It’s hard to quantify exactly how Dragon Ball Z captivated a generation so spectacularly back in the late 90s. Despite the fact that the anime had first premiered in Japan a decade earlier, it felt wonderfully timely, combining our fascination with overpowered super beings and a storyline that bounced between playfully light and deadly serious on a whim. It rose rapidly to become crucial viewing material every morning before school, with kids eager to discuss what had just occurred in the last episode. Admittedly, they were often treated to a whole bunch of filler, with Goku and his adversaries opting for discourse instead of throwing fists at one another.
But it became legendary all the same. In each new story arc, Earth faced another threat that its band of unsung heroes would have to dispatch of. With so many skirmishes and brawls, it can be tricky to narrow down the cast to the top 10. Obviously, everyone has an opinion on this, and no two lists look the same – you might be a big Recoome fan, or something. Hopefully you’ll find yourself agreeing with a couple of the entries on these thrilling rankings that’ll get you prepped and ready for the imminent release of Dragon Ball FighterZ. If not, we are more than willing to fly off to a random location and settle this like Yamcha (in other words, dying within seconds).
10. Majin Buu
Already we’re blindsiding you with a surprise entrant that many leave out. Majin Buu is the final major villain in Dragon Ball Z, and he leaves a major impression. Don’t let his pudgy pink frame fool you, he packs a punch, and if you let your guard down, he will literally gobble you up. Majin Buu has a childlike demeanour and a serious temper, but also shows that he has a soft side, befriending Hercule and eventually changing allegiances.
Unfortunately, in doing so, he gives rise to a more powerful copy of himself that proceeds to just wreck everyone’s day, culminating at last with the heinous fiend Kid Buu. He’s a mean piece of work, and we much prefer his more jolly predecessor. Majin Buu is often seen hanging out with Goku and his pals in the subsequent movies and Dragon Ball Super, a fully-fledged member of the gang. They sure are quick to forgive someone who has a history of transforming people into candy and devouring them.
