Favorite Villains!

[TenshinFan]

Hey there!

New to the board, but not new to Dragon Ball. Been an off and on fan since 2002, recently a few of my friends got back into the series spur of the moment, and therefore got me back into it. And I'm still loving it!

Anyway, I've decided to start a thread about your favorite villains, major, minor, nameless, whatever. My apologies if this has been done to death. Pretty simple premise- tell us which villains (however you may define that) in the series. 5, 10, 1, however many you like.

I'll start it off (natch!):

6. Raditz

Ah, Raditz. The man who ushered in the era of Z. Had to make it a Top 6 to get this guy in there. I've always been a fan of minor Saiyans, like Bardock, Tullece, Nappa, and most especially this guy. The first Saiyan we meet, and he looks badass! Up to that point in the series, also one of the most heartless characters to face the crew. I also dig scouters. Yeah, I know "power levels" are reviled, but I like the concept. Added a lot to the suspense back when I was a kid. And finally you got to see how the then-unnamed Z Fighters truly compared, that was exciting. Too bad just a few episodes later all the humans get shafted... but that's another topic.

5. Tao Pai Pai

I've always enjoyed the "original" DB slightly better than Z, and Tao here is one of the highlights. Reading this for the first time as a kid... scary stuff. The first truly evil enemy, and arguably the first real challenge. I love his costume, somehow pink works. I also love the Dodon-Pa. Great parallel to the KameHameHa. And when he returns as a cyborg... oh man, awesome.

4. Piccolo Daimao

Or as I knew him originally, King Piccolo. The first Super-vaillains of the series, paved the way for Freeza, Cell, Boo, Baby, etc. As a kid I thought of him as the Dragon Ball equivalent of Satan. Cool character design (I expected nothing less from Mr. Toriyama), threatening henchman, really, what's not to like? Vlumes 12 to 14 were some of the best in the whole series.

3. Freeza

Is that how it's supposed to be spelled? Not Frieza or Freezer or anything? Anyway, Freeza is an AMAZING villain, not just for Dragon Ball but in any series. Never had I seen someone so evil, heartless, and, well, despicable. I -hated- this guy as a kid. Which is why I have to give him mad props as a villain now. Definitely prefer him to Cell and Boo. My favorite of his forms, based on design only, is Form III. Looks incredible! I read somewhere that Toriyama had initially intended the series to end with Freeza, is this true? Seems like a good place to stop-- epic villain, Goku finally going Super Saiyan, ties up a lot of loose ends.

2. Android 13

Yes, an odd choice for my number 2 spot. The funny thing is, even though I was OBSESSED with Dragon Ball back in 02 to 04ish, I never saw any of the movies until a few weeks ago. But I remember -really- wanting to watch Movie 7 back then in particular. Not sure why, maybe I just loved the character designs for 13, 14, and 15. Whatever the case, as soon as my friends starting watching DBZ again this was one of the first things I did. And wow, it was a great movie. When Goku was charging his Genki-dama and all the severely injured/weakened Z Fighters were trying to distract 13 even though they knew they'd get their asses handed to them... primo stuff. This guy (and this movie) deserve more respect, I say.

And now, number 1. Who's it gonna be? Cell? Boo? noooo.... It's....

1. Baby!


Yeah, that's right, a GT villain is my number 1. DBGT is another case like Movie 7: something I was curious about as a kid but never watched. GT had that mysterious kind of aura around it... all I really knew was SS4 and all the characters were older. I didn't know it wasn't a "true" sequel, but I was too wrapped up in DB and Z, and then when I entered high school in 04 I just kind of left the franchise behind, so never got a chance to check it out. So the last few weeks I've been watching GT, and it is WAY better than I thought. I just finished the Super 17 saga, which was AWFUL, but the first 40 episodes were great. I truly believe Baby is the best villain in the series. From his introduction as that super creepy silver infant form, with the crawling and screeching- oh man, awesomely creepy. And he turned out to be a credible threat. I was worried that GT would have villain problems, who could top Boo?, I thought. Also, the design for Baby-Vegeta's Super form... so good. Really a great design.

Honorable mention: Kui. (Kwi? Kiwi?) For some reason he was my favorite Freeza henchman. I never liked the Ginyu Squad (except Ginyu himself, who'd probably make my Top 10), same with Zarbon or Dodoria, but Kui... there was just something about him that I liked. He seemed more independent or something. Anywho...

That's it from me, excited to see what you all post!

[Mattias_]

1.Freezer (Saiyan saga)
2.Buu (Final saga)
3.Beerus (God Of Destruction saga)
4.Tao Pai Pai (Red Ribbon Army saga)
5.Emperor Pilaf (Emperor Pilaf saga)

[Daimakku]

Oh man.. Dragon Ball has so many awesome villains, it's hard to choose. I'm gonna keep it tot 5 picks though.

1. Cell
The guy is basically Freeza, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, etc. combined into one. By his perfect form, he was near indestructible, and being able to recover thanks to Piccolo's cells made him the biggest bug pest ever. Not to mention how smart the fucker was.
2. Beerus
Brand new villain, but already awesome enough to put him in my second favorite DB villain list. Intelligent, reasonable, and dare I say... not that evil? He could've pretty much killed Goku the first chance he got, but decided not to instead. Chill dude, would hang out with if I didn't know he was a God of Destruction.
3. Kid/Pure Buu
This dude is literally insane. He has no regard for anything or anyone. He doesn't even have any malice towards anyone, he just destroys things for the sake of it, like a game. This lack of ego makes me about the most dangerous villain the Z-fighters have ever faced.
4. Freeza
About the most despicable villain in the DB world. A true psychopath with no remorse towards anything. He was the emperor of the universe. An egomaniac. Unlike all other villains, I truly hate this one. His personality is so bad that even though he's one of the best villains, I'll put it at #4 because I don't like the dude.
5. Piccolo Daimao
Gotta give props to this guy for being the first supervillain in the series. His saga is what I like to call "Z-beta". The first villain to truly feel more powerful than the world itself and to really give Goku a run for his money. This guy didn't play around and was hell-bent on taking over the planet. He also killed Shenlong. I mean c'mon.. he shot the damn magical dragon! Despicable guy.

Honorable mentions:
-Fat Baby Janemba
Because he's simply giant fat baby Janemba. Funny villain.

-General Blue
He gave hell to Goku, Krillin and Bulma. Was a psychopath. Not a powerful villain but I liked him for some reason.

[TrunksTrevelyan0064]

I've always liked Butta/Baata/Burter(however the heck you want to spell it). First of all, blue is my favorite color, so it's no surprise that the blue Ginyu squad member would be my favorite. On top of that, he has a pretty cool design that is relatively unique for a DB character. There aren't really any characters that look similar to him.
Of course, he also has the speed thing going. While I seriously doubt he's the fastest thing in the universe (cough Captain Ginyu and FREEZA), it still made for a very cool-looking scene when Vegeta threw that Dragon Ball away, only for Butta to retrieve it instantly.

Design-wise I also like Dabura, and it makes me wish he stayed around a bit longer. But I guess there wasn't much to him except "Rahh I'm a devil person".

Of course, there is also Freeza. That guy was so scary the first time I watched the series. It made for some very tense scenes when Gohan and Kuririn had to hide because they knew that if this guy spots us, we are DEAD. I also have fond memories of the Goku vs Freeza fight. That was around the time I started watching regularly. I know the fight lasted absurdly long, but my 11-year old self really didn't mind that. It was exciting - the planet could explode any second, how was Goku going to beat Freeza and get out of there on time?
It also led to some of the most mind-blowing moments in the series. Freeza having survived and coming to Earth, ANOTHER Super Saiyan appearing who defeats this incredibly powerful supervillain no sweat, and then reveals that there's these artificial humans who are gonna come and, oh, KILL EVERYONE.

As far as creepy villains go, Cell's introduction nailed that for me. Whenever I see someone die or get injured, I always imagine how that must feel. So seeing that one rich dude get absorbed all slowly and disgustingly left quite an impression. Not to mention when #17 or #18 (I can't remember which, maybe both) gets absorbed, in the anime the camera goes up the tail, giving you a glimpse of what it's like to be sucked up into that thing. Lovely!

[Son Edo]

DB - Tao Pai Pai, Piccolo Daimao, Assistant Black.

Z - Raditz, Cell, Evil/Super Boo.

GT - Rild, Bebi, Yi Xing Long.

Movies - Coola, Dr Uiro, Artificial Human 13.

[Ajay]

I always really enjoyed the grandiosity of Vegeta and Freeza as villains. There was always this incredible sense of power and worth to their character that was missing from the later villains in the series. Their monarchical traits and overwhelming lust for ruling isn't something that's really found later on in the series. Their scale and the atrocities that would come under their rule are far more frightening than anything else.

I do like the Artificial Humans along with Cell and Boo and I do think there are aspects to them that are very interesting but they don't bring a level of threat or fear that rivals Vegeta or Freeza. They're either too plain or they're shonen monsters who simply want to blow up everything. The threat of a tyrannical ruler is far more horrifying than simply destroying everything in an instant. At least with death, there's peace rather than slavery and prolonged misery.

[FortuneSSJ]

Dragon Ball - Piccolo Daimao
Dragon Ball Z - Freeza-sama
Dragon Ball GT - Baby
Movies - Beerus

[Low Tone G]

DBZ/DB of Old: Cell and Piccolo Daimao
DBGT: Maybe Super Baby 2
Movies: Beerus, and less Ascended Cooler

My absolute favourite: Cell

[Luso Saiyan]

I read somewhere that Toriyama had initially intended the series to end with Freeza, is this true?

No.

[Gaffer Tape]

I read somewhere that Toriyama had initially intended the series to end with Freeza, is this true?

No.

Well, considering the original poster hasn't visited this forum in nearly three years, I doubt he's going to notice that.

[DarkPrince_92]

1. Perfect Cell

2. Freeza

3. Kid Buu

4. Tao Pai Pai

5. Turles

6. Piccolo Daimao

7. Super Android 17

[Gaffer Tape]

In no particular order (because I'm not entirely sure what the order is), here we go:

Vegeta: Charismatic, brutal, egotistical, motivated, well-developed. He's just a joy to watch in his first two arcs, and Toriyama handled him so well on his transition from main villain to his fairly unique role in the Freeza arc. I always complain about how he was handled after that... because, yeah, it is really terrible, and he becomes a completely facepalm-worthy character. But that's because he was sooooo effective as an amoral villain that it made him becoming a hero nearly impossible.

Freeza: Genteel, ruthless, arrogant. This guy is just brimming with personality. He literally almost gets off on causing destruction and pain. There's a reason why he is constantly used as the bench mark for future villains, all the way to Battle of Gods.

Fat Majin Boo: You want to talk about personality? This guy has it in spades. It's such a refreshing change to see such a different villain, one who is a destructive, terrible force but has an overall nice personality. And he was actually bested, not by combat, but by friendship. That was amazing. Sadly, after that he becomes bland and generic, and it actually loses a lot of its punch once it's retconned that this wasn't even the real Boo anyway but rather the Dai Kaioshin that made him the way he was. It would have been much better if that actually had been the real Boo, and that was just his nature.

Pilaf and Co.: The first recurring villains in the series, and it's easy to see why. They're hilarious. They're bumbling. They're full of delusions of grandeur but just never seem able to catch a break. They think things like blowing a kiss are effective means of torture for crying out loud! As if they weren't great enough already, Battle of Gods made them even better.

Yamucha: Like most bad guy turned good characters, Yamucha was much more interesting as a villain than he ever was as a hero. He was a formidable fighter. His phobia of women made him hilarious. And more importantly, he was smart. He knew he couldn't win with brute strength alone, so he strategized. He followed. He even helped our heroes when it served his own purpose. Considering most of Dragon Ball consists of villains who just muscle their way through our heroes, and it's the heroes who have to figure things out, I find it very interesting to see a villain who has to out-think the heroes. I also find it interesting that, when he's a villain, he seems, in a lot of ways, much more loyal and sometimes even morally pure than the heroes do.

Blue: Like Yamucha, he's hilarious, and he's a thinker. He's also brutal and, like Freeza, almost arouses himself over being brutal. He has powers that are relatively unique for the time, and he's one of the first villains of that arc who actually gives Goku a hard time. Plus, he's just so fussy. Brimming with personality.

Beerus: A new one, but I like this guy. He's not just some punch-clock villain. He has a job to do, and he also just enjoys fighting. He's not "bad" per se. He just happens to be an antagonist. The fact that he gets along so well at a party just highlights what makes him different. He's capricious and used to getting what he wants, which makes our heroes (well, Vegeta) have to use different tactics. Brute strength won't work. He just has to be placated. And that's amazing.

Least favorite villains: Piccolo Daimao, Cell (after first form), Majin Boo (after fat form). They're effective at what they do... but they just have no personality. They're straight up evil. They do evil things. Our heroes have to thwart them. I don't find that terribly interesting.

[trick007z]

1. Freeza
2. Vegeta
3. Tao
4. Piccolo Jr.
5. Dr. Gero
6. Nappa
7. Kid Buu
8. Beerus
9. Piccolo Daimao
10. Blue

[Kamiccolo9]

Fat Buu, for the reasons that Gaffer Tape mentioned. He's easily the most unique villain in the series.

[goku the krump dancer]

How has it slipped under the radar that this thread is four years old lol...

But anyway I like em all for the most part. There's not really one villain I prefer over the other it just depends on the conversation being had at the moment.

[B]

Strictly speaking as characters, and not necessarily how "villainous" they are, I love Buu and General Blue. Pilaf Gang and the Ginyu Force are full of personality too.

There's not a whole lot to Assistant Black, but his situation of being resented by his short superior and ultimately betraying him is pure Dragon Ball at its core; funny and dramatic without any sense of tonal whiplash. It all feels right and natural.

[Colonel Silver]

I like all the evil Androids though my favorite would be Super 17. Now I'm a simple guy, I'm not gonna type out an essay here. I think he's bad ass looking and has cool moves, that's it. I know his backstory is crap, his saga is too short and makes no sense, don't care. I like the fact that a human creation that late in the series was able to kick everyone's ass and look cool while doing it.

[Luso Saiyan]

I read somewhere that Toriyama had initially intended the series to end with Freeza, is this true?

No.

Well, considering the original poster hasn't visited this forum in nearly three years, I doubt he's going to notice that.

Ha, didn't even notice the date of the thread. Oh well, still works as a reminder that there is a site, too™.

[Weejus]

1: Freeza - Freeza is the epitome of Dragon Ball for me. From the moment he is introduced he is presented as a 'looming evil' the protagonists are helpless against, to the point of making the audience feel intimidated. The fact that he will go to any extent to get what he wants, there's no low he won't step to to get the job done, you know Freeza is serious business. The fact that his 'conquest' on Namek was just one piece of Freeza's plan to have the whole universe beneath him increased the stakes higher than they had ever been, and the fact that Freeza was basically the catalyst for Dragon Ball's entire storyline gave him a presence no villain before or after has.

2: Beerus - I like the fact he isn't truly evil and there's more to him than that, plus he's a cat. Adorable.

3: Cell - His cocky personality makes him a joy to watch, and I love his English voice. (Sorry, Wakamoto.)

4: Broly - (Put down your pitchforks!) I like the concept of Broly and the first film is one of the better DB films, plus we don't get many 'insane' DB villains. I do think he's too popular for his own (and Vic Mignogna's vocal chords') good, for obvious reasons.

5: Yi Xing Long/Omega Shenron - Never cared much for GT but his design is badass. Plus the overuse of the Dragon Balls leading to his creation was a great idea, and actually created a sense of consequence, which Dragon Ball often sorely lacks.

[dae428]

Honorable Mentions

Pilaf: His incompetence, naivete, and tendency to fail at whatever he does is just so fun to watch!

Beerus: Despite being repulsed by his design at first, I instantly fell in love with it when I watched the movie for the first time. The guy is just so likeable in just how much of a powerful guy he is. He's a beast and he knows it so he's gonna have fun with it. However, while I consider him an antagonist I can't really see him as a villain. A villain to me anyways is someone who is evil or at least tries to be evil as is in the case of Pilaf, but Beerus is just doing his job and looking to fight tough guys and eat good food. I mean if Goku were in Beerus's shoes I can't but see him doing the same thing.

Kid Boo--While I admit he's lacking in personality, the reason I put him here is because of what he represents. Boo is a being representing pure destruction. Unlike other villains, this guy can't be reasoned with. He's just a mindless being that destroys. While it can be argued that this quality or rather character makes him weak I feel it also adds to threat of the character. I honestly feel a bit bad for Boo. This is a guy who was never really that big of a menace in the long run though despite his menacing character. So I guess that means he's not all that great right? Well, yes and no. I believe the means to how he was defeated and how his battle was handled makes him memorable to me. What he did added more dimension to certain characters and gave us an interesting conclusion to the battle that remains clear in my mind to this very day. Another thing to note is that this guy is the last villain in the Dragon Ball manga. He was the last major threat I had seen in the Dragon Universe before the Beerus showed up years later. Because of these reasons I feel like the poor, little guy at the very least deserves a mention here and is also why he'll always have a special place in my heart.

5: Tao Pai Pai: Just something about him makes him so memorable. Maybe its his clothing? Maybe its his method of transportation?

Spoiler:

Maybe its the fact that he was the first to beat Goku to within an inch of his life with his dodonpa?

Regardless he's guy I won't ever forget.

4: Vegeta--When I first saw this on tv I remember thinking to myself, "Why won't this guy just die!"I just really like Vegeta especially when I take into account what he goes through after his villainous days are behind him.

3: Freeza: I pretty much consider this guy the villain everyone thinks of when they look at anything Dragon Ball related. This is a villain with class that has the power and charisma, but mostly power, to command a planet trading empire and make his name feared throughout the universe. There's honestly not that much else I have to say about him.

2: Cell 1st Form: This guy is the amalgamation of all the traits of the Dragon Ball villains. We see Vegeta's arrogance and sneakiness, Freeza's cold heartedness, and Goku's desire to grow and exceed himself (to some degree anyways... ... ... Shut up! He knows the Kamehameha! That's good enough!) The guy's design was so creepy and the way he would just absorb people just disturbed me when I was a kid watching the show on Toonami. He is probably the only Dragon Ball villain to have ever given me nightmares as a child.

1: Majin Boo: I love this guy so much... I remember buying the VHS where Boo first appears and thinking this guy is freaking adorable! I remember buying silly putty and wrapping it around my toys to pretend that Majin Boo absorbed them. Anyways nostalgia aside, I think Boo works so much a character motivations aside. I think Toriyama is best when he adds humor into his work and Majin Boo was the perfect platform for Toriyama to inject his delicious brand of humor into the series. The fact that this legendary creature capable of decimating the universe was fat, pink, man-baby makes the situation so ridiculous. Majin Boo is a villain that just plays off the other characters so well that I just keep wanting to see more of him wherever he is. What makes him work so well as a villainous threat is that when he's killing people he is able to be either hilarious or menacing given the necessary situation. I know that I've argued that Beerus to me isn't necessarily a villain because he's not trying to be evil and you can put that same reasoning towards Majin Boo, however the difference here is that Majin Boo takes joy in killing innocent people and causing mass destruction.