The world of Dragon Ball is filled with instantly recognizable characters, with Akira Toriyama’s over 40-year-old franchise boasting some of the most beloved personalities in the history of anime and manga. Each year, a massive Goku float flies high over the streets of New York City at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a testament to the series’ impact on the popularity of Japanese animation in the Western world. Longtime Dragon Ball viewers would likely have a tough time choosing their absolute favorite from the shonen juggernaut’s massive cast.
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However, given just how many faces appear in the franchise as a whole, there are just many characters that rub fans the wrong way. Whether they’re simply annoying or negatively impact the plot in some way, these nine characters have been mentioned over and over as some of the community’s most disliked in the Dragon Ball universe.
Kale
Wildly Powerful, Absolutely Zero Confidence
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Chapter 32
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Episode 89
A pure-blooded Legendary Saiyan from Universe 6, Kale appears in Dragon Ball Super and was created by Toei Animation—not Akira Toriyama—for the Tournament of Power. Despite being quiet and shy, she manages to reach the Berserker state of Super Saiyan in the anime series, which is exceedingly rare and allows Kale to access an endless supply of energy.
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While her character in the manga is more fleshed out, many fans of the Dragon Ball Super anime series quickly became tired of Kale’s lack of self-confidence. In her Super Saiyan form, she is an absolute beast, with her screams able to crack steel, yet in her standard form, she can barely speak due to nerves. The concept of the most quiet and uncertain Saiyan being able to attain this ultimate form may have been a unique idea, but its execution was questionable to many, including Toriyama himself.
Bojack
A Space Pirate Villain Lacking Personality
- First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (1993 film)
Appearing as the main villain in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, the 12th Dragon Ball film overall and the first to star Gohan as the main protagonist, Bojack is a merciless space pirate and leader of a mercenary platoon dubbed the Galaxy Soldiers. Once defeated and sealed away by the Kais, he was freed in the aftermath of the Cell Games and immediately announced his plan to eradicate every fighter on Earth as he sought full conquest of the universe.
While fans saw the potential of Bojack’s character and the implications of a powerful force being unleashed due to Gohan and Goku’s actions in the popular Cell saga, most feel that the movie simply wasn’t long enough to flesh him out as a proper villain. His minions have also been criticized for being bland and lacking chemistry.
Tien
Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball, Chapter 113
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball, Episode 82
Starting as a bad guy eager to take revenge on Goku for defeating his mentor, Tien eventually joins the Z Fighters to help defend Earth from any and all threats. His evolution from cold-blooded killer to honorable warrior begins in Dragon Ball and continues throughout Dragon Ball Z, as Tien, like many others in the series, trains each day in the hopes of someday surpassing Goku in strength.
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The frustration and animosity surrounding Tien has less to do with his character and more to do with how it has (or hasn’t) been properly utilized in the series as a whole. His character was never as popular as other personalities like Krillin or Master Roshi, and because of this, many speculate that Toriyama simply shuffled Tien out of the spotlight. Each Arc, he returns, but only to be beaten or stand in the background, and this has remained a sore spot within the community.
Ribrianne
If We Have to Hear the Word ‘Love’ One More Time, I Swear
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Chapter 33
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Episode 91
One of the strongest female characters in the Dragon Ball universe, Ribrianne is a warrior from Universe 2 and the leader of the sassy Kamikaze Fireballs. She believes that love is the strongest power of all, and her fight against Vegeta proved that this wasn’t an empty platitude, as she managed to overpower the haughty prince while in his Super Saiyan form, albeit for a short time. Comically, when she transforms into her more powerful alter ego, she becomes even more lovey-dovey while also doing away with her petite form.
While fans don’t wholly dislike Ribrianne’s role in the series or her magical girl aesthetic, many claimed that the gag character overstayed her welcome. Her constant chatter about love has also frustrated viewers, with Ribrianne often launching into lengthy monologues about emotion and being a source of repetitive filler content in Dragon Ball Super.
Oolong
A Pig, Indeed
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball, Chapter 5
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball, Episode 4
Appearing early in the original Dragon Ball series, Oolong is a shapeshifting pig who winds up living at Capsule Corp after Bulma and Goku’s adventure to find the Dragon Balls. Largely a gag character, he appears much less often in Dragon Ball Z, often popping up for comic relief or a quick bolt of nostalgia. Oolong is cowardly and unafraid to admit it, letting the Z Warriors do their thing while keeping to the sidelines as often as possible.
In today’s climate, Oolong’s perverted antics aren’t as well-received by the community. Given that his hobbies are collecting women’s underwear and eating an entire grocery store’s worth of food in one sitting, the fandom doesn’t see him as contributing much to the Dragon Ball universe, with most simply wishing that he could be a relic of the past.
Pan
Talk About Wasted Potential
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, Chapter 324
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, Episode 289
Fans were eager to meet Pan, the daughter of Gohan and Videl, but that excitement quickly turned to irritation in Dragon Ball GT. The quarter-Saiyan did manage to inherit a fair amount of her father’s power, and at the tail end of Dragon Ball Z, she’s already a force to be reckoned with, even daring to fly around the world on her own as a child.
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Unfortunately, this decent characterization of Pan fell away quickly in Dragon Ball GT, in which she constantly played the victim, exploding in a rage over small transgressions and blaming others for her own mistakes. Fans were hoping that she would take over Bulma’s role in a way, but instead, Pan was transformed into a brat who failed to be anything but dead weight in the grand scheme of the series.
Jiren
Personality Type: Strong Guy
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Chapter 30
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Episode 85
Jiren the Gray, who served as the main antagonist in the Universe Survival Saga of Dragon Ball Super, is said to be one of the strongest beings in the universe. His incredible strength gives Goku a run for his money, as the protagonist loses to the stoic man multiple times, only managing to scrape out a win due to teamwork—something that Jiren doesn’t believe in. He prefers to win battles due to his own strength alone.
Being overpowered isn’t the reason why the community has expressed dislike for Jiren. His lack of personality made him largely forgettable in the grand scheme of things, with many stating that he simply wasn’t interesting enough to care about. Being strong seemed to be his only character trait, and in a series full of strong people, that simply wasn’t enough.
Master Roshi
Someone Come Get Their Grandpa
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball, Chapter 3
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball, Episode 3
Alongside Goku, Master Roshi is potentially one of the most recognizable characters in the Dragon Ball franchise. The pipe-smoking geezer cracks plenty of jokes throughout the anime and manga series, but he isn’t just there for comic relief, as the old man taught Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, and others all they know about martial arts. Still a capable warrior, the Turtle Hermit is willing to train almost anyone who travels to his secluded island.
Longtime fans of the franchise have a soft spot for Master Roshi, but many newer fans are underwhelmed by his creepy behavior towards women, with many calling out some of his actions as straight-up assault. In Dragon Ball, he leans into the role of wise mentor far more often, but in Dragon Ball Z, he is relegated to the role of perv, something certain members of the community wish hadn’t been the case.
Cabba
Now That’s What I Call Character Design
- First Manga Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Chapter 7
- First Anime Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Episode 32
Another character introduced in Dragon Ball Super, Cabba is a member of the Sadala Defense Forces and hails from Universe 6. While typically polite and humble for a Saiyan, he becomes much more serious in battle and is even strong enough to fight evenly with Vegeta in his base form, though he is quickly taken out by the prince’s Super Saiyan form.
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The dislike for Cabba stems from his bland character design and boring backstory, which many have said feels forced and disappointing. Some say that he feels like a less cool version of Vegeta or Tarble, Vegeta’s brother, the latter of which would have been a more interesting character to explore.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
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Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
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February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
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Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA
