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.
9. Tien
In the overall scheme of the Dragon Ball franchise, Tien is an awesome character who shows off a slew of cool techniques. Unfortunately, he was seriously demoted in Dragon Ball Z, wallowing amongst the dregs of Yamcha and Chiaotzu. Considering this besmirching, we’ve had to rank Tien based solely on his Z exploits, and they are far and few between.
A psychic Earthling with a perpetually scowling third eye, Tien is cut from a different cloth from his cohorts. He has a cold temperament, and isn’t down for any shenanigans. Some may say that Piccolo or Vegeta are the serious members of the party, but even they dabble in driving lessons and pink shirts on occasion. None of that fancy stuff for old Tien here, however, who dedicates his life to training and growing stronger. His commitment is impressive, but sadly it bears little fruit, his limits very apparent at an early stage of the series. His shining moment, and we mean that literally, is when he holds off Cell with his Neo Tri-Beam, buying enough time for the androids to escape. Once he’s depleted all of his energy, Cell refers to him as a ‘pitiful man’, and gives him a kick right in the ribs. Worry not, Tien, your sacrifice has secured you a place in these illustrious standings, and that makes it all worth it.
8. Android 18
Like literally almost every other character on this list, and indeed in the franchise as a whole, Android 18 was first brought into the storyline as a cold, calculating villain. Along with her brother, she laid waste to the entire world, even managing to wipe out the Z Warriors. How could we possibly survive, now that Goku was gone? And Gohan was felled? And Krillin had died for the thirtieth time?
By making the interdimensional trek back in time, Trunks was able to prevent this tragic turn of events. And eventually, Android 18 realized that the planet was perhaps more valuable than she had given it credit for, seeing the light of day and the apparent appeal of a diminutive bald man. There is a distinct lack of powerful women in the echelons of Z, but our girl Lazuli (her real name, which also sounds like a delicious pasta dish) bucks that trend. She suffers no fools, and routinely steps toe to toe against even the mighty Saiyans. For this reason, she is a definite contender amongst the strongest Earthlings, a frequent point of debate amongst the fans. Our vote, however, goes to Puar.
7. Gohan
What’s that? You think we’ve completely short sold the Masenko-blasting child with the hidden potential? It all comes down to the man he grew up to become. He peaked marvellously in the Cell saga, finally putting it all together and blowing his foe into oblivion. It took a fair bit of coercing to get out, but it was definitely satisfying, all the same. Once the Majin Buu saga rolled around, it was all downhill for Gohan. With Earth finally in a state of peace, he let his training lapse so that he could pursue the peaceful life of a regular teenager – trying desperately to find the balance between his studies and a healthy social life. He even donned a costume and masqueraded as a superhero to help conceal his strength!
…Was anyone keen on that, exactly? The unfathomable wienerfication of a character we had grown to know and love? In the same saga, they introduced his younger brother Goten, who was basically intended to fill the void left by Goku and Gohan growing up. We would have much rather kept Gohan at the age he was at, now filled with a sense of confidence and responsibility that could only be found when fighting a tall green man with a pointy tail. He would never again approach that level of badassery as a young man, and we may never forgive him for that injustice.
6. Krillin
Short of stature, big of heart – Krillin is the franchise’s perennial whipping boy, but he keeps right on coming back for more. Often cast in the mold of comic relief, his greatest achievement in Z was likely getting killed by Frieza – an act which finally pushed Goku to the brink and allowed him to ascend to the status of Super Saiyan. Yes, Krillin is prone to dying. Frequently. Miserably. Unceremoniously. It’s a testament to his bravery that he hadn’t packed it in after about the second or third death, despite his lacking physical talents and propensity to go pop.
To make up for his shortcomings (zing!), Krillin is one of the more crafty combatants in the arena, often using deception and misdirection to his advantage. He also sports the Destructo Disk, one of the slickest looking special attacks of all. It rarely connects with anything that isn’t a mountain, but it’s at least worth maximum style points. Hapless, helpless… Krillin is a truly relatable character, in many ways. He represents our own failures and fears in life; taking it all in stride and getting back up for one last fight.
5. Trunks
From the moment Trunks first hit the scene, we knew that he was not to be taken lightly. Quiet and unassuming, this purple-haired pretty boy squared off against King Cold and a newly rebuilt Frieza all by himself. He easily dispatched of the pair, chopping Frieza in half with his sword, and casually blasting the miserable pieces out of the sky. This version of the character, typically referred to as Future Trunks, came from the grim world where humanity had crumbled. He is self-doubting, reflective and determined. He’s the kind of boy you want to take home to meet your parents.
If that’s not your style however, the Trunks from the current timeline is almost the polar opposite. Raised in a reality where Vegeta could play the role of daddy, this young protégé is cocky, arrogant, and boorish. He can most certainly back up all of his bluster, particularly when he fuses with his pal Goten and has all of his powers amplified – better strength, better speed, even worse attitude. It’s certainly a far cry from his reserved alter-ego from another dimension, but you sure can’t argue with those results.
4. Piccolo
Back when we were trying to get to grips with who all of these muscular heroes were, Piccolo was an easy one to remember. He’s green, he’s seven feet tall, and he’s the lovable grouch who probably secretly loves kittens and crotcheting. As the resident Namekian, Piccolo has a myriad of abilities you won’t see any of the other fighters employing, including the ability to rapidly regenerate limbs. Alas, he didn’t take the opportunity to simply rip off his arm and use it as a melee weapon, but it was surely an option in a pinch.
As the descendent of the evil King Piccolo, he was a likely candidate to cause mischief for Goku and his buddies in Dragon Ball Z, but he instead opted to become the young Gohan’s trainer, raising him in the wilderness and teaching him the ropes. He’s pretty strong himself, as he has shown a capability to hang with some of the series’ fiercest opponents, but he seems to prefer hovering on the sideline, frowning. His talents were most prominently on display in the Garlic Jr. saga, at a point where Goku was AWOL and the fate of humanity rested on the shoulders of himself, Krillin, and Gohan. It was essentially filler, but it was fun to see someone else in the limelight for a spell.
3. Frieza
Wicked, cruel, and incredibly pompous – no, we’re not talking about your ex, we’re waxing lyrical on the interstellar tyrant, Frieza. There was something more significant about this villain from all of the others; it was as though you knew that daring to face him meant certain death. Surrounded by his loyal soldiers, we kept waiting for our chance to see him finally throw down against the Z Fighters, and when he finally did, it lead to some of the most iconic moments in the series.
For one thing, it was not a short skirmish by any means. The epic fight against Frieza lasted multiple episodes and several hours, which made it longer than the average Kardashian marriage. He unleashes a bevy of different transformations, but his final form is the one that resonates with us the most. The sleek, alien-like visage is unassuming, but threatening all the same. He looks downright expensive, in fact. It is in this guise that he shows off some of his meanest tricks, the dirtiest of which involved making Krillin combust into a million pieces. If he was capable of this, it seems odd that he didn’t choose to unleash this lethal ability at any other point. Personally, we’d be inclined to just sneak up on Goku when he was on the can, then blam! No more pesky monkey man to deal with.
2. Goku
You read that right. Next to the true saviour of the galaxy, a man who lives, breathes and dies to fight, and one of anime’s most influential characters of all time – is a big fat two. We’ll give you a moment to gather yourselves. We have a spare Senzu Bean, should you need it.
The former Kakarot is a simple man; he adores food and his friends, and cannot stand injustice. He has a strong sense of decency in doing what is right, but has a few mental lapses now and then when his passion for competition leads to him taking his foot off the gas and letting his enemies get back into a fight. His endearing, affable nature lends to his popularity, as he bumbles his way from one mistake to the next, but he’s always able to put it all together when it counts. He is an inspiration to many, due as much to his purity as his courage. One can only ponder what kind of legendary warrior managed to pip him to the post, however…
1. Yajirobe
It’s time to admit it, guys. Amongst all of the burly behemoths in the DBZ universe, with sky high power levels that have reached dizzying heights, one man stands alone. He’s not the fittest, not the prettiest, and you may not have even considered the truth up until this point.
…But Yajirobe is the best character in Dragon Ball Z. He fights an uphill battle in every situation, employing tactical strikes in order to garner the best advantage. There is an understated beauty to this wonderful man that might not even be immediately apparent, but his hunger for glory is nothing short of inspirational.
We are in awe. We are in adoration. We are also completely lying when we claim that Yajirobe is number 1.
1. Vegeta
Alright, for real this time. If you were able to contain your fury and not immediately jump to the comment section, your reward is the true winner, the prince of all Saiyans (even though there’s only like three of them) and the harbinger of all things badass, Vegeta. Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but he initially plays the role of arrogant villain in the series, toying with his opponents and even icing Nappa when he deems him to be too weak to bother with. Once he has allied himself with Goku however, this character really begins to thrive. He’s obsessed, flawed, and filled with loathing. Despite being from an alien race, Vegeta is much more human than it would seem at first.
To be the greatest is all he has ever pursued in his life, yet he is trumped at every corner by Goku, a buffoon who seems to just float about in life, succeeding where Vegeta has failed. But he doesn’t let it deter him. He simply goes back to the drawing board; training, fighting, striving to knock Kakarot from his perch. Congratulations, Vegeta. At least for today, you have finally managed to claim the throne.
