The Dragon Ball franchise has a huge deal of quirky characters, some of which were clearly not molded for current audiences. And, though manga and anime creators have a lot of freedom when forging new characters, they never know if fans are going to feel total aversion toward any of their creations.
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Love them or hate them, these iconic Dragon Ball characters had a long run throughout the franchise, some more than others. This list picks through ten of the most controversial characters in the series, according to popular opinion. Some of them are villains, some are just comic reliefs, but all of them are extremely polarizing for the fans.
10 Tao Pai Pai
One Of The Coolest Villains Of The Franchise
When Tao Pai Pai first appeared in the Dragon Ball series, he did so as a henchman and hired assassin for the leader of the Red Ribbon Army, who was tired of Goku and friends interfering with their plans. Since the moment Tao Pai Pai gained screen time, fans saw a snarky, sophisticated, and badass villain who picked the strangest way to travel through the air.
But, not everyone liked Tao Pai Pai as a villain, since they thought his fight scene with Goku and his untimely defeat were just ridiculous. Worst, he returned for round 2 and transformed into some wacky (and weak) android. Knowing how the Red Ribbon Army was obsessed with androids, it kind of makes sense that they turned their best assassin into one. Take it or leave it.
9 Frieza
He Has That Undeniable Evil Overlord Presence
Since the beginning of the Namek Saga, fans met the one who would become Goku's true nemesis and the catalyst for a radical change in the franchise. It wasn't until the latter portion of this arc that transformations truly became an integral part of the franchise, with Frieza undergoing some of the most radical changes — both in shape and power.
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His final form also ushered in one of the harshest and most iconic deaths in the history of the franchise. His fight with Goku was the dawn of the Super Saiyan age for Dragon Ball Z. Fans might hate Frieza for what he did, but they've got to admit: He's a damn good villain and Goku's worst (best?) Rival.
8 Jiren
Just Look At His Face — What A Piece Of Work
One of the newest additions to the Dragon Ball franchise, and one of the contenders from the Universal Survival Tournament Arc, and the favorite to be named: the Strongest In All Universes — it's Jiren. But somehow, his emotionless expressions and overall character development irk a great number of fans.
Some fans blame it on the lazy overall design since he looks like one of those cliché Gray Aliens. Others say he barely says any worthy line throughout his many appearances in Dragon Ball Super. Perhaps his detached attitude is what makes this character so plain and boring to many. Another strong point that has fans ranting about Jiren is the fact that he has somehow overshadowed Hit for no reason and believes himself superior to him. And Hit is one of the new fan favorites.
7 Master Roshi
Extremely Wise Or Extremely Perverted
Roshi is one of those characters in anime who are unnecessary and, at the same time, essential. Such a paradox. Master Roshi is Goku's true first master and an essential part of his development from savage monkey-boy to Earth's protector. Roshi is capable of having some of the most heartwarming moments and memorable phrases in the franchise — along with being capable of ruining the mood with his creepiness and depravity.
His cringe-inducing behavior is the main reason why fans tend to hate Roshi and forget that he is the one who taught Goku about the value of friendship, the responsibility of being powerful for the greater good — and some common sense to boot, which he was sorely lacking. The balance between wise and lecherous is difficult to maintain, and he's ruined for many fans by unnecessary fan service and lame gags.
6 Chi-Chi
Exemplary Mother And Most Annoying Character Ever
Chi-Chi is the only woman who has enough wits and character to put Goku in his place, which by itself is a great feat, but her regular verbal lashings directed at Goku left many disliking her. Not much screen or page time was dedicated to her struggles, leaving a bit of a skewed version of the character exposed to the fans.
She raised Gohan and Goten all by herself. She educated them, provided for them, cooked for them, and did all the things a responsible parent would do. Goku did poorly for his beloved, but so did Toriyama, turning Chi-Chi into a cliché wife who only knows how to scream at "poor" Goku. Many fans find her attitude grating, while many others empathize with her struggles.
5 Supreme Kai
Someone Should Wipe That Smug Smile Off His Face
The Supreme Kai (who doesn't have any skills to deserve that title) came down to Earth to ask Goku for a hand in killing the evil wizard Babidi before he could resurrect Majin Buu. His incompetence caused Babidi's lowest-class goons to destroy half a stadium, killing hundreds of innocent bystanders, and also allowed Vegeta to be corrupted by the Majin mark.
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If those things weren't enough to make this character tremendously useless, he had the gall to keep Gohan training in the lamest of training sequences in the history of anime for an entire Arc. His intervention never made any sense, so why would he be a necessary character? He even has this crooked smugness and thinks himself superior to mortals. No wonder he is one of the least popular characters in the series. Though, he certainly has his fans, as he introduced a new layer into the complicated cosmology of the Dragon Ball franchise.
4 Oolong
A Shapeshifting Pig Who Rivals Roshi's Creepiness
Toriyama created some weird characters during his early years, but Oolong, a porcine-like creature who loves to polymorph into several forms, takes the prize. He is not only a leacherous individual who loves to shapeshift into girls, but he's also a kindred spirit of the worst version of Master Roshi — and a daily companion of his pervy adventures.
Fans would have a hard time enumerating all the things that are wrong with this character, bu, at the same time, some Dragon Ball enthusiasts believe Oolong provides the perfect comic relief for the show. Roshi and Oolong both feel more at home in the more cartoonish and playful world of the original Dragon Ball series, which only makes them stand out more as the rest of the series grows up in Z and beyond, leaving them behind. If you like fan service and dad jokes/gags, you ought to love this guy. But, if you watch Goku's adventures just to see who's his next challenger, then the less you see of him, the better.
3 Vegeta
Some Characters Just Don't Deserve A Happy Ending
For some, the prince of all Saiyans is the perfect opposite of Goku: he takes pride in his heritage, he is a (comparatively) responsible parent, a moderately good and faithful husband, and most importantly, he has an actual job. Many fans believe this reformed villain turned into one of Earth's mightiest defenders is naught but a sad joke, and that he doesn't deserve a happy ending. But as we saw Goku growing up surrounded by friends who loved him and cared for him, we also knew the pain of growing up in the worst possible environment through the eyes of Vegeta.
His encounter with Bulma in the Namek Saga was one of the first moments that began a positive change in him, and this evolving relationship into the Android Saga seems key to his transformation from villain to reluctant ally and even into devoted husband and ally. With the arrival of Future Trunks during the Android Saga, fans witnessed how Vegeta's gears started to grind in the right direction. He then makes some colossal villainous mistakes in the Buu Saga, though in that same arc, fans see his struggle and see him working to make up for his mistakes — even learning from them. Deserving of redemption? That's up to the fans.
2 Mr. Satan
A Boulder Would Be More Useful To The Plot Than Him
During Dragon Ball Z's Cell Saga, fans were introduced to Mr. Satan, the current owner of Earth's mightiest Hero/Fighter title and several times champion of the Martial Arts Tournament. So, you know, when the Saiyan Invasion Arc began, everyone was busy protecting Earth, a part of the story that led to many sad deaths.
In the meantime, this guy (somehow) won the Tournament three times in a row. During the Cell Saga, it was clear to all that he was a total fraud. Really, his only redeemable feat was befriending Majin Buu later, which admittedly did play a part in saving the world — he did, urge the world to provide their energy to Goku for his Spirit Bomb, after all. But his blind arrogance and inability to admit the strength of others leaves many fans with an eternal grudge against this vain warrior. His role as comic relief fits better than Oolong and Master Roshi in the more serious latter DBZ Sagas, but only barely.
1 Ribrianne
Her Appearance Is Either Painful To Watch Or Hilarious Satire
Ribrianne is perhaps one of the cringiest characters to have ever appeared in the franchise. That or she is the perfect satire of the Magical Girl trope. Either way, Ribrianne made sure that many fans of Dragon Ball Super hated her from the minute she appeared on the screen. Arrogant, entitled, and with the most annoying squeaky voice fans have ever heard.
If her true form is not definite proof that this character is only satire, then it's hard to find stronger evidence. Just looking at her design and skill set, it seems to many that the leader of the Maiden Squadron was introduced during the Universal Survival Tournament Arc just to mess with the fans. Surprisingly, some fans celebrate her as one of the coolest new characters to the franchise. To each their own. Perhaps it's her newness playing into the fanbase's impassioned views on Ribrianne, but she's either a fantastic new addition to a storied franchise — or a disappointing low for Dragon Ball Super.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
- February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
- Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA