Do Androids 17 & 18 eat?

[Jackal puFF]

I was wondering if these androids ate at all during the whole time they were present. Was it ever shown they ate?

Do they even eat?

[CatouttaHell]

They're not androids, they're cyborgs. Androids are fully mechanical beings, cyborgs are part-robot and part-human. #16 and #19 are androids while #8, #17, #18, and #20 are all cyborgs due to having a human base. I'm pretty sure they were never shown eating though. She just sat around bored as hell when everyone else (excluding Piccolo and Videl) ate at the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai.

[Son_Gohan]

If they have unlimited energy, I don't think they'd need to.

[Jackal puFF]

If that's true that means she didn't eat anything while she was pregnant and probably didn't breast feed Maron. Yikes.

[Kaboom]

These two particular Androids are more biological than mechanical, it seems. They've got normal human bodies which are used as a base for their robotic components. If Android 18 is still almost entirely biological enough that she can give birth, then I'd assume she and 17 are likewise almost entirely biological enough that they'd need to do things like eat, as well.

[Bussani]

Unless her infinite energy reactor can produce matter, #18 would have to have eaten to make Maron. Even if they have energy, cells can't grow and make new cells without material.

[ending sun]

I think perhaps they can eat, but it's optional, not a necessity to function.

[funrush]

I think perhaps they can eat, but it's optional, not a necessity to function.

I agree with this theory. And it could agree with Bussani's comment, she could've only eaten during her pregnancy but not any other time.

They're not androids, they're cyborgs. Androids are fully mechanical beings, cyborgs are part-robot and part-human. #16 and #19 are androids while #8, #17, #18, and #20 are all cyborgs due to having a human base. I'm pretty sure they were never shown eating though. She just sat around bored as hell when everyone else (excluding Piccolo and Videl) ate at the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai.

Was 19 an android? I thought he was also a cyborg.

[Fox666]

No, if you look closely no.19 has a computer inside his head, while no.20 has a living brain.

She just sat around bored as hell when everyone else (excluding Piccolo and Videl) ate at the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai.

Apparently everybody else besides Goku and Vegeta had finished eating. Kuririn is just drinking a coffee, while no.18 is looking around.

[Pantalones]

Though we don't have any real details on how exactly their cybernetic add-ons work, #17 and #18 are probably still at least 90% biological... #18 was still "biological enough" to not only concieve a baby but to carry it and eventually give birth to it, which doesn't really leave a lot of room for their natural biological functions (such as eating) not being functional anymore.

I don't think they're ever shown eating, but then again, most characters aren't actually shown eating. Aside from the Nameks (who can eat food if they want, but only need water to survive) and fully-mechanical characters (#16 and so on), there's really no reason to assume they wouldn't eat anything just because they're never shown eating anything.

So yeah, #17 and #18 need to eat just like anyone else.