z‘s Cell Games Arc is one of the franchise’s highest peaks. Cell is pretty much the ideal villain, not only for Gohan but also in all of Dragon Ball. While not as quotable and detestable as Frieza, Cell has a more interesting journey than his predecessor. With each new form, the Bio-Android’s personality, tactics, and demeanor change, emphasizing the fact that he is evolving rather than just acquiring more power. Also, Cell wins, even if it is in a separate timeline.

Once he reaches his final form, Cell becomes almost a mirror of Goku, with both characters being driven by a desire to face off against stronger enemies. However, Cell is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in this pursuit, and he reacts to the prospect of defeat terribly. With a memorable personality, great designs, and consistently fantastic fights, Cell lives up to his “perfect” reputation.

7

Krillin

The Ultimate Best Friend & A Great Character In His Own Right

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Daima, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Human

The strongest human fighter, Krillin is a cornerstone of the Dragon Ball franchise, even if the sequels tend to sideline him. In the original anime, Krillin is nearly as important as Goku, with their rivalry-turned-into-friendship often acting as the story’s heart. While not as strong as most other main characters, Krillin is the funniest, and most of his humor has aged pretty well. He is also incredibly brave.

Even more so than Chi-Chi or even Gohan, Krillin helps bring out Goku’s human side in DBZ and Super. These two characters have an incredible rapport that shines through whenever they are allowed to interact, which does not happen often enough after the first show.

6

Bulma

Dragon Ball’s Best Female Character & One Of The Most Important

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Daima, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Human

For the most part, Dragon Ball‘s female characters are not spotlighted as often as they should be, which is a shame, as they are generally great. The main exception is, naturally, Bulma. An anime icon, the scientist plays a pivotal role in Dragon Ball, to the point that she is just as important as Goku in the original series. She was also unique for the era, at least when it came to shonen stories.

By far the smartest main Dragon Ball character, she has a well-rounded three-dimensional personality that does not cater to stereotypes. She is allowed to be obnoxious, confident, manipulative, sexual, kind, and angry. While she does not fight, she is constantly useful and offers expertise in an area that is all her own.

Admittedly, Bulma becomes more of a bit-part player in the sequels, but she still has her moments. Her relationship with Vegeta is great, and she is a fun presence in Super and especially Daima.

5

Future Trunks

A Dragon Ball Hero Born Out Of Hell

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Super, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Saiyan/Human

Born in the worst timeline, Future Trunks knows almost nothing but tragedy, oppression, and fear. The last remaining Saiyan, he is the only one willing to oppose Android 17 and 18, despite knowing full well that he is nowhere near their level. However, Trunks goes back in time, hoping that he can set things right and craft a better future for himself.

Kid Trunks and Dragon Ball GT Trunks are not looked upon fondly, and that reputation partially stems from the fact that they had to follow their future variant. Soft-spoken but still a hardened warrior who has been living in hell for most of his life, Trunks is driven by a selfless desire to change and save the world, and his personality is notably different from any other Saiyan in Dragon Ball.

4

Gohan

The Best Dragon Ball Z Character (Well, For About 2/3rds Of The Anime)

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Saiyan/Human

Gohan is simultaneously one of the best Dragon Ball characters and one of the most frustrating. Up until the Cell Saga, Goku and Chi-Chi’s son went on a pitch-perfect journey that saw him evolve from a scared child to the most powerful warrior in the known universe (at the time). He suffered hardship and terror at the hands of Raditz, Vegeta, Frieza, and Cell, only to stand up and face off against the far more powerful characters. His actions are born out of courage and a desire to do what is right and protect the weak, rather than a love for fighting.

In isolation, Teen Gohan is arguably the best character in the franchise. By that point, the audience had seen this child grow up before their eyes, culminating in his all-time legendary battle with Cell. Unfortunately, after this saga, Gohan loses quite a bit of steam. He is discarded in favor of Goku and Vegeta during the Majin Buu storyline, and he barely has a presence in DBGT and Super. Gohan is not even part of Daima.

3

Goku

The Most Iconic Anime Character Of All Time

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Daima, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Saiyan

Goku is Dragon Ball. As the protagonist of every series, nearly every arc, and most movies, Kakarot is ever-present. Ultimately, Dragon Ball is Goku’s story, chronicling his birth, childhood, teen years, and adulthood. Viewers get to watch Goku go through his entire life. They watch him grieve his grandfather, make his first friend, get married, suffer crushing defeats, rise above seemingly insurmountable obstacles, transform into many forms, die (multiple times), and eat enough food to feed an entire country.

Goku is designed to be fairly straightforward, almost to the point of acting as a surrogate for the audience. However, he has more than enough personality to feel like a legitimate person rather than a self-insert protagonist, even if his characterization does not change all that much in Dragon Ball Z and especially Super.

2

Piccolo

Dragon Ball’s Best Father & A Fantastically Written Character

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Daima, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Namekian

Introduced as King Piccolo’s offspring and the original Dragon Ball‘s final villain, Piccolo could have easily been a throwaway antagonist and a rehash of his father; however, he sticks around and pretty much instantly becomes one of DBZ‘s best characters. While initially teaming up with the Z-Fighters out of necessity, Piccolo gradually becomes a close ally and friend to Goku, all the while developing a mentor-student dynamic with Gohan. The latter is arguably the most beloved relationship in Dragon Ball, one that helped elevate and develop both characters. At this point, Gohan has a seemingly stronger bond with Piccolo than with his father.

Although always staying true to himself, Piccolo changes significantly throughout the story, albeit in subtle steps. He gradually becomes kinder, more approachable, and selfless, all traits he picked up from people like Gohan and, to a lesser extent, Goku. He goes from someone craving only world domination to a hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of humanity.

1

Vegeta

The Best Dragon Ball Character

• Debut Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Also Appears In (Main Series): Dragon Ball Daima, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, Super Dragon Ball Heroes
• Race: Saiyan

In the anime, the Saiyan Prince’s first memorable action is to destroy a planet. After that, he shows up, arrogantly kills his ally, loses a close fight against Goku, transforms into a Giant Ape, and is nearly murdered by an enraged Gohan. Vegeta is the best part of the Saiyan Saga, but his introduction paints him as mostly an egotistical villain with an inferiority complex. Fun stuff, but there is very little to suggest that he would eventually become one of the most beloved characters in Dragon Ball, if not anime in general.

While hardly “good” in most of DBZ, Vegeta steadily becomes a better person, particularly through his relationship with Bulma and his reluctant love for his children. His rivalry with Goku pushes him to achieve both depressing lows and impressive highs, with the latter eventually becoming the norm. More importantly, Vegeta’s growth continues in DBZ‘s sequels, particularly Super and Daima. By the end of Super, the Prince of All Saiyans is completely devoted to his family, making them his reason for living rather than an inherent need to be the strongest.