Dragon Ball is one of the most popular franchises in anime and manga, with the anime Dragon Ball Z being largely credited for the massive boom of the medium’s popularity in the west. The series’ characters are some of the most popular of all time, even forty years after the manga’s initial debut in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Due to the innumerable films, video games, and spin-off stories set in the series, there are many one-off villains and characters that have appeared throughout the franchise’s long history. While there are many iconic and timeless villains in Dragon Ball, there are plenty that have also failed to make a mark and have been forgotten by the general public. Here are some forgotten villains from Dragon Ball‘s history.
7 Monster Carrot
A Minor Villain With An Incredibly Unique Power
- First appeared in Dragon Ball Episode 9
Monster Carrot is a minor villain who first appeared during Goku and Bulma’s first quest for the Dragon Balls. He was the leader of the Rabbit Mob, and he terrified a local village with his ability to turn people into carrots by touching them.
Despite this power, Goku easily handled the Monster Carrot, placing him and his men on the moon as punishment for their misdeeds. Hilariously enough, Monster Carrot was so forgotten that later on, when Master Roshi destroyed the moon, his fate wasn’t even mentioned.
6 Commander Red
A High-Ranking Commander With Little Presence
- First appeared in Dragon Ball Episode 30
The Red Ribbon Army is one of the most varied enemy organizations in the Dragon Ball franchise. Their ranks are filled with eccentric characters that can occasionally be very deadly. General Blue, General White, and Ninja Murasaki are some of the most memorable characters from the Red Ribbon Army Saga, especially considering their encounters with Goku and his friends.
While the Red Ribbon Army is full of memorable characters, their leader, Commander Red, isn’t one of them. He takes on a largely passive role during the hunt for the Dragon Balls, and instead of facing off against Goku himself, is killed in a quick scene by his own subordinate.
5 Master Shen
The Eternal Rival To Master Roshi
- First appeared in Dragon Ball Episode 82
Master Shen, also known as the Crane Hermit (or Tsuru Sennin in Japanese), is a martial arts master and leader of the Crane School, rival to Master Roshi and his Turtle School. He was a fellow student of Roshi under the tutelage of Mutaito, as well as the brother to Mercenary Tao.
Unlike Master Roshi, Master Shen is a cruel and sadistic teacher. His overly competitive and ruthless personality ultimately leads his students Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu to leave his school. While both Tien and Chiaotzu remain somewhat relevant in Dragon Ball‘s later parts, Master Shen is almost completely forgotten.
4 King Gurumes
The Putrid Hunter Of Blood Rubies
- First appeared in Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
King Gurumes is a movie-only villain who appears in Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies, a story that slightly modifies the events of the first quest for the Dragon Balls. It introduces a new storyline with original characters, including King Gurumes, a greedy king hunting the blood rubies buried beneath his kingdom.
The blood rubies, however, are cursed. They cause the already greedy Gurumes to become even greedier, mutating him into a monster as he continues hunting for the rubies. With his hunger continuing to grow, Gurumes decides to find the Dragon Balls to wish it away.
3 Lucifer
Ruler Of The Devil’s Castle
- First appeared in Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle
Lucifer is a vampire who serves as both king of the demons and lord of the Devil’s Castle. Within the Devil’s Castle is the gem Sleeping Princess, which Lucifer has spent millennia soaking in the energies of the moon. His plan is to destroy the sun with the energy created by the Sleeping Princess so that he can rule over an eternal night, but he is foiled by Goku and his friends.
As a rather generic movie-only villain, Lucifer does not appear much outside of the movie that featured him. Considering he is also non-canon to the events of Dragon Ball, it’s no surprise that he is forgotten today.
2 Garlic Jr.
An Immortal Evil Sealed Away In Darkness
- First appeared in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
Garlic Jr. is the son and reincarnation of Garlic, a Serpent from the Makyo Star who competed to be Guardian of the Earth. He attempted to overtake the Lookout when he was rejected, but was defeated and sealed away. Garlic Jr. attempted to take revenge for his father, but he was ultimately defeated and sealed away in the Dead Zone.
Unlike many movie villains, Garlic Jr. was used in a filler arc between the Namek Saga and Androids Saga. However, it was unpopular, and the character remains a frequently forgotten part of Dragon Ball‘s lore.
1 Dr. Lychee
A Tuffle Scientist Bent On Revenge
- First appeared in Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans
Dr. Lychee was once the greatest scientist of the Tuffle race, before they were eradicated by the Saiyans. A supposed survivor of the destruction, Dr. Lychee bid his time along with his creation Hatchiyack until he could take his own revenge, leading to the events of Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans.
Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans was a Japan-only role-playing game, as well as an OVA that roughly covered the game’s story. He served as the final boss, although the true final boss and villain of the story was in fact Hatchiyack.
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