Top 10 Best Dragon Ball Z Villains
Frieza is the most coldhearted and badass DBZ villain, probably because he kills everyone in his way, even children! If you fight Frieza and he's stronger than you, he'll make you think you're winning. But when you realize it, Frieza just wants you to know that he's stronger... in the worst ways possible. For example, if he death beams you in one spot, he keeps hitting that spot. He reflects your most powerful attacks. If there's an animal crawling on your body, he eats the animal alive just to keep torturing you. If your blood falls on his face, he licks his face clean of the blood! He definitely deserves number one on this list!
It's truly difficult to select among DBZ's main villains, as they all fit into the storyline well. I agree with many of the other opinions on the other villains as well. Cell's introduction in the series was very unexpected (unless spoilers were read/seen). In the "current" timeline, viewers expect the androids to wreak havoc, but instead, a mysterious creature from the future arrives. Cell makes the merciful androids seem like friends and then absorbs them.
He held a presence unlike Buu or Frieza. To top it off, he was the culmination of all previous major villains and main characters. Just a brief summary, but let's face it. Villains like Frieza have existed in reality (Hitler, Stalin, etc.). Buu (and all his forms) were a close second to Cell.
Buu was on the other end. He was a total fantasy character formed from magic. Cell was unlike real-life villains but still had a science element to him. Hence, I'll give him the marginal victory over Buu and a decent edge over Frieza.
Kid Buu was born to destroy! He could have wiped out Frieza and Cell in less than 10 seconds without even breaking a sweat, or simply just turned them into candy, and they'd be gone. The Supreme Kai said himself that Buu could have wiped out Frieza and the entire Saiyan race in one blow.
After he destroyed the Earth for fun, he continued to destroy a bunch of planets, also just for fun. Although his twisted idea of fun was much different from Frieza and Cell, as they purely wanted the inhabitants of the planet to suffer, Buu was pretty much the closest thing to the universe's end in all 276 (291 uncut) episodes of Dragon Ball Z. Frieza only wanted to rule the universe, not annihilate it completely. Therefore, Kid Buu is the ultimate villain.
Vegeta should definitely be number one on here, not nine. What is wrong with you people? Vegeta was one of the best fighters ever. Think about it: he survived a spirit bomb, took out two members of the Ginyu Force by himself, destroyed Android #19, played around with semi-perfect Cell, and did an epic move, the Final Flash, on Perfect Cell, nearly blowing up the planet. He had his mind taken over and still did what he wanted, and did the coolest kamikaze attack I've ever seen! If you want me to continue, I'd be glad to because Vegeta is awesome, and he shouldn't be this low on a list.
Broly is easily the deadliest foe the Z fighters have ever faced. Every other villain is defeated in the end by the efforts of one or two of the Z warriors. Broly took on Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo, Gohan, and Trunks all at once and completely trashed them. It took all of their power funneled into a punch thrown by Goku just to injure him.
By the way, Broly spent a good deal of time standing there and letting Goku hit him as much as he wanted. Broly didn't even react. Frieza destroys planets for fun. Broly destroys galaxies for fun. Cell's power is limited by his Zenkai boosts/absorption. Broly's power increases with every passing second. Majin Buu isn't much better: he only gets stronger through absorption (or in the case of Kid Buu, ejection).
Beerus is different than most villains. He's had to side with Goku when his universe's honor or existence is threatened. But he also awaits the day when Goku will reach the level where he'll be the challenge he eagerly awaits. Bulma seems to be the only one who remembers he's not to be trusted, as she occasionally has to remind Goku that his reason to exist is to destroy.
Sometimes, when you see how he loves to eat, drink, and be merry, it makes it easy to forget just how powerful he really is. And though he qualifies as a villain, it's obvious he's secretly taken a liking to Goku and the Earth, though he'd never admit it.
He is absolutely incredible. Omega is just something else. I love his awesome, huge, bully-like design. It really adds to his almost god-like appearance. I must admit, I personally think he was a little too careless with his power and definitely could have been a more destructive force. Nonetheless, Omega was a beast... an insanely powerful beast.
He can single-handedly beat two Super Saiyan 4s without any problems. Also, Goku had to use a Spirit Bomb, which contained the energy of the universe. If he came sooner, the Z fighters wouldn't have been able to beat him, and he almost won. If Goku had died from the Minus Energy Ball that Omega Shenron threw at him, the universe would have been doomed for good. Only SS4 Gogeta could stand up and fight him head-on without losing.
Out of all the villains in DBZ, Cooler is, has been, and always will be my all-time favorite. Part of it is because of his transformations and physical appearance in general, but mainly I like him because of the difference between him and Frieza. Frieza's okay as a villain - he's the only villain I know that can make I'm going to kill you sound polite - but he was so self-absorbed and full of himself that he believed he could simply conquer anyone with no trouble. In that instance, Goku put him in his place.
Whereas Cooler, he doesn't underestimate his opponents and even insists that his men check over and over the area, even after it seems as though the enemies were obliterated.
I really hope to see more of Cooler in Dragon Ball Z, cameos and such, though it would be awesome if he were to have his own saga. Probably won't happen, but a girl can dream, can't she?
He had absolutely no trouble facing Goku SSJ3. He has perfect manipulation. The demon can alter reality. For example, he changed the Other World station, with King Yemma in it, into a jellybean-looking thing, along with everything else in Other World, even the tournament grounds. He is apparently able to physically alter and deconstruct/reconstruct the mass of objects. He is also very skilled in martial arts, overpowering both Goku and Vegeta.
Janemba is not overrated by many DBZ fans, but he is truly powerful in his last form. He looks so badass. Imagine if he absorbed Kid Buu. His power level would be incredibly high. Goku needed to fuse to beat him.
No offense, but I think he could defeat Broly or Frieza. However, I think it would be a close match between him and Kid Buu.
Zarbon is the absolute best supporting villain in the series. He is responsible for telling Frieza to eliminate the Saiyan race. He pounds Vegeta in the most brutal fight scene in the entire series and has one of the most exciting death scenes. He is also a lover of beauty and holds a dormant power - the ability to transform into a reptilian beast. He is the deadly dynamic combination of beauty and the beast and the most mysterious, demonic, ruthless, and brutal villain in the series. The only other comparable villain in terms of story, mannerisms, and actual evil acts is Frieza himself.
The Newcomers
Vegeta is one of the most interesting cases of a villain turned hero in all pop culture. Throughout Dragon Ball Z he and Goku are each other's arch rival. Though after Namek he allies himself with the heroes more often, it's clear he's no friend and they still don't trust him. He becomes more of an anti-hero from then on.
Though by the 25th tournament things have mellowed between him and most of them he still harbors a deep resentment and hate for Goku.
It's not really until the battle with Kid Buu at the end when he finally earns the hero catagory. Though in Super and GT he still wants to become Goku's better he no longer has the desire to destroy him.
Aside from that he still has few qualms about killing an enemy if they're too dangerous to allow to escape. That's pretty much as ruthless as he is from then on.
But ally or not, he still carries the category of villain in one way or another throughout the Z series, which earns him the position as the series' top antagonist.
Apparently, the only qualifier for some seems to be who is the strongest. Broly looks cool, is strong, and was overwhelming for the time period but was flat and boring and had nothing interesting personality- or character-wise. Even the rather dull Kale has more personality.
King Piccolo was the most intelligent villain in DB history. Destroying the dragon, seeking the martial artists to prevent any threats, capturing Tien, and blasting the city knowing Goku couldn't fly. King Piccolo was riveting, seemed insurmountable at the time, and had a lot of zest to his personality. The best DB villain, Frieza and Gero come close, but no cigar.
I love Raditz. He is not weak because when he was fighting Goku and Piccolo, he did have the upper hand for most of the fight. They just barely managed to defeat him. The only reason they won is because Goku put Raditz in a full nelson, and both were hit by Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon. I would have liked to have seen Raditz come back, switch sides, and make amends with his family. Well, Raditz, I love you, even if nobody else does!
Everyone pushed Raditz aside, but many of them forget that he was insanely powerful at the start of the show. Everyone else had a power level of around 300, but Raditz's was over one thousand! He was a badass and could have easily defeated Goku and Piccolo if he hadn't been so cocky. But that arrogance simply made him a better character.
Also known as "the only competent female character in all of Dragon Ball Z," her introduction was badass. She decked the floor with SSJ Vegeta and Future Trunks, and showcased a lot of cool techniques like the Accel Dance (with 17), Zero Point Field, and later, the Destructo-Disc. Her character interactions with the other androids, Krillin, and later, Mr. Satan are among the best in the series. Trunks's movie really shows off her power and character as a villain.
Unfortunately, like Chi-Chi before her, she becomes horribly insignificant after joining the good guys - bar a storyline where she wins the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament and hilariously shakes Mr. Satan down for money - and basically just stays in the kitchen from that point onward. This is despite being much stronger than Krillin, Tien, and possibly Piccolo, who all at least try to fight.
Still, before Toriyama decided to suck the life out of her, she was one kick-ass villain. I, for one, am really sorry to see her so low on this list.
You have to admire that he never gives up. Even when the odds were against him with Cell, he never admitted defeat and got back up every time. Whereas someone else would probably just lay there and wait for someone to rescue them.
Android 17 probably has more heart and courage than anybody else.
Nobody could even scratch his weaker sister, Android 18, when they were introduced. If they hadn't been reprogrammed to not be so vicious, they would have killed every Z-Fighter without a doubt. They probably could have taken Cell if they got to him before he absorbed all of the people.
Baby is the best villain possible. He infests people's bodies and exponentially increases their power! His cause is benevolent as he seeks justice for the Saiyans committing genocide on his race. He forced Goku to go Super Saiyan 4 and was still able to turn Golden Ape and start stomping on Goku.
He is not only strong but also very powerful. He got the whole Earth on his side. He managed to take control of Vegeta. He made a genius revive him. He looks amazing! Baby is the best!
I think I'm in love with Baby. He is cute and cool. Good thing I'm on his side. I think he is handsome. I love his outfit.
The most chilling Dragon Ball villain ever. He's calm, intimidating, arrogant, and can be absolutely terrifying at times. The dude wields a blade made of ki and, at one point, whips out a scythe. Fantastic villain.
His origins are also very interesting, and the mystery behind him was so engaging to watch.
He has got a new transformation of Super Saiyan Rose which is strong enough to challenge Super Saiyan Blue.
He would be the most deadly cold-blooded villain in Dragon Ball history.
Goku Black is one of the greatest villains. He provided a challenge that didn't require Goku to just power up like every other villain he's faced. Also, my boy Vegito needed to be shown again. He's too funny.
Nappa is EXTREMELY underrated. At the beginning of the show, he was a force to be feared and was built up to be a huge threat.
He caused the deaths of Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Piccolo (and Kami) and beat the tar out of Gohan and Krillin. People only like him because of Abridged (which is still a pretty good Nappa), but he was one of the most ruthless villains in the series.
Nappa is so underrated, yet such a badass character. You guys only like him because of the abridged series, and that's cool, but just know that this guy took out all the Z-Fighters, killing four of them in the process! Plus, he was the first one ever to block Goku's Kamehameha. Imagine if he had trained up to the Frieza Saga. Man, that guy would hold his own against Frieza, if so.
He was great as a villain and a hero, at least until the Buu saga where he was put into the role of Angry Fusion Coach. His transition to good was probably the second best (behind Tenshinhan), and he was one of the only two people to actually kill Goku.
Unlike his father, Jr. was less evil, and we could all see that from the start. He meditated and focused while the other Piccolo slept on his throne with his eyes open. Piccolo was a really cool villain.
Not only is he my favorite Dragon Ball villain, but he is also my favorite DBZ fighter and character in general.
He killed Goku, took his body, and killed his family with it. Then he became so powerful only the Omni King could stop him. I prefer him as Goku Black because he was a masochistic psychopath. But Zamasu is interesting because he knows he is a hypocrite but sees his actions as a noble sacrifice to save the universe. The moment when he cried was mocked, but it gives him so much more character. Goku Black is still more interesting, but since they are the same person, I guess he deserves to be at least top five.
Zamasu actually managed to succeed in the end. He destroyed everybody in Trunks' timeline and other timelines. His obsession with his so-called justice is also fun to watch, seeing how deluded he has become.
Zamasu has accomplished much compared to other villains like Cell and Buu, who served their purposes. Zamasu, like Frieza, acted by his own choice, but Zamasu thinks he is on the side of justice. Unlike Frieza, who acts out of pride as the strongest, Zamasu believes everything he does is a sacrifice for a greater good - a very twisted definition of "greater good" since, if he succeeds, no one else is left but him.
It was awesome in the anime when he ruled the world and Piccolo cheats everyone (including the viewer), and then Krillin goes to play too, and Gohan is apparently left alone against his two friends. The bad part was Kami and Popo running like fools for an hour or two.
Garlic Jr. doesn't get much respect, does he? I think he's a pretty cool villain. He fought against gods and succeeded both in ruling the world and becoming immortal. Plus, he's a badass.
Both Piccolo and Goku had a hard time fighting this guy.
I wish Vegeta hadn't killed him. When he died, I said, Clever girl, under my breath.
I always loved this guy. Wish he did more.
How come Jeice is way lower than the likes of Guldo, Saibaman, and even that monster Pilaf?
Super Android 17 is so buff he can take off his arm and turn it into a machine gun! He didn't even flinch when he got punched in the face. Awesome villain.
This guy actually could defeat SSJ4 Goku. His power is really up there, probably matched to Beerus.
He should be number two, right after Frieza. With their flashy moves and synchronized poses, the Ginyu Force episodes are the most fun to rewatch.
Every other villain on this list (other than Buu, who is ridiculous) is too serious and one-dimensional. Captain Ginyu knows that being powerful is worthless unless you do it with style.
He has the best move in all of Dragon Ball: he can swap bodies! Still, we don't know if this was his real body.
And he has the best poses of all the villains.