Dragon Ball FighterZ is unlike any game in the franchise’s history. Straying from its traditionally RPG and exploration-style format, FighterZ is a fighting game, pure and simple. Dragon Ball’s most iconic roster of characters — Saiyan, humans, hybrids and androids alike — duke it out to determine who is the fiercest warrior of them all.
Let’s for a second forget the battles and brawn. Let’s imagine who would win the most important brawl of them all: a popularity contest. Where does newcomer Android 21 rank among all the playable Androids? Who of the two frenemies, Goku and Vegeta, would have more friends? Would Hit live up to his name and actually be a hit? Like at a dinner party?
Stress not, my friends. We’ve calculated just who the most popular and least popular Dragon Ball FighterZ are based on whose Wiki pages got the most action leading up to the game. Without further ado, here are the fighters ranked in popularity, starting with the least.
#19 Captain Ginyu
Loyal captain of the elite Ginyu Force, Captain Ginyu is famous for his signature body changes. Though he’s capable of “stealing bodies,” he’s clearly far less capable of stealing hearts, as he came in dead last in this popularity contest. Ouch.
#18 Vegeta
Prince of the fallen Saiyan race, Vegeta is a classic example of a villain turned hero. He’s also known for his near-pathological need to surpass his frenemy, Goku, in power. And, coming in at second to last, it’s clear Goku has bested him once again.
#17 Nappa
Perhaps Nappa is on the unpopular side of the spectrum because of his infamously cocky attitude. A bit of a bully, Nappa likes to toy with his opponents. But, consider this: his name is a pun on a Chinese cabbage and cabbage, alongside beets and Brussel sprouts, is often voted one of the least popular vegetables. I’m not saying that’s the reason for his low ranking, but I’m not not saying that either.
#16 Gotenks
The self-appointed “Hero of Justice” is more of a zero, I guess. Gotenks, the powerful fusion of Goten and Trunks, often refers to himself as “we.” As in, “we aren’t very high up on this list.”
#15 Trunks
A hybrid from an alternate, apocalyptic future, Trunks is the resident emo kid in the Dragon Ball FighterZ roster. He’s even got the purple hair, patches, and combat boots.
#14 Krillin
Krillin’s unique fighting tactics and brute strength make him one of earth’s most acclaimed warriors. That said, he has died more than any other character in the series, dying at the hands of Tambourine, Frieza, and Android 18 (some of whom have defeated him once again on this very list).
#13 Tien Shinhan
Coming in at lucky number 13 is Then Shinhan. A ferocious earthling, Then Shinhan has been known to take on enemies much more powerful than himself. Plus, he’s named after a crabmeat omelet, which is indisputably more delicious than cabbage. Therefore, he effortlessly outranked Nappa.
#12 Piccolo
Another reformed enemy of Goku turned ally, Piccolo is a cunning warrior and member of the Dragon Team. A major drawback to Piccolo is his lack of aerial supers, meaning he must fight all of his battles on the ground. However, his inability to fly is more than made up for by the fact that he’s named after a tiny flute.
#11 Yamcha
Courageous and dependable, this former desert bandit supposedly fears nothing except talking to women. Perhaps if he wasn’t so skittish around 51% of the population, Yamcha would have ranked higher on this list. The biggest shame is that he is rumored to be a glorious chef. I guess it’s dinner for one, then.
#10 Android 16
Android 16 is the tallest of all the android creations and, yet, still deemed inadequate for Dr. Gero’s mission against Goku. Despite being unfit for action, you still have to give him props for style: orange mohawk and gold hoop earrings is a good look.
#9 Cell
Known for his insect-like habits, warrior Cell hatches from an egg and sheds his skin as he grows. He was created by Dr. Gero to be the “perfect warrior,” possessing all the skills of Earth’s mightiest fighters (and yet still made to be a bug?). Still, eight other FighterZ beat him in this list. Sorry, love bug!
#8 Android 18
Cool as a cucumber and sarcastic to boot, Android 18 is one kick-ass female. In fact, she was the first fighter to beat a Super Saiyan in a fair fight. I am android human — hear me roar!
#7 Hit
With equal parts prowess and stubbornness, Hit is a fabled assassin (hence the name). What can I say? He’s got killing in his blood (which is purple, by the way).
#6 Gohan
Gohan is traditionally more of a lover than a fighter, which is surprising because he’s Goku’s son (and because this is a fighting game). He is arguably one of the most evolved characters in the franchise, starting as just a little kid. For fans who grew up with the anime, this made Gohan immensely relatable and popular.
#5 Beerus
Though his name is a pun on the word Virus (which admittedly sounds less appealing than cabbage), Beerus, the God of Destruction, is less evil than his name and job description would have you believe.
#4 Frieza
It clearly pays to be bad— Frieza is the most recurring villain in the Dragon Ball franchise (though he has had his tail cut off upwards of three times in the series).
#3 Buu
It’s hard not to love Majin Buu, but can one ever truly know Buu? Wild and erratic, his many versions span across all ages, genders and the spectrum from good to evil. Buu’s multiple personalities and attacks are difficult to predict, making him all the more popular.
#2 Goku
Our popular and primary protagonist only ranked at number two — what an upset! Don’t stress, Goku. You’re still very well liked. In fact, in early February, a man asked the internet to give him one million likes so his wife would let him name their son Goku. And, by the Grace of Goku, it worked.
#1 Android 21
The new kid on the block is always most popular. People are always curious about what tricks might be up their sleeves. And, in newcomer Android 21’s case, that trick is turning her enemies into sugary snacks and consuming them whole. Not a shabby party trick! No wonder she’s so popular.
Who do you think should be number one most popular of the Dragon Ball FighterZ? Who should be further down the list?
