Every Trait Dragon Ball Villains Stole From King Piccolo, Vegeta & Frieza

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has established many popular traditions throughout its lengthy four-decade-long run. Fans continue to turn to Dragon Ball for its humble heroes, action-packed storytelling, and meticulous battle choreography. That being said, an anime is often only as successful as its villains, which is certainly the case with Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball has set incredibly high expectations for its antagonists and it’s become an understandable challenge to find new threats who are both stronger and more compelling than past threats.

There’s a tremendous amount of variety when it comes to Dragon Ball’s central villains, but there are also many traits that are shared between antagonists based on their past success. These villains are often innovative and bravely push boundaries. However, some of Dragon Ball’s most popular villain traditions can be traced back to the impressive foundations that were established by Demon King Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza. This trio of pivotal villains have influenced Dragon Ball in more ways than fans realize.

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10 Villains Experience Transformations To Get Stronger & Reach Their True Form

One of Dragon Ball’s most popular trends is the idea that villains need to cycle through multiple transformations before they tap into their peak power. At this point, Dragon Ball fans are basically conditioned to believe that any new villain who enters is suppressing their power in some way and that their true form will be revealed later on. This trend has been successful for Dragon Ball, especially when the anime’s heroes have their own litany of transformations to trigger. However, it’s Dragon Ball’s crucial run of King Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza that really popularize this trait and helped it evolve.

King Piccolo and Vegeta’s transformations are a little more subdued, but they’re still important. King Piccolo “transforms” into his younger and more powerful self with the help of the Dragon Balls, whereas Vegeta ascends to his Great Ape form to intensify the action. Frieza pushes this concept the furthest and really helps the transformation gimmick stand out and become the new standard. Frieza has four distinct forms, which spills over to Cell and Buu’s graduated transformations, too. Dragon Ball Super has also largely kept this custom going with characters like Goku Black, Zamasu, Jiren, Broly, Moro, and Gas.

9 The Dragon Balls Become An Ultimate Goal & Driving Force

The Dragon Balls have always been one of Dragon Ball’s most important treasures and they’re even responsible for bringing Goku and Bulma together in the first place. Dragon Ball quests are a reliable way to bring heroes together and put them on a new adventure. However, it should come as no surprise that villains often have their eyes on the Dragon Balls and plan to use them for nefarious purposes. Granted, Demon King Piccolo isn’t the first Dragon Ball villain who desires the Dragon Balls. What makes King Piccolo special is that he actually acquires the Dragon Balls and gets his wish granted. This sets a terrifying precedent that it’s not always going to be heroes who get to celebrate the Dragon Balls’ incredible power and that there are consequences for this relic.

King Piccolo gets his wish, while Frieza’s efforts fall short on Planet Namek. However, he does manage to summon Porunga and get quite close to his goal. Vegeta is also on the hunt for the Namekian Dragon Balls so that he can acquire immortality. There has since been an influx of Dragon Ball villains who exploit the Dragon Balls to their advantage, such as Sorbet and Tagoma’s resurrection of Frieza, Zamasu, Future Zamasu, and Moro’s successful Dragon Ball wishes to become more powerful, and Granolah and Elec’s use of the Cerealian Dragon Balls. This goal has even carried over to Dragon Ball DAIMA with Gomah and Degesu.

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8 They’re Villains Who Come From Another Planet Or Dimension

Villains come in many shapes and sizes and it’s perhaps slightly taken for granted how big a deal it was at the time when someone like Demon King Piccolo appeared. Goku had previously faced plenty of powerful opponents, such as Master Roshi, Tien, and the Red Ribbon Army, but they were still all humans. Demon King Piccolo broadens Dragon Ball’s horizon and entertains the idea that there can be evil aliens, monsters, or creatures from completely different dimensions. Suddenly, being the strongest on Earth means a lot less when it’s just one of the universe’s many planets.

Vegeta and Frieza continue this tradition with their Saiyan and alien origins. The battle against Frieza even takes place on a completely different planet. Dragon Ball hasn’t gone back on this concept and all the franchise’s subsequent villains have been incredibly powerful aliens, artificial creations, or ancient evils. Cell, Majin Buu, Beerus, and the Tournament of Power all build upon what this trio of villains established. It’s unlikely that a deadly human from Earth will ever be a major villain again in Dragon Ball.

7 They’re All Villains Who Make Use Of Henchmen & Underlings

Another common plot device that’s been consistently utilized by Dragon Ball villains is the expectation that there will be several weaker henchmen or lackeys for the heroes to first defeat. This results in compelling storytelling that’s able to increase suspense before the real battle begins. Demon King Piccolo successfully kicks this trend off with his Dark Vassal offsprings – Tambourine, Cymbal, Piano, Ukulele, and Drum.

Vegeta is a little more restrained in this area, but one could still consider Nappa and the Saibamen to be henchmen who do his dirty work for him before he absolutely needs to step in. The same is true with Frieza, who has not only Dodoria and Zarbon, but also the Ginyu Force, at his disposal. Dragon Ball Z and Super have kept this villainous trend alive with the Androids, Cell Juniors, Babidi’s multiple Majin minions, and Moro’s resilient Galactic Bandit Brigade. Dragon Ball’s norm is for there to now be several annoying antagonists who help the heroes establish a baseline for what’s to come against the true threat.

6 Villains Prompt A New Transformation From The Heroes

Dragon Ball gives a lot of attention to villains who cycle through several transformations before they tap into their full potential. However, the inverse of this is that these powerful transformations often prompt the heroes themselves to surpass their limits and trigger an unprecedented transformation. Dragon Ball has reached a point where most story arcs and major fights against villains feature a radical Super Saiyan transformation – or something comparable – that helps level the playing field. This tradition is properly established when Goku becomes a Super Saiyan against Frieza, which was echoed with Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 ascension against Cell, the heroes’ Super Saiyan 3 breakthrough against Majin Buu, and beyond.

However, the fights against King Piccolo and Vegeta also ease audiences into this concept. Goku may not explicitly experience a transformation against King Piccolo, but he consumes the Ultra Divine Water and unlocks his potential, which helps him accomplish feats that would have previously been impossible. Similarly, Goku pushes his Kaio-Ken Attack to new heights and expands his body’s capabilities when he executes Kaio-Ken x4 to stave off Vegeta’s planet-destroying Galick Gun attack.

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5 Antagonists Who Are Strong Enough That They Prompt Group Fights From The Heroes

Dragon Ball naturally evolves in a manner that means that the villains that Goku faces are eventually too powerful for him to defeat on his own. Goku was able to confidently defeat enemies by himself when these fights were contained to the World Martial Arts Tournament or the Red Ribbon Army. However, King Piccolo ushers in a new caliber of antagonist that helps Goku accept the fact that he’s often going to need help to get the job done. Tien provides crucial support when Goku takes on King Piccolo and Goku receives extended help from Gohan, Krillin, and even Yajirobe during his fight against Vegeta.

Goku eventually heads into a lengthy one-on-one clash against Frieza, but Vegeta, Krillin, Gohan, and Piccolo are still needed to hold the galactic tyrant off and push him into his final form. Moving forward, this structure is kept for most final fights, even if Goku is still usually the one who lands the finishing blow. Sometimes these fights are just Goku and Vegeta against the enemy, but they still support the idea that Goku needs to rely on his friends for help. He’s stronger as a team than he is on his own.

4 Villains Want To Destroy Or Take Over The Earth

There are many different tiers of villains, some of whom have very self-serving goals that benefit themselves, but don’t put the rest of the planet – or universe – in jeopardy. Over time, Dragon Ball has faced grander threats and Demon King Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza are terrifying examples of villains who actively want to put an end to the Earth. Demon King Piccolo enacts martial law and elects himself as the planet’s new tyrannical ruler. He terrifies the world’s population with his aggressive plans and demands, the likes of which are thankfully thwarted by Goku. Vegeta’s journey to Earth is similarly destructive and he’s ready to destroy the planet by the end of his fight against Goku.

These are villains who are now strong enough to wipe out the Earth in a single energy attack if they’re so inclined to do so. Frieza, admittedly, is a little different in the sense that Earth’s destruction or domination isn’t his primary goal. However, he does later travel to Earth for revenge and it’s likely that the planet would have become one of the many acquisitions in his planetary trade business. Cell’s self-destruct maneuver nearly destroys the Earth and Kid Buu even accomplishes this goal with his Planet Burst attack. There are other terrifying examples of this, such as the raw energy from Goku and Beerus’ attacks nearly taking out the planet. Golden Frieza does succeed in the Earth’s implosion before Whis rewinds time with his Temporal Do-Over. Moro also fuses together with the planet in an incredibly unstable final power play.

3 There’s A Circumstance Where It Temporarily Looks Like Goku Will Die

Goku is Dragon Ball’s proud protagonist and he’s always willing to go above and beyond when it comes to the ultimate evils that threaten the planet. Goku is powerful and an impressive battle strategist, but he also understands that sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good. There have been some suspenseful situations during Goku’s battles against King Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza where it looks like Goku might actually perish against these villains.

Goku doesn’t actually die against any of these villains, but Dragon Ball creates believable scenarios where it certainly feels possible. This has been picked up by Dragon Ball’s subsequent villains and there’s typically a dark moment of reckoning where it appears that all hope may be lost. Goku does even die during the heroes’ fight against Cell, which also proves that the risk of death can actually happen and that it’s not just a manipulative tactic.

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2 These Villains Start The Tradition Of Lengthy Final Battles

It’s only natural that stronger villains and higher stakes would facilitate strenuous battles that take a long time to finish. The original Dragon Ball explores several battles that last for more than one episode, which helps make them feel like more important events. King Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza really push this philosophy to more extreme places when it comes to the length of their fights. All these battles are expertly plotted and feature constant complications that find ways to extend the proceedings, just when it looks like the fight may be coming to a close.

The King Piccolo and Vegeta fights are especially successful on this front, while the Frieza battle goes a little overboard in this regard. This is by far the longest battle in the franchise and there are pacing problems to address with this fight, which lasts for dozens of episodes. The following battles against the main villains aren’t as gratuitous in this regard, but there’s still a prevailing expectation that any of these fights are going to be particularly long. Dragon Ball is long past the days of a concluding clash only lasting two or three episodes.

1 Villains Contribute Towards The Deaths Of Heroes

Heroic deaths are inevitable in any battle shonen anime and audiences disconnect from the storytelling and fail to properly suspend their disbelief if there aren’t any real losses and casualties. It takes some time for Dragon Ball to properly explore death, which is understandable due to its initial lighthearted tone. However, death eventually creeps into the anime as the subject matter grows more mature and the villains become more powerful. Death is present before Demon King Piccolo comes around, but he’s the first real example of a villain who contributes to the casualties of main characters. Krillin, Master Roshi, and Chiaotzu all perish during this story arc.

Vegeta’s arrival on Earth also causes unprecedented casualties when Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tien, and Piccolo are all taken out of the picture. The battle against Frieza also results in cathartic casualties that involve Krillin and Vegeta, the first of which prompts Goku’s inaugural Super Saiyan transformation. Deaths have only become more prominent throughout Dragon Ball – especially since Dragon Ball wishes are often a convenient way to reverse these losses – and everyone from Goku to Future Trunks to Chi-Chi has passed away from major villains.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

Latest TV Show

Dragon Ball DAIMA

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

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