The Untold Story of Dr. Gero

[Yuji]

Dr. Gero is probably one of the characters that has received the most attention and posthumous exposition and backstory from Toriyama. In the original series, he was an evil scientist who created Artificial Humans for the Red Ribbon Army and sought revenge on Goku after he destroyed their HQ.

However, after the original series ended we learn that he had a son who was killed by an enemy. Fans have headcanon'd this enemy was Goku but Toriyama did state it was by a bullet. He modeled 16 after his son. Toriyama also states 16 was given a gentle personality because he Gero didn't want to see his son die again. This recontextualizes 16's classification as a failure in the original series and explains why he was never destroyed like the other failed artifical humans.

His wife, Vomi, is also inserted into the main series via Superhero. Knowing that Toriyama did plan for #20, or Dr. Gero, to be the main villain of the arc, could it be that he always had bigger plans for him? It's interesting how he kept revisiting the character even though he was just a minor antagonist.

[LightBing]

I assume #16 wouldn't even exist if the change of direction happened.
The editor wanted the "old guy and the fat guy gone" so Toriyama killed him off and introduced #17 and #18. #16 might have been there to add texture to the villains.

The lore expansion, I think, arose from convenience. For new stories and villains on Earth, the easiest option are Androids.
So when for example FighterZ asked Toriyama to come up with a villain #21 was the result. The rest came from attachment.

You can always count on Dr.Gero leaving his mp3 on for 25 years producing a killing machine capable of destroying the galaxy, that was his endearing character trait.

[Yuji]

I assume #16 wouldn't even exist if the change of direction happened.
The editor wanted the "old guy and the fat guy gone" so Toriyama killed him off and introduced #17 and #18. #16 might have been there to add texture to the villains.

The lore expansion, I think, arose from convenience. For new stories and villains on Earth, the easiest option are Androids.
So when for example FighterZ asked Toriyama to come up with a villain #21 was the result. The rest came from attachment.

You can always count on Dr.Gero leaving his mp3 on for 25 years producing a killing machine capable of destroying the galaxy, that was his endearing character trait.

Do we think Toriyama's original plan for the arc was as straightforward as the fight against 19 and 20?

[LightBing]

Do we think Toriyama's original plan for the arc was as straightforward as the fight against 19 and 20?

Their ki stealing gimmick seems a major plot point, which in the story didn't go anywhere because they were discarded.

Although he said he was writing chapter to chapter at the time, Cell ends up keeping the theme of being weaker than the Z Fighters and stealing energy to evolve. Perhaps he had a theme in mind with a villain trying to catch up to the protagonists.

[Peach]

If Dragon Ball was ever remade or adapted into a movie, I would want them to include Dr. Gero's son dying to Goku from a deflected bullet or something like that. And Dr. Gero yells, "YOU BASTARD!!" or something to Goku while grabbing his son off the ground.