Character Guide: A 

Aerobics Woman - “Earobi no Onna no Hito”   She appears on TV during the early Cell Saga.  While the others are struggling against first form Cell, Master Roshi and Oolong watch from the Kame House as she teaches an aerobics class with a little spice and a whole lot of bust.  Not surprisingly, the two perverts get quite a bit of enjoyment from watching her vigorous workout.

Afterlife Martial Arts Tournament Announcer - “Annoyoichi Budoukai Anaunsa”  The mushroom-headed man with the mic in the Afterlife Martial Arts Tournament.  You can never tell if the mushroom is hiding his face or if it IS his face.  This guy has a big booming voice for such a shrimp, as he has to speak loud enough on the mic for the entire afterlife audience to hear.

Akane Kimidori  One of the main characters from Dr. Slump.  She is one of Arale-chan’s best friends, and she is a bit of a tomboy.  Her older sister is Aoi.  (see Arale Norimaki)

Akira Toriyama  The great creator Toriyama-san himself shows up in Dragonball (drawn in his robot form) from time to time as a spoof.  He was born in 1955 and worked on Dragonball from 1984 to 1995.

Alligator  An alligator who likes to sunbathe in a hammock on Kami Island.  In Dragonball, he points out Master Roshi to Mai and Shao when they show up looking for the Kamesennin.

Almond - “Almondo”*  The fattest villain in DBZ Movie 3 “Tree of Might.”  He is killed by Goku.

Android Number 8 - “Jinzouningen Hachi Gou AKA Hachan”  Dr. Gero’s first “successful” creation, (although there was a huge plot hole in the anime that said Dr. Frappe invented him).  Android Number 8 is ordered to kill Goku after he takes on the Red Ribbon Army, but he refuses because he does not like to fight.  Number 8 is quite powerful, but he also possesses a conscience.  He befriends Goku who gives him a new name, Hachan.  After the Red Ribbon Army is defeated, Hachan goes to live a peaceful life with Snow.

Android Number 13 - “Jinzouningen Juusan Gou”*  The tall leader of the Androids and main villain in DBZ Movie 7,  “The Three Super Saiyajin”.  You could almost say he was a rip-off of Cell.  By himself he is fairly powerful, but when he absorbs two components from Androids 14 and 15, he turns into a big monster with dark blue skin and bright red hair, called Super 13.  Goku finishes him in a complicated way of forming a spirit bomb, and absorbing it into his body as he goes Super Saiyajin, so that he can “fire” it.

Android Number 14 - “Jinzouningen Juuyon Gou”*  A big purple-grey guy with few words and plenty of muscle.  One of the three androids in DBZ Movie 7, he eventually faces off one on one against Trunks, who kills him with his sword.

Android Number 15 - “Jinzouningen Juugo Gou”*  One of the three androids in DBZ Movie 7, he is basically a purple, alcoholic midget in a funky green hat and yellow sunglasses.  Also an android of few words, he says nothing but “Kakarotto” and takes a swig from his whiskey can every few minutes.  He faces off with Vegeta, and has an interesting demise.

Android Number 16 - “Jinzouningen Juuroku Gou”  Android 16 doesn’t battle any of the Z Senshi, due to the incomplete programming that identifies Goku as his only enemy.  He loves the Earth and nature, and wishes no harm to come to it or the plants and animals that thrive there.  At first he speaks very little, and is assumed weaker by the other androids (which are actually cyborgs by definition, while 16 is a true android), but later he proves himself to be stronger than either 17 or 18, and even imperfect Cell.  He is shattered by Cell, but Bulma and Dr. Briefs rebuilt him, in doing so also removing his self-destruction device.  Android 16 suppresses his goal to destroy Goku long enough to join the Cell Game, but he eventually sacrifices himself while fighting Cell.  His last words to Gohan offer a final encouragement, which becomes the trigger event ultimately causing Gohan’s anger to explode, releasing his hidden powers that allow him to achieve Super Saiyajin 2.

Android Number 17 - “Jinzouningen Juunana Gou”  An enhanced human, Number 17 is technically a cyborg, rather than an android.  Both he and his sister, Number 18, were once gang members who were captured by Dr. Gero and forced to undergo the mad scientist’s numerous experiments, in which he wiped their past memories of everything, including their names, and gave them great power by combining machine and man, creating two magnificently powerful cyborgs.  Number 17’s last real battle in Dragonball Z takes place with Piccolo, a fight that ends in a draw (though it can be argued that the fight was never finished).  The android is later absorbed by Cell and dies with him, but he is resurrected with the dragonballs.  He lives alone in the forest for the remainder of Dragonball Z, until later in GT, when he returns to fuse with his clone (which Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu built in Hell) and become Super 17, a being so powerful that he gives even Super Saiyajin 4 Goku a run for his money.

Android Number 17 (Future) - “Mirai no Jinzouningen Juunana Gou”  Similar to his counterpart of the past (the present dimension, for the while), he has the same adventure-seeking attitude of present day Android 17, yet he seems to have more of a lust for blood.  He enjoys destroying city buildings and likes to drag race air cars over pedestrians for fun.  He is killed by Future Trunks, upon the boy’s return from the future.

Android Number 17 (New)*  Created by Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu in Hell, the new Android 17 is not human, but purely android, rather than cyborg like the original “androids”.  He is pure evil and can control the original Android 17 to some degree by a psychic link.

Android Number 18 - “Jinzouningen Juuhachi Gou”  Though referred to as androids, both she and her brother Number 17 are humans enhanced by machines, or cyborgs.  A bit calmer and more thoughtful than her brother, Number 18 takes a much larger role in the series.  She marries Krillin later in Dragonball Z, and their daughter is named Marron (not to be confused with Maron, Krillin’s ex girlfriend from the Garlic Jr. Saga).  Number 18 goes on to fight alongside Goku in GT and some of the movies as well.

Android Number 18 (Future) - “Mirai no Jinzouningen Juuhachi Gou”  Much like Number 18 of the present dimension, she has the same vain attitude and apathy for her brother’s reckless habits.  And then, she has her violent side, one far worse than that of her past counterpart.

Android Number 19 - “Jinzouningen Juukyu Gou”  Unlike 17 and 18, Number 19 is a true android, with no human parts to him, although he is man-like in appearance.  He has a white face and a strange yellow hat with one sharp point on the top.  He is somewhat chubby, and in the dub version, his voice is quite high-pitched to the point of annoyance.  Number 19 has the ability to absorb another’s energy by sucking it into each red ball on his palms whenever a ki blast is fired at him, thus making him stronger and weakening the opponent in one move.  He nearly kills Goku, who is weakened by his heart disease, until Vegeta steps in, saving Goku on the claim that only he has the right to kill Kakarotto.  Android 19 tries to absorb all of Vegeta’s ki by grabbing his wrists and refusing to let go.  Vegeta takes care of this by ripping off his hands, then finishes him off with his new lethal move, the Big Bang Attack.

Android Number 20 - “Jinzouningen Nijuu Gou” (Dr. Gero)  This android shell serves as a new body for Dr. Gero in order for him to carry on his life.  After finishing Androids 17 and 18, the doctor created a robotic version of himself, which he calls Number 20, removed his brain from his own frail, aging human body and placed it in the powerful, immortal body of an android.  Like 19 he can also absorb energy in through his palms, and is eventually killed by his own creation, Android 17, who kicks Dr. Gero’s head off and stomps on it.

Angela - “Enjira”*  A girl who develops a quick, though fickle crush on Gohan.  He agrees to go on a date with her, when she claims she knows his “secret” and threatens to tell everyone, a secret that Gohan mistakenly believes is his secret identity as the superhero the Great Saiyaman.  Gohan later discovers that the secret was actually only the fact that Gohan wears teddy bear underwear.

Aoi Kimidori  Akane Kimidori’s older sister, both of whom appear in Dr. Slump, an earlier work of Akira Toriyama’s, and later in Dragonball.  Aoi runs the Coffee Pot café in Penguin Village.

Appule - “Apuuru”  One of Frieza’s henchmen on planet Namek, he has purple skin with orange spots over his enlarged bald head.  He is killed by Vegeta when the Saiyajin escapes from the rejuvenation tank on Frieza’s ship.

Arale Norimaki  The main character in Dr. Slump, Arale-chan is a hyperactive, fun-loving little robot built by Senbe.  Even though she is only a young child, (she was born in the year 745 AD), she is brilliant and is already in high school.  Goku meets her in the manga in Dragonball, and they travel around together for a bit on the Nimbus.  She later rescues Goku by beating up Blue Shogun.

Arqua - “Aqua”  An odd little competitor in the Annoyoichi Budoukai, also called the Afterlife Martial Arts Tournament.  He resembles a man crossed with a fish, and while he’s a terrible fighter on land, even Goku finds that Arqua is virtually peerless and practically unbeatable under water.

Atla - “Atora”*  An inhabitant of the planet Arlia, where Vegeta and Nappa stop to stretch their legs on their way to Earth.  Imprisoned by the tyrant King of Arlia, he thinks only of the love of his life, Lemlia, who has been taken against her will to be the bride of the King.  When Vegeta and Nappa break out of the prison, Atla escapes along with them to rescue his love.  Just as the two lovers are about to embrace, Vegeta fires a huge, fatal beam toward the planet Arlia, utterly blasting it into oblivion.