The Dragon Ball series is quite possibly the most famous anime franchise of all time, and its legacy has come to define the battle shonen genre. As such, the colorful characters of the Dragon Ball world have become some of the most iconic figures in anime history — especially the villains.
Over the past decade, the modern Dragon Ball films have capitalized on the rich history of Goku and company’s rogues’ gallery by bringing back several classic villains for the big screen. 2015’s Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F brought back Goku’s beloved nemesis Frieza, while 2018’s Dragon Ball Super: Broly saw the return of the titular Legendary Super Saiyan — and most recently, 2022’s Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero prominently featured the Red Ribbon Army, last seen in the original Dragon Ball series. So while it’s currently unknown who will be the antagonist of the next film, here are just a few Dragon Ball bad guys who are overdue for a comeback.
Cell
The genetically engineered menace known as Cell is easily the second-most famous Dragon Ball villain behind Frieza — however, he’s yet to make a proper return to the anime series since his defeat back in Dragon Ball Z. He’s made numerous non-canon appearances, of course, but as far as the main anime is concerned, he’s been dead for decades now. Of course, his legacy is still alive and well: just look at Super Hero, which features a kaiju-sized duplicate of Cell called Cell Max as its final antagonist. However, despite its resemblance to the Ultimate Life Form, Cell Max isn’t the true Cell. It’s merely a second-rate copy of the genuine article, lacking the cruel charisma that makes Cell such a fun villain.
Considering how well-received Frieza’s return was in Dragon Ball Super, it feels like a waste of potential to not give the same treatment to Cell as well. But considering how heavily Super Hero calls back to the Cell Saga of Dragon Ball Z — even recreating the final battle between Gohan and Cell for its finale — it may be too soon to bring the true Cell back just yet. Still, even though it may be a while before we see everyone’s favorite power-hungry android again, he’s earned a second chance at the spotlight.
Cooler
While Cell is one of the most important antagonists in the main Dragon Ball story, this next villain has only appeared in non-canon media so far — most notably the Dragon Ball Z movies Cooler’s Revenge and The Return of Cooler. In those films, Cooler appears as the brother of Frieza, who’s every bit as ruthless and tyrannical as his sibling. And while he’s drawn criticism for being a bit too similar to Frieza, Cooler still has his fair share of fans thanks to his sleek design and honorable, pragmatic personality. So with Frieza seeing a major resurgence as a recurring villain in Dragon Ball Super, it would only be natural to bring his brother along for the ride. Broly has already flourished with his addition to the canon series, so perhaps history can repeat itself with Cooler.
Janemba
Another non-canon movie villain from the DBZ era, Janemba is the main antagonist of the Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn film. A living incarnation of evil, Janemba is a mindless brute with an insatiable hunger for destruction. When he went on a rampage in Hell, Janemba proved powerful enough to match both Goku and Vegeta, and was only vanquished when the two Super Saiyans used the Fusion Dance to merge into Gogeta. Like so many other Dragon Ball movie villains, Janemba feels quite derivative of a canon antagonist — in this case, Majin Buu. Still, Janemba’s striking design and unique attacks have made him popular enough to warrant a second look.
Baby
The techno-organic terror named Baby first appeared in the Dragon Ball GT anime, the divisive sequel series to DBZ that has since been rendered non-canon. But as controversial as GT is, Baby is one its more popular elements. Baby was created by the alien race known as the Tuffles as a last-ditch effort to save them from extinction at the hands of the Saiyans. Infused with the DNA of the Tuffle king, Baby is essentially a living virus, with the ability to infect other life forms and bring them into a hive mind under his command. Using this power, Baby was able to possess Vegeta, wielding the power of a Super Saiyan in his quest to restore the Tuffle race.
Easily the most popular villain in GT, Baby remains a fan-favorite character even as his home series has faded in prominence. His ability to infect other beings makes him a unique, dangerous foe, and his backstory is arguably one of the most interesting of any Dragon Ball villain. Despite his megalomaniacal personality, Baby is still the victim of a genocide perpetrated by the Saiyans — the same species as Goku and Vegeta. A movie that brings Baby into Dragon Ball canon could be a truly compelling story, forcing the heroes to confront the horrifying legacy of the Saiyan race. And perhaps more importantly, Baby is just plain cool.
Raditz
This last entry will no doubt come as a surprise to many fans. Raditz appears as the first villain in Dragon Ball Z, introducing himself as Goku’s brother and revealing his true nature as an alien Saiyan. But despite his massive impact on the story and his status as the protagonist’s villainous brother, Raditz is quickly killed in battle by Goku and Piccolo, and has never returned since. Even in non-canon media, Raditz is largely treated as a joke. As such, bringing him back as a major threat would be a truly shocking development.
Of course, it’s extremely unlikely that Raditz would ever make a comeback on the big screen. But still, villainous Saiyans are in short supply, and there’s still plenty of untapped potential in the sibling rivalry between Raditz and Goku. Chances are, Raditz will continue to fade into obscurity while more powerful villains receive the spotlight. Regardless, the idea of a Super Saiyan Raditz becoming a major Dragon Ball movie villain is as amusing as it is fascinating.