Highlights
- Frieza: from ruthless conqueror to reasonable villain after defeat by Goku in
Dragon Ball Z. - Oolong: transformed from kidnapper to close friend of Goku and Bulma after losing to Goku.
- Yamcha: changed from bandit to dependable martial artist after defeat and falling in love.
Despite having some of the most evil villains in the history of anime,Dragon Ball is still predominantly a lighthearted shonen series that focuses on themes of friendship and redemption. That’s why there are quite a few characters in this series who turn over a new leaf after living as bad guys for a long time. This transition usually happens after they experience a major defeat.
This list will cover characters from the original Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super as well. Every single one of these characters is affected by their defeats, although to different degrees. Some merely return to their good old self, while others turn into completely different people. With that in mind, here are some of the characters in Dragon Ball who were never the same after a defeat.
10 Frieza
From A Ruthless Conqueror To A Reasonable Villain
Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in the entire Dragon Ball franchise, if not all of anime. He was not only known for his many physical transformations, but also for his profession as a conqueror of planets who has massacred countless races and species throughout the universe, including the infamous Saiyan Race.
Frieza’s story mostly ended after Goku defeated him back in Dragon Ball Z. However, Dragon Ball Super brought him back for the Tournament of Power, and it’s clear that Frieza has changed after his defeat. To eb fair, Frieza is still as cunning and as ruthless as ever, but he seems to be more agreeable and reasonable nowadays.
9 Oolong
From A Kidnapper To A Close Friend
Oolong may not have much screen time these days, but he is one of the first characters introduced in the original Dragon Ball. The first time Goku and Bulma encountered Oolong, he was pretending to be an evil demon with his shapeshifting ability in order to kidnap a bunch of beautiful girls from a nearby village.
Unfortunately for him, the girls ended up enslaving him instead by demanding all kinds of expensive foods and clothing from him. Goku, meanwhile, was never scared of Oolong’s demonic appearance. All he saw was a bad guy, and he was more than eager to beat him up. Needless to say, the cowardly Oolong surrendered and turned over a new leaf. He has been living and hanging out with Goku and friends ever since.
8 Yamcha
From A Bandit To A Dependable Martial Artist
Not long after Goku and Bulma met Oolong, they also met Yamcha and his best friend, Puar. Yamcha was a desert bandit at the time, and he originally wanted to steal the Dragon Ball from Goku’s group. But just like Oolong, he was beaten by little Goku.
To be fair though, being defeated by Goku was not the only reason why Yamcha decided to retire from the bandit business. He also fell in love with Bulma. So the combination of being beaten by a little boy and finding a pretty girlfriend was the reason why Yamcha decided to focus solely on being a martial artist under the tutelage of Master Roshi.
7 Tien Shinhan
From A Bitter Rival To One of Earth’s Mightiest Warriors
The first time Tien Shinhan appeared in Dragon Ball, he was the star pupil of the Crane School, a rival martial arts school of Master Roshi’s Turtle School. At the time, he was rude and arrogant towards the Turtle School’s students, namely Goku, Krilin, and Yamcha. The fight between Goku and Tien happened at the final of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.
During the fight, Tien came to respect Goku’s relentlessness. It was a close fight, but Goku managed to come on top in the end. Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen circumstance, Goku ended up touching the ground first, which meant he lost the tournament. Tien admitted that he was a winner in name only, and that he actually lost to Goku. From that moment on, he became a much calmer and wiser person. He even helps Goku numerous times in the battles to save Earth.
6 Android 17 And 18
From A Pair of Killing Machines To Peaceful Siblings
The first time they appeared on-screen, Android 17 and 18 were nothing more than a pair of manic murder machines. They were so wild they even killed their own creator, Dr. Gero. But thanks to the information from future Trunks and the sudden emergence of Cell, these two Androids were eventually defeated.
One thing worth noting, however: Cell may be the one who actually subdued Android 17 and 18, but that was not the only reason why they changed for the better. Krilin fell in love with Android 18, and he was instrumental in saving the life of this Android sibling. Android 18 eventually opened up her heart to Krilin, and now they are married and blessed with a daughter. Likewise, Android 17 also lives peacefully with his wife and child while working as a park ranger on a remote island.
5 Majin Buu
From A Carefree Killer To A Friendly Airhead
Majin Buu is a pure calamity in the form of a humanoid creature, one who will massacre an entire city with a big smile on his face. That being said, there is one part of Majin Buu that is still salvageable: the Fat Buu, also known as the Good Buu. Out of every version of this evil incarnate, the plump Good Buu is by far the most friendly one. Unfortunately, he is buried beneath a deep layer of evil known as Super Buu, which later turns into the pure evil Kid Buu.
After squeezing every ounce of their power, Goku and the rest of the Dragon Team eventually manage to beat Super Buu and its evil incarnate, Kid Buu. Thankfully, before the big final fight, Vegeta managed to separate the Good Buu from the evil one. So, now that the evil Kid Buu has ceased to exist, the only thing left of this magical being is the friendly airhead Good Buu.
4 Vegeta
From A Proud Prince To A Responsible Father
Vegeta was the crown prince of the Saiyan race. The first time he appeared in the series, he was arrogant, prideful, ruthless, and highly competitive. Throughout the series, Vegeta suffered many defeats and also achieved many victories. The most shocking defeat in his life was when Goku defeated him for the first time at the end of the Saiyan Arc.
However, that was not enough to change Vegeta. His transformation happened gradually. As he spent more time on Earth with his wife, Bulma, and his son, Trunks, he slowly but surely became more mellow. It took a couple of years for him to change from a proud prince to a responsible father, but that one defeat from Goku was certainly the beginning of that transformation.
3 Granolah
From A Vengeful Bounty Hunter To A Wise Warrior
Granolah is a bounty hunter, and the only survivor of a now-extinct race called the Cerealian. His people were massacred by the Saiyan warrior under Frieza’s command. There’s nothing in this world that he wants more than to kill the Saiyan and avenge his people, but he knows he is not strong enough to do so. Luckily for him, there’s a Dragon Ball on his planet, so he makes a wish and becomes the strongest being in the universe.
Goku and Vegeta find out about Granolah and promptly pay him a visit. What ensues is a battle that proves to be more difficult than what both sides initially expected. The dynamic duo eventually defeats Granolah and uncovers the truth about his race’s massacre. After the battle, Granolah finally finds closure for his lifelong pain and can move on with his life. The vengeful bounty hunter is no more, and in his place is a much calmer and wiser warrior.
2 Piccolo
From A Demon King To A Beloved Friend And Mentor
Piccolo Jr., also known simply as Piccolo, is the reincarnation of the Demon King Piccolo, an evil being who used to terrorize the world. Piccolo Jr. may not be as evil as his previous incarnation, but he was still as ruthless as the Demon King. In fact, his deadly match against Goku in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament was legendary due to the sheer amount of carnage and destruction that happened throughout the fight. Piccolo was really trying to kill Goku in that match. Unfortunately for him, Goku won that match, although he nearly lost his life to do it.
Just like Vegeta, the changes in Piccolo happened gradually. Several important things happened after that tournament that greatly affected Piccolo, such as his visit to Planet Namek, the time he spent with Gohan, and most importantly, his fusion with the God of Earth. Nowadays, he is known as the aloof and insightful Piccolo, but it’s clear that without that deadly match against Goku, he would still be an evil demon king who takes pleasure in killing and destruction.
1 Broly
From A Mindless Berserker To An Obedient Student
In terms of raw strength, Broly is easily one of the most, if not the most, powerful Saiyan in history. Unfortunately for him, he had to live and grow up on a barren planet called Vampa with his father, Paragus. As if that was not terrible enough, Paragus forced Broly to undergo harsh training every day in order to turn him into a powerful warrior who could take down the Saiyan royalty.
Thanks to that cruel life, Broly grew up like a beast. One moment he is shy and subdued, the next moment he will charge forward ready to tear apart anybody who is unlucky enough to stand in his way. The longer he fights, the more Broly loses his mind and succumbs to his battle instinct. When he fights against Vegeta and Goku for the first time, he is effectively turning into a mindless berserker. Goku and Vegeta have to fuse into Gogeta in order to defeat the raging Broly.
Once defeated, Broly finally regains his senses. Not only that, but being beaten senseless after exerting his full power seemed to be a huge wake-up call for him. He always thought that nobody could stop him when he lost control, but as it turns out, there are quite a few people in this vast universe who can knock him down. Nowadays, Broly has turned into a much calmer and more open person. He also becomes Goku and Vegeta’s fellow apprentice, training together under the tutelage of Lord Beerus and Whis. A defeat is all it takes to turn a raging berserker into an obedient student.
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