One-dimensional DragonBall characters.

[ChronoTwigger]

1d: Mr Popo, Gowasu, Draculaman, Roshi, Garlic Jr, Whis, Zeno, Zuno.
2d: Crane Master, Broly, Tao PaiPai, Cell, Kid Buu.
3d: Jackie Chun, Frieza, Tien, Zamasu and almost all the main cast.

1d: one narrative level. Being there.
2d: being there AND have a personal goal
3d: action, goal and feelings.

[ABED]

Jackie Chun is Muten Roshi.

1d: Mr Popo, Gowasu, Draculaman, Roshi, Garlic Jr, Whis, Zeno, Zuno.
2d: Crane Master, Broly, Tao PaiPai, Cell, Kid Buu.
3d: Jackie Chun, Frieza, Tien, Zamasu and almost all the main cast.

1d: one narrative level. Being there.
2d: being there AND have a personal goal
3d: action, goal and feelings.

Garlic Jr. has a goal, the Crane Hermit has feelings and a personal goal and grudge.

[Doctor.]

all the movie villains

Paragus isn't one dimensional.

[Gog]

Wait a minute, I just remembered a character.

Goku

[DBZAOTA482]

1d: Mr Popo, Gowasu, Draculaman, Roshi, Garlic Jr, Whis, Zeno, Zuno.
2d: Crane Master, Broly, Tao PaiPai, Cell, Kid Buu.
3d: Jackie Chun, Frieza, Tien, Zamasu and almost all the main cast.

1d: one narrative level. Being there.
2d: being there AND have a personal goal
3d: action, goal and feelings.

Muten Roshi and Cell are definitely 3d. Tien is more 2d.

[ABED]

1d: Mr Popo, Gowasu, Draculaman, Roshi, Garlic Jr, Whis, Zeno, Zuno.
2d: Crane Master, Broly, Tao PaiPai, Cell, Kid Buu.
3d: Jackie Chun, Frieza, Tien, Zamasu and almost all the main cast.

1d: one narrative level. Being there.
2d: being there AND have a personal goal
3d: action, goal and feelings.

Muten Roshi and Cell are definitely 3d. Tien is more 2d.

How do you figure Cell is a 3 dimensional character, but Tenshinhan only has two dimensions?

[Jinzoningen MULE]

I don't know if Cell even counts as two-dimensional. He still only had one concern at a time.

[ABED]

I don't know if Cell even counts as two-dimensional. He still only had one concern at a time.

He's 2 dimensional by virtue of us knowing anything about him. He's not random victim number 38 who might have one line if that. Those are one dimensional characters.

[DBZAOTA482]

1d: Mr Popo, Gowasu, Draculaman, Roshi, Garlic Jr, Whis, Zeno, Zuno.
2d: Crane Master, Broly, Tao PaiPai, Cell, Kid Buu.
3d: Jackie Chun, Frieza, Tien, Zamasu and almost all the main cast.

1d: one narrative level. Being there.
2d: being there AND have a personal goal
3d: action, goal and feelings.

Muten Roshi and Cell are definitely 3d. Tien is more 2d.

How do you figure Cell is a 3 dimensional character, but Tenshinhan only has two dimensions?

Tien's whole character is pretty much just your typical stoic fighter after his first arc, which Piccolo and Vegeta are like as well but are far more interesting and dynamic. Cell is literally a mix bot of various people comprising his cells (Goku's calmness, Piccolo's cunning and intelligence, the pride of Vegeta, Freeza's polite domineer (without the sarcasm) and cruelty, Saiyan lust for battle, etc.).... both in personality, ability, and backstory.

[keyz05]

1d: Mr Popo, Gowasu, Draculaman, Roshi, Garlic Jr, Whis, Zeno, Zuno.
2d: Crane Master, Broly, Tao PaiPai, Cell, Kid Buu.
3d: Jackie Chun, Frieza, Tien, Zamasu and almost all the main cast.

1d: one narrative level. Being there.
2d: being there AND have a personal goal
3d: action, goal and feelings.

How is Cell 2-dimensional?

[keyz05]

Wait a minute, I just remembered a character.

Goku

I'll repeat again. Goku isn't one-dimensional. If he was always good, then he would be one-dimensional. He wanted Frieza to die on Namek, but Goku couldn't let that happen, so he healed him. He took a level of kindness, being a badass, as well as being more knowledgeable in DBZ. So I have to disagree with you.

[Gog]

Wait a minute, I just remembered a character.

Goku

I'll repeat again. Goku isn't one-dimensional. If he was always good, then he would be one-dimensional. He wanted Frieza to die on Namek, but Goku couldn't let that happen, so he healed him. He took a level of kindness, being a badass, as well as being more knowledgeable in DBZ. So I have to disagree with you.

Yeah, I know I was simply just making a joke.

[ABED]

Tien's whole character is pretty much just your typical stoic fighter after his first arc, which Piccolo and Vegeta are like as well but are far more interesting and dynamic. Cell is literally a mix bot of various people comprising his cells (Goku's calmness, Piccolo's cunning and intelligence, the pride of Vegeta, Freeza's polite domineer (without the sarcasm) and cruelty, Saiyan lust for battle, etc.).... both in personality, ability, and backstory.

He's more than that. He once wanted to be a great assassin, like his mentor Tao Pai Pai, but as it turns out, deep down, that's not what he wanted. He simply wanted to be the best that he could be. He even rebelled against his teacher, but even after becoming friends with Muten Roshi, he still felt indebted to The Crane Hermit and didn't join the Turtle Hermit school. Cell's a typical evil villain. His backstory is that he was created in a lab, not a great backstory. Did you watch Dragon Ball or just DBZ? Cell does not have three dimensions. His personality and his abilities are a mishmash of other characters.

[DBZAOTA482]

Tien's whole character is pretty much just your typical stoic fighter after his first arc, which Piccolo and Vegeta are like as well but are far more interesting and dynamic. Cell is literally a mix bot of various people comprising his cells (Goku's calmness, Piccolo's cunning and intelligence, the pride of Vegeta, Freeza's polite domineer (without the sarcasm) and cruelty, Saiyan lust for battle, etc.).... both in personality, ability, and backstory.

He's more than that. He once wanted to be a great assassin, like his mentor Tao Pai Pai, but as it turns out, deep down, that's not what he wanted. He simply wanted to be the best that he could be. He even rebelled against his teacher, but even after becoming friends with Muten Roshi, he still felt indebted to The Crane Hermit and didn't join the Turtle Hermit school. Cell's a typical evil villain. His backstory is that he was created in a lab, not a great backstory. Did you watch Dragon Ball or just DBZ? Cell does not have three dimensions. His personality and his abilities are a mishmash of other characters.

That's why I said after his first arc... he had character then but is kinda just there after. The fact Cell's personality is a mesh of other characters actually shows he's not a typical evil villain... if anything, Majin Boo and even Freeza are far more archetypal going by your flimsy definition than Cell.

IF you wanna simplify backstories like that then Tien's wouldn't sound all that compelling either. All we really know of him is he was an assassin in training till he saw the error of his ways through fighting Goku. Cell was created as the perfect fighting machine who was promised ultimate power through absorbing androids #17 and #18 but they were killed in his timeline (which was the original timeline) so he snuck into the past.

[ABED]

That's why I said after his first arc... he had character then but is kinda just there after. The fact Cell's personality is a mesh of other characters actually shows he's not a typical evil villain... if anything, Majin Boo and even Freeza are far more archetypal going by your flimsy definition than Cell.
Tenshinhan is still at the very least two dimensional after that first arc. He's not your typical villain in that his personality isn't unique to him. If Freeza is archetypal, so is Cell. The only thing unique about Cell is how he was created, but the character's personality is not. His creation doesn't have anything to do with character depth.

IF you wanna simplify backstories like that then Tien's wouldn't sound all that compelling either.

That's a matter of opinion and all that matters is execution.

[ChronoTwigger]

Too much people to quote, general reply.

Roshi, as Roshi, show no emotion or personal feelings. He does however in Jackie Chun role. Jackie Chun have a moral to follow, Roshi haven't. It's the clear example of how differently behave less or multi "dimensional" characters, despite their actual role in a story.

Cell the same. He act and have a personal goal, but have no feelings and cannot argue with that goals.
Frieza instead show hate, change his mind, have emotions. His goal too come from his own feelings and how he react to Vegeta is a 3d reaction.

Tien is absolutely 3d. He shown pride, kindness, doubts even when acting against Goku. He changed his mind following his feelings. That wasn't possible for Cell, that acted more like a single pourposed bot than a sentient being (it's not 1d 'cause at least got a personal goal to fullfil).

[DBZAOTA482]

The only thing unique about Cell is how he was created, but the character's personality is not. His creation doesn't have anything to do with character depth.

It has a lot to do with his character. Freeza wanted to be

That's a matter of opinion and all that matters is execution.

Exactly. And you make it sound like Tien was forced to be an assassin for some complicated reason.... it was just something he wanted till he saw it wasn't all cookies n' cream. Beyond that he's pretty much just the prideful fighter.

Roshi, as Roshi, show no emotion or personal feelings. He does however in Jackie Chun role. Jackie Chun have a moral to follow, Roshi haven't. It's the clear example of how differently behave less or multi "dimensional" characters, despite their actual role in a story.

Jackie Chun is Muten Roshi. There's no point in separating them when they're literally the same character.

Cell the same. He act and have a personal goal, but have no feelings and cannot argue with that goals.
Frieza instead show hate, change his mind, have emotions. His goal too come from his own feelings and how he react to Vegeta is a 3d reaction.

Tien is absolutely 3d. He shown pride, kindness, doubts even when acting against Goku. He changed his mind following his feelings. That wasn't possible for Cell, that acted more like a single pourposed bot than a sentient being (it's not 1d 'cause at least got a personal goal to fullfil).

It is possible. Though the androids were programmed to kill they were still shown to have moral agency and Cell is no exception as he ignored Gero's ambitions for revenge and world conquest. Cell wanted the ultimate power for himself as it was his calling.

He also has shown feelings as he respected Goku's abilities as a fighter, personally interacted with the androids (notably #16 who he looked down upon for being considered a complete failure), and has questioned his motives. Lastly, when he came back as Super Perfect Cell he had gone insane.

[SingleFringe&Sparks]

Does Flanderization make a character 1 dimensional? Or are we going with the useless characters? Because Goten is literally nothing, Chaiotzu is nothing, Mai has nothing to her and no backstory, Puar is just Yamcha's friend with no backstory, Pilaf is a one-trick pony and Kid Trunks isn't anything but the sassier version of Goten. If we want to go with boring Flanderization we have Goku and Chi Chi.

[ABED]

Exactly. And you make it sound like Tien was forced to be an assassin for some complicated reason.... it was just something he wanted till he saw it wasn't all cookies n' cream. Beyond that he's pretty much just the prideful fighter.

No, I didn't imply that he was forced to be an assassin. The fact that he actually wanted to be an assassin is what gives him dimension. "Beyond that"? That's a big thing to get beyond.

Cell wanted the ultimate power for himself as it was his calling.

He was created to desire the ultimate power, not to mention, he was made up of several beings that desired little else but power.

Backstories are often overrated in terms of creating depth.
Flanderization is a ridiculous term given that Flanders has dimension.

[Gog]

Actually Perfect Cell is one dimensional.

Wanted to destroy the earth for no reason, but before doing that he had to kill everyone on earth one at a time, a feat which would take hundreds of thousands of years, and even then he might fail at the task. His personality was evil. That's all that Cell was, disappointing especially considering his amazing introduction.