The Dragon Ball franchise is filled with powerful warriors who have trained their whole lives to be the best fighters in the universe. From the humble beginnings of the World Martial Arts Tournament to the farthest depths of space to the survival of entire universes, the series has escalated the stakes and upped the threat time and time again. No matter who the heroes were fighting, though, it was always some being who managed to become that powerful on their own. Enemies like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and even Jiren trained themselves to become the dangerous living weapons they were. However, it’s the androids who were built this way. They didn’t have to do a thing, and already they were the most powerful beings on Earth.
The Red Ribbon Army, starting all the way back in Dragon Ball, unleashed wave after wave of powerful android menaces as the first artificial lifeforms to truly challenge Goku and the others. No matter what they looked like, and no matter the unit’s designated number, each android has proven to be built for combat. Androids 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, and 20 were designed to be ready for battle at any moment, proving how deadly they can be. Even the peaceful one, Androids 8 and Androids 16 possessed their own massive power levels. It got to the point where these creations were simply too strong to make any logical sense. How could these artificial beings somehow harness their ki and manage to be stronger than some of the fiercest warriors ever? Here are 25 things that make the androids too powerful.
25 They Wipe Out The Future
The biggest storyline involving androids was the Android Saga that ultimately proved to be part of the overarching Cell Saga. Trunks showed up from the future in order to warn the Z Fighters about the powerful androids who were unleashed in the future and ultimately took over the world. It would seem that without Goku to save them, the rest of the Earth’s defenders were no match for Androids 17 and 18. They made swift work of Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, and the rest before only Gohan and Trunks remained.
In the end, they finished off Gohan, but not even a Super Saiyan Trunks could stop them.
In order to truly defeat his enemy, Trunks decided to travel back in time and warn everyone about the arrival of the androids. He had hoped that they could do something to change their fates in the future, however, it ultimately came down to Trunks doing the dirty work himself. After Cell was defeated, he finally had the power to eliminate the android threat in his timeline. While the threat of an android apocalypse was a promising one, it seemed a little bit of a stretch to suggest that the combined might of the show’s heroes couldn’t eventually overcome the threat.
24 Androids Can Keep Up
Perhaps one reason the androids pose such a dangerous threat is from the fact that they never tire in combat. While others might be just as powerful as they are, eventually organic fighters grow tired and are no longer able to maintain their power levels. Remember, in Dragon Ball, Goku would get hungry after a while and no longer be able to fight. Powerful transformations like Super Saiyan 3 might be able to take them down androids, but they take a tremendous amount of energy to maintain before ultimately running out of juice. Even the Super Saiyan God form has that pesky time limit.
Androids never tire in combat, so it makes them the most terrifying opponents of all. They can play the long game in battle, play the defensive, and simply wait for their opponent to tire out. That’s likely how they approached their battle with the Z Fighters in Trunks’ future. Maybe the heroes could have eventually beaten them, but by that point, they were too tired to really put up a fight. However, it would be nuts to suggest that they can continue to fight indefinitely, right? Even an android, who doesn’t get tired, would have to run out of energy eventually. Maybe.
23 You Can’t Find Them
Since the introduction of the technique Ki Sense, power levels have played a prominent part in the franchise. Just about everyone can sense the power of their opponent and either shake in their boots or laugh in their face. It’s an easy way to tell the audience who is going to win and who is going to lose. However, you know who managed mess that all up and leave the Z Fighters confused over who they are facing? The androids. Because of their artificial nature, they do not give off a measurable power level to give anyone any warning of how powerful they are.
This proves to be something of a problem for the heroes because they have no ability to track where they are.
When the androids go on the run, it becomes a mad dash to track them down using only conventional means. Even Cell has the ability to suppress his ki, making it impossible to find him. Just to make it worse, his ability to use the techniques of others makes his ki register like he is one of the Z Fighters. When he uses the Solar Flare, his energy registers as Tien, and when he does the Kamehameha he gives off the energy of Goku. It’s extremely confusing for everyone involved.
22 A Hard Nut To Crack
From the very beginning of Dragon Ball, weapons have not played a very big part in battle. Guns somehow don’t seem to affect you if you’re strong enough, like Goku proved when Bulma shot him. He also managed to take down the entire Red Ribbon Army without much difficulty, despite their advanced weaponry. Despite this fact, several characters have wielded swords throughout the franchise, and have used them to great effect. Yajirobe cut Cymbal in half and Future Trunks used his blade to cut Frieza to ribbons. Despite their initial effectiveness, all that came to an end when the androids showed up.
Not only are these inorganic beings strong, but they are apparently impervious to conventional weapons, even when it is wielded by the strongest warriors around. Android 18 manages to break Trunks’ sword, even after he proved how effective it is against strong opponents. All she had to do was block one swing, and the blade was broken. Other androids have been established to be made out of stronger material. Android 13 is said to be composed out of adamantium, making his body harder and more durable than Trunks’ sword. When he becomes Super Android 13, the sword simply shatters against his body without having any kind of effect.
21 By Our Powers Combined
If androids weren’t strong enough on their own, it’s particularly troubling that they can also fuse together in order to become even stronger than they were before. We have seen how strong Trunks and Goten get when they fuse into Gotenks, and Goku and Vegeta as Vegito are nearly unstoppable. Now imagine the bad guys doing the same thing and proving to be too much for the heroes to take. In Super Android 13!, 13 absorbs the pieces of 14 and 15 to become Super Android 13.
The only way Goku is able to defeat him is by absorbing the power of his Spirit Bomb and using the excess energy to take him out.
The Z Fighters are also challenged by Super 17 in Dragon Ball GT. Android 17 and Hell Fighter 17 combine forces and become one of the strongest enemies Goku has ever faced. He is only able to be defeated after Goku goes Super Saiyan 4. It is also implied that 17 had influenced Super 17’s actions to reveal his weakness and allow Goku to defeat him. In the video game Dragon Ball Fusions, there are several new androids who can fuse with each other to create even more powerful beings. It's incredible that anyone is able to beat them at all.
20 She Can Beat Anyone
Androids may not be the most powerful being in the Dragon Ball universe, but they are in another universe created by Akira Toriyama. Before Goku, Toriyama created another pint-sized powerhouse for his gag manga Dr. Slump. In this universe, Senbai Normaki created an android by the name of Arale. She looked like a small child, but was capable of performing great feats without even trying. During Goku’s confrontation with the Red Ribbon Army, he managed to visit Arale in Penguin Village, and it established that Dr. Slump was part of the Dragon Ball universe. She again showed up in Dragon Ball Super.
Despite her size, Arale has a lot of natural ability and raw power. She has shown herself to be incredibly fast and super strong. With her Earth-Splitter attack, Arale can actually break the planet in half. Other techniques involve launching a powerful beam of energy out of her mouth and turning her entire body into a projectile. In her crossover with Dragon Ball Super she proves to easily beat up Vegeta and is actually able to fight Super Saiyan Blue Goku to a draw. It’s obvious that the joke is how ridiculously strong she is, but she still would have been a lot of help during the Tournament of Power. People should watch out for her.
19 How Can They Be This Strong?
Dragon Ball Z always had a problem with escalation. Each new threat was introduced to be stronger than the last, so when the heroes increased their power to defeat them, it meant the next opponent had to be that much stronger. This formula ultimately reached its natural end with Frieza and Goku’s epic battle on Planet Namek with him, however, the show went on, so the next bad guy needed to be stronger. It is during the Android Saga that the show’s escalation goes to such an extreme that it begins to start losing all sense of believability.
Since Cell was held back in order to serve as the main course of the Cell Saga, the androids had to serve as the appetizer in a way, so we ended up with Androids 17 and 18 somehow magically being stronger than Frieza. It’s no doubt that Dr. Gero had the technology to create strong warriors capable of standing up against the Z Fighters. However, the idea of them actually being more powerful than a galactic tyrant, who may have been considered the strongest person in the universe to that point, seems a little over the top. DBZ already took Goku off the board for most of that storyline, so the androids didn’t really need to be that strong to still be a threat.
18 Pick A Power, Any Power
It’s not just enough that the androids have their own powerful attacks, some of them can copy the moves of their opponents. This ability was most famously used by Cell because he possessed the genetic material of all the strongest warriors he had to fight. It allowed him to perform Goku’s Kamehameha, Vegeta’s Big Bang Attack, Frieza’s Death Beam, Tien’s Solar Flare, and so much more. This meant that he could literally counter the Z Fighters with their own power reflected right back at them. Just imagine if he used them in combination with one another.
A Solar Flare Kamehameha would have been unstoppable.
Cell is not the only android with the power to mimic the attacks of others. In the video game Dragon Ball FighterZ, Android 21 is also composed of the genetic material of all the Z Fighters, plus Frieza, Cell, and even Buu. This makes her even more advanced than Cell was, and turns all their abilities against them. Her imitation attacks work a little differently than Cell’s do. She must first absorb the ki of an opponent with her Connoisseur Cut attack, then convert it into an attack. Android 21 has been shown capable of using Solar Flare, Kamehameha, Android Barrier, Instant Transmission, and other signature attacks.
17 They Have All The Intel
They say that knowledge is power, and the androids that Dr. Gero built have a lot of it. Despite their young ages, all his androids come to life for the first time with an advanced understanding of the world around them and the threats they have been programmed to target. Many androids have the ability to scan their targets and instantly be given intimate knowledge of their abilities. This was an ability established back in Dragon Ball with the introduction of Major Metallitron. In the film Super Android 13!, all three androids are shown to be able to communicate with Dr. Gero’s computer, which provided them with all kinds of important data.
When the doctor created Cell, he used the genetic material of the strongest fighters in the universe. However, he also programmed his creation with a vast level of knowledge about his abilities and the powers of his opponents. This meant that he already had an understanding of how to use the special attacks he inherited from those he copied. It also meant that he understood the vastness of his potential and how he could achieve his perfect form. In a way, Dr. Gero gave Cell a strong sense of instincts that helped him be a legitimate threat to the world.
16 Make Them Anywhere You Want
Something as powerful as an android likely takes a lot of time and care in order to ensure that they come online in perfect working order. After all, it is clear that Dr. Gero took a long time to finalize his methods, since several models have never been seen. It is widely believed that android models 1 through 7 and 10, 11, and 12 never came out right, and were ultimately destroyed. Despite the clear delicate nature of creating an android, none of it seems to matter when you’re in the afterlife, because apparently they can be made there too.
In Dragon Ball GT, Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu team up in the underworld to create a Mutant Machine duplicate of Android 17. This new entity is not only a perfectly functioning android, it also proves to have control over the 17 that still lives on Earth. Thanks to the power Gero and Myuu infused their creation with, he is able to break out of the afterlife and the two androids fuse together to form Super Android 17. This new being proves to be one of the most powerful androids in the Dragon Ball universe. It makes no sense that something that requires such delicate precision was somehow created in the afterlife. What was he even made out of?
15 Their Enemies Make Them Stronger
Prior to the Android Saga, the enemies Goku and their friends faced were often given a set power level. Once they reached their full power, that was it. Frieza could transform and increase his power levels, but once he hit 100% the villain was at his limits. However, things were much different when the androids eventually came around next. They actually had the seemingly unlimited potential to increase their power based on the victims they faced.
This new ability meant the heroes could actually get weaker just as the bad guys were getting even stronger.
Androids 19 and 20 were the first of the androids to emerge in Dragon Ball Z. Both of them were of the energy absorption model, meaning they had the ability to drain energy directly from their victims. They used the crystals in their hands to make the attack happen, something we saw when 20 nearly finished off Yamcha. Even Cell had a capability like this, with him able to use his tail to suck organic material from his victims and use that energy to increase his power. We saw him do this to many people, including Piccolo, in his Imperfect Cell form. When Super Android 17 was created in Dragon Ball GT, he also had energy absorption abilities, and it was a feature that almost gave him the victory.
14 Androids Are People Too
We often see androids as soulless creatures that were created in a lab and ultimately run on programming instead of feelings. While there are some who are not very human-like, several of the androids were actually created using organic matter as their base. This isn’t a reference to Cell, though, who was comprised of genetic material created from the greatest warriors on Earth. Androids 17 and 18 actually began their lives as normal human children named Lapis and Lazuli. Dr. Gero ultimately found them and stole them, converting their genetic material into enhanced biologically-based androids.
Given the fact that 17 and 18 and both human, they have all the benefits of being superhumans developed in a lab, while still retaining the perks of being organic in the Dragon Ball universe. Since they are technically alive, they can train like normal people and become even stronger than they already are. Their status as infinite energy models also means that they don’t have to ever worry about needing to feed off other to sustain their abilities. These two are fully self-sufficient and are able to concentrate all their efforts on attacking the enemy. It’s a good thing these two eventually turned over a new leaf, or else innocent people would be in trouble.
13 Just Leave Them Be
Even with all the androids in existence within the known Dragon Ball universe, the numbers pale in comparison to another universe in the greater multiverse. Introduced over the course of Dragon Ball Super, there are 12 separate universes in all. Most of the events of the series take place in Universe 7, but it is Universe 3 that is primarily comprised of androids and artificial life. This universe is technologically advanced beyond even the regular DBZ universe, meaning almost all the fighters on their team in the Tournament of Power are artificial lifeforms.
Even their God of Destruction Mule uses a robot suit to fight.
Team Universe 3 includes robotic warriors Bollarator, Koitsukai, Narirama, Panchia, and Viara, which amounts to half of their total number. These androids can attack on their own and fuse together to create even stronger entities. Bollarator, Koitsukai, and Panchia come together and form Koichiarator. This new being is incredibly strong, though it becomes part of an even greater warrior soon after forming. Paparoni, the creator of these robots, merge together in order to create the powerful Anilaza. Despite his power, Universe 7 ultimately triumphs. However, the idea of an entire universe devoted to the creation of powerful robotic lifeforms seems terrifying.
12 One Last Secret Weapon
The androids possess an incredible range of abilities, from super strength, ki attacks, and energy absorption capabilities. Their power levels alone are enough to make them quite a match for the heroes who have to fight them. Yet even with all these powers, they also have one last weapon at their disposal that can change everything in an instant. Whether they like it or not, the androids have the ability to trigger a self-destruct bomb that will take them and their opponent out in one fiery explosion. Though we never see one go off in the series, it is implied that they are incredibly powerful.
Initially used by Dr. Gero as a threat in order to control the androids, it has been shown that they are also able to trigger the bomb themselves. Android 8, 17, and 18 are each threatened to have their bomb detonated if they did not listen to their orders. On the other side of things, Android 16 attempted to detonate his in order to take out Cell. Unfortunately, his was removed without his knowledge and it proved to be a costly mistake. Even the bio-android Cell has the power to self-destruct. Just when it looked like Gohan had defeated the villain, he used this technique to get his final revenge. These guys are difficult to beat right to the very end.
11 Somehow They Will Live On
The afterlife proves to be an important part of Dragon Ball Z, as many characters end up spending a bunch of time there. It makes sense that the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo all end up there, but what about androids? They are technically artificial beings without a soul, yet these creations seem to pop up in the afterlife on a regular basis. Apparently taking them out also means that you have to deal with them somehow coming back to life and coming for revenge. Dragon Ball GT showed that multiple androids were actually stuck in the underworld after their demise.
When Super Android 17 breaks open a breach in the underworld, many different villains from the franchise are able to escape and cause all kinds of damage on Earth. Major Metallitron and Android 19 are seen among those who escaped, apparently acting like they are real people. Even Dr. Gero, who converted his entire body into an android form, was able to stick around and scheme with Dr. Myuu. Even Cell, a creature created in a lab has been shown to be in the afterlife hanging about. When you consider the fact that 8 and 17 have also met their demise and were able to be wished back to life as if they were people, it’s crazy to think that Android 16 isn’t hanging around on some cloud up in heaven.
10 Divergent Timelines Are A Strength
The Android Saga introduced the concept of time travel into the Dragon Ball franchise. It also made continuity incredibly difficult to comprehend at times because so many different timelines were introduced in order to explain everything that happened. The one constant between every world is that the androids proved to benefit from whatever changes were made. When Future Trunks went back in time to try and prevent the android apocalypse he came from, he realized that there were a lot of different things that didn’t match up.
Apparently, by traveling through time, Trunks may have also altered it, and it made the androids even more dangerous.
After arriving in the present day and helping the Z Fighters hunt down the evil androids, he realized that things were different from how he remembered it. When they finally defeat Android 19 and 20, he doesn’t recognize them and realizes that for some reason there were more androids in this timeline than his own. When 17 and 18 finally reveal themselves and fight with the heroes, Trunks seems to think they are even more powerful than the versions from his universe. Android 16 also exists in this universe, though that difference ends up working in their favor.
9 There Are So Many Of Them
For something that is so technologically advanced as the androids, there sure do seem to be a lot of them. Major Metallitron had the distinction of being the first of the Dragon Ball franchise’s many androids, and since then more have come and gone over the course of the franchise's shows and games. Goku first encountered Android 8 during his battle against the Red Ribbon Army. It wasn’t until the Android Saga that the likes of 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 were introduced. Apparently, it became so easy to create these powerful beings that Dr. Gero even turned himself into one. In an alternate timeline, we got 13, 14, and 15 in Super Android 13!, and then finally there was Cell.
According to the many androids who have shown up in the series, there are three models in existence. There are the infinite energy types, like 17 and 18, the energy absorption kind, like 19 and 20, and the biological based, like Cell. The video games have introduced even more kinds of androids, with Dragon Ball FighterZ debuting Android 21, which is ultimately the next step in android technology beyond Cell. Furthermore, 33, 44, 55, and 76 were introduced in Dragon Ball Fusions, and 8000 and 19000 were in Dragon Ball Online. It just never seems to end, and that’s pretty scary.
8 Returning From The Brink
In the world of Dragon Ball, evil has a tendency to eventually come back after the initial defeat. Several times it has been thanks to the amazing cybernetic technology that exists out in the world. After Mercenary Tao’s defeat at the hands of Goku, he returns as Cyborg Tao. Following Frieza’s defeat on Planet Namek, he comes to Earth as Mecha Frieza. However, the only villain who has come back from his demise as a true android is Cooler. The brother of Frieza is destroyed in Cooler’s Revenge before eventually returning as Meta-Cooler in The Return of Cooler.
Frieza may have been gone by this point, but Cooler was just as much of a part of the Galactic Empire, and he posed a threat to the universe at large. Seeking to restore the honor of his family, Cooler attacked Earth, but Goku defeated the tyrant. Unfortunately, just when it seemed everyone was safe, Cooler managed to live on. Thanks to the Big Gete Star, Cooler was assimilated into the artificial intelligence and returned for revenge as the android Meta-Cooler. Now with an army of thousands of Meta-Cooler clones, he had the power to conquer the known universe. Goku and Vegeta manage to take them all out when they destroy the original Cooler and the Big Gete Star once and for all.
7 Androids Are Protective People
One thing that has proven to make androids difficult to defeat is the fact that they possess real emotions, so when people they care about are in danger, they will do everything in their power to protect them. From the very beginning we saw this kind of behavior when Android 8 decided he did not want to fight, and instead decided to protect Goku. Then during the Android Saga, Android 16 showed that he had a true heart, just like any human, when he attempted to defend 17 and 18 from being absorbed by Cell. His plea for Gohan to step up and do what he must to protect those he cares about is still enough to bring us to tears.
Since then, 18 has shown that kind of love and protectiveness toward her brother 17, her husband Krillin, and their child Marron.
She is often seen jumping in the way in order to protect those who are not as powerful as her. Just try and hurt her loved ones and see if you make it through her counterattack. Not every android that Dr. Gero created lacked human emotion, like 19 did. In fact, most of them were very empathetic, whether they were initially humans or simply built in the lab.
6 There Is No Way To Escape
Once the androids are after you, it’s pretty much impossible to escape their sights. These machines will stop at nothing to fulfill their programmed directives, and if that means they have to break through the time barrier to do it, then that’s what they are going to do. Programmed to seek out Android 17 and 18 in order to absorb them and gain his perfect form, Future Cell is forced to take drastic measures when he realizes that they have already been destroyed by the time he is released. In order to fulfill his programming, Cell steals a time machine and travels back to an era where the two androids are still among the living.
The Dragon Ball Xenoverse video game series also deals a lot with a lot of time travel, and as a result, it alters a lot of what goes on in the Android and Cell Saga from Dragon Ball Z. The ongoing villain in those games in Towa, a demon scientist who uses her powers to alter the timeline in order to finally take out Future Trunks. She has Future Android 16 attack Future Gohan in an attempt to change the timeline. Towa also has Future 17 and 18 take out a version of Trunks that will cause her enemy to disappear from the timeline. She even manipulated Future Cell’s growth cycle so he would activate sooner and cause all kinds of trouble.