Dragon Ball’s cast of heroes is iconic, and their feats of strength in battle are legendary. Over the last 40-plus years the series has been active, Goku has become the instantly recognizable unofficial mascot of shōnen anime, and he will continue to keep that role as long as there are stronger foes out there to defeat.
Behind him are some of anime and manga’s most popular fighters, who themselves have built strong fan bases by always jumping right into battle, regardless of whether they have any hope of winning. However, while these characters are celebrated byDragon Ball’s large and ever-growing fan base, some of the series' most important characters don’t get nearly as much love.
Without these highly important pieces to the puzzle, none of what the main heroes have accomplished would ever have been possible. They might not be anyone’s favorite character,butDragon Ballcertainly wouldn’t be the same without them.
8Korin
The Wise Old Martial Artist Cat Trained Goku Well
Casual or newerDragon Ballfans might know Korin as the weird cat who lives on the lookout and hangs around with Yajirobe, and in recent years, that is about all he’s become. However, early on inDragon Ball, Korin was a major reason for Goku walking away from battles victorious.
When needing the strength to defeat Mercenary Tao, Goku searched forthe ‘God of Martial Arts’, and found none other than Korin above the clouds. The cat trained Goku with the promise of giving him the Sacred Water, which promised to give whoever drank it a major boost in strength.
Later, it was revealed the Sacred Water was just plain tap water, and Goku only became stronger because of the work he put in to attain it. Later, Korin gave him the Ultra Divine Water, which actually did give him a significant boost in power before fighting Demon King Piccolo.Without him, the young Saiyan might not have survived his earliest fights.
7Yajirobe
Vegeta Would Never Have Become the Hero He Is Today Without Yajirobe
Yajirobe has always been little more than a comic relief character, unlike Korin, who was introduced as a super-powerful deity sent from the Otherworld. Regardless, he was given his moment to shine, andDragon Ballwas forever changed by his one brave act in the entire series.
Dragon Ballfans won’t need to be told just how important Vegeta has become to the series, and none of its future battles would have been possible had Yajirobe not come in to save the day.
During the peak of the Saiyan Saga’s final battle, Goku was all but defeated by Vegeta—his death delayed only by Gohan and Krillin distracting the evil giant ape Saiyan. And when it seemed all hope was lost, Yajirobe sprung out from his hiding spot and sliced Vegeta’s tail clean-off, reverting him back to his normal form.
Dragon Ballfans won’t need to be told just how important Vegeta has become to the series, and none of its future battles would have been possible had Yajirobe not come in to save the day. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been helpful for much since, but his one good deed saved the day.
6Mai
The One-Time Villain Turned Herself Around In Another Timeline
Several of the characters introduced inDragon Ball’s earliest sections have stuck around, and that includes the always serious minion of the evil emperor Pilaf, Mai. Following Pilaf’s defeat, she isn’t seen or heard from too often. That is, untilDragon Ball Super’s Goku Black arc,in which she surprisingly appears in a hero role.
Together with Trunks, Mai helped the remaining survivors of their ruined future, a far cry from her previous life as a member of the Pilaf gang. Not only was she a major presence who, by looking for the Dragon Balls early in the story, helped bring Goku and company together, she continued to have an impact onDragon Ball’s universe far into the future.
In the main timeline, she mostly spends her time avoiding a much younger Trunks, who remains far too young for her at the current point in the series. However,she’s always around, helping out at the lab.
5Master Roshi
The Turtle Hermit Way Remains a Core Philosophy In Dragon Ball
Master Roshi is a bit more involved inDragon Ball’s day-to-day happenings than some other characters who have been left behind, even getting his own moment to shine during the Tournament of Power. However, compared to earlier in the series, he doesn’t get nearly as much screen time.
Nevertheless, Roshi’s impact onDragon Ballis still felt today, as his pupils continue to follow the Turtle Hermit Way all these years later.Work hard, study well, eat and sleep plenty are core words inDragon Ball, and lived to their fullest by the series' most important, kind-hearted, and incredibly powerful protagonist.
Goku would have always turned out to be a fine fighter thanks to his Saiyan lineage, but that love to fight and endless determination to get stronger were shaped into what they are today by Master Roshi.
4Hercule
The World Champ Helped Save the Earth On More Than One Occasion
Hercule, like Yajirobe, exists solely for the sake of comedy,but he’s lived up to his ‘World Champion’ titleon more than one occasion. In battle, he isn’t super-powerful compared to the series' greatest heroes, but he is strong for a human,and was instrumental in the victories over both Cell and Buu.
His earliest moments in the series weren’t very impressive, as Hercule embarrassed himself greatly and then hid for the remainder of the fight. However, he was the one that threw Android #16 onto the battlefield, which was the catalyst for Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
Later, by befriending Buu and then later convincing the masses to share their energy with Goku, Hercule directly helped to save the world. He still gets quite a bit of screen time, but it’s been a while since he last took part in a major fight.
3Bardock
The Father of Goku Made One Important Decision That Made Everything Possible
Foregoing the fact that Goku was born to him and Gine,Bardock did quite a bit more than simply exist as Goku’s father. If not for one bad feeling and a last-minute decision, Goku would have just been another Saiyan eliminated during the destruction of Planet Vegeta.
Instead, Bardock knew something fishy was going on with Frieza’s arrival, and sent his son to Earth away from harm. That one decision gave Goku an opportunity to live on, and he was fortunately discovered and raised by some wonderful people.
Later inDragon Ball Super,Bardock made a surprise appearanceduring the Granolah arc in the form of a flashback, and Goku was finally given a little insight into the kind of Saiyan his father was.
2Emperor Pilaf
The Series' Earliest Villain Impacted Dragon Ball More Than Fans Think
Villains often come and go inDragon Ball. The lucky ones are turned into heroes down the line, like Piccolo and Vegeta, while others fade into history.The series' earliest villain, however, the non-intimidating evil emperor Pilaf, has found his way into the story at several different points, and continues to have an impact on its events.
It’s been quite some time since he posed any serious threat, butDragon Ballwouldn’t be what it is today without Pilaf.
If Pilaf wasn’t also searching for the Dragon Balls early in the series, Goku and the rest of the gang likely wouldn’t have gotten close and later formedDragon Ball’s main cast. Later, he released Demon King Piccolo, putting the Earth directly in danger,but eventually allowing Piccolo to make his entrance into the series.
Even the events of the non-canonDragon Ball GTwould not have been possible if Pilaf hadn’t wished to make Goku a child again. It’s been quite some time since he posed any serious threat, butDragon Ballwouldn’t be what it is today without Pilaf.
1Kami
One-Half of the Nameless Namekian Created the Dragon Balls
It might not be entirely fair to count Kami on his own as a character, considering he, Demon King Piccolo, and the current Piccolo are technically the same being, but seeing as they all had wildly different personalities, they’re all separate enough to qualify. Kami, upon becoming the guardian of the Earth,created the Dragon Balls that are so sought after throughout the series.
Without him, none of what has ever occurred duringDragon Ballwould have taken place. Goku would have continued to be a mysterious, tailed boy in the mountains, and the rest of the cast would have gone their own ways.
Considering the threats that presented themselves throughout the series, they likely wouldn’t have survived for very long. Fortunately, Kami created the titular orbs, and the rest is history.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
