Top 13 Dragon Ball Z Characters

[Lord Beerus]

IGN did an article on what they thought were the top 13 characters in DBZ.

Here is the list:
1. Goku
2. Vegeta
3. Freeza
4. Krillin
5. Gohan
6. Piccolo
7. Cell
8. Majin Boo
9. Master Roshi
10. Broly
11. Bardock
12. Trunks
13. Goten

Shocked Roshi made the list and even more shocked that Krillin made it into the top five, let alone ahead of Gohan. Broly is the only movie character to make the list, which was to be expected give his memetic status in the US. No Bulma on the list. I also thought that Trunks would have made it into the top 5.

What are your thoughts on the rankings?

[fadeddreams5]

I would replace Master Roshi with Bulma, and move up Future Trunks. I'm guessing this is strictly a DBZ list, so no Super (i.e. Beerus and Whis) or GT characters considered. If so, it's a pretty good list.

These are the only major characters I can think of that weren't featured:
- Yamcha
- Tien
- Chiaotzu
- Mr. Satan
- Pilaf and crew
- Androids
- Uub
- EoZ Pan
- Chi Chi
- Bulma
- Ginyu Force (left more of an impression than any other henchmen, imo)
- King Piccolo
- Babidi
- Dabura
- Movie villains besides Broly.

[Doctor.]

I don't understand how they chose their characters. How can Goten, Boo, and Broly possibly be well-written characters? The first one lacks screen-time for any major development to impact his character and the last two are extremely shallow, even if you just mash Boo's forms all together. The top 4 is ideal and, coincidentally, my exact 4 favorite characters of the series (I usually alternate Freeza and Kuririn's spots though, I can never pick one over the other). I think Trunks is too low and Bardock shouldn't deserve its spot with all the various incarnations of the character. Cell is too way up, too, imo.

With that said, it's a good list, I guess? Dragon Ball doesn't have too many characters compared to other series with the same length, so it's not too hard to include most major characters in. I think Bulma deserved a spot over Broly, and perhaps Tenshinhan or Mr. Satan over Boo. My personal 'top 13' would be something of the sort:

1. Goku
2. Vegeta
3/4. Kuririn/Freeza
5. Future Trunks
6. Beerus
7. Piccolo
8. Jaco
9. Kame-sennin
10. Whis
11. Mr. Satan
12. Gohan
13. Bulma

[fadeddreams5]

Jaco only appeared in one movie. Choosing him based on his own manga is cheating, imo. >.>

[Doctor.]

Jaco only appeared in one movie. Choosing him based on his own manga is cheating, imo. >.>

Sue me.

His appearance in said movie still makes him more entertaining than the ones below him. Except maybe Kame-sennin, maybe I made a mistake in putting him below Jaco, switch them both around.

[MajinMan]

The list is ok, it's a real shocker to see Krillin up that high.

Mine would go like this

1. Goku
2. Vegeta
3. Master Roshi
4. Piccolo
5. Gohan
6. Freeza
7. Majin Buu(all of them)
8. Beerus
9. Krillin
10. Mr. Satan
11. Bulma
12. Whis
13. Tenshinhan

(This was a list of Dragon Ball in general, not just DBZ)

[Avery]

I really hope it's Roshi's wise side that got there. Mine will be something like:
1.Piccolo
2. Kuririn
3. Gohan
4.Vegeta

....can't put the others in a specific order (Future Trunks, Bulma...etc) and this isn't a topic about our favourite characters, right?

On a related note, I wonder what they find so charming about Broli's "character".

[B]

As usual, the last half of the story is vastly overrated. I managed to do a top 25 and Gohan, Vegeta, (Future) Trunks, Goten, and Freeza don't register; forget tertiary characters such as Broly or Bardock.

[Doctor.]

As usual, the last half of the story is vastly overrated. I managed to do a top 25 and Gohan, Vegeta, (Future) Trunks, Goten, and Freeza don't register; forget tertiary characters such as Broly or Bardock.

They did say Dragon Ball Z.

[Avery]

As usual, the last half of the story is vastly overrated. I managed to do a top 25 and Gohan, Vegeta, (Future) Trunks, Goten, and Freeza don't register; forget tertiary characters such as Broly or Bardock.

They did say Dragon Ball Z.

Don't most people refer to the whole franchise as DBZ?

[fadeddreams5]

As usual, the last half of the story is vastly overrated. I managed to do a top 25 and Gohan, Vegeta, (Future) Trunks, Goten, and Freeza don't register; forget tertiary characters such as Broly or Bardock.

They did say Dragon Ball Z.

Don't most people refer to the whole franchise as DBZ?

Nope. Dragon Ball Z was what most people were exposed to first in the US. So DBZ usually means DBZ. >.>

[Doctor.]

As usual, the last half of the story is vastly overrated. I managed to do a top 25 and Gohan, Vegeta, (Future) Trunks, Goten, and Freeza don't register; forget tertiary characters such as Broly or Bardock.

They did say Dragon Ball Z.

Don't most people refer to the whole franchise as DBZ?

The people who refer to the entire franchise as DBZ have often not seen the original series, so they usually just refer to Z (and GT too).

[Sayo-chan]

I don't like it. If I had to make a list it'd be something like:

Z only:
I. Cell (He's everyone but better in every way)
II. Android 17 (The 90s were a fun time)
III. Mr. Satan (He'd be the world champion irl)
IV. Kaioshin of Time (She's probably what I'd be like if I were a DBZ character)
V. Dabra (The physical embodiment of Satan is pretty cool)
VI. Boohan (Pretty much the only real successor to Cell)
VII. Vegetto (He's got moxie)
VIII. Videl Before her haircut (She looks better with longer hair)
IX. Android 18 (Like 17 but a girl)
X. Namek saga Vegeta (Mother fucker was out of his mind)
XI. Piccolo (HE CAN DO THIS)
XII. Future Trunks (Had the honor of dying twice to Cell)
XIII. Towa (Dabra has a cute sister? Sign me up)
Notable mentions:
Janemba (I like the way he teleports, and his sword is cooler than Trunks's. If he died by Cell twice I'd totally make him number 12)
Broly (His power is maximum after all)

Full:

I. Cell
II. Silver (I can't be the only one that thought this guy was one of the coolest characters in the series)
III. Lunch (She's pretty and doesn't take anyone's shit)
IV. Android 17
V. An'nin (Bitch's immortal and reminds me of someone outa Yu Yu Hakusho)
VI. Lucifer (Monster tropes are cool when executed properly)
VII. Shula (Demons still have a mysticism that hasn't been broken)
VIII. Mr. Satan
IX. Kaioshin of Time
X. Dabra
XI. Boohan
XII. Vegetto
XIII. Videl

[Mystic Tien]

I don't understand how they chose their characters. How can Goten, Boo, and Broly possibly be well-written characters? The first one lacks screen-time for any major development to impact his character and the last two are extremely shallow, even if you just mash Boo's forms all together. The top 4 is ideal and, coincidentally, my exact 4 favorite characters of the series (I usually alternate Freeza and Kuririn's spots though, I can never pick one over the other). I think Trunks is too low and Bardock shouldn't deserve its spot with all the various incarnations of the character. Cell is too way up, too, imo.

With that said, it's a good list, I guess? Dragon Ball doesn't have too many characters compared to other series with the same length, so it's not too hard to include most major characters in. I think Bulma deserved a spot over Broly, and perhaps Tenshinhan or Mr. Satan over Boo. My personal 'top 13' would be something of the sort:

1. Goku
2. Vegeta
3/4. Kuririn/Freeza
5. Future Trunks
6. Beerus
7. Piccolo
8. Jaco
9. Kame-sennin
10. Whis
11. Mr. Satan
12. Gohan
13. Bulma

Is it Kid Trunks or Future Trunks, though?

[Ozotto]

#01 - Goku
#02 - Vegeta
#03 - Piccolo
#04 - Gohan
#05 - Krillin
#06 - Frieza
#07 - Future Trunks
#08 - Cell

[Lunatic Fringe]

I won't rate the Top 13, as in ranking who "the best" would be, just my 13 favorites.

1. Piccolo
2. Goku
3. Krillin
4. Beerus
5. Future Trunks
6. Vegeta
7. Roshi
8. Freeza
9. Bulma
10. Gohan
11. Mr. Satan
12. Tenshinhan
13. Cell

[LonelyShadow]

1. Piccolo
2. Goku
3. Vegeta
4. Whis
5. Beerus
6. Master Roshi & Mr. Satan
7. Bardock
8. Kid Buu & Mr. Buu
9. Future Trunks
10. Freeza & Cell
11. Bulma
12. Gohan
13. Broly (only during movie 8)

Tenshinhan definitely earns the fourteenth spot.

[Neo-Makaiōshin]

My top 13 for DBZ only :

I- Goku (So shocking uhg )
II- Beerus (He technically appeared in DBZ...in a DBZ movie )
III- Lazuli (Best girl in the series , FACT ...sorry for my bias)
IV- Vegeta (Sorry Prince Saiyan but you are not the N°2 to Goku´s N°1 this time )
V- Gohan (I like more his book and nerdish character than his workshipped badass aspect)
VI- Piccolo (Best father than Goku will ever be and also good master)
VII- Freeza (Classic villan)
VIII- Kid Bu
IX- Janemba (Mostly because it has interesting powers)
X- Bulma (Probably second best girl in the series)
XI- Muten Roshi (Despite having very little screentime he deserves respect as a master)
XII- Kuririn (Goku´s best friend since the early days of Dragon Ball)
XIII- Future Trunks (I like his storyline)

[LowRyder2005]

I can't really fathom how people can't put Gohan in the top three.

Anyway, trying really hard to be as objective as possible (taking the Dragon Ball series as a whole):

1. Goku
2. Vegeta
3. Gohan
4. Freeza
5. Trunks
6. Piccolo
7. Krillin
8. Master Roshi
9. Bulma
10. Bardock
11. Cell
12. Majin Buu
13. Mr. Satan

More or less, the Holy Trinity or first four can hardly be debated in my opinion. Below it gets exponentially much more subjective.
Kid and Future Trunks could be perceived as separate characters, biologically they'd be, strictly in-universe they wouldn't be; from an extradiegetic point-of-view they may or may not be.
I tried to include screen time, media exposure, importance in the plot and characters' complexity and development as major factors.

[ZombieVito]

Shocked to see Kuririn over Gohan and Piccolo.