Best Theme Music for Each Character

[Lord Exor]

Now, this is a sort of game. Choose a character of your preference and name the music from any incarnation of DBZ you think fits that character best and why.

I'll start:

Dr. Gero - Dr. Gero's Theme (Androids Extended) from the Funimation dub score. The acerbic amalgamation of metal presses and screeching synth, coupled with the malignant harmonic minor melody, evoke the sinister intent of a technological terror. Truly the most malevolent of the androids, I feel this leitmotif is the superlative musical representation of the character.

[Innagadadavida]

Holy shit... *opens Dictionary.com in a new tab*

My favorite character theme is Piccolo's theme. It's on a track called "Son Goku's Counterattack" on Disc 2 of Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z: Daizenshuu. It starts out with a two notes of swelling unison. Followed by a sweeping powerful string lead. Then some horns to accentuate some notes. Then there are pounding drums in moments where the strings take a brief pause. Pretty great stuff.

The only thing that I don't like about it is the incredibly dull and monotonous bass guitar. Dum dum dum dum dum dum DUM DUM DUM DUM DUM... I'm not feeling it. Had that part been written as well as the rest, I believe it would have made the song much better.

I also really like Tao Pai Pai's theme. Talk about a great bass part. Their bass guitar player doesn't just walk a few notes over and over, (s)he actually moves around the fretboard and interacts with the rest of the music. That in conjunction with the funky guitar in the background, trumpets in the lead, and a small electric honkytonk solo makes this theme incredibly funky and very late-70s/early-80s. But its not as upbeat as its description may lead you to believe. The key signature and tempo both make the tone much more serious and sinister sounding. It's relentless, in your face, and secretly goofy. Completely encapsulates the character of Tao Pai Pai.

[jjgp1112]

Majin Buu has a bajillion awesome themes, especially Super Buu, such as:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alINjklNwLo

And of course Cell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zefLAYM7XQ

Gohan also has some awesome themes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkCZfWLyLYk

And of course Pi­kkon: ­­http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMq9S_CHsWg

[Innagadadavida]

Yes! Super Buu's FUNimation dub theme is pretty rockin'. I think it'd be much better if it weren't for that awful midi guitar. Use a real one, Falconor. But good effort. I still like it.

Vegeta has a pretty strong character theme in the dub score too. With those bells and electric guitar.

[cRookie_Monster]

I think it'd be much better if it weren't for that awful midi guitar. Use a real one, Falconor. But good effort. I still like it.

Hear HEar!


I dunno if I could pick one as being the most fitting. There were a lot of good ones. The ones Mike arranged are generally nails (Piccolo, Vegeta, Vegeta SSJ, Piccolo, Heroic Trunks, Gohan Angers, Perfect Cell, Android 16, Ginyu Theme, Its Up to Dende, Kame, Supreme Kai). I'm fairly proud of my arrangements as well (Pikkon, Dr. Gero, Garlic Jr, Androids 17&18, Imperfect Cell, Grand Kai)

I'm not sure who originally did the two note Frieza theme (Jaws backwards lol) but that one works really well too.

Another one that people overlook is the King Kai theme, nothing flashy there, but it served well I think. I have heard some complain it was too monotonous. It's not something I'd listen to by itself.

[Majin Buu]

Out of the characters that actually have themes made for them in the Japanese version, Piccolo's, followed by Vegeta's, then Goku's.

[MCDaveG]

I like that Bora theme from Dragon Ball, playing when Bora is fighting the Red Ribbon Army.

[AgitoZ]

I am ashamed nobody has mentioned Take the stage! Ginyu Special Squad!

[Bura]

For Trunks I'd say Battle Power Unlimited and Mind Power... Ki.... Though I'm also a big fan of his game theme, Hikari no Will Power.

Yeah, can't choose just one XD

Oh, and for Bardock I'd say Solid State Scouter. Of course XD

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I'm quite a big fan of Yamcha's Wolf Hurricane.

[caejones]

... I really don't understand the midi hate all over the internetz. Heck, I think the midi guitars in the Faulconer score are kinda decent (particularly in the Gohan and Super Buu themes).
Now, having the guitars and bass refusing to shut up in extremely non-actiony scenes in season 3 is another matter entirely.

Ahem. I cannot deny that P1kkon's theme is made of epic win. I also like Piccolo's themes from both the original (I don't remember why, but I made a midi of it) and the Faulconer score ("A Little Help from a Friend").
I'm having a hard time remembering exactly what I'm thinking of, but something I tend to think of as Upa's theme had a nice sound...
And I like "The Moon Represents My Heart" just because of how much it reminds me of DB music, tehehehehe. XD

[Innagadadavida]

My preference of real instruments over midi has nothing to do with the rest of the internet. I just like the sound of actual imperfect human instrumentation over midi. It's more organic. It's something I can relate to better. Midi is just a sound repeated over and over with pitch adjustment. It's not real.

[caejones]

Quite the same can be said about human instrumentation. ;P. The difference of course being that midi improv isn't all that common or easy (I do have a program that plays random stuff, but it's not particularly interesting). Well, and humans can make mistakes and such, and synthesized music tends to have so perfect pitches that it can easily cause speakers to freak out. -_-.
Oh, and I also concede that finding decent violin/cello synths is difficult. ^^

Urm... but I think I got off topic.

I might add though that the Japanese Piccolo theme seems to be one of the more popular Japanese themes among fans of the Faulconer score, at least in my (admitedly limited) experience...

[MalikArcanum]

I'd say the SSJ3 Goku theme might've been best, or Pikkon.

[Rory]

Always been a huge fan of young Gohan's theme.
There's just something so adorable and innocent about it. Really captures his character.

[Coycoy88]

My favorite American dub theme for a individual character would have to be Vegeta's theme. Those bells are to die for, aha. =D

[caejones]

Always been a huge fan of young Gohan's theme.
There's just something so adorable and innocent about it. Really captures his character.

Eek, I completely forgot that one! XD XD XD XD XD

[skatezeppelin]

I like the Perfect Cell theme from Ultimate Battle 22.

100 posts in 5.5 years woohoo!!!

[Rory]

I like the Perfect Cell theme from Ultimate Battle 22.

100 posts in 5.5 years woohoo!!!

Ah, Desperate Situation. A great Yamamoto tune. I love his pre-Budokai tunes (his post Budokai stuff is great too, but he dropped character themes (aside of Cell's theme in the original Budokai) which is his strong point in my opinion.

[Commander_Red]

If video game themes count, then Piccolo's arranged theme for Super Butoden 1 and Hikari no Willpower for Trunks. ...Also Trunk's Butoden 2 arranged theme.