Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball is one of the most enduring anime franchises of all time. Since its creation in the '80s, the martial arts adventure has amassed a vast swath of unforgettable characters. Any game tie-in would be hard-pressed to fit them all in, but that hasn't stopped some developers from trying.
The Dragon Ball franchise has seen several games in a swath of genres, and many of them have exceptionally large rosters. The most complete character selections often encompass multiple eras, from the original Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Z to Dragon Ball GT to even the recent Dragon Ball Super. With these thorough titles, fans from all walks of life can pit their favorite fighters against each other.
5 Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2
The first Supersonic Warriors uses the framework of the mainline sagas to retell the familiar story and craft a handful of what-if scenarios, and the sequel expands on that approach. Not only does it have more fighters from the manga, but it also includes a few from the movies. Specifically, it has Cooler and Broly. These additions make for 26 fully playable characters, but that's not all.
Fans can call for support characters. These guys come in for additional attacks or buffs. Those not typically involved in the action--Babidi, Dende, Mr. Satan, etc.--can get in on the fun. Most notable is Neko Majin Z: the feline friend from Toriyama's one-shot manga. He's an oddity among Dragon Ball game rosters, which is probably why he's exclusive to Japan. Regardless, he and the other supporting players bring 11 more combatants to the fray.
4 Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World
Essentially a belated sequel to the Budokai games, Infinite World takes the same assets and expands on the systems in place. This includes the roster, which stands at 42 characters. Most come from the already-sizeable selection of Budokai 3. That title pays tribute to the mainline sagas of DBZ while throwing the odd nod to the movies and Dragon Ball GT.
Infinite World doubles down on that. It provides oddball inclusions like GT versions of Goku and Vegeta, Janemba from Fusion Reborn, Super Android 17, and Pan. Why anyone would want to play as Pan is a mystery, but she's there for those so inclined.
3 Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast 2
The Raging Blast titles attempt to bring the Budokai Tenkaichi style into the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. The massive character selection is key to that. Raging Blast 2 brings the total to 90 fighters (including transformations). Most of them are from notable events in DBZ.
However, the developers mix up the familiar formula with previously unseen foes. These include Tarble from Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, Hatchiyack from Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, and the members of Cooler's armored squadron from Cooler's Revenge. These additions give fans plenty to choose from. Ironically, though, the game's predecessor outdoes it in this area.
2 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
The enduring support from both the developers and community have taken this game much further than anyone thought possible. Once again taking inspiration from Budokai Tenkaichi, the second Xenoverse title has a large roster to begin with. 68 characters make up the base game--comparable to any Tenkaichi title. However, the game has seen over 20 updates and/or DLC packs, most of which come with additional fighters. This brings the current total to over 100 characters (and still counting).
The series hit a boom of new content starting with Dragon Ball Super, so the developers always have fresh material to draw from. Most hail from the new manga/anime, such as the various forms of Zamasu and the colorful combatants from the Tournament of Power. Joining them, though, are characters from the movies, both canon and non-canon. Tapion from Wrath of the Dragon, the reimagined version of Broly, and the Red Ribbon androids from the recent Super Hero film are just a handful of examples. As long as the series keeps going, the developers will follow suit. Soon, Xenoverse 2 may cement its place among the most far-reaching Dragon Ball games of all time.
1 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
The Budokai Tenkaichi games have a "one size fits all" control scheme, so the developers can apply it to more characters than ever before. The third and final entry takes that mentality to the next level, breaking records in the fighting genre with a whopping 161 playable fighters. Again, the transformations function as new characters in themselves, but that still leaves a massive number. The developers draw from all corners of DBZ, from miscellaneous Frieza soldiers to forgotten movie villains like Dr. Wheelo. It even features Oozaru forms for Saiyan characters with tails. The game doesn't stop at DBZ, though.
Budokai Tenkaichi 3 also throws in several faces from GT and the original Dragon Ball. Fans can control Nam, Master Roshi, Nova Shenron, Mercenary Tao, Baby Vegeta, and more. The cherry on top is the star of Toriyama's previous work, Dr. Slump. That's right. Arale the robotic girl comes bounding in, and she's more than a match for the other fighters. This roster represents so many corners of Toriyama's universe that it shouldn't all fit on one disc. Lo and behold, it does.