Has there even been an official "main characters" list?

[xm0c]

For a series as popular as Dragon Ball, I find it weird there's really no official consensus over who is a main character and who isn't. Okay, we know Son Goku is THE main character, but there's other characters in the series I've seen arguments over how they aren't main characters. Dragon Ball isn't like most American TV shows, where determining who is a main character can be told by watching the opening credits. And looking at the ending credits for Dragon Ball isn't helpful because any character with a speaking role gets listed in them. So it's a little confusing

From what I've found, there's 3 sources that best describe who the main characters of Dragon Ball are, but each have their own issues: Daizenshuu 2, the Tankobon releases of the manga, and the websites for the anime.

In Daizenshuu 2, a Chronological Table of Characters includes the appearances of 28 (well, technically 29) characters and how they appear throughout the volumes of Dragon Ball. These are (in order): Son Goku, Bulma, Kame-Sen'nin, Oolong, Yamcha, Pu'er, Chi-Chi, Gyūmaō, Kuririn, Lunch, Karin, Uranai Baba, Tenshinhan, Chiaotzu, Yajirobe, Piccolo, Mister Popo, God, Son Gohan, Vegeta, Kaiō, Dende, Trunks (both the kid and teen versions), No. 18, Mister Satan, Videl, Son Goten, and Kaiōshin. This is where I'd leave it, since these characters definitely have major roles in various parts of the series. However, Daizenshuu 2 later classifies many of these characters as "Sub Characters". The one's I bolded are characters given significant profiles in the "Growing Up" section of Daizenshuu 2, while the rest are listed as "Sub Characters". Other sub characters are Hacchan, Upa & Bora, Grandpa Gohan, No. 17, No. 16, and Elder Kaiōshin.

Next, the Tankobon release of the manga includes main character pages at the beginning of each volume from the 2nd volume to the 42nd. I had to look at the Viz editions of the manga volumes, so this list might not be 100% accurate. Each of the 28 characters listed in the Daizenshuu 2 Table are included, with the exception of Mister Popo. Other characters included are: Pilaf. & Co., Jackie Chun (listed separately from Kame-Sen'nin), Namu, Ran-Fan, Giran, General White, Murasaki, Commander Red, Assistant Black, General Blue, Arale Norimaki, Senbei Norimaki, Bora, Upa, Tao Pai-pai, Tsuru-Sen'nin, Demon King Piccolo, Shen (God under a false identity), Raditz, Nappa, Freeza, Zarbon, Dodoria, The Eldest, Nail, the Ginyu Force, No. 19, Dr. Gero, No. 17, No. 16, Cell, Kibito, Bobbidi, Dabra, Boo, and Elder Kaiōshin. A much larger lists, including pretty much every major character including villains.

Finally, the Japanese websites for the original Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z websites. Each have a section listing the main casts. These are: Son Goku, Bulma, Kame-Sen'nin, Kuririn, Yamcha, Pilaf, Oolong, Pu'er, Uranai Baba, Commander Red, Tenshinhan, Chiaotzu, Karin, Demon King Piccolo, Ma Junior/Piccolo, Son Gohan, Raditz, Vegeta, Nappa, Chi-Chi, Kaiō, The Eldest, Freeza, Dende, Teen Trunks, No. 20/Dr. Gero, Cell, Majin Boo, Satan, Goten, and Kid Trunks. Mostly the same characters that were listed above, and each main villain is listed.

[Matches Malone]

I don't think we need one, as we can easily tell by just watching the show/reading the story.

[WittyUsername]

If I had to pick out the five main Dragon Ball characters overall, it would probably be Goku, Bulma, Kuririn, Gohan, and Vegeta. I used to include Piccolo in place of Bulma, but the more I think about it, Bulma would probably qualify as a more significant character overall, especially if you take modern Dragon Ball into account, where she’s basically the tritagonist.

[Matches Malone]

If I had to pick out the five main Dragon Ball characters overall, it would probably be Goku, Bulma, Kuririn, Gohan, and Vegeta.

If we're talking about the original manga only, I'd keep Bulma in the top 5 but replace Krillin with Piccolo. In terms of Modern DB, I think Beerus and Whis take 2 of the spots alongside Bulma, Goku, & Vegeta.

[MasenkoHA]

I mean other than Goku the status of main characters comes and goes.

I’d consider Bulma, Yamucha, and Oolong main characters in the first arc but not really after. Tenshinhan is a main character in his intro arc but not so much after. Gohan and Vegeta become major characters for when they are introduced and stay that way for the remainder of the original but they’re not in the first third so even calling them main characters (unless we’re specifying Z) feels iffy

[WittyUsername]

I mean other than Goku the status of main characters comes and goes.

I’d consider Bulma, Yamucha, and Oolong main characters in the first arc but not really after. Tenshinhan is a main character in his intro arc but not so much after. Gohan and Vegeta become major characters for when they are introduced and stay that way for the remainder of the original but they’re not in the first third so even calling them main characters (unless we’re specifying Z) feels iffy

Goku, Bulma, Yamcha, Oolong, and even Puar would qualify as the main characters of the initial arc, but out of those five characters, Goku and Bulma are the only ones who maintain any real relevance for the remainder of the series. Yamcha does hang in there a lot better than Oolong and especially Puar do, but it’s clear that he mostly gets pushed aside in favor of Kuririn.

As for Vegeta and Gohan, it’s true that they don’t show up until much later in the story, but their significance to the story, from their introductions, up until the end of the series, still makes a pretty good case for their status as main characters to the series as a whole.

[Matches Malone]

Gohan and Vegeta become major characters for when they are introduced and stay that way for the remainder of the original but they’re not in the first third so even calling them main characters (unless we’re specifying Z) feels iffy

They may not have been in the first third, but I think the amount of screen time and importance they got from the time they were introduced until the story ended makes up for it. Unlike the others, Gohan and Vegeta managed to remain important to not only the arcs they were introduced in, but also the ones that followed. The same also applies to Piccolo, although to a lesser degree. Tien and Yamcha on the other hand, although were introduced earlier, never got much outside of the arc they debuted in.

[DragonBallFoodie]

Not really, because the character roster tends to shift over the course of the story.

[LoganForkHands73]

I think the main characters are pretty self-evidently so, we don't really need an official guidebook to tell us who is and isn't. It also largely depends on the individual story arcs.

However, picking an unbiased, overall top 5, eh... That's tough. For the manga, I'd say Goku, Krillin and Gohan are a solid lock, but choosing the last two is trickier...

As much as I love Bulma and I absolutely think she's one of the most crucially important protagonist, she gets pushed to the sidelines for all of the final big arcs. However, I think she definitely deserves it most simply by virtue kickstarting the entire story and staying there all the way through. In early Dragon Ball, Toriyama tried to get rid of her a few times but none of them stuck because she's too damn good.

Now it comes down to Vegeta and Piccolo. It breaks my heart but you've gotta give it to 'Getes. I even wrote out a paragraph explaining why I thought Vegeta wouldn't cut it, but getting some perspective, Piccolo is unfortunately the more minor of the two. Vegeta basically has three arcs to himself (Saiyan, Namek and Buu). Piccolo has the 23rd Budokai, the Saiyan arc, then finally the mid-section of the Android arc. Then he just drops off. Vegeta dropped off a bit in the Cell arc but comes back in full force in the Buu arc, which gave us that crucial buddy cop dynamic with Goku at the very end that defines the Super era. If we're talking early Dragon Ball, Muten Roshi also has good innings to make it in the list.

For the Super era it's unquestionably (in my opinion) 1. Goku 2. Vegeta 3. Whis 4. Bulma 5. Beerus, in that order.

[ABED]

The status of the characters can change and they often do.

[MyVisionity]

Goku, Gohan, Kuririn, Bulma, Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Muten Roshi.

The rest are all supporting characters.

[Soppa Saia People]

i don't really know how you can consider yamcha a main character and not tenshinhan. i don't even like the character (unless it's suzuoki voicing him) and think after the 22nd budokai, he's uber boring, but he was presented as more of a main character longer then yamcha ever was, who basically only has the first arc. he's a supporting character in the 21st budokai, barely appears during red ribbon, disappears after the first couple chapters in the 22nd budokai, is just kinda there in both piccolo arcs, and outside of his deaths scene, he never really gets treated like a big deal after it. tenshinhan, i wouldn't say he's a main character either but at least the story treats him like goku's second in commend in both piccolo arcs (even if he doesn't do a lot), and he's one of the more active characters throughout the cell arc, even if, ironically, toriyama kinda painted him as a minor character.

as for who i would consider, i think it's pretty easy, goku, gohan, piccolo, kuririn and kame'sennin. if you're looking at the franchise as a whole, i would definitely add bulma, but for the original run, i don't really see it unfortunately. outside the first arc, general blue stuff, the first like 3 chapters of the freeza arc, and some of the cell arc, she's like the definition of a supporting character.

but generally i think this type of thing is fluid for a series like dragon ball, i'm just doing this for fun :p

[Matches Malone]

As for who i would consider, I think it's pretty easy, goku, gohan, piccolo, kuririn and kame'sennin.

Roshi over Vegeta ? really ? Picoclo as well ? Vegeta and Gohan are the only 2 (apart from Goku) who managed to stay relevant after their debut all the way until the story ended. Piccolo was dropped after he was nearly killed by Imperfect Cell, while Roshi after he sacrificed himself against King Piccolo. Don't get me wrong, I love both characters, especially Piccolo, but there's no question over who's more relevant when compared to Vegeta.

[KBABZ]

The list of main characters changes a lot over the different arcs. So here's what I'd deem it to be in no particular order:

• Pilaf: Goku, Bulma, Oolong, Yamcha, Puar, Pilaf Gang in the anime
• 21st TB: Goku, Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha
• Red Ribbon: Goku, General Red, + a rotating collection of side characters:
  • Muscle Tower: Suno, Eighter
  • Pirate Cave: Blue, Krillin, Bulma
  • Land of Korin: Upa, Bora, Tao Pai-Pai
  • RRA HQ: Upa, Yamcha, Krillin, Roshi, Bulma, Staff Officer Black
  • Baba: Baba, Upa, Yamcha, Krillin, Roshi, Bulma
• 22nd TB: Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Crane Hermit, Roshi
• Daimao: Goku, Roshi, Yajirobe, Tien, Daimao
• 23rd TB: Goku, Chi-Chi, Majunior, Kami, Tien
• Saiyan: Goku, Gohan, King Kai, Krillin, Piccolo, Raditz, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, Nappa, Vegeta
• Namek: Goku, Gohan, Bulma, Krillin, Vegeta, Frieza, Zarbon, Dodoria, Dende, King Kai the Grand Elder, Piccolo
• Android: Goku, Gohan, Bulma, Future Trunks, Piccolo, Vegeta, 16, 17, 18, 20, Cell.
• Buu: Goku, Gohan, Videl, Mr. Satan, Vegeta, Buu, Piccolo, Trunks, Goten, Kaioshin, Elder Kai

Ultimately it's difficult to nail down a proper main character list because two of them aren't introduced until a third of the way in and another has two different versions of himself that count as separate individuals. But lets rank who the main characters are based on how many times my list mentions them:

1. Goku (11 arcs)
2. Krillin (7 arcs)
3. Bulma (6 arcs)
4. Piccolo (6 arcs)
5. Yamcha (6 arcs)
6. Gohan (4 arcs)
7. Vegeta (4 arcs)
8. Tien (4 arcs)
9. Roshi (4 arcs)

And then you have a bucket of two-time characters (Upa, King Kai and both Trunks') and one-time characters (Oolong, Puar, Pilaf, Suno, Eighter, Bora, Tao Pai-Pai, General Red, Staff Officer Black, Baba, Crane Hermit, Yajirobe, Raditz, Chiaotzu, Nappa, Frieza, Zarbon, Dodoria, Dene, the Grand Elder, Future Trunks, 16, 17, 18, 20, Cell, Videl, Mr. Satan, Vegeta, Buu, Trunks, Goten, Kaioshin and Elder Kai).

Of course the big flaw in the above argument is how much emphasis a character can have in any given arc. Biggest example: Yamcha outranked Vegeta despite Vegeta having EXTREME focus in each of his four arcs, far more than Yamcha did in any of his. Same thing with Gohan, who is listed lower purely because he's introduced right when the story arcs became much longer than before. This is also a very Classic Era-oriented list: characters like Goten, Kid Trunks have gotten more exposure through Dragon Ball Super, and new ones like Beerus and Whis have been introduced that would qualify for the main list.

Random rankings aside though, I think the character list above is a pretty good collection for who the main characters are across the manga storyline in the 80s and 90s.

[Soppa Saia People]

As for who i would consider, I think it's pretty easy, goku, gohan, piccolo, kuririn and kame'sennin.

Roshi over Vegeta ? really ? Picoclo as well ? Vegeta and Gohan are the only 2 (apart from Goku) who managed to stay relevant after their debut all the way until the story ended. Piccolo was dropped after he was nearly killed by Imperfect Cell, while Roshi after he sacrificed himself against King Piccolo. Don't get me wrong, I love both characters, especially Piccolo, but there's no question over who's more relevant when compared to Vegeta.

oh lol i just forgot to type out his name.

edit : and yeah i also forgot to give yamcha his props for being a pretty major character during the baba stuff, like with vegeta, i had thought i written it out. 5 am brain.

[MasenkoHA]

I’m curious how we’re defining a main character?

Because I really don’t consider Bulma a main character after the first arc. She fluctuates between supporting and bit player after that. Even when she travels to Namek with Krillin and Gohan she just kind of hangs in the background.

Yamucha may participate in the tournaments and in the fight against the Saiyans but he also hardly feels like a main character after the first arc. 21st Budokai is just explicitly Goku, Krillin, and Roshi’s story.

[KBABZ]

I’m curious how we’re defining a main character?

Because I really don’t consider Bulma a main character after the first arc. She fluctuates between supporting and bit player after that. Even when she travels to Namek with Krillin and Gohan she just kind of hangs in the background.

Yamucha may participate in the tournaments and in the fight against the Saiyans but he also hardly feels like a main character after the first arc. 21st Budokai is just explicitly Goku, Krillin, and Roshi’s story.

I consider her a main character in the Android Arc primarily through her interactions with Trunks, as well as the tangential connection Dr. Gero and her repair of Android 16 being very important to the plot. Not to mention her future self (who appears in person at the very end) is what makes the entire plot a victory, even when Cell hijacks her methods.

[MasenkoHA]

Even in the Android arc she kind of hangs in the background most of the time. The overwhelming focus is on Vegeta and Trunks relationship. There’s no focus given to Bulma’s relationship with her son or with Vegeta. She’s not as irrelevant as Yamucha and Ten as she contributes with the time machine and fixing 16 but I wouldn’t say she was a main character in that arc.

[KBABZ]

Even in the Android arc she kind of hangs in the background most of the time. The overwhelming focus is on Vegeta and Trunks relationship. There’s no focus given to Bulma’s relationship with her son or with Vegeta. She’s not as irrelevant as Yamucha and Ten as she contributes with the time machine and fixing 16 but I wouldn’t say she was a main character in that arc.

I suppose when I was making my list I was more thinking about who the "Featured Characters" of each arc are, and Bulma is certainly very important and is present more-so than other characters punted off to the side (Tien basically just gets an episode).

[MyVisionity]

i don't really know how you can consider yamcha a main character and not tenshinhan.

Tenshinhan and Chiao Tzu were always treated as "outsiders" in my view. Partly because of their status as Crane school students. They then join the crew a few arcs in and are prominent for a while, but then get killed off and take a backseat until Androids. I think them being written off after the Cell Games and mostly absent for the Boo saga is telling.

Yamcha on the other hand is present to varying extents throughout the whole series. He also has the benefit of having been an original cast member from the start, as well as having bonds with the other originals that Tenshinhan simply doesn't.