TOP 15 Dragon Ball Villains

When people talk about Dragon Ball, it's often to honor their favorite character! They are the ones who save the world, whom we follow for hundreds of episodes and who are the main actors in the coolest moments. It's true that it would simply be impossible for the franchise to be as huge as it is now if Goku or Vegeta disappeared.

But guys, at the same time, admit that these heroes would be much less interesting without competition. What would Harry Potter be without Voldemort? Batman without the Joker? Sherlock Holmes without Moriarty? Every great hero needs his own villain! 😈

And luckily, when it comes to villains, the Dragon Ball franchise is served. For this article, Muten Roshi 🐢 will examine with you the original Dragon Ball, DBZ, GT, Super and even the films to identify the nastiest characters. To choose them, he will sometimes focus more on their personalities than on their powers. Which villains do fans find the most threatening, the coolest, or even the funniest? Here we go for the TOP 15 worst Dragon Ball Villains of all time!

15. KID BUU

As we said, personality trumps power for these villains, otherwise this list could be made up of a lot of godlike characters who have all the personality of a cabbage leaf (on that note, you'll be amazed of the number of characters inspired by… vegetables ! 🥕🍆 

That said, villains who use their power creatively can still make things interesting, even if their conversational skills are sometimes sorely lacking. Kid Buu was one of them. He was probably the most straightforward villain in the franchise, never wasting a second on pointless discussion. What he loved was letting his strength speak!

If you're as crazy as Kid Buu, get this incredible T-Shirt without further delay!

All the villains who threatened to destroy the Earth 🌎, as powerful as they were, always showed restraint not to atomize the entire planet they were on. But not Kid Buu. And while he was probably weaker than previous incarnations of Buu , he immediately showed his dangerousness by unleashing chaos into the universe and killing entire populations. 💥

He made an even greater impact because he did it so casually. This appearance also gave the public the impression that he was the reincarnation of wickedness, a person who was not afraid of hell itself. Although he never had a sympathetic speech or background, his manner of demeanor made him memorable.

14. BABY

Fans have strong opinions about Dragon Ball GT (mostly negative...) , but there's no denying that the series has seen some really interesting ideas emerge. One of the bright spots is undoubtedly the introduction of Baby , the longest-running villain in the series. At this point in the franchise, the Saiyans had become so powerful that nothing could compete with them. So what's better than a villain who can turn the Saiyans' strength against them by possessing them? 👿

Many people found Super Android C-17's power ridiculous, while the dragons were a good concept, Omega Shenron 🐉 had a nice generic personality. But Baby was the standout villain of the entire series, not only because of his unique rise to power, but also because he held a grudge against the Saiyans (remember, they still destroyed his entire race... .). And then, the most important argument: Baby was responsible for what was one of the best successes of Dragon Ball GT: the Super Saiyan 4 form! 😍

13. CAPTAIN GINYU

The members of the Ginyu Force 🔮 spent much more time being the comics on duty rather than a serious threat to anyone. But that's what makes them so fun and so popular with fans. After all, when tyrants want to destroy the world, it quickly becomes boring... Let's not forget that Ginyu and his troops remained very strong, but they were more concerned with perfecting their poses than conquering humanity . This propelled them straight into the top ranks of the most endearing villains in the entire franchise.

Captain Ginyu in particular was a wonderful mix of power and humor. On the one hand, he could do something as stupid as destroy an entire regiment of troops for not striking a pose in the middle of battle. But on the other, he also revealed what could be one of the most useful techniques in the franchise thanks to his ability to transition from one body to another. All this in the end to turn into a frog 🐸… What a waste! Despite this, we understand a little better why he transformed into Bulma , and above all, it was good to be able to see him again in Dragon Ball Super , even if his time in the new series was short-lived by the intervention of Vegeta.

12. ANDROIDS C-17 AND C-18

They are the only villains in the franchise who have always teamed up. Sure, the Ginyu Force fought as a team, but Captain Ginyu immediately began trying to replace his followers once they started dying. On the other hand, Androids C-17 and C-18 🤖 not only posed a threat as a team, but even proved powerful when alone .

They will be even more notable later rather than during the main timeline of the show. Because if they were present in the main timeline, based on the strength of Vegeta, Goku and the Intergalactic Warrior in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, it seemed inevitable from the start that these androids would be defeated. However, in an alternate future, they still almost caused the apocalypse. Indeed, in the Future Trunks timeline, the androids wiped out almost everyone and left the few survivors living in constant fear. C-17 and Lazuli didn't get as much screen time as many other villains, but they accomplished a lot more than some before finally being destroyed or rehabilitated.

11. BLACK GOKU

While everyone was eager to return to Dragon Ball with the Super saga, it seems that expectations were a little too high for things to go well. The series had barely started when fans were already starting to criticize other characters who took second place behind Goku and Vegeta, villains who were too easily defeated, not even to mention the animation style... But the fans who stayed were ultimately rewarded with the introduction of the intriguing new character, Black Goku.

This evil double of Goku immediately attracted attention by marking the return of Future Trunks to the franchise. It seemed like Trunks' future was looking pretty good after the Androids, Lapis, Lazuli 🤖 and Cell were eliminated. But Goku Black turned out to be meaner than all the others. He revealed new depths of power with his Super Saiyan Rosé transformation, and the mystery of his true identity left fans in limbo for months. At the moment, it is difficult to know if the impact of Goku Black will be even greater, but he has already left a nice mark by giving fans a reason to continue with this new saga, by once again giving a challenge to the Z Fighters. 🥊

If you too find that this character is really too stylish, find all our bestGoku Black products on the store!

10. COOLER

This goes for all the films in the Dragon Ball franchise, it must be recognized that the villains are rarely very interesting. There have been extreme disappointments like Bio-Broly and plenty of lackluster characters such as Android 13. The challenge of convincing audiences to care about a completely new character within the time frame of a film is a daunting task, but sometimes the writers succeed.

Frieza's brother ❄️, Cooler , is one of these successful villains . He seemed to view Frieza as a rival. He even admitted that he probably would have killed his brother himself if the Saiyans hadn't done it. You can also learn more about Cooler 's history here if you're interested.

Just being able to learn more about Frieza 's family history already made Cooler an interesting addition to the franchise, but Cooler differentiates himself even further when he shows up in his metal form in his evolution. He probably would have been destroyed like his brother and father by Trunks if he had been in the TV series, but we still can't help but wish that he could get the chance to show his rivalry with Frieza on screen!

9. SUPER BUU

Some of you will probably argue about having multiple versions of the same character in this article. But their personalities are so different, so it seems justified. Yes, Big Buu, Super Buu, and Little Buu are all the same person, but can a fan really say they feel the same way about all three versions of Buu? Big Buu was unique but felt too childish to be taken seriously as a threat to the characters. So when he finally caught up with his narcissistic side and became Super Buu, it was like a whole new character!

This leaner, meaner version of Buu showed his darker sides right away by carrying out one of the most gruesome kills in the franchise. You don't remember?! he liquefied his body and rushed down the throat of a spectator, until the man exploded ... Plus, unlike his kid form, Super Buu also had a personality . He could display a rational mind while waiting for a challenger to face him, while also showing his often calculated cruelty, such as when he turned Chi-Chi into an egg just to break it.

And yet, behind this gratuitous nastiness, Super Buu was still quite childish for not realizing that he was trapped in the hyperbolic time chamber ⌚, his first concern being how he could get candy.

8. MAJIN VEGETA

Majin Buu is not the only one that Babidi 's magic has been able to control and modify. Some might wonder if this was an alternate personality of Vegeta, but we did see that Babidi's mind control could radically change characters. When Majin Spopovich 💪 showed up at the martial arts tournament, people immediately understood how different he was from anyone they had ever seen before. And Vegeta also noticed that he had let Babidi's magic take him to not only increase his power, but also to allow him to exploit his more brutal nature. Majin Vegeta therefore seems to be a personality apart.

Although this incarnation of Vegeta was short-lived, he made a strong impression with his willingness to kill innocents. His pride, his thirst for power and his jealousy towards Goku grew and became the key elements of his new personality. This led straight to the long-awaited rematch between these two characters, one of the strong points of DBZ, which could find a new confrontation after Cell . Additionally, it also finally allowed Vegeta to show a softer side when he realized that his family and friends meant more to him than his pride and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice against Buu in an attempt to protect them. .

7. BEERUS

After so many years of Dragon Ball episodes, it now takes a lot for a new character to gain public interest. After Majin Buu in DBZ, then all the villains in GT, what else could the franchise do to make a villain an even scarier threat than the previous ones? The last film released even decided to present Abo and Cado, the assumed villains, as joke characters. The Team Z fighters were unstoppable and they knew it, so who could stop them?

Battle of Gods answered that question pretty quickly when Goku excitedly decided to challenge newcomer Beerus . The God of Destruction showed that he lived up to his reputation when he easily dominated a Super Saiyan 3 form Goku, proving that he was far beyond the power of any of the heroes. And the most incredible thing happened at the end of the film, there was still no one to compete with him . Even when facing Super Saiyan God Goku, Beerus held back his power. He was the first villain to truly triumph . And he even showed common sense by sparing the Earth 🌎 after realizing how much he loved the food 🍲 there.

6. PERFECT CELL

Perfect Cell is the choice of many fans when choosing the best villain of the franchise, but some might complain that the character wasn't saved in the end. Most fans can agree that out of the many adversaries who showed up in DBZ after Frieza ❄️ , Cell is the best of the bunch. Androids 19 and 20 didn't look very intimidating. As for C-17 and C-18, we saw that they were powerful and had an interesting story, but they didn't have much to tell other than the unremarkable motive of wanting to kill Goku .

That's where Cell arrived! He had his origins in time travel ⏲️ and possessed powers that placed him directly among the strongest fighters ⚔️ in the series. Finally someone who actually looked like a tough opponent! Its perfect shape attracted a lot of attention and it paid off with very good moments. Thanks to this we were able to see Gohan finally unlock his hidden power, while Goku finally encountered an enemy he could not beat. Even Perfect Cell's death was arguably the best in the franchise, with a spectacular battle between two Kamehamehas during which all the Z Fighters had one last moment of glory to help the Intergalactic Warrior win.

Moreover, you can find the perfect Cell collector figurine directly at the Goku Shop. The latter is emblematic and faithfully represents the terrible antagonist of this mythical saga.

5. KING PICCOLO

If we don't talk about the original Dragon Ball saga as much when it comes to discussing villains, it's because the series didn't really have very powerful characters by today's standards. But in a way, it made the fights much more effective, because the characters had to outdo each other and find counter-techniques. In this regard, King Piccolo was part of a breed of villains who managed to be intimidating without their fights relying on characters using powers that sometimes bordered on cheating. 👑

Besides, even among the villains of Dragon Ball, Satan Little Heart was by far the best. Among his other competitors there were many enemies who became friends, such as Yamcha and Oolong , Boss Rabbit , and the long-time comic villain Emperor Pilaf. In the end, King Daemon Junior was one of the first people to truly believe in, who was dangerous enough to conquer the world. Especially since his saga started from the start on a “positive” note, when his own son Tambourine had killed Krillin.

4. BROLY

Broly 🥦 is a controversial villain among Dragon Ball fans. Some fans consider him to be overrated due to his characteristics being that of an evil Super Saiyan. In a way, he's a lot like Vegeta. But Broly stands out as the most brutal Super Saiyan in the franchise. Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta drag out their fights for different reasons, but Broly isn't playing. He is the epitome of power and he demonstrated it like no other villain when he single-handedly took out all of the Z Fighters at once.

Broly was so popular that he is also the only villain to have three films dedicated to him . Certainly, Bio-Broly is probably the worst film in the franchise, but that doesn't take away from the enormous impact of the one who calls himself “The Legendary Super Saiyan”, the Legendary Super Saiyan ⚔️ !

It's hard not to be impressed by someone who can take a point-blank Kamehameha with a sneer. The ultimate proof of his popularity, of all the villains in the film, he is the one who pushed fans to wish that a real saga would be devoted to him in the television series.

3. IMPERFECT CELL

Some of you will no doubt criticize the choice of Cell's different forms, because on the surface, they are all the same. But, again, Cell's three forms all have very different personalities and you can't say you like them all the same. Honestly, does anyone like half-perfect Cell who talked like his mouth was filled with donuts? Perfect Cell was cool and confident, but Imperfect Cell is the form that fans always point to as the franchise's most terrifying villain!

Cell Imperfect was Cell's most menacing, insect- like form. And that's good, because it's a characteristic that he lost as his transformations humanized him more and more. Even beyond his appearance, Cell Imperfect also had the most predatory personality. He still said that it was an honor for people to be absorbed by him, because they could now be part of perfection . He felt no remorse in taking anyone's life, because in his mind he was making it better. 💎

Many villains enjoy destroying entire worlds, but Cell Imperfect showed an almost “sexual” enjoyment 🍆🍑 in hunting down each individual life, to the point that even villains like the Androids C-17 and C-18 were disgusted by him . His time on the show was short, but he left a disconcerting impression.

2. VEGETA

The first villain fans really got behind in Dragon Ball Z wasn't Goku's brother Raditz or the brute Nappa, but Saiyan Prince Vegeta . His first fight against Goku was undoubtedly one of the most memorable in the franchise and we could immediately feel the alchemy of a rivalry that has become classic between the two Saiyans. Goku even came to be relieved to see Vegeta spared due to his merciful nature, but if the fans were happy too, it was mainly because they knew that they would be able to see the two protagonists face each other again. 💥

Although Vegeta only fully became a hero after returning to life after his death on Namek, his conflict with Frieza 's forces had already allowed him to cross the line between a villain and what one might call a Good guys. The warriors he fought were arguably more vicious than him, but Vegeta was also extremely cruel and brutal in sending them to hell. All the time he spent on Namek gave him one of the most interesting backgrounds of all the villains, as he seemed like a mercenary , willing to fight anyone or work with anyone who could. help, but while ultimately being loyal to himself. 👑

And if you're wondering how tall Vegeta is , that's great! We answered this question in one of our articles, so don't hesitate to check it out by clicking on the link above! 📏

1. FREEZER

Could Awesome Turtle 🐢 really save anyone else for the end of his top of the best Dragon Ball villains? No, obviously. Frieza is the franchise's most iconic villain. In more than a hundred episodes of Dragon Ball Z, Frieza ❄️ has been the most dangerous character in the universe. As the story progresses, the big confrontation against him is prepared. He notably killed off long-running characters such as Krillin and Vegeta . And once his fight against Goku began, it became the longest battle ever in an anime.

But Frieza 's impact isn't limited to being one of the franchise's most powerful villains. He was the one who led Goku to become a Super Saiyan . He has the most developed backstory of any villain between his history with Planet Vegeta to the introduction of his family in the series. And he continued to be present in GT, in Super and even in the cinema. Additionally, he was the only villain smart enough to train during his absence, creating what was arguably one of the most impressive fights upon his return as Golden Frieza . Frieza set the bar high for all the franchise's villains and, unlike the others, none of them anchored the saga the way he did... 🏆

And since we like to please you, find all the bestFrieza products , your favorite villain, directly in your favorite Goku Shop!

And that's it, that's the end of this top 15. Now that you've followed the overview of the best Dragon Ball villains with us, how about imagining Goku no longer facing characters from his universe, but heroes straight out of other franchises such as Superman or Saitama from One Punch Man ?

In any case, don't hesitate to tell us in the comments who your favorite villain was in all the Dragon Ball sagas combined! And discover our entire Dragon Ball wiki !