Dragon Ball is a series full to the brim with memorable characters that fans remember long after they've finished watching the many anime adaptations of this critically acclaimed manga. From the powerful Saiyans who have played a central role in the story with their incredible transformations all the way to the many imposing villains who have seemed nigh undefeatable until the heroes found a way to enhance their power, there's no denying that this series is full to the brim with iconic characters that have made indelible marks in pop culture.
One character in the show who has become somewhat of a laughing stock after being defeated time and time again is Yamcha. The master of the Wolf Fang Fist has several highlights of his own in Dragon Ball, with the most notable of the bunch being mentioned below.
1 Overcoming His Fear Of Women
Most people know Yamcha as a ladies' man in Dragon Ball Z, which is rather odd given how he was introduced in Dragon Ball. While fighting Goku, Yamcha is about to overpower the boy until his sight falls on Bulma, leading to him running away from the group since he is immensely shy around women.
It's only after spending some time around Bulma that he finally gets over this fear and ends up being pretty normal around the ladies. In fact, it was this time he spent with Bulma that allowed him to be a part of one of the most memorable relationships in the entire series.
2 His Tumultuous Relationship With Bulma
Yamcha and Bulma's relationship plays a major role all the way through to the Android Saga when the two finally break up for good. Regardless of how things ended, there's no denying that both characters loved each other despite how rocky this relationship could be at times.
From treating each other badly to misunderstandings that lead to breakups, the on-and-off relationship between Bulma and Yamcha made for several entertaining moments across Dragon Ball. While some characters love that Bulma eventually ended up with Vegeta, other long-time fans of the series miss the rollercoaster ride that was the relationship between Bulma and Yamcha.
3 Forming A Long-Lasting Friendship With Tien
Tien initially appears as an antagonistic character who's pretty cocky during the World Martial Arts Tournament. While he does beat both Yamcha and Goku, it's the wise words of Master Roshi that lead to him changing his ways and becoming another valuable addition to the group along with Chiaotzu.
This leads to Tien apologizing to Yamcha as well, who accepts the situation and decides to bury the hatchet for good. Both fighters end up being fast friends, with this bond lasting for the entirety of the series.
4 Falling Victim To A Self-Destruct Attack From A Saibaman
Yamcha's downfall from a strong character to a joke started pretty early on in Dragon Ball Z when Nappa and Vegeta landed on Earth. Since Goku was still coming back from his training, it fell upon the rest of the Z Warriors to stall for time and prevent the two Saiyans from taking over Earth and getting the Dragon Balls for their own nefarious purposes.
Vegeta and Nappa use the Saibamen to test the strength of the Z Warriors who have come to stop them in their tracks. Yamcha tries to be bold and take out one of the henchmen, but underestimates their power and ends up succumbing to a self-destruct attack from one of the Saibamen. Given how weak these creatures are and the hilarious pose that Yamcha dies in, this moment has become one of the most lampooned moments in Dragon Ball history and forever cemented Yamcha's reputation as the weakest member of the Z Warriors.
5 Taking Goku To Kame House After The Saiyan Suffers A Heart Attack
Yamcha doesn't really have too many moments to shine in Dragon Ball Z, becoming a punching bag for the most part and even getting impaled by Dr. Gero after getting all his strength sucked out of him. However, when Goku starts feeling the debilitating effects of the heart virus that he was warned of by Future Trunks, Yamcha swoops in to save the day.
While Vegeta decides to fight Android 19, Yamcha takes Goku in his arms and flies all the way to Kame House to help him recover. Many people can argue that Goku would've breathed his last had Yamcha not taken him back to a safe haven and helped him ingest the medicine that he required to save his life.
6 Single-Handedly Winning An Intergalactic Game Of Baseball
Dragon Ball Super shelved Yamcha to the sidelines even more, with his participation in the major moments being quite passive. However, he does get his moment in the spotlight when the show decided to go for a more comedic approach, with the beloved baseball filler episodes being a great place for him to shine.
He uses his baseball expertise to win the game for Universe 7, although the manner he does so is extremely hilarious. After Beerus and Champa end up destroying the entire ground, Yamcha sacrifices himself and scored the winning home run while lying down in a familiar position that serves as a throwback to the time that he succumbed to the self-destruct attack of a Saibaman.
7 Being Snubbed From Universe 7's Team For The Tournament Of Power
When Goku decided to round up some individuals to take part in the Tournament of Power, Yamcha automatically assumes that he would be asked by Goku to join the team. Since Yamcha knew he was out of his depth, he decided to practice his rejection speech beforehand in a cocky manner.
This made events quite hilarious when Goku snubbed Yamcha altogether and didn't even consider him as an option. What made things worse is that even Krilliin was selected for this intergalactic tournament, adding insult to injury for Yamcha.