Summary
When looking at the anime/manga industry as a whole, there is perhaps no other series with villains who are as iconic as those inDragon Ball. Over the years, the antagonists who have been introduced in this story have served as somewhat of a template for many other Shonen series to model their own villains after, and while they may not always be the most complex characters, they are easily among the most memorable.
Moreover, theDragon Ballfranchise is no stranger to the concept of fan service. Especially since the beginning ofSuper, many aspects of the earlier parts ofthe story have been brought backfor some of the greatest moments in the franchise, prompting many fans to believe that some of the villains from the franchise’s past can also be reintroduced, so let’s see who these can be.
Story Arc
Android Saga
When talking about the best villain in the entireDragon Ballfranchise, fans tend to split between Frieza and Cell. Although Frieza is undoubtedly the most iconic,Cell is remembered to this dayas one of the most captivating villains in the entire anime industry, to the point where he would steal pretty much every single scene that he was in due to his electric personality and arrogant attitude, which were both backed up by his incredible strength.
You see, I’m perfect, my strength is perfect, and with that, I shall bring equally perfect destruction through the rest of the universe!
Although Cell was technically brought back in theSuper Heromovie, he was just a giant, mindless monster and not the antagonist that fans have loved. Since then, seeing how Frieza has also been brought back inSuper, fans have been demanding to see Perfect Cell again in all his arrogant glory, but made to be as strong as the main characters of the story at the current moment. When talking about villains who should be brought back, none are in more demand by the fandom than Perfect Cell.
Cooler’s Revenge Arc
Some of the best villains in the franchise exist apart from the series' canon, and with Broly finally being made so with 2018’sDragon Ball Super: Broly, the same possibility also exists for others too,most notable of whom is Cooler. Ever since his first appearance, Cooler has captivated fans due to his unique personality and relationship to the series' most popular antagonist. Since then, he has become a prime candidate for whom fans want to see again in the series proper.
I am the supreme master of this universe! I am the great destroyer, the taker of life! It is my will that this planet, and everyone on it, be annihilated!
There are many ways that this can happen, ranging from him being a previously unheard-of Frost Demon to even being Frieza’s counterpart in another universe. His unique biology would also make him the perfect villain to be reintroduced at this point in the story, since he has similar potential to Frieza himself, which means that he can also unlock the iconic Golden and Black states to stand up to the heroes in their strongest forms.
Saiyan Saga
Much like Cooler, there is one character who has been noticeably missing from the story, who has a familial relation to the series' central hero. This is Raditz; Goku’s older brother who only had a very minor role in the story at the very start ofZand has never been seen again, only mentioned briefly in some flashbacks. Death isn’t exactly permanent in this series since characters are brought back all the time, which makesRaditz’s absence even more notable.
Kakarot! What the hell have you been doing here all these years? Your mission was to terminate every native life form on this planet, so why haven’t you carried it out?
Raditz was one of Vegeta’s closest allies at the start of the franchise, so seeing as how Vegeta has gone through amazing development to be one of Earth’s strongest protectors, it’s likely that Raditz could do the same. This means that the writers have the perfect villain to reintroduce to the franchise, but to have him serve more in the role of a redeemed hero than an outright antagonist, which is something everyone would love to see.
Fusion Reborn Arc
One of the biggest criticisms of the villains inDragon Balltends to be that, due to the nature of the series, many of them are justsimple brutes who want nothing more than to destroyeverything around them. While this is largely true, this can sometimes work, and Janemba is the perfect example of when it can since he is the amalgamation of all the evil in hell, which has come together to form this reality-warping demon.
With the direction thatSuperis going in, many fans are delighted to see that the antagonists in the story are more fleshed out and nuanced than they have ever been before. Despite this, the story would need a destructive villain now and then, and Janemba is the perfect option for this considering he has only been a non-canon villain, so bringing him to the canon in the modern day would be amazing to see.
