Few series have had quite as big an impact on the world as Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. It first appeared as a manga back in 1984 and has since gone on to spawn a hugely popular anime, multiple movies, and plenty of great video game adaptations. Its varied cast of heroes is one of the many things that have contributed towards this prolonged success, although many will argue that the antagonists are every bit as important; if not more so.

Related

The Best Dragon Ball Game On Every Nintendo Console

From card based JRPGs to traditional fighting games, there’s no shortage of Dragon Ball games on Nintendo consoles.

Some of the series' villains serve as little more than plot devices with which to push the heroes to new and exciting heights. Others, however, bring a lot more to the table than just brute strength and obnoxious threats. Whether because of their excellent writing or their unique motivations, the best Dragon Ball villains are as memorable as they are deadly and have played a pivotal role in the franchise's continued success over the years.

Updated April 16, 2024, by Tom Bowen: When it comes to creating memorable villains, few series have been as consistent as Dragon Ball. Granted, not all of the villains have hit the mark, nor have they all been utilized quite as well as they could have been. When the series does get it right though, which is far more often than not, the results really do speak for themselves. The best Dragon Ball villains are as unforgettable as the series' heroes and are a big part of what makes Akira Toriyama's creation so popular with fans. In honor of the man who created these iconic characters and as a reminder of his brilliance, this piece has been updated to include quotes from all of the best Dragon Ball villains.

20 Zarbon

First Appearance: The Namek Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

When Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma first arrive on Planet Namek, neither they nor fans of the series have any idea what to expect. It doesn't take too long for them to get a taste of what Frieza and his henchmen are all about though, with Cui, Dodoria, and Zarbon being the first of many threats that the Z Fighters are forced to overcome. Ultimately, though, this trio serves more as a plot device to explore Vegeta's backstory a little more and show just how much he's grown since his defeat on planet Earth.

Cui and Dodoria end up falling fairly quickly (though the latter is explored in more detail later on when it comes to the fate of Goku's father Bardock and his team), but Zarbon puts up much more of a fight. It's through him that the idea of transformations beyond turning into a great ape or growing larger is properly introduced, which perfectly lays the groundwork for Frieza's many transformations a little later on in the saga.

19 Master Shen

First Appearance: The Tien Shinhan Saga (Dragon Ball)

Founded by Master Shen following the death of Mutaito, the Crane School is the main rival of Master Roshi's Turtle School and served as one of the main antagonistic factions during the Red Ribbon Army saga of the original Dragon Ball anime and manga. Much like his older brother Mercenary Tao, Shen is nowhere near as evil as the villains that would eventually follow, yet remains an excellent antagonist nonetheless.

It's through the Crane School that Tien and Chaozu are first introduced to fans and thanks in large to the training they received there that the duo were able to cause Goku so much trouble at the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai. What makes the school and Shen in particular so compelling is that he was once friends with Master Roshi, but completely changed after the death of their master at the hands of King Piccolo.

18 Raditz

First Appearance: The Raditz Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

Thanks to Toonami and Cartoon Network, most Dragon Ball fans probably began watching the series from the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. As a result, Raditz was likely the first main villain to whom most were introduced. The fact that he arrives on Earth from outer space and then drops the bombshell that Goku is actually his brother is inherently cool, but it's his raw power and cold persona that makes Raditz such a great Dragon Ball villain.

The ease with which Raditz is able to fend off the simultaneous attacks of Goku and Piccolo really is quite frightening, with Goku ultimately having to sacrifice himself in order to get the victory. If that weren't enough, with his final breath, Raditz reveals that two more Saiyans are en route to Earth and that both of them are far more powerful than him. It could perhaps be argued that he's little more than an appetizer, but he fills that role perfectly and leaves viewers desperately wanting more.

17 Tien

First Appearance: The Fortuneteller Baba Saga (Dragon Ball)

Tien Shinhan has been a big part of Dragon Ball since 1987 and is considered by most to be one of the series' main characters. Though he's nowhere near as strong as the likes of Goku and Vegeta these days, the Tournament of Power showed that Tien is still a force to be reckoned with. He hasn't always been a good guy though, with the three-eyed earthling having initially served as one of Dragon Ball's earliest and best villains.

Tien trained under Mercenary Tao and Master Shen at the Crane Martial Arts School and came up against Goku in the final of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. The resulting fight is exceptionally well choreographed and Tien's arrogant and cocky nature helps to make him feel like a true villain. The pair eventually earn each other's respect, however, which leads to Tien and Goku becoming much more friendly in subsequent arcs.

16 Omega Shenron

First Appearance: The Shadow Dragons Saga (Dragon Ball GT)

For decades, Goku and his friends used the immeasurable power of the titular Dragon Balls with very few consequences. That all changed in Dragon Ball GT though, when a build-up of negative energy caused by the overuse of the little orange balls led to the creation of the Shadow Dragons: seven powerful creatures hellbent on committing evil acts across the planet.

The most powerful and most sinister of these dragons is Syn Shenron, who transforms into Omega Shenron after absorbing all seven of the Dragon Balls. He's considerably more powerful than both Goku and Vegeta, with the pair needing to fuse together into Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta in order to get the better of him. However, they end up defusing before they can land the finishing blow, forcing Goku to summon a Universal Spirit Bomb to get the job done.

15 Garlic Junior

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone

Although Garlic Junior's first appearance came in the Dragon Ball Z movie, Dead Zone, most viewers will have first encountered him during the Garlic Junior saga of Dragon Ball Z. At the time, his introduction was perhaps a little underwhelming, although, in retrospect, it was arguably exactly what the anime needed at the time.

Having just come out of the Frieza Saga and with both the androids and Cell still to come, the change of pace allowed viewers a much-needed moment to catch their breath. The speed with which the stakes were suddenly raised, however, caught a lot of people by surprise and the final showdown with Garlic Jr. is just as epic as some of the series' other great set-piece moments as a result.

14 Moro

First Appearance: Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga (Dragon Ball Super Manga)

Moro has been around in the Dragon Ball Super manga for quite some time now but is still to make his anime or movie debut. Whether he'll show up in the upcoming movie remains to be seen, although if he doesn't, it seems something of a certainty that he'll feature in the follow-up to Dragon Ball Super in some capacity when it finally arrives.

The planet-eating wizard was sentenced to death after the Grand Supreme Kai sealed away his magic, although there wasn't anybody strong enough to actually carry out the sentence As a result, he was locked away for ten million years, but eventually escapes and begins terrorizing the universe once again. Were it not for Goku's Ultra Instinct, all life in Universe 7 may have perished at his hands.

13 Baby

First Appearance: The Baby Saga (Dragon Ball GT)

For as disappointing as it is when compared to its predecessors, Dragon Ball GT does have one or two great villains. The Shadow Dragons, in particular, provide some truly epic moments. However, none of them quite compare to Baby, especially when it comes to sheer malice and intimidation. Of course, the historical bad blood between the Tuffles and the Saiyans also contributes a lot to his effectiveness as an antagonist.

Related

Why Dragon Ball GT Feels Off

Dragon Ball GT often feels like the Black Sheep of the franchise. What makes it such a controversial entry?

That he is able to infect Goku's friends and family is a little reminiscent of Buu's candy-making powers, although having to fight against his loved ones is perhaps a lot more difficult for Goku than having to watch them die. Baby doesn't hide behind traditional henchmen either, nor does his saga drag on for anywhere near as long as some of those that preceded it.

12 Cooler

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge

Cooler is perhaps one of the most underutilized villains in all of Dragon Ball, although has been shown quite a bit of love in recent times. He appears regularly throughout Dragon Ball Heroes and was also a DLC fighter as part of the first season pass for Dragon Ball FighterZ. His very first appearance, however, came in Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge.

Though the movie itself and the subsequent sequel were fairly lackluster for the most part, Cooler is anything but. He may look like just another Frieza clone at first glance, but, despite some similarities to his brother, he is very much his own character. Frieza will always be the better of the two, but there's more than enough about Cooler to give him the edge over many of the series' other antagonists.

11 Beerus

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods

That Beerus is billed as a God of Destruction makes him an intriguing character right off the bat and he didn't disappoint once Dragon Ball Super finally got going. His appetite for destruction and the nonchalance with which he carries out his duties makes him a truly terrifying villain, although this is well balanced out by his appetite for Bulma's delicious desserts.

Beerus isn't a particularly evil character, especially when compared to the likes of Frieza and Cell, but his raw power more than makes up for this. He pushed Goku to discover both the Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue forms and, in the process, ensured that the revival series started out with the kind of bang that fans have come to expect from Dragon Ball.

10 The Ginyu Force

First Appearance: The Namek Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

Just as Zarbon and Dodoria had done before them, the Ginyu Force served as a fantastic appetizer for the final showdown with Frieza. Each one offered something a little different in terms of their abilities and was able to push the heroes to their absolute limits. They could be a little annoying at times, but they more than made up for this in other ways.

Together, they provided some excellent battle scenes as well as some much-needed comic relief through their ridiculous poses and Ginyu's unfortunate frog mishap. Their presence also forced Vegeta to team up with Earth's protectors; a partnership that would ultimately prove to be invaluable for the planet and lead to some of the show's best moments over the next few years.

9 Broly

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan

Upon first being introduced to the world of Dragon Ball back in the nineties movie trilogy, Broly was an incredibly one-dimensional character and made for a lackluster villain even at the best of times. Thankfully, however, Toriyama and his team decided to give the character a shot at redemption in the latest Dragon Ball Super movie and it's one that he took with both of his abnormally large hands.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly does a fantastic job of fleshing out the character's back story which makes him infinitely more compelling as both a character and a villain. No changes were made to his immense strength though and, as a result, he is able to give both Goku and Vegeta a run for their money. He's eventually defeated by Gogeta, but the movie's closing moments suggest that he may still have a part to play in the series.

8 Goku Black

First Appearance: The Future Trunks Saga (Dragon Ball Super)

Following the hugely underwhelming Dragon Ball GT, expectations were not particularly high when Dragon Ball Super was announced back in 2015. It, therefore, came as a welcome surprise to fans when both the manga and the anime ended up being good. Really good, in fact.

While not quite on par with Dragon Ball Z, some of the arcs in Super have been fantastic, as too have a lot of the new characters introduced. One of the most interesting has to be Goku Black though, who is effectively an immortal god hiding out in an alternate version of Goku's body. He's incredibly well-written, poses a genuine and believable threat, and even has his very own Super Saiyan transformation.

7 Dr. Gero

First Appearance: The Android Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

The Red Ribbon army played a huge role in the original Dragon Ball series and introduced some great characters like Mercenary Tao and Commander Red. However, it's perhaps the maniacal Dr. Gero that leads the way when it comes to the organization's most memorable and sinister members.

Related

Dragon Ball Z: 10 Best Android Fights, Ranked

The Androids are at the core of the Cell arc, participating in some of the most violent fights in Dragon Ball Z.

Not only is Gero responsible for creating the evil androids that destroyed the earth in Future Trunks' timeline, but it's also his work that leads to the creation of Cell. He may not have killed too many people directly, but his creations have taken the lives of billions; indirectly giving him one of the largest body counts in the entire series.

6 The Androids

First Appearance: The Android Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

When Future Trunks showed up to warn the Z gang about the impending arrival of two deadly androids, few could have predicted how the preceding arc would end up playing out. At first, it seems as if his warning has paid off, but it's soon revealed that the two androids that have caused Goku and his friends so much trouble thus far are only the first phase in Gero's evil plan.

When Androids 16, 17, and 18 finally arrive on the scene, it becomes clear that they're quite a bit more powerful than their predecessors and some fantastic battles ensue. It's not just their strength that makes the Androids so compelling though, but also their fantastic personalities. Their complete disinterest in what's going on around them is in stark contrast to the series' many other villains and makes them considerably more interesting as a result.

5 Majin Buu

First Appearance: The Majin Buu Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

As with many of the other Dragon Ball antagonists, viewers are given a fair bit of warning before Majin Buu actually arrives on the scene. From the introduction of the mysterious Kais to the unveiling of Babidi and his strange demon servant Dabura, a lot of groundwork goes into hyping up the destructive force that is Majin Buu.

Once the creature is finally awakened, the Z gang is faced with a childlike pink puffball that is very different from how the Kais had described him. Of course, the part about him being incredibly powerful does turn out to be true. Unlike Cell, Buu is able to absorb just about anyone and even changes his appearance with each new Z-fighter that he ingests. It's also thanks to Buu that viewers got to see fusion for the first time; a technique that's played a pivotal role in the series in the years since.

4 Piccolo

First Appearance: The Piccolo Saga (Dragon Ball)

Those who skipped the original Dragon Ball arcs will have only ever known Piccolo as one of the good guys. There was a time, however, when he served as one of the biggest threats to the planet. His many battles with Goku were some of the best to feature in pre-Z Dragon Ball and his connection with Kame was a cool and interesting subplot.

King Piccolo may not have been as powerful as some of the more modern villains in the series, but he was more than a match for a young Goku and had a great personality to boot. Piccolo Junior, on the other hand, is a lot more balanced and far more complex than his earlier incarnation. This additional level of reasoning makes the character even more interesting and is ultimately what leads to the Namekian changing his ways.

3 Vegeta

First Appearance: The Saiyan Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

Vegeta is by far the most complicated character in all of Dragon Ball. His pride and rage have led to some fantastic moments over the years while his continued arrogance makes each of his comeuppances all the more sweet. He may be considered one of the good guys these days, but throughout the early stages of Dragon Ball Z, he is one of the most intimidating and entrancing villains that Goku and his friends square off with.

The series has always done a wonderful job of raising the stakes and does so in the Saiyan Saga by rapidly introducing bigger and badder threats. With Raditz and Nappa having already contributed to the deaths of Goku and several of the other Z fighters, knowing that Vegeta is even stronger makes him all the more menacing. What's more, he doesn't disappoint when he eventually enters the fray.

2 Cell

First Appearance: The Imperfect Cell Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

The way that the Android Saga transitioned into the Cell Saga was a classic example of subverting expectations. So much time had been spent bigging up the threat of the androids and yet it was ultimately an unknown and unexpected foe that so very nearly brought the planet to its knees. His return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero came as a bit of a surprise, but was welcomed by most of the fan base nonetheless.

As well as the many epic battle scenes, Cell's ability to absorb people was downright terrifying and his transformations were more than a little reminiscent of Frieza's. Unlike other villains, however, Cell is incredibly smart and uses this to trick Vegeta into allowing him to absorb 18. His intelligence is also evident through his witty retorts and these provided an extra layer of depth to the ferocious fighter.

1 Frieza

First Appearance: The Namek Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

Transformations may be par for the course these days, but watching Frieza working his way through the gears during the Frieza Saga was a real sight to behold. Each time that he announced another form sent viewers' imaginations into overdrive; although his final form is arguably the least intimidating of them all. At least visually, that is.

As he and Goku fight while Namek collapses in on itself around them, it's hard not to be impressed by just how evil the character really is. Even after it's clear that he can't defeat Goku, he'd rather die trying than concede defeat to an inferior being. Super seems to be setting the character up to be the next Vegeta and has even given him a flashy new golden form. No matter what comes next though, it's unlikely to come close to topping the character's time on Namek.

Dragon Ball (1986)

Action

Comedy

Adventure

Creator

Akira Toriyama

Release Date

February 26, 1986

Seasons

9

Number of Episodes

153

More

Dragon Ball: Every Main Villain, Ranked By How Close They Almost Won

One of the earliest lessons Goku learns in Dragon Ball is that martial arts isn’t about winning, but there are some fights he can’t afford to lose.