Demon guide

[Herms]

----Notice:This old thread is part of my series of guides. To avoid necro-posting, please post any comments you have in the sticky thread for my guides, rather than here. Thanks!----

So there are quite a few different kinds of demons that appear throughout DragonBall. It can be hard to keep them all separate, especially because the terms used for them vary between translations. So here’s a guide explaining what the different types are, what their Japanese name means, what role they play in DragonBall, and any other thing I feel like mentioned. Anyway, I hope you like my guide, but if not you can always quite literally go to Hell.

Demon Clan (魔族/mazoku): Probably the most major and most confusing of the demons in DragonBall. I’ll split this between the term as it’s used in the manga, and between anime-only stuff. The second kanji means ‘tribe’, while the first one is 魔/ma, which in Japanese denotes things both demonic and magical, and which as you might expect will be popping up quite a lot in this guide.

Manga
In the manga, the only Demon Clan is Piccolo Daimao and his offspring, Cymbal, Tambourine, Drum, Piano, and later Ma Junior. Their special characteristic is that the spirits of those killed by them are unable to pass on into the afterlife, and instead remain in the living world, suffering (fans sometimes mistakenly say those killed by them go to limbo). Similarly, their ki is able to permanently destroy a Kinto-un, something normal weapons can’t do. It’s never really stated what qualifies one as a member of the Demon Clan, but since Piccolo Daimao was born from the evil in Kami’s heart, it seems that being pure or at least extremely evil is the major factor. This is supported by the fact that Ma Junior no longer has the characteristics of the Demon Clan by the time of the battle with Raditz (Goku and Raditz’s souls both go to the afterlife), and that this is tied with Piccolo becoming less evil.

While Daimao and Ma Junior look just like regular Namekians, Daimao’s minions all look very different (though they’re still all green at least), despite Daimao giving birth to them in the usual Namekian way of spitting eggs from his mouth. Daimao shows that he can control what the offspring will look like before birthing it (he says that he’ll make Cymbal dragon-like since it will be his job to hunt for the dragonballs), so this is most likely the reason for all his offspring’s unusual appearances. However, it’s not known if this is something regular Namekians can do but never choose to, or if Daimao only has this power due to his demonic nature.

A major confusion fans have is to think that Piccolo/Ma Junior never really was a demon, and that it was just him and the people of Earth misunderstanding his Namekian nature. The problem with this is that nobody ever thought Kami was a demon. Kami himself and everyone else thought he was just an unusual-looking Earthling and a talented martial artist. It’s only Kami’s evil twin that was viewed as demonic. And as noted above, Daimao and co. have unusual properties that regular Namekians don’t.

Anime
In the anime, Garlic Jr.’s tribe is also called the Demon Clan. They come from Planet Makyo (incorrectly called Makyo Star in the dub, but in the original it’s an inhabited planet), a planet which draws near the Earth every 5,000 years. Because of this they are also sometimes called makyou-seijin, or “people of Planet Makyo”. Garlic Jr.’s ancestors immigrated to Earth the last time Planet Makyo approached, and have been causing trouble ever since. When Planet Makyo again draws near Earth in the Garlic Jr. arc, it increases the power of Garlic Jr. and co. many tens of times over (so why’d the leave in the first place?). 300 years before the events of the series, Garlic tried to become Kami of Earth, but the then current Kami saw that he had bad intentions and rejected him. Garlic then mounted a rebellion against Kami, but was defeated and sealed away, leaving his son Garlic Jr. to eventually try to avenge him through the power of very bad filler. Garlic Jr. possesses the Aqua Mist, which when inhaled awakens the evil within humans’ hearts, turning them into members of the Demon Clan. The idea that awakening the evil inside someone turns them into a Demon Clansman is actually pretty consistent with the Demon Clan in the manga. These Demon Clan humans can turn others into Demon Clansman by biting them, similar to vampires. Other than that, the transformation doesn’t seem to give them any special powers.

A third Demon Clan appears in DBZ movie 4, and are Slugg’s henchmen. It’s not said just where they’re from, but they may be from Planet Slugg. At any rate, they are sensitive to sunlight.

Majin 1 (魔人/”demon-human”): The main example in the series is of course Majin Buu. Buu is a being created by the mage Bibidi, and is one of a kind as far as we know. Buu is pink, can regenerate as long as even a single one of his cell remains, can absorb others to take on their powers and physical characteristics, and can do lots of others stuff that I would go insane if I tried to describe it all. In the upcoming game DragonBall Online, Buu takes a lover at some point after the events of the series, and by the year Age 1000 there is an entire race of majin descended from him.

In the original series Buu is the only one associated with Babidi who is called a majin, but fans have long referred to those Babidi controls with his magic as majin as well, most prominently with “Majin Vegeta”. The name “Majin Vegeta” has now been used in video games and Funi’s DVD releases, giving it sorta-kinda official status. There is also one thing in the original series that supports this naming scheme: Kaioshin refer to Yakon as “majuu Yakon” or “demon-beast Yakon”. Written 魔獣/majuu, this is essentially the animal equivalent of majin. However, it’s possible that Yakon was known as this even before he fell under Babidi’s spell. Whether or not they can also be called majin, those manipulated by Babidi’s magic are clearly a different sort of being than Buu. They are all originally powerful warriors with evil hearts from throughout the universe, who Babidi brainwashed by manipulating their evil hearts with his magic. They have their power drawn out by Babidi to beyond their own limits, giving them bulging veins and somewhat zombie-like powers (being able to survive having their neck broken, for instance).

There might be other majin in the DB universe, as Goten and Trunks both recognized the word “majin” when they heard it, and Gohan says that since Buu is called a majin he expected him to be bigger. However, it’s possible that their knowledge is based entirely on mere stories (they obviously haven’t actually met any majin before), or even legends ultimately based on Buu himself.

A much lesser known majin is Majin Ozotto, the final enemy in the DBZ VRS game, whose name is rather bizarrely given in English as “Ozotto the Super Monster”. Ozotto has the ability to transform into the other fighters in the game, similar to Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat series. In his normal form he has three eyes and looks like a cross between second-form Freeza and Janenba. Other than that I don’t know much about him, including whether or not he has any back-story.

While it can be used for lots of different mythological and fictional magical beings, the term majin is very often used in Japanese for genie/djin. It’s generally used in translations of the story of Aladdin, and in fact the Disney character Genie is called “Majin Genie” in Japanese. This is why Viz translated it as “djinn”.

Majin 2 (魔神/”demon-god”): While the “majin” above was written with the kanji for “demon-man”, this one is written “demon-god”, but read the same way. In DragonBall, it is used for Lucifer and his followers from DB movie 2, “Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle”; the “devil” in the title is actually “majin” in the Japanese for the title (魔神城のねむり姫/majin-jou no nemuri hime). They live in the titular Majin Castle and hate sunlight, so they attempt to destroy the sun.

Phantom Majin (幻魔人/gen-majin): The term for Hildegarn from DBZ movie 13. It’s made by appending the kanji for “phantom” to the two kanji for “majin”. While I’ve found a few other movies and whatnot that use this word, I haven’t found a dictionary translation. Daimao’s subtitles translate the term as “phantasm”. Anyway, Hildegarn was originally a statue on Planet Conuts, but a clan of evil wizards infused it with evil, turning into a living monster. It evades attacks by turning into smoke, and using its tail to absorb the energy of living beings, similar to Cell. It is cut in half and sealed with Tapion and Minoshia, and then DBZ movie 13 happens.

Devils (悪魔/akuma): Combining the kanji for “evil” and “demon” gets you “devils” (or alternatively, per Jim Breen’s dictionary, “demon; fiend; Satan; evil spirit”). If you’re a One Piece fan, you probably know that the Japanese name for the Devil Fruit is akuma no mi. There’s also a Street Fighter character named “Akuma” (whose original Japanese name is ironically something completely different). Anyway, in DragonBall devils are a race indigenous to Hell, and the only one we see is the aptly-name Akkuman, the strongest of Uranai Baba’s fighters when Grandpa Gohan isn’t around.

Akkuman (sometimes known as “Devilman” in English translations) looks very similar to standard depictions of Satan, and even fights with a pitchfork. The fact that Akkuman is a devil from Hell is established in the manga (he threatens to carry Goku to his homeland, Hell), but Daizenshuu 7 slightly expands on this by noting that “devil” is not a general term for Hell’s life-forms, but just designates Akkuman’s specific hellish race.

At any rate, the Hell that Akkuman and his race of devils come from is the place located directly beneath Serpent Road, where the souls of the wicked dead are punished, and it not to be confused with Dabra’s Demon Realm. However, according to Enma Daio the two are similar, to the point where Dabra would be happy in Hell. To make things really confusing, Dabra’s Demon Realm/makai is sometimes referred to as the Devil Realm/akumakai. But still, they’re different places.

Interestingly, “Akkuman” is also the name of the protagonist of another series by Toriyama, “Go! Go! Ackman” (“Ackman” being an alternative transliteration of “Akkuman”), though the two don’t look alike, this Akkuman looking like a short, red version of future Trunks. This Akkuman is also a devil, who kills humans to collect their souls and give them to the great demon king in exchange for valuable prizes.

The character Chivil from Dr. Slump is also similar to Akkuman, resembling a baby version of him. He is also a devil who comes out form Hell through a volcano, and constantly attempts to kill the other characters. He can’t though, because Dr. Slump is a gag manga, and characters always come back to life no matter what (this is something Freeza also found out the hard way in the DB/Kochi-Kame crossover).

Oni (鬼): Oni are beings from Japanese mythology who are something of a mix between a demon and a troll or ogre. They generally have horns, come in red or blue, wear tiger-skins, and carry large spiked clubs. During his first appearance, Oolong terrifies the villagers by transforming into this sort of Oni. In Buddhist mythology, Enma Daio is assisted by oni, which is the main role they appear in throughout DragonBall. In DragonBall Enma Daio’s Oni servants appear dressed as business men. They still have the blue and red skin and the horns though, plus tiger-skin ties.

In the anime all Oni constantly insert “oni” into their sentences. Also in the anime we get to see the Oni Gozu and Mezu, who guard Hell. Unlike the Oni who work at Enma’s castle, they both wear a sort of gym outfit. The two are named for the cow-head (牛頭/gozu) and horse-head (馬頭/mezu) Oni who figure in depictions of Buddhist Hell. While the pair appears in Hell, they just work there, as opposed to the devils that live there and the wicked souls imprisoned there. Another important Oni from the anime is Psyche-Oni, also known as “tank boy”, who gets transfigured into Janenba in DBZ movie 12. His name is short for “Psychedelic Oni”, after his musical tastes, and is often mis-transliterated into English as “Saike-Oni”.

Demon Realm (魔界/makai): Also known as the “Demon Realm of Darkness” (暗黒魔界/ankoku-makai) and the “Devil Realm” (悪魔界/akumakai), and all three of these names are used in the manga itself! Quite a jumble of nomenclature for something we never even see. Anyway, this is the place Dabra comes from, and is king of. It is located at the bottom of the universe (or alternatively the flip side of the universe, the word used in Japanese, 裏, could mean either, though Daizenshuu 7 shows it as being in the little pointy tip at the bottom of the snow globe that is the universe), and there Dabra is far and away the strongest person around.

It is very similar to Hell, to the point where Enma thought Dabra would be happy to go there, so he sent him to Heaven instead (this is mentioned in the manga, but we only actually see Dabra in Heaven in the anime). However, Hell is in the afterlife, while the Demon Realm is part of the living world. Other than that there’s not a whole lot of information about the place in the series itself. Daizenshuu 7 gives a little bit more, saying that it is home to evil life-forms who have sometimes disrupted the peace of the universe, and that the gods do not watch over it. It also says that like the universe itself, it is divided up into various parts, but Dabra rules over them all (or did, I guess; not sure what his status is now that he’s serving Babidi). There’s no real name for Dabra and the other inhabitants of the Demon Realm. Daizenshuu 7’s character dictionary simply lists Dabra and Shura as being of the “Demon Realm race” (魔界の種族/makai no shuzoku).

Which brings up Shura. In the anime, there’s a filler episode where Goku is training for the 22nd Tenkaichi Budoukai, and he visits a village located near the Demon Realm Gate, which just like it sounds like is a portal to the Demon Realm. Evil beings from the Demon Realm come out of this gate and torment the village, and most recently Shura, the martial arts master of the Demon Realm, has kidnapped Princess Mise, so Goku goes to the Demon Realm and rescues her. This all happened of course way, way before Dabra appeared in either the manga or anime. Toriyama did submit filler ideas to the anime, so it’s possible he gave the general idea for this episode, then reused it way later. It’s also possible that he had nothing to do with the episode, but saw it and eventually decided to use the “Demon Realm” idea (Toriyama did watch the anime weekly, usually with his kids). However, “Demon Realm/makai” is such a common and generic term in manga/anime/video games that it’s most likely Toriyama simply came up with it for Dabra’s back-story completely independent of the anime’s earlier use of the term. Still, looking at the series as a whole, it’s tempting to link Shura and Dabra’s Demon Realm together as one and the same, especially because we have so little information on Dabra’s.


Mamono (魔物): Literally “magical/demonic things” (I personally like to translate it as “fiends”, but that’s just me being weird); this is a generic term for, well, magical and/or demonic beings that appear throughout DragonBall. Some of the other more specific types of demons are called this sometimes (like with Lucifer’s followers of Shura’s underlings), and Daizenshuu 6’s movie villains guide uses this as a general term that encompasses more specific types of demons like Garlic Jr.’s Demon Clan and the phantom-majin Hildegarn, just as they use “alien” as a general term encompassing things like Saiyans, Namekians, and various nameless races. DragonBall characters called this that have no more specific title included King Gurumes and Janenba. Gurumes was originally a human, but his refusal to eat anything but gourmet food turned him into a large, purple monster. Janenba was originally an ordinary Oni, but was transformed into a bizarre magical monster when enveloped in the evil purged from the souls of the dead (it’s not true that Janenba was a mob-boss who was sealed away; I’m not sure where that idea comes from, maybe old fan-subs). Both of them eventually return to their original selves.

Neko Majin (ネコマジン): OK, so these guys don’t appear in DragonBall proper, but they have a whole DragonBall-parody manga devoted to them, so I figured I’d include them here. A Neko Majin is essentially a cat majin (see above for what a majin is). However, their name is written out in katakana and not kanji (where it’d be 猫魔人), so it seems emphasis is being placed on the sounds of the words rather than their meaning. This is most likely why when Viz translated the last chapter of Neko Majin (the only one they’ve translated so far), they left the name as-is, and didn’t translate neko to ‘cat’ or majin to ‘djinn’ like they did with Majin Buu. Not to mention the Japanese Neko Majin kanzenban has the title written out “Neko Majin” in large, friendly, alphabet letters.

Anyway, in the series, the Neko Majin are a race of cat-like magical beings who live throughout the world. There are about 100 of them total, and they come in different breeds, just like cats. The Neko Majin who appears in the first two stories, “Neko Majin ga Iru” 1 and 2, is actually Neko Majin Mix (as in mixed breed), while the protagonist of Neko Majin Mike is a calico cat (mike in Japanese, and pronounced “mi-kay” and not “mai-ku” like the name of our host). They have magical powers and can all fight very well, but the strongest is Neko Majin Z, who trained under Goku. Z has the unique and somewhat nonsensical ability to become a Super Neko Majin, and fires the deadly Neko-hameha. Neko Majin get their power from their Neko Majin ball, which they keep inside their bodies and can spit out their mouth at will (generally only when forced to do so, as removing it from their body causes them to lose their powers). Neko Majin are extremely long-lived, possibly immortal, and can even sleep for 30 years straight. In addition to the Neko Majin, there is also at least one Usagi Majin (bunny majin), who is the enemy of the Neko Majin.

Mister Satan: Not actually demonic. According to Toriyama in DragonBall Landmark, “Since he’s a professional grappler, I used a name that would make him sound like one. Because this is his ring name, I think his actual name is probably something different”. His daughter Videl’s name of course comes from rearranging “devil”. Mister Satan is often simply called “Satan” throughout the series, leading to such immortal moments as Goku saying “Well done Satan! You may be the Earth’s true savior!” and the entire world repeatedly shouting “Satan!” in unison (accompanied by happy, happy music in the anime). Good times.

[Tsukento]

Damn that was a mighty fine read. Very interesting points. Nice job as usual, Herms.

[ssj2Chrono]

Which Daizenshuu is this from?

[Herms]

Which Daizenshuu is this from?

None, I wrote the whole thing (I do reference Daizenshuu 7 a few times though).

[VegettoEX]

Which Daizenshuu is this from?

If you read through it, Herms is noting when and where some of the specific information comes from, but it's not ALL coming from one specific source. Most of it is observational from simply reading/watching the series, while other stuff is pulled from a variety of resources.

[Snail]

Really great read. If I may so kindly suggest, this little article should be on the Daizex site, as an addition to perhaps, a race section.

[VegettoEX]

Really great read. If I may so kindly suggest, this little article should be on the Daizex site, as an addition to perhaps, a race section.

Well, since Herms wrote it, it may be better put on his own site .

Not that I don't appreciate the content on our forum...!

[Bussani]

Great guide, Herms. Just some comments;

Their special characteristic is that the spirits of those killed by them are unable to pass on into the afterlife, and instead remain in the living world, suffering (fans sometimes mistakenly say those killed by them go to limbo)

I still think it depends on what you mean when you say limbo. It doesn't always refer to a place, but sometimes to a state. To be 'in limbo' can mean to be between life and death, which could be what those fans mean. That's what I meant when I used the word in relation to Mazoku, anyway.

However, it’s not known if this is something regular Namekians can do but never choose to, or if Daimao only has this power due to his demonic nature.

I find this interesting. People have noticed the Namekians in Dragon Ball Online look different to the classical Namekians. Maybe they chose to adjust the design of their offspring over time, making improvements, sort of like a conscious form of evolution?

[Super 17]

Nice job Herms, I really enjoyed reading all that. Cool stuff.

[Saiyan-Professor]

Herms

Excellent post as always and I must say that you are a grade “A” researcher. You have shed light on a number of issues. Like for instance that Hildegarn, Janenba and a few others could be considered Majin. The data on Dabra his realm and clan was the most intriguing. After looking at the Daizenshuu timeline, I believe your theory that Toriyama may have used the filler material for Dabra’s background plus his connection with Shura, Mera and Gora could work.

The timeline states:

Age 474: Dabura has an underling investigate the Earth.

Then in:

Age 750~753: Goku sets out on a journey to train. At Chao’s village, he puts down Kinkaku and Ginkaku. He meets Chin Taiken, and confronts Tenron in a match. Goku passes through the Demon Realm Gate in the Kres Kingdom and has a showdown with Shura. Goku meets Tenshinhan when he takes cares of Inoshikachou.

From this, we see that Dabra was already in servitude to Babidi by the Age 474. Because later in the Buu Saga he said that they had checked the earth earlier to see whether they were beings present that could provide the Ki or energy that was needed to revive Majin Buu. Kakarrot did not go to the Demon Realm until sometime in-between 750-753. This would give Shura enough time to become ruler in Dabra’s absence since most likely he was the next strongest inline.

The final thing that I would like to address is why does others dislike the name “Her-cule” if Toriyama himself said:

“Since he’s a professional grappler, I used a name that would make him sound like one. Because this is his ring name, I think his actual name is probably something different”.

I am quite sure Toriyama did not have Her-cule in mind but I think in light of the above quote if others want to call him by that name it is perfectly okay to do so. Looking back after I received this new information, I do not think Viz screwed up as everyone claims Viz or Funimation did in this regard.

[VegettoEX]

The final thing that I would like to address is why does others dislike the name “Her-cule” if Toriyama himself said:

Because it's an intentional censoring of a name. Viz made it even worse by hyping themselves up as being uncut, unedited, and even poking fun at FUNimation's standards and practices... and then following their exact example, negating most of the progress they had made.

[Saiyan-Professor]

The final thing that I would like to address is why does others dislike the name “Her-cule” if Toriyama himself said:

Because it's an intentional censoring of a name. Viz made it even worse by hyping themselves up as being uncut, unedited, and even poking fun at FUNimation's standards and practices... and then following their exact example, negating most of the progress they had made.

I understand your complaint and if I was a fan of the Japanese edition of Dragonball I would feel the same way, it is clear that Viz set up a double standard. Yet, when you look at the contents of Toriyama’s words, I do not see any problem with the two mentioned companies calling Mr. Satan Her-cule. At least Viz somewhat addressed the issue and captured the spirit of Toriyama’s words in Volume #17 (page 121).

However, at the end of the day, Viz is out to make money and they are going to create a product that will not only please children and teens in the US but also their parents. It is bad for business if you have a mob of Evangelicals and Catholics protesting outside your front door complaining about your company publishing a manga that praises “Satan” as the world’s savior.

[VegettoEX]

However, at the end of the day, Viz is out to make money and they are going to create a product that will not only please children and teens in the US but also their parents. It is bad for business if you have a mob of Evangelicals and Catholics protesting outside your front door complaining about your company publishing a manga that praises “Satan” as the world’s savior.

Well all recognize their "reasonings" and those of us with at least half a brain for how the "real world" works understand the business perspective.

Doesn't mean we have to like it as super-fans, though!

[caejones]

Arguably, since Mr. Satan is praised for things he didn't accomplish (at least until Buu), you'd think the Evangelical crowd would have been for the original name ("See, kids? Satan lies, and all the world believes it! Be more like Goku! *Goku prepares to blast 'Supreme Kai'* ... wait, maybe be more like Gohan...").
* The above is kinda a little sarcastic.

[NeptuneKai]

("See, kids? Satan lies, and all the world believes it! Be more like Goku! *Goku prepares to blast 'Supreme Kai'* ... wait, maybe be more like Gohan...").

Ha Ha oh wow Rocketman may have an issue with that lesson.

[Tekkaman-James]

First of all, holy cow! Herms, that guide was incredible! I am such a dork for technical character descriptions like this. This really sets the record straight for a lot of the unusual characters that appear throughout the world of Dragonball. Very well done, sir! On a side note, thanks for providing the name of Psyche-Oni! I always wondered what that kid's name was.

As for the Mr. Satan thing; as Toriyama has stated (and as I had always assumed), his name is just an outrageous stage name for his wrestling career. Would we really be so shocked if there was actually a wrestler in the WWE called Mr. Satan? With how many ridiculous wrestler have come and gone over the years, I would like to think not. However, take the same scenario and put it in a comic book / cartoon and suddenly it's just uncalled for. The whole Her-cule thing just grates at my brain. If they really felt they needed to change it, why not use "Mr. Hades" or something like that? It's much less offensive to those sensitive types and still preserves the original intent of the proper name.

Ah, well. What's done is done.

[Saiyan-Professor]

Arguably, since Mr. Satan is praised for things he didn't accomplish (at least until Buu), you'd think the Evangelical crowd would have been for the original name ("See, kids? Satan lies, and all the world believes it! Be more like Goku! *Goku prepares to blast 'Supreme Kai'* ... wait, maybe be more like Gohan...").
• The above is kinda a little sarcastic.

I see what you are saying but my studies are in the field of religion and trust me I know how the mentioned groups react to any little thing here in America. I do not agree with them most of the time and this is one of them. Personally, I do not have a problem with either name but in some instances, the extreme Dragonball fans can be just as annoying and rabid as the religious can. The live action movie threads are a prime example.

("See, kids? Satan lies, and all the world believes it! Be more like Goku! *Goku prepares to blast 'Supreme Kai'* ... wait, maybe be more like Gohan...").

Ha Ha oh wow Rocketman may have an issue with that lesson.

Not just Rocketman, I am president of the anti “Idiot Trio” fan club.

[Son Wukong]

Videl’s name of course comes from rearranging “devil”.

Argh! So simple yet so ingenius.

[Dayspring]

Great guide, Herms. Just some comments;

Their special characteristic is that the spirits of those killed by them are unable to pass on into the afterlife, and instead remain in the living world, suffering (fans sometimes mistakenly say those killed by them go to limbo)

I still think it depends on what you mean when you say limbo. It doesn't always refer to a place, but sometimes to a state. To be 'in limbo' can mean to be between life and death, which could be what those fans mean. That's what I meant when I used the word in relation to Mazoku, anyway.

But it's not even a matter of being between life and death; they are 100% dead, they just can't reach Enma.

...Which makes me wonder why Baba doesn't take them. I mean, she even has one working for her!

@Herms: What do you make of Satan and his aid from Go! Go! Ackman? Demons or other devils?

[Herms]

@Herms: What do you make of Satan and his aid from Go! Go! Ackman? Demons or other devils?

Well, Ackman and co. are devils/akuma, so presumably those two would be the same. Satan would be the guy they bring the souls to so he can drink them, right? He's just called "Daimao" in the Japanese, like Piccolo's title (or Mr. Simmons' nickname).