In theory, Cell should be the greatest fighter in Dragon Ball. His structure consists of cells collected from the series' strongest characters. Years of robotics and gene-splicing led to this ultimate life form. His final iteration poses the biggest threat. He even touts himself as "perfect." In reality, he's far from it.

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Even Perfect Cell suffers from a number of weaknesses. Ironically, many such flaws stem from the same cellular makeup that grants him his strength. That's the downside to possessing the essence of Dragon Ball characters (or any characters). He gets their assets, but he also gets their faults. It's a package deal that pesters Cell on multiple occasions. Ultimately, it proves his undoing. An android as deadly as him should have more self-awareness.

5 Curiosity

Goku and Vegeta Always Want To See Their Opponent's Full Power

This stems from the Saiyan cells in his body, namely Goku and Vegeta. They both have an insatiable lust for battle, and they're not satisfied until they see their opponents' full strength. This tendency gets them into trouble more often than not. They often forfeit their advantage by letting their enemies power up.

Cell makes the same mistake. When he learns of Gohan's latent power, he does everything he can to draw it out. His methods include inflicting pain on his opponent and sending his miniature minions to kill the other Z-fighters. The final straw comes when he mercilessly executes Android 16. This pushes Gohan to a new level: Super Saiyan 2. He utterly outclasses Cell and ultimately destroys him. Curiosity (literally) kills the cat.

4 Anger

When Cell is Losing, He Tries to Brute Force His Way To Victory

Like many Dragon Ball villains, Cell loses his temper when the fight doesn't go his way. Of course, this behavior isn't exclusive to his final iteration, as his previous form falls victim to it while fighting Vegeta. That said, it's this final form that commits an amateurish mistake. Once Gohan ascends to a higher level, Cell can't land a single blow. In turn, the kid starts ripping him apart. The baddie then tries to compensate through sheer bulk.

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Cell pumps up his muscles to increase his power, but he sacrifices his speed in the process. It's the same strategy that he lambastes Trunks for. Raw strength is useless if he can't hit the target. Such a faulty tactic is just as ineffective here. Moreover, it leads to another issue.

3 Digestion

Taking Damage Can Cause Cell's Body to Fail

After bulking up to a bulging size, Cell endures even more damage from Gohan. One of these gut punches causes the villain to start gagging. He then spits out Android 18: one of the very beings he needs to attain his Perfect form. This mishap causes him to revert to his previous level, giving him even less of a fighting chance. In short, Cell's body fails him.

It shouldn't be this easy to undo his absorption. Android 18 has been in his system for several days; there shouldn't be anything left of her. By the narrative's logic, though, she's intact. What's more, simple violence liberates her from Cell's insect innards. Give him another smack, and he might spit out Android 17.

That's not even accounting for his appearance in Dragon Ball GT. Cell tries absorbing Goku, but the headstrong hero crawls his way out a few seconds later. Granted, this show isn't part of the canon anymore, but both instances trivialize this villain's ability. He can't even keep his food down.

2 Absorption

Cell's Strength is Reliant on the Strength of Others

A fundamental flaw in Cell's design is that his strength hinges almost entirely on others. His larval form is virtually powerless, so he must siphon energy from civilians to even stand a chance. It's the equivalent of grinding in an RPG by repeatedly killing the weakest enemies, but that's nothing compared to Cell's programmed purpose.

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Dr. Gero builds Cell to absorb Android 17 and 18. Only then can he complete his evolution and achieve his Perfect form. This raises a bunch of questions. He initially gets stronger by consuming civilians, so does this method eventually stop working? If so, it puts an arbitrary limit on his power and hinders him if the Androids aren't available. He runs into that very problem in another timeline. Trunks destroys the androids, so Cell has no way to evolve. He just lucks out when he happens to have a time machine at his disposal. Otherwise, he would have fumbled his "perfection" on a flimsy foundation.

1 Regeneration

Namekians' Regeneration Comes at the Cost of Their Power

At first glance, Cell's regenerative ability appears to be an advantage. Thanks to the Namekian cells in his structure, the villain can regrow any lost limbs or body parts. Unfortunately, this perk is a double-edged sword.

Whenever Namekians regenerate, they sacrifice a portion of their power. The same goes for Cell. The more grievous the injury, the further his might goes down. The only exception comes when he blasts himself into a million pieces. Whenever Saiyans recover from the brink of death, their strength increases. Thus, the villain's Saiyan cells counteract his Namekian weakness. This method is a perilous endeavor, though. He obviously doesn't want to risk death on a regular basis. Because of that, the great irony is that his healing power isn't sustainable.

Dragon Ball Z (1989)

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Release Date

April 26, 1989

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Akira Toriyama

Number of Episodes

291

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll