History Characters / DragonBallAndroids17And18

[[Characters/DragonBallSonGoku Son Goku]] ([[Characters/DragonBallSonGokuTropesAToC A-C]] | [[Characters/DragonBallSonGokuTropesDToH D-H]] | [[Characters/DragonBallSonGokuTropesIToO I-O]] | [[Characters/DragonBallSonGokuTropesPToZ P-Z]]) | [[Characters/DragonBallBulma Bulma]] | [[Characters/DragonBallKrillin Krillin/Kuririn]] | [[Characters/DragonBallPiccolo Piccolo]] | [[Characters/DragonBallSonGohan Son Gohan]] | [[Characters/DragonBallVegeta Vegeta]] ([[Characters/DragonBallVegetaTropesAToD A-D]] | [[Characters/DragonBallVegetaTropesEToN E-N]] | [[Characters/DragonBallVegetaTropesOToZ O-Z]]) | [[Characters/DragonBallFutureTrunks Future Trunks]] | [[Characters/DragonBallAllies Allies]] | [[Characters/DragonBallFamiliesAndFriends Families & Friends]] ([[Characters/DragonBallChichi Chi-Chi]] | '''Androids 17 and 18''' | [[Characters/DragonBallTrunksAndSonGoten Trunks and Son Goten]] | [[Characters/DragonBallMrSatan Mr. Satan/Hercule]]) | [[Characters/DragonBallFusionCast Fusions]]-]]]]]

* PerpetualMotionMonster: Their main strength. They have infinite energy generators inside them that prevent them from ever tiring out. In addition, [[http://www.kanzenshuu.com/translations/db-full-color-artificial-humans-cell-arc-06/ they don't need to eat (but still require hydration)]].

* ActionGirl: One of the only women who can compete with the Z fighters and be able to beat three Super Saiyans. Even when she isn't a particularly active fighter, she still avoids {{Chickification}} compared to Chi-Chi and Videl by participating in the fighting tournament in the Buu arc, attempting to fight Beerus, being one of the fighters representing Universe 7 in the Universal Survival saga, and helping Gohan and Piccolo fight against Cell Max.

* MysteriousPast: Nothing is known of them from before Dr. Gero kidnapped them (even their original names were revealed in supplementary material). The only hint to their past is that they may have been runaways, which implies a not-so-happy home life that would lead the twins down a path of crime to where they became notoriously known for their delinquent activities. It doesn't help that they have no interest in their own past [[note]]even if they did attempt to find any traces of their human identities, most of their records are likely wiped out by the police in an attempt to wipe their slate clean[[/note]], choosing to identify under Dr. Gero's designations even when they settle down and get married.

Future Trunks travels to the main timeline to warn the Z Fighters about how, in the [[BadFuture Future Timeline]], the Androids go on a rampage across the Earth, causing destruction and chaos, with even the Z Fighters ending up dead at their hands, leaving Future Trunks the only one capable of stopping them. However, in the main timeline, they're more subdued, deciding to only focus on finding and fighting Goku -- 18, in particular, seems to hardly care about fighting at all and only does so when she finds an incentive to. The reasons for this are unknown, though Future Trunks theorizes that it's some kind of side effect from his time travels; the anime adaptation of ''History of Trunks'' implies that due to Future Gero moving forward with his plans for world domination after hearing news of Goku's death, he programmed them to have a hatred of humanity so he could then manipulate them into aiding him in conquering the planet, creating the possibility that Dr. Gero modified 17 and 18 further in the Future timeline than in the Main one. It's also possible that their interactions with Android 16 (as well as the fact that they take a purposely long amount of time to find and kill Goku, who survived in the main timeline, compared to the Future one where he died by a heart virus) means that they develop more empathy for other people. The two eventually turn out to be the necessary sacrifices for Gero's greatest creation, Cell, who absorbs them to attain his perfect form. Super Saiyan 2 Gohan ends up quite literally beating 18 out of Cell, and 17 is revived following Cell's final defeat.

Future Trunks travels to the main timeline to warn the Z Fighters about how, in the [[BadFuture Future Timeline]], the Androids go on a rampage across the Earth, causing destruction and chaos, with even the Z Fighters ending up dead at their hands, leaving Future Trunks the only one capable of stopping them. However, in the main timeline, they're more subdued, deciding to only focus on finding and fighting Goku -- 18, in particular, seems to hardly care about fighting at all and only does so when she finds an incentive to. The reasons for this are unknown, though Future Trunks theorizes that it's some kind of side effect from his time travels, the anime adaptation of ''History of Trunks'' implies that due to Future Gero's plans for world domination, he programmed them to have a hatred of humanity so he could then manipulate them into aiding him in conquering the planet, creating the possibility that Dr. Gero modified 17 and 18 further in the Future timeline than in the Main one. It's also possible that their interactions with Android 16 (as well as the fact that they take a purposely long amount of time to find and kill Goku, who survived in the main timeline, compared to the Future one where he died by a heart virus) means that they develop more empathy for other people. The two eventually turn out to be the necessary sacrifices for Gero's greatest creation, Cell, who absorbs them to attain his perfect form. Super Saiyan 2 Gohan ends up quite literally beating 18 out of Cell, and 17 is revived following Cell's final defeat.

* VagueAge: Their ages are never actually stated, but we know they were kidnapped while they were teenagers and age very slowly. Considering 18's interactions with Krillin, and no one pointing out any age difference between them, it's likely the twins are within that age range when first introduced. Generally, it is speculated they are anywhere from their 20's to their early 30's during the Z series [[note]]though since they age very slowly, its likely they're around their early 20's throughout the events of ''Z'' and ''Super'', and early to-mid 30's at ''End of ''Z'' right into ''GT'', not counting the deaths and resurrections they both had over the series (with 17 dying to both Cell and Buu) and 18 dying to Buu, which also slows their aging down[[/note]].

* {{Hunk}}: Despite being appearing to be quite lanky in an almost porcelain way, ''Super'' reveals 17 to be drawn quite ripped much like the male characters when his shirt gets destroyed, though far skinnier.

* IWorkAlone: To a certain extent. 17 doesn't mind collaborating with others in the grand scheme, but he prefers to fight his own battles over overt teamwork. Whether this played a part in him not showing up for the majority of the Buu arc is unclear, though [[AllThereInTheManual Daizenshuu 7]] states he fell victim to Super Buu's Human Extinction Attack despite his power and speed [[note]]implying he was caught off-guard due to having no ki to sense[[/note]], meaning that he wouldn't live long enough to give said support. In ''Super'' he pragmatically takes this stance in recognition that he's never really fought alongside the others before so he's not confident in how well they'd pull it off. The only exception is 18, who, as his sister, was his partner in crime for most of his life and with who he works masterfully alongside.

* Hunk: Despite being appearing to be quite lanky in an almost porcelain way, ''Super'' reveals 17 to be drawn quite ripped much like the male characters when his shirt gets destroyed, though far skinnier.

* MsFanservice: {{Downplayed}} While not nearly as sexualized as the original female characters [[note]]in fact, 18 is probably the least sexualized main female of the entire franchise next to Videl (who lacks fanservice scenes in general outside of the LegFocus and Roshi grabbing her breast), in a series that's full of heavily sexualized females such as Bulma, Chi-Chi ect.[[/note]], it's clear that the series finds 18 as ridiculously attractive nonetheless. Her first outfit gets destroyed by Vegeta in the Android Saga, showing off a lot of how shapely Android 18 is, and then in the Buu saga filler, 18's breasts especially get focus during an interaction with Master Roshi and there was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOsqDUfdT0 this scene]] in ''GT''.

* TwitchyEye: Happen once in a filler scene in the Buu Saga, when Master Roshi has a chance to sexually harass her.

* ClothingDamage: Happens to #18's initial Red Ribbon Army outfit during her battle with Vegeta showing off her shapely body, forcing the Androids to quickly raid a clothing store where she switches to a cowgirl outfit.

* DudeMagnet: Obviously Krillin falls for her, Future Trunks mentions her beauty early on before her debut, she gets hit on by Roshi more than once, and gets hit on by Jewel at the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament during the Buu saga, whom 18 proceeds to deliver a well deserved CurbStompBattle to him for simply annoying her.

* TheFashionista: Loves to shop and doesn't shy away from other people's wardrobes, either, going through Chi-Chi's clothes when they stop off at Goku's house.

* MsFanservice: {{Downplayed}} While not nearly as sexualized as the original female characters [[note]]in fact, 18 is probably the least sexualized main female of the entire franchise next to Videl (who lacks fanservice scenes in general outside of the LegFocus and Roshi grabbing her breast), in a series that's full of heavily sexualized females such as Bulma, Chi-Chi ect.[[/note]], it's clear that the series finds 18 as ridiculously attractive nonetheless. In the Buu saga filler, 18's breasts especially get focus during an interaction with Master Roshi and there was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOsqDUfdT0 this scene]] in ''GT''.

* ClothingDamage: His Ranger shirt gets scratched early on during his battle against Kakunsa, and is later fully torn into tatters during his [[spoiler: attempted suicide against Jiren]], revealing 17 to be quite attractive underneath as well as toned.

* VagueAge: Their ages are never actually stated, but we know they were kidnapped while teenagers and age very slowly. Considering 18's interactions with Krillin, and no one pointing out any age difference between them, it's likely the twins are within that age range when first introduced. Generally, it is speculated they are anywhere from their 20's to their early 30's during the Z series.
* VictoryByEndurance: Thanks to their PerpetualMotionMonster ability, they can keep on fighting ''forever'' unless they get physically restrained or severely injured. Both 17 and 18 know how to take advantage of this. Android 18 explicitly kept dodging Vegeta to tire him out during the Cell saga, and the androids are some of the longest-lasting fighters in the ring during the Tournament of Power in part because they don't have to worry about stamina whatsoever. [[spoiler:18 sacrifices herself to save Android 17, who proceeds to ''win'' the tournament.]]

* FateWorseThanDeath: They are both absorbed by Cell in order to achieve his perfect form. Android 18 is eventually freed after Cell throws her up and Android 17 is resurrected after the Z fighters use the Dragon Balls.

** 18's story in ''Supersonic Warriors'' have the present versions encounter the future versions of themselves, and [[EveryoneHasStandards clearly disturbed over their genocidal ways]], and [[MirrorMatch proceed to fight their evil counterparts]] and win.

* LegacyCharacter: They are the last known remaining remnants of the Red Ribbon Army that served as major antagonists in the original ''Manga/DragonBall'' series. Upon awakening, they both wore clothing with the Red Ribbon insignia, long after the army had been taken down.

** Up until ''Super'', 17 wore the same outfit since his first appearance, only wearing a jacket over it in the Majin Buu Saga and ''GT'', with Future 17 even mentioning he has several of the same shirt.
** While 18's gone through a lot of outfits over the series, she's always seen in one outfit for most of ''Super'', only changing into a pink tracksuit during the Universe Survival arc and wearing a variation of it with different colors in ''Super Hero''.

* HeroicNeutral: He initially passes up Goku's invite to represent Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power because he doesn't want to abandon his post. Justified because it's his job to protect the island, the last Minotaur is there, and the poachers are so determined to get the Minotaur's horns that they'd even use military-grade weaponry to take him down (which probably cost more than the horns would give), running the risk of destroying all the wildlife on the island, it isn't until Goku and 18 offers Goten, Trunks and Marron to take up 17's role as rangers in his absence that he finally accepts.

** By the Buu Saga, Android 17 becomes a park ranger at a nature reserve and eventually uses a gun to hold up some random people, which was actually a way to unknowingly let them give Goku's Spirit Bomb enough power to defeat Kid Buu by raising their hands.
** He shows some hidden kindness towards Krillin. One of the things he asks Goku is if Krillin is doing well when they first met.

* IWorkAlone: To a certain extent. 17 doesn't mind collaborating with others in the grand scheme, but he prefers to fight his own battles over overt teamwork. Whether this played a part in him not showing up for the majority of the Buu arc is unclear, though [[AllThereInTheManual Daizenshuu 7]] states he fell victim to Super Buu's Human Extinction Attack despite his power and speed [[note]]implying he was caught off-guard due to having no ki to sense[[/note]]. In ''Super'' he pragmatically takes this stance in recognition that he's never really fought alongside the others before so he's not confident in how well they'd pull it off. The only exception is 18, who, as his sister, was his partner in crime for most of his life and with who he works masterfully alongside.

* SixthRanger: Prior to the Tournament of Power, he was the only member of Team Universe 7 to have never even met Goku, meaning that they build a new relationship from scratch over the course of the arc. While he does have established relationships with others such as Piccolo and of course 18, he is still treated as an outsider. This is further cemented by his reluctance to even join the team, but it turns out his lack of personal stake in the battle makes him an extremely valuable ally (he has zero baggage against Frieza, for example). After his CharacterDevelopment in the Universe Survival Saga, he seems to have been promoted to a full-fledged member of the Z-Fighters, reappearing to help save the world in the Moro Saga and in ''Super Dragon Ball Heroes''.

* MsFanservice: {{Downplayed}} While not nearly as sexualized as the original female characters [[note]]in fact, 18 is probably the least sexualized main female of the entire franchise next to Videl (who lacks fanservice scenes in general outside of the LegFocus and Roshi grabbing her breast), in a series that's full of heavily sexualized females such as Bulma, Chi-Chi ect.[[/note]], it's clear that the series finds 18 as ridiculously attractive nonetheless. In the Buu saga filler, 18's breasts especially get focus during an interaction with Master Roshi and there was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOsqDUfdT0 this scene]] in ''GT''. Her video game appearances somewhat subverts it depending on the game. In ''Videogame/DragonballXenoverse'' and it's sequel, Android 18 can be made to wear a two-piece Turtle Helmet bikini [[note]]which can only be unlocked for #18's custom slot by maxing out her mentor friendship meter by participating in missions and giving her gifts, it's the only way to unlock Bulma's iconic camouflage bikini set from the original ''Dragon Ball'' for playable female custom characters[[/note]] which 18 highly dislikes for obvious reasons and will make her utter distaste for it famously known when players select her in the outfit,[[note]]it's heavily implied that the bikini gift might have been Roshi's doing as it has the Turtle Helmet logo on it and #18 does forgive the Time Patroller by giving them a bikini set of their own to keep, which ends up being Bulma's camouflage bikini from the original series[[/note]]. In ''Dragonball Ultimate Butouden'' for the DS, Good Launch's outfit is an unlockable outfit for Android 18. PlayedStraight with official and unofficial merchandise featuring her, such as the ''Dragonball Gal'' figurine lineup that 18 was in which had heavy FanservicePack by upping her bust and hips to it's logical conclusion far beyond her canonical portrayal, and she had the most figurines of the cast [[note]]her original Red Ribbon outfit, her Cell Saga outfit and her beach outfit from the early Buu Saga[[/note]], even moreso than the original fanservice girl in Bulma [[note]]the same set also had Videl in it's collection[[/note]].

* VillainousFaceHold: During her fight with Vegeta, she lands a devastating knee to his stomach when he tries to rush her, causing him to start to fall over in pain. She catches him by the chin with a single finger and pushes him back up to face her while taunting him before striking him with her open palm and sending him crashing into themountain wall.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:In episode 127 of ''Super'', Android 17 self-destructs to save Vegeta and Goku from elimination. He comments of how human it feels to sacrifice himself for others.]]
** [[spoiler:Though it turns out he survived his own explosion just like Vegeta did, though 17 himself wasn't sure if he would live through it.]]

* VagueAge: Their ages are never actually stated, but we know they were kidnapped while teenagers and age very slowly. Considering 18's interactions with Krillin, and no one pointing out any age difference between them, it's likely the twins are within that age range when first introduced.

'''Voiced by (English):''' Creator/ChuckHuber (Creator/FUNimation dub); Creator/TedCole (''Z''), Ethan Cole (''GT'') (Ocean/Blue Water dub); Doug Rand (AB Groupe/"Big Green" dub)\\

->'''Voiced by (English):''' Meredith [=McCoy=], Creator/ColleenClinkenbeard (''Kai'') (Creator/FUNimation dub); Farrell Spence (''Z''; Season 4 and some eps of Season 5), Creator/WillowJohnson (''Z''; most of Season 5 and all of Season 6) Jennifer Bain (''GT'') (Ocean/Blue Water dub); Sharon Mann (AB Groupe/"Big Green" dub); Tamara Ryan (Bang Zoom!/Toonami Asia dub of ''Super'')

* WorldsStrongestWoman: It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her one of the [[ActionGirl most dangerous women]] in ''the series''. She's certainly the only one to win against main characters in a fair fight, in addition to being the first person to defeat a healthy super Saiyan in general, which is a ''really'' impressive feat when you consider the series's legendary power creep. She officially claims this title by being the only female character representing Universe 7. She also proves to be one of their more reliable fighters, only dropping out right before the final round in order to save 17, allowing herself to be eliminated instead. The only female characters that aren't Gods or Angels that are for sure stronger than her are Kefla [[note]]who is the fusion of Kale and Caulifla[[/note]], Kale, and potentially Caulifla, and even then, those three are Saiyans [[note]]with the first being a fusion of said Saiyans[[/note]], meaning it is even more impressive. Cocotte, the female Pride Trooper, is also a possibility; they seem about evenly matched in their brief clash in the anime with different specialties (barriers and infinite stamina, even though #18 has barriers of her own), and never directly clash in the manga (though Cocotte being able to somewhat hurt a tired SS Kale, who even in her heavily reduced state was ''miles'' above 18, suggests she'd have the edge in that continuity).

* BackToBackBadasses: A frequent pose for these two when in combat.

* AffablyEvil: During the relatively brief time they spent as the Z-Fighters' enemies, they were the friendliest cyborgs programmed for killing you'll ever meet. They were much nicer and less evil than most previous villains even before they pulled a HeelFaceTurn. They spared all the Z-Fighters after winning their first fight and whenever they get accosted by various civilians they're content with just scaring them away [[IntimidationDemonstration by demonstrating their powers]]. Their counterparts from Future Trunks's timeline are more FauxAffablyEvil, clearly seeing everything and anyone other than themselves as toys to blow up for their own amusement.

* BloodKnight: The both of them enjoy a good fight, though 17 more so than his sister. This is particularly true of their BadFuture counterparts where they engage in carnage explicitly for their amusement, and they would repeatedly beat Future Gohan and Future Trunks within an inch of their lifes before leaving them alone, because killing them would rob them of their favorite 'playthings'. In the main timeline though, it becomes downplayed once the threat of Cell surfaces. Post-Cell's defeat and after starting their own families, they seem to have completely outgrown this trait, with 17 more concerned with his job of protecting wildlife and 18 focusing on raising her daughter and getting rich.

* BrotherSisterTeam: They were originally human twin siblings, and work ''extremely'' well together. In ''Super'', the fact they now lead separate lives and hardly see each other does nothing to diminish how in-tune they are with each other while teaming up in a fight. {{Lampshaded}} in an episode where the suggestion is made that they'd be good candidates for Potara fusion due to their observed compatibility.

** This is to their benefit: they get the massive power boost and unlimited stamina from being androids, but their organic side means they can train and get stronger, unlike a pure robot. This means that just through training, they now completely dwarf Cell and are in the realm of the god-tier characters.

* FormerTeenRebel: Both of them were rebels against Gero and wanted to kill Goku for sport. They also had no problem breaking the law like stealing a van, attacking the police, and not paying for clothes. By the Majin Buu Saga, 18 had settled down with Krillin and had a daughter, although she isn't above blackmailing for money. 17 has his own family with adoptive kids and a steady job as a park ranger.

* TheGadfly: They ''both'' clearly enjoy saying or doing things that get under other people's skin, and do so quite frequently.
* GoneHorriblyRight: Gero was trying to perfect his Android technology after his previous experiments fell short of the mark, and chose to implement some special experimental OrganicTechnology in them, and settled for technology he knew was comparatively antiquated but safe to implement when converting himself into an Android. They turn out to be highly erratic and destructive from the moment they awaken, and dispatch their own creator moments after being activated by easily overpowering him, since he gave himself a weaker body. [[spoiler:Then came the events of [[Anime/DragonBallSuper the Tournament of Power]]. Considering the events of the BadFuture, Dr. Gero would be spinning in his grave to know they saved the multiverse.]]

* HappilyMarried: Both 17 and 18 have gotten their own spouses. 17 married a zoologist while 18 married Krillin.

* IcyBlueEyes: Both of them have icy cold ones.
* IdentityAmnesia: Both of them don't seem to have any memory of their time as runaway teenagers before Dr. Gero kidnapped them or of their real names. It's implied that Dr. Gero's programming wiped out all of those memories during the Android conversion process.

** While 18's gone through a lot of outfits over the series, she's always seen in one outfit for most of ''Super'', only changing into a pink tracksuit during the Universe Survival arc.

* LovableRogue: They're more rebels without a cause than the merciless killing machines from Future Trunks's timeline.

* MysteriousPast: Nothing is known of them from before Dr. Gero kidnapped them (even their original names were revealed in supplementary material). The only hint to their past is that they may have been runaways, which implies a not-so-happy home life. It doesn't help that they have no interest in their own past, choosing to identify under Dr. Gero's designations even when they settle down and get married.

* RockThemeNaming: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapis_lazuli Lapis lazuli]] is a famous type of semi-precious stone, quite beloved for its blue tone.

* SiblingsInCrime: Prior to settling down, this was basically their whole lives. It's said they were a pair of delinquent human teenagers who got into all sorts of trouble before being kidnapped and turned into androids. In Future Trunks's timeline they murdered all the grown Z fighters and then proceeded to terrorize and obliterate numerous cities along with their inhabitants ''for years'' until Trunks finally was able to destroy them and put an end to their reign. Even in the main timeline, their earliest actions involved picking fights and causing mayhem for fun.

* TookALevelInBadass: Despite the many years he has been OutOfFocus between ''Z'' and ''Super'', he reveals he hasn't slacked off, and is much stronger than before, getting one of the biggest power boosts in the franchise. His shield alone manages to protect him from a Kamehameha from a suppressed Super Saiyan Blue Goku. Goku and Dende agree that it would be terrifying to have him as an enemy. Then he becomes one of the stars for Universe 7 during the Tournament of Power: He's eliminated a lot of opponents, has always assisted his allies, has figured out critical weaknesses at clutch times and is one of the last four fighters standing, even outlasting the likes of Top, ''Gohan'', [[spoiler:and '''''Vegeta''''']].