Mr. Satan (or Hercule, as he's better known in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z and certain games) is one of the most divisive characters in the Dragon Ball anime. He made his first appearance back in the early nineties during the Cell Games saga and, in the years that have followed, has continued to show up at pivotal moments throughout the franchise — right up to the most recent series, Dragon Ball Super.
Many see Mr. Satan as little more than a comic relief character, others, a loud-mouthed credit-stealing show-off instead. The truth is, however, Mr. Satan is far more complicated than either of these assessments really gives him credit for and has carried out just as many heroic deeds during his lifetime as he has acts of cowardice; if not more. These are Mr. Satan's best and worst moments in the Dragon Ball anime.
Best: He Delivers Android 16's Head to Gohan
After being easily beaten by Cell at the beginning of the tournament, Mr. Satan quickly realizes that he has no chance of winning the Cell Games. Of course, he never actually admits this, but it's easy for viewers to see just how terrified he really is of the monstrous bio-android. Despite his fear though, Mr. Satan is still willing to put his life on the line in order to help out.
With Gohan struggling to embrace his anger, the situation begins to look pretty dire for planet Earth. Android 16 knows just what to say to the young Z Fighter, but, unfortunately, he's nowhere near close enough to deliver these words of wisdom on his own. Luckily, Mr. Satan agrees to take the android's disembodied head towards the action, even though it may very well lead to his own death. This one single act of bravery really helped to turn the tide in the battle against Cell and, as a result, may very well have saved all life on the planet.
Worst: He Took Credit For Defeating Cell
One of the main reasons why so many people dislike the Mr. Satan character is due to his inability to tell the truth. Viewers see this quite often throughout the Dragon Ball anime, but one of the first major instances comes in the wake of Gohan's epic victory against Cell, with Mr. Satan shown to have taken credit for the young Saiyan's actions despite having played no direct role in Cell's destruction.
Mr. Satan is lauded as Earth's savior, with the real heroes getting little more than a mention. He even has an entire city named after him, with Orange City being renamed to Satan City in the champ's honor. Of course, it could be argued that Gohan may not have wanted the acclaim (his decision to dress up as the Great Saiyaman later on would seemingly suggest as much), but this still wouldn't make it okay for Mr. Satan to take credit for something that he didn't actually do.
Best: He Tamed Majin Buu
To all but a handful of people in the Dragon Ball universe, Mr. Satan's best quality is his strength. In reality, though, it's his bravery and kind-hearted nature that have helped him to protect the Earth and the people who reside there on numerous occasions. There are quite a few examples of this to choose from, but the most notable can be found during the Majin Buu saga.
Mr. Satan is somehow able to befriend Majin Buu, which, in turn, allows him to convince the pink puffball to end his murderous spree. He then takes on an armed villain to avenge the pair's pet puppy and even challenges Super Buu to a duel in order to buy Goku some more time to gather energy. Granted, the two don't actually fight, but this does lead to Kid Buu expelling Majin Buu, who is able to keep the evil villain occupied for a few more minutes. In one final act of bravery, Mr. Satan helps Vegeta to get out of harm's way, finally allowing Goku to unleash a massive Spirit Bomb and destroy the evil villain once and for all.
Worst: He Bribed His Opponents
There can be no denying that Mr. Satan is one of the strongest humans in Dragon Ball, at least when it comes to non-Ki users, anyway. His status as World Champion is a little questionable, however, as the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament reveals that he's more than happy to pay his opponents to take a dive if ever he feels it necessary to do so. In fact, that's not the only dishonorable thing that takes place at the tournament.
Before the bribery, he talks Kid Trunks into pulling his punches during a special exhibition match in order to protect his own reputation. He then agrees to pay Android 18 20 million Zeni so that she'll let him win a Battle Royal match a little later on. The fact that he's willing to pay bribes to win matches brings the validity of all of his previous victories at the tournament into question, and, as a result, his status as World Champion.
Best: He's A Great Father
Though at times he can perhaps be a little over-protective of his daughter, Mr. Satan is arguably the best father in the Dragon Ball franchise. Of course, it certainly helps that the only other serious candidates for the title are Goku and Vegeta, but their negligence and absenteeism should take nothing away from the love that Mr. Satan has for Videl.
The way that he lambasts Gohan for not preventing his daughter's death in the Majin Buu saga is in stark contrast to how Goku and Vegeta react to learning that their children have just been absorbed. Later on, in Dragon Ball Super, Mr. Satan also tries desperately to convince Whis to break up the fight between Goku and Beerus in order to protect Videl and everyone else on the planet. After failing to do so, he again decides to put himself directly in harm's way to make sure that his daughter remains safe.
