Goku is one of the all-time greatest fictional characters, not just in anime, but in all media. He has endured for multiple decades and is enshrined in the hearts and minds of people across the globe. His iconic hair is recognizable worldwide, with even laymen identifying it at a glance. Goku is great and is Akira Toriyama’s prized creation. He has inspired future Shonen protagonists, ensuring his legacy would live long after Dragon Ball ended. While Goku is important and we would love more stories with him, the Dragon Ball Universe is much more than the iconic Saiyan.
The Dragon Ball franchise has so many great characters that it feels unfair that the series remains so focused on a select few. If Dragon Ball is expected to continue for decades to come, similarly to Marvel and DC comics, it is time for the franchise to explore other characters. A brand like Dragon Ball can be more than one thing, it can be about other characters and situations. The series doesn’t always need to be about Goku fighting against the next powerful villain, there are other avenues to explore. We believe Dragon Ball Super should give more attention to these ten characters in the future via the manga or any anime follow-up.
10) Chiaotzu
Chiaotzu has always been a relatively minor character in the Dragon Ball supporting cast. His biggest contribution to the series was his fight against Krillin in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, and being an early casualty for King Piccolo and Nappa. Chiaotzu never did anything important after the Saiyan Saga, and barely contributed to the plot even before. Nonetheless, he was always around, so seeing him get some spotlight would be cool. The That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha manga pays off Chiaotzu’s role as a background character in a funny way, and we wish the franchise would use the character more.
9) Yajirobe
Yajirobe is a kind of forgotten character. Akira Toriyama initially established him as a capable warrior early in the King Piccolo arc, serving as an important ally for Goku. He quickly loses relevancy, failing to enter the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. His biggest contribution to the plot was cutting off Vegata’s tail during the Saiyan Saga. He has remained a background character since and has easily been forgotten. We would love to see the character get more prominence in the series again, possibly give back some of the initial power he originally displayed.
8) Mr. Popo
Before Dragon Ball Z Abridged made Mr. Popo a meme, he was one of the more enigmatic characters in the franchise. He is the caretaker of the Lookout and personal assistant to Kami and later Dende. He has charcoal-black skin and is dressed in genie-like attire. The series never discusses his origins, where he comes from, or why he is in the Lookout. There’s more to the character’s backstory that is worth exploring, making Mr. Popo an excellent character who needs more attention.
7) Bulla
Bulla, or Bra, depending on what English translation you want to follow, is the second child of Vegeta and Bulma. She is the only female offspring of the last two Saiyans in Universe Seven. Despite being the daughter of Vegeta and a Saiyan, Bulla has never been shown to be a fighter. Bulla’s portrayal in the series is emblematic of how the series treated its female characters for a long time, avoiding representing them as fighters. The Dragon Ball franchise has gotten better with incorporating more female fighters in its cast in the last few projects, and the Dragon Ball Super manga has hinted that Bulla may have inherited Bulma’s intelligence. It still feels like we’ve only gotten a taste of Bulla’s true potential, and we hope future adaptations will develop the character further.
6) Marron
Marron is another daughter of one of the main characters of the franchise. However, she has been with the series the longest, first appearing in the opening act of the Majin Buu Saga. Even though she’s been within the cast the longest now, she’s never been given her own personality yet. Her mother, Android 18, hinted that Marron may hold some hidden strength in Dragon Ball Super. Nevertheless, Marron isn’t shown in any combat situations. Pan has been the only girl allowed to train, leaving Marron and Bulla as the typical girls in the background. We believe it’s unfair and the ladies should get more to do, even if it isn’t strictly fighting.
[RELATED – Dragon Ball Sparking Zero’s Roster of 182 Characters Is One Giant Dragon Ball Easter Egg]
5) Videl
Videl further hammers the idea that Dragon Ball didn’t know what to do with female fighters until Dragon Ball Super. Introduced as Mr. Satan’s physically capable and strong teenage daughter, Vidal was lined up to be part of the main fighters. Unfortunately, after dealing with a painful defeat by Spopovich, Videl quietly hid in the background. There’s a great moment where she joins Gohan and the others to stop Majin Buu, but can’t keep up.
The scene exemplified how abnormal the rest of the cast was at that point, yet it also forced Videl to be sidelined. From there, she has become more or less a dotting wife and mother to Gohan and Pan, respectively. Several tie-in materials, specifically the video games, expand Videl’s powers more, something we wish the mainline anime or manga would do.
4) Yamcha
Yamcha has been the butt of the joke since his introduction. The only thing going for him was that he had an on-again, off-again relationship with Bulma, and even that was taken away from him when Bulma got with Vegeta. From there, his loser status only intensified. He is often listed as the weakest Z-Fighter, lost to a Saibaman, and was left out of Resurrection f and the Tournament of Power.
Yamcha’s infamous death pose is a world-renowned meme, with merchandise and references found across multiple media. While Yamcha’s loser status did lead to the hilarious That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha manga, he still deserves to be treated better.
3) Krillin
Krillin may be an odd fit on this list because compared to the other supporting characters in Dragon Ball, he actually has it better than most. He remains one of the main fighters throughout the series, participating in nearly every arc and appearing in most movies. Krillin is likely the fifth most important character in the franchise, behind only Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo.
Nonetheless, Krillin still feels like he gets overshadowed in most story plotlines. He is either quickly disposed of or is sidelined for most of the plot. Krillin never gets his own hype moments in the same way as Goku and Vegeta, staying firmly in support. The franchise undervalues Krillin, and he warrants more big moments.
2) Android 18
Android 18 is in a similar situation to Krillin, but her status in the franchise has risen over the last several years. She has become the franchise’s token lead female fighter, participating in the Tournament of Power and other conflicts in the Dragon Ball Super manga.
Android 18 has increasingly become one of the faces of the franchise, yet we believe more could be done with the character. She remained sidelined for so long in the latter half of Dragon Ball Z and most of the Super anime. Her prominence in recent marketing helps elevate her status, though we would love to see her more in future projects.
1) Tien
We love Tien and his arc in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. Nonetheless, he has arguably been done the dirtiest by the Dragon Ball franchise. While Tien appears in nearly every major arc, he doesn’t play as much of a role as Krillin. Even Yamcha has his loser status to help elevate him into a meme, whereas Tien doesn’t even have that. Although we’re grateful that Tien partakes in the recent big action set pieces, like in Resurrection f and the Tournament of Power, he never gets a standout moment. He’s always just there, which is probably the biggest shame.
Tien is one of the canonically few characters who has beaten Goku on a technicality, and his arc from antagonist to protagonist is endearing. With stronger characters continuing to be introduced, Tien’s relevancy seems to be losing steam. We hope that isn’t the case, and that the character can stumble himself back into the limelight.
The post 10 Dragon Ball Characters Who Deserve More Attention in Dragon Ball Super, Ranked appeared first on ComicBook.com.
