Highlights
- Androids have been an important aspect of Dragon Ball since the early days, evolving into key characters in the series.
- Dr. Gero’s creation, Android 20, played a pivotal role in the Android Saga, meeting his demise at the hands of Androids 17 and 18.
- Cell, a perfect creation by Dr. Gero, became one of the most iconic villains in anime, showcasing immense power and absorbing abilities.
Dragon Ball has had some of the most compelling villains in all of anime. The series has also introduced many different tropes that have eventually gone on to become mainstays of the industry, as well as taking existing ones and executing them perfectly within the series, making them far more popular in the process. One such trope is the importance it places on Androids.
Androids have been a part of the Dragon Ball franchise ever since its early days as they have been introduced in the very first iteration of the series when Goku was a child. Moving on to Z, Androids have not only become far more popular, but also much more important to the overall plot. So, let’s break down every Android that has been shown in the franchise.
Eighter Was An Ally For Kid Goku
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball, Episode 38, “Five Murasakis” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Red Ribbon Army Saga |
Android 8, or Eighter, was a creation of Dr. Gero and was introduced back in the early parts of the original Dragon Ball anime. While created to serve the Red Ribbon Army and help them in achieving all their goals, he was considered to be faulty due to his good and kind nature, which eventually led to him becoming friends with Goku and allying himself with the Dragon Team.
If I have to be bad I want to be blown up.
Major Metallitron Was An Early Red Ribbon Android
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball, Episode 36, “Major Metallitron” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Red Ribbon Army Saga |
Though he was never given an official Android designation in the series, Major Metallitron was a formidable foe that was created by the Red Ribbon Army. He was quite a powerful enemy and he served as Goku’s second challenge at the Muscle Tower, providing the Saiyan with quite a tough fight but was eventually defeated by him.
Android 20 Was Dr. Gero Himself
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 126, “The Androids Appear” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Android Saga |
Dr. Gero was the head scientist of the Red Ribbon Army and was one of the people in control of their entire operation. After the defeat and subsequent destruction of the Army, Gero held a vicious hatred toward Goku for years, which would culminate in the Android Saga of Dragon Ball Z, where he would finally make his and his creation’s presence known to the world. After Android 19’s death at the hands of Vegeta, Gero runs away to activate Androids 17 and 18, who then turn on their master and kill him.
Android 19 Could Steal Other Fighters’ Energy
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 126, “The Androids Appear” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Android Saga |
Android 19 was the first Android to make an appearance in Dragon Ball Z alongside Android 20. 19 had the ability to absorb all the energy of its opponents, making it a deadly foe for the Z-Fighters to go up against, as it could steal all the energy from their bodies. However, this ability proved to be useless against Vegeta’s Super Saiyan form, which proceeded to obliterate Android 19 with a Big Bang Attack.
Androids 17 And 18 Had Infinite Energy
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 133, “Nightmare Comes True” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Android Saga |
Androids 17 and 18 were once human twins who went by the names of Lapis and Lazuli respectively. Known as Gero’s greatest creations before the awakening of Cell, these Androids had infinite energy and were stronger than even Super Saiyan Vegeta, causing untold destruction and danger in their wake. It was these Androids that Future Trunks had traveled through time to warn the Z-Fighters about as they were the ones who destroyed the future.
However, both of them would eventually go on to redeem themselves and become vital members of the Z-Fighters. Android 17’s whereabouts were left up in the air until Dragon Ball Super, where he joined Universe 7’s team in the tournament of power. Android 18, on the other hand, eventually married Krillin and became one of the Z-Fighters, saving the world from those who would seek to harm it.
Android 16 Helped The Z-Fighters
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 134, “Goku’s Assassin” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Android Saga |
Despite his intimidating stature and initial hatred towards Goku due to his programming, Android 16 was a gentle and friendly machine whose entire personality was at odds with that of the other Androids. He loved nature and celebrated life, and much like Android 8, he was considered to be a faulty creation that needed to be perfected before deployment, as it was the most powerful of all of his Androids due to Gero’s fear of 16 destroying the others. He had a special connection to Gohan and his death triggered the Saiyan’s Super Saiyan 2 form.
If they set that Android free, it will be the death of us all.
Androids 13, 14, And 15 Were Quite A Handful
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Android 13 Saga |
After Dr. Gero’s Death, the movie reveals that his supercomputer was still running, independently working on 3 new Androids; named 13, 14, and 15. Upon their activation, the Z-Fighters battle them in an icy tundra, where all of them seem to be around the same level of strength as a regular Super Saiyan, though slightly weaker than Androids 16, 17, and 18.
Due to this, Vegeta successfully decapitates Android 15 with a punch and Trunks cuts Android 14 into 2 pieces with his sword. Upon seeing the death of his comrades, Android 13 combines himself with parts from them, transforming into an extremely powerful monster that eclipses the heroes in strength. Goku is finally able to destroy this Super Android 13 by absorbing the power of the Spirit Bomb that he charged into himself.
Cell Was Dr. Gero’s Perfect Creation
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 141, “The Reunion” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Cell Saga |
Cell was unlike his other Android siblings, in that he was made due to cell recombination, which took the cells of the greatest fighters and mixed them into one, perfect being. Cell goes down in history as not only one of Dragon Ball’s greatest villains but one of the best and most iconic villains in all of anime! His power was legendary and he has been around at some of the most important moments in the entire franchise.
Though he was outclassed quite often during his time in the series, he would always power up and absorb others, greatly adding to his already incredible power. By doing this, he would continuously undergo more transformations until he became the terrifying Perfect Cell, a monster so ruthless that only Gohan could defeat him after unlocking his Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
You see, I’m perfect, my strength is perfect, and with that I shall bring equally perfect destruction throughout the rest of the universe.
Super Android 17 Was Incredibly Powerful
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball GT, Episode 42, “A Dangerous Union” |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Super 17 Saga |
Dragon Ball GT got a lot of criticism for the Super 17 Saga, which is dubbed by many as the worst arc in the entire franchise due to how boring it is and how nonsensical the story is. Still, though, the introduction of Super 17 showed a powerful and dangerous villain, where 2 different versions of Android 17 were brought together and fused, creating the strongest Android the franchise has ever seen. This hellish amalgamation is very difficult for the heroes to defeat but Goku eventually gets the job done with the help of Android 18.
The Gamma Androids Were Dr. Hedo’s Greatest Achievement
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Super Hero Arc |
The Gamma Androids were created by Dr. Gero’s grandson, Dr. Hedo. After being manipulated by the Red Ribbon Army to view the Z-Fighters as villains, Hedo created Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, two immensely powerful Androids who had a strong sense of justice, something which helped them make their eventual transition to the side of the heroes. They were both strong enough to contend with the Ultimate Gohan and even played a pivotal role in the final battle against Cell Max.
Cell Max Is The Strongest Android Of Them All
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero |
|---|---|
|
Story Arc |
Super Hero Arc |
As the final antagonist of the Super Hero film, Cell Max was a threat to the entire planet. His power proved to be far greater than anything the Z-Fighters who were present on Earth could contend against, causing Gohan to unlock a powerful new form to put him down for good, with the help of Piccolo and the others. Made as Hedo’s ultimate creation, Cell Max was activated far before he was supposed to be, leading to him losing control and going on a rampage. His strength was only defeated by a character around the same level as Ultra Instinct Goku!
Heck, I wonder if even Dad and Vegeta could’ve taken down that monstrous version of Cell…
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
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