With a series that's been going on for as long as Dragon Ball has, it's normal for the cast of characters to grow throughout the years. Dragon Ball has a massive cast of main and supporting characters. One main complaint fans have with the series is that a majority of characters end up getting pushed to the side, eventually losing relevance and not really having a place within the story, with newer characters being introduced.

One of the most popular characters in the series, Vegeta is an exception to the rule. Though he was introduced as a villain during the Saiyan Saga, Vegeta was given a supporting role following his failed invasion of Earth, and eventually became the series' secondary protagonist. His arc is one of, if not the best, in the series. But when looking at all the untapped potential certain characters have, you have to wonder if Toriyama should have focused on some other characters as well.

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By Renan Fontes

Android 17 & 18

Though legendary Dragon Ball editor Kazuhiko Torishima initially thought the Android siblings were lacking as villains (which is what gave us Cell), they've always felt a little bit underused. In Future Trunks' timeline, we see a much more sinister version of the pair, who prove to be fairly one-note. The main timeline's versions of 17 and 18 have the same cocky attitude of their counterparts, but aren't shown to be as violent or mindlessly cruel.

Android 18 did play a small part in the Buu Saga, but she was nowhere near as relevant as she was at the time of her introduction, both as a character and as a fighter. Android 17 was completely shelved (not counting GT) until Super brought him back. The two had such a fun dynamic, and it was sad not see them interact more as the series went on.

As with other sidelined characters, the Tournament of Power gave Android 17 and 18 a more involved role to play. Android 18 had some great moments, but her brother absolutely came out of it leaving a bigger impression on fans. 17's always been a fun character, and if anything, his efforts during the tournament show that he can still play a role in the series if and when it moves forward.

Trunks/Goten

Fans have long felt that both Trunks and Goten are somewhat underdeveloped characters, and it's hard to say that they're wrong. Fans got the follow Goku throughout the whole series and see him overcome numerous obstacles that shaped him into the character we all know and love. The same development and attention, though to a lesser degree, was afforded to Vegeta and Gohan as well. But with Trunks and Goten, there just wasn't much there.

We know they're strong because of their Saiyan heritage, and that's about it. Many have felt that their Super Saiyan transformations didn't feel earned, and that's another fair take. Toriyama had the perfect opportunity to expand upon their characters during the Buu Saga, but they just didn't get any substantial development before being pushed aside.

Trunks was always going to have it rough, having to follow up his future counterpart. Future Trunks is still a fan-favorite to this day, having kicked off and played a major role throughout what many consider to be Dragon Ball's peak. So far, Trunks hasn't managed to resonate with fans in the same way, and Goten has some of the qualities that you'd expect from Goku's kid, but we need to see more of them. We've been given a closer look at the duo in Super, so let's hope that continues going forward.

Piccolo

It's funny, Vegeta and Piccolo had very similar roles in the series, and the two ended up going through similar character arcs. But one character definitely managed to come out with more significance than the other. Both started off as world-threatening villains who ended up being defeated and then spared by Goku. Both begrudgingly join forces with Goku to take on a more serious threat, and eventually, both become incredibly close allies of his. While Vegeta's story is more directly tied to Goku, Piccolo branched out and became an important part of Gohan's journey, helping him grow as a fighter while also learning about compassion and friendship from their time spent together.

Super looks like it's trying to bring PIccolo back in a big way. While he probably won't ever be as strong as the Saiyan characters, it seems like he'll at least be more relevant than he has been in previous arcs. If the series does end up expanding its focus beyond Vegeta and Goku more consistently, Piccolo would be a fun character to follow.

Tien

Another villain turned ally, Tien hasn't been relevant for ages, though he has had his moments here and there. There was a time when Tien and Goku were bitter rivals, with Tien being able to challenge and stand on par with Goku. In the early series, he was generally considered to be one of the strongest characters, and seeing him and Chiaotzu reject their Master's teachings and try to live a more balanced, righteous life was great character development.

But we've all heard this song before. As the series went on and stronger threats were introduced, Tien and other human characters just couldn't keep up. Tien did contribute to the fight against Vegeta and Nappa, and him Tri-Beaming Semi-Perfect Cell would have paid off if not for Krillin and Vegeta. Outside of a few notable moments, Tien just feels like another character who was tossed aside.

Gohan

Gohan is one of the series' most beloved characters, but there are plenty of fans who have been frustrated with his role and the way his character has been handled over the years. It's been made clear to fans that Gohan has the most potential of all Dragon Ballcharacters, and at times, we've seen him live up to it. But with his character being written to be more passive and less battle-hungry, Gohan has seen his role in the story fluctuate between being an important core member of the Z Fighters and a supporting character who can't get the job done.

Many fans like the idea of Gohan being more involved in the story and having a bigger impact on battles like Goku and Vegeta do. With his latest power-up, Gohan should play a bigger role from now on. It might be happening a little late for some fans, but we might finally see Gohan be the character that many hoped he'd be since the end of the Cell Saga.

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Dragon Ball Z

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TV-14

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Release Date: 1989 - 1996
Network: Fuji TV
Directors: Daisuke Nishio, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Osamu Kasai
Writers: Akira Toriyama, Neil Bligh, Hiroshi Toda, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Aya Matsui, Keiji Terui, Reiko Yoshida, Toshiki Inoue