Mr. Satan: The best joke Toriyama ever played

[Zarathustra]

Every time one thought that Mr. Satan was on the brink of ostracization from the public, he bounced back.

When Cell depletes him to nil, he quips about balance. When Videl discovered the truth, nothing happened.
When Trunks knocked him out of the ring, he played it off as an intentional, even honorable, personal decision.
During the Battle Royale, 18 worked the odds in his favor and he avoided another bout of wholesale humiliation.

Not to mention the fact that he was the only human to survive the goddamned apocalypse and, for a time, take the credit for once again saving the planes of existence.

All of this working to frustrate his detractors and substantiate his status as Toriyama's grandest one-trick pony.

However, Mr. Satan's decline, as eagerly anticipated by some, would have undoubtedly failed to meet expectations. Would anyone have wanted to see it nonetheless?

[Draken]

Every time one thought that Mr. Satan was on the brink of ostracization from the public, he bounced back.

When Cell depletes him to nil, he quips about balance. When Videl discovered the truth, nothing happened.
When Trunks knocked him out of the ring, he played it off as an intentional, even honorable, personal decision.
During the Battle Royale, 18 worked the odds in his favor and he avoided another bout of wholesale humiliation.

Not to mention the fact that he was the only human to survive the goddamned apocalypse and, for a time, take the credit for once again saving the planes of existence.

All of this working to frustrate his detractors and substantiate his status as Toriyama's grandest one-trick pony.

However, Mr. Satan's decline, as eagerly anticipated by some, would have undoubtedly failed to meet expectations. Would anyone have wanted to see it nonetheless?

I wanted Chi-Chi to smack him in his stupid face and watch Satan explode.

[Gyt Kaliba]

If it ever actually did come up in the story, I figure something would happen to prevent it's total revelation. Actually, kind of like how when he's willing to retire in GT, he's seemingly stopped by 'winning' against 'Papaya Man' and the crowds cheering him on. In regards to Z though, it'd probably be something like Mr. Satan trying to explain how it wasn't really his doing, but everyone keeps cheering, thinking he's going to 'thank the human race for believing' and 'we did it together!' or something, and Mr. Satan just can't get the words out in the end.

In some ways, I feel like he's the complete reversal - or maybe, combination - of the jokes Toriyama typically does around our expectations of a character because of their appearance. Normally the big, muscular guys (he does have a pretty bulky physique at first anyway) turn out to be completely weak as hell - which, well...he...is... But! At the same time, he's got a pretty goofy face, and between his attitude and that look, he doesn't give off a very powerful vibe at all, and that's the type that Toriyama normally likes to pull the rug out from under us on. So logic would maybe follow that he'd actually be pretty effective out of nowhere - ...except, nope. He's not. He's as ineffective as you might have thought based on his size after all.

I used to hate Mr. Satan like a lot of people also did (and some still do), but I've come to really love the guy in recent years. Maybe it's how endearingly he's played in both the dub and the original Japanese, maybe it's just the way the story unfolds all around him, I don't know - but the latter portions of the series just wouldn't have been the same without the guy.

[dbzfan7]

He is one of my favorite characters and probably has the best luck I have ever seen.

[NitroEX]

I think I'm one of the few that never wanted to see him fall or get exposed as a fraud. He grew on me very fast and I enjoyed the comedy he brang. By the beginning of the Buu arc I was honestly rooting for him especially against a bratty Trunks who had just cheated Goten.

[B]

You're taking DBZ far too seriously if Mr. Satan angered you and you wanted Goku to have a love affair with Earth or something.

Dragon Ball Online plays the joke as far is it could; Satan gets a movie about his life made and a statue after he dies. Pan carries on his legacy.

[Dark Red Z]

At least he was a funny and honest joke, unlike the human Z-fighters who were groan-worthy, specially Chaos.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Dragon Ball Online plays the joke as far is it could; Satan gets a movie about his life made and a statue after he dies. Pan carries on his legacy.

Except, most of Earth does eventually realize that his movies are shitty and his martial arts course is a scam, causing them to riot. That's what forces Pan to take over, since she has the power to back herself up.
It's only like 100 years after his death that he's brought back into the spotlight as possibly being the planet's greatest hero, and that would be by people who weren't around during his life or the scandals.

[Zarathustra]

He probably had a monopoly on reality shows at one point. A spin-off with Miss Piiza and then off to the races.

[Xeogran]

Dragon Ball Online plays the joke as far is it could; Satan gets a movie about his life made and a statue after he dies. Pan carries on his legacy.

When I first played DBO (oh the good times), I seriously laughed at this.

[Zarathustra]

He was like Don Quijote

Replace windmills and warlocks with tricks and optical illusions.

[Saiga]

Dragon Ball Online plays the joke as far is it could; Satan gets a movie about his life made and a statue after he dies. Pan carries on his legacy.

When i first played DBO (oh the good times), i seriously laughed at this

I've never seen this before... it is just fantastic.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

Dragon Ball Online plays the joke as far is it could; Satan gets a movie about his life made and a statue after he dies. Pan carries on his legacy.

When i first played DBO (oh the good times), i seriously laughed at this

I've never seen this before... it is just fantastic.

This is the sequel of this movie:

Spoiler:

[Saiga]

That is just so great.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Now this is what our next new animated feature for Dragon Ball needs to be. I'd totally be down to watch the story that Mr. Satan made for his legacy to the world.