Dragon Ball’s legacy stretches well beyond its canon offerings. Even the movies and the anime-only shows have become captivating in their own right, featuring villains who push the Z Warriors to new heights.
The fact that some of the most iconic villains from the series are non-canon speaks volumes when it comes to Dragon Ball‘s impact on pop culture. Their impact is so immense that villains like Broly have become canon, which is a huge indication of how memorable these non-canon antagonists are.
Cooler
Frieza’s Brother Is Menacing
- Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge
After Frieza’s demise, Cooler decided to avenge their family’s pride by heading to Earth and duking it out with the man who took out his brother. He manages to injure Goku and hunts him down, eventually revealing a final form that makes him more iconic than ever.
However, after angering Goku, he saw the Saiyan transform and make quick work of him. Mecha Cooler’s appearance wasn’t as riveting, but Frieza’s brother made enough of an impression to make another appearance in Super Dragon Ball Heroes.
Android 13
His Final Form Is Extremely Powerful
- Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!
During the Android Saga, this movie features the threat of three unknown Androids who stop the Son family’s shopping spree and wreak havoc on the heroes. While Androids 14 and 15 were finally defeated after the gang turned Super Saiyan, this transformation wouldn’t work on Android 13… especially after he absorbed the components of his compatriots.
He transforms into his strongest form and is a nightmare to deal with for Goku. As imposing as this villain may be, Goku manages to secure victory after accidentally absorbing the energy of the Spirit Bomb in his Super Saiyan form and punching a hole through his enemy.
Omega Shenron
Dragon Ball GT’s Final Villain, Who Is Incredibly Powerful
- Debut: The One-Star Dragon (Episode 57 of Dragon Ball GT)
Dragon Ball GT has its critics, but fans can’t deny that the final Shadow Dragon Saga is pretty compelling in its own right. It features Syn Shenron as a threat, who eventually transforms to become Omega Shenron.
In this form, this villain is a major threat who can only be defeated with the debut of Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. Unfortunately, this transformation doesn’t last for too long, prompting Goku to rely on a Spirit Bomb powered by energy from the entire universe to take out this foe for good.
Baby
A Tuffle Parasite Who Takes Over Vegeta To Become Ridiculously Powerful
- Debut: The Baby Secret (Episode 22 of Dragon Ball GT)
Another GT villain who was pretty entertaining in his own right, Baby is the last survivor of the Tuffle race, who were eradicated by the Saiyans. He seeks revenge for their transgressions and ends up being a major thorn in the Z Warriors’ side.
While he’s powerful enough to infect multiple Saiyans, his main target is Vegeta. His possession leads to the debut of Baby Vegeta, who unlocks various transformations and pushes Goku to his very limit in a battle for the ages.
Android 21
An Original Character With A Final Form That Looks Like A Majin
- Debut: Dragon Ball FighterZ
Vomi, the wife of Dr. Gero, is a canon character (following her appearance in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero), but the same can’t be said for the Android she serves as a template for. Android 21 is a fun character in her own right who hides a dark side that makes her more compelling than ever.
In her transformed state, she takes on a form that almost makes her look like a Majin. It turns out that she harbors the cells of the Z Fighters, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu, making her the ultimate fighter who’s a massive pain to defeat, and understandably so.
Janemba
A Powerful Villain Who Was Finally Taken Out By Gogeta’s First Appearance
- Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
Fusion Reborn is one of the best Dragon Ball Z movies, mainly since it serves as the debut of Gogeta. However, this character would never have been revealed had it not been for a powerful antagonist that pushed both Goku and Vegeta to their limit.
Janemba starts as a mindless kaiju who doesn’t know his own strength, before transforming to become a menacing embodiment of evil. His character design is iconic, and his power is immense enough for the Saiyan duo to pull out all the stops and fuse, with Vegeta swallowing his ego to take out this enemy for good.
Copy Vegeta
An Anime-Original Villain Voiced By The Legendary Brian Drummond In The English Dub
- Debut: The Seal of Planet Pot-au-feu Secrets of the Unleashed Superhuman Water! (Episode 44 of Dragon Ball Super)
Dragon Ball Super is no stranger to its fair share of filler arcs, with the Copy Vegeta Saga being quite memorable. After having his power absorbed by a purple goo creature, Copy Vegeta is born and stands tall against Goku.
This foe is no joke and pushes Goku to his very limit. The cherry on top for dub fans is that this non-canon villain is voiced by Brian Drummond, the voice for Vegeta in the Ocean dub. He’s responsible for the iconic “It’s over 9000” line that has become one of the biggest DBZ memes of all time.
Super 17
The Fusion Of Android 17 And Hell Fighter 17
- Debut: 17 Times 2 (Episode 44 of Dragon Ball GT)
After Android 17 is forced to fuse with his Hell Fighter counterpart, the result is one of the strongest androids of all time. Super 17 is no joke and can go toe to toe with the might of Super Saiyan 4 Goku.
As powerful as he may be, the fusion with Android 17 becomes his undoing when this half of Super 17 causes the villain to unconsciously reveal its weakness. This gives Goku the winning edge he needs to take out one of Dragon Ball GT‘s most iconic villains.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
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Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
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February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
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Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA
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