Characters / Tales of the Monkey Queen

WARNING! ALL SPOILERS UP TO THE END OF THE ORIGINAL DRAGON BALL SERIES (Or the equivalent thereof here) WILL GO UNSPOILERED!

The Z-Fighters

General

• Overshadowed by Awesome: At the end of the Cell Saga, the power level rankings confirm that the Z-fighters (except maybe Chi-Chi and Chaozu) are all at the least stronger than most of the Ginyu Force (in Launch and Tien's case, even without the Kaioken), Krillin and Suno are on par with Freeza's 3rd Form, and Piccolo in his base form is stronger than Goku, Gohan, or Vegeta are without going Super Saiyan. But against the x50 multiplier of the base Super Saiyan form, the rate at which saiyans get stronger, and Super Saiyan 2/3, they sadly can't measure up.
• Reformed Criminal: It's noted before they go to fight King Piccolo that a lot of them are former criminals who changed their ways.
  Ten: “You know, it’s funny. Until yesterday, I wanted to be the greatest assassin of all time and had trained all my life to kill people. Now I’m off to save the world.”
  Yamcha: “Eh, I was a desert bandit. I’ve killed like five people directly and… I dunno, more indirectly by stealing their stuff. Launch used to rob people at gunpoint and steal cars and planes.”
  Blue Launch: “It doesn’t matter what we were or what we did. All that matters is who we are and what we’re going to do.”
  Yamcha: "C'mon, Triclops. World ain't saving itself."
• Retired Badass: By the Boo Saga, many of the original cast (Yamcha, Launch, Ten, Krillin, Chi-Chi, Suno) have more or less retired from devoting their lives entirely to martial arts (though they are still practicing).
• School Is for Losers: Suno, Chichi, Gohan, Lapis, Lazuli and Bulma are the only ones with any formal education. Everyone else was either homeschooled or never went to school at all (and Lapis and Lazuli apparently dropped out of high school due to being kidnapped by Gero). Of course, this also means that, as Chichi notices, none of them have that many job options that don't include "punching things".

Son Goku:

• Amazonian Beauty: As ripped as her canon male counterpart and still has had characters (particularly Suno) mention her beauty from time to time.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: Vastly downplayed compared to the original Dragon Ball Z and Super - due to both averting Poor Communication Kills most of the time, and generally having a more human than saiyan mindset. It can still come out at times, though, especially when she's in her Super Saiyan forms.
• Call to Agriculture: When she's not training, she keeps a small farm running by herself (probably a Shout-Out to Dragon Ball Super).
• Cue the Sun: Right as Goku arrives at the 23rd Budokai.
• The Dreaded: She becomes this to the Red Ribbon Army by the time she and Suno attack their main base, given that she’s been known by now for defeating several of their generals, destroying entire battalions, and defeating Taopaipai.
  • It's likely that she's this also to the Arcosian Empire/Freeza Force, considering how they regarded Canon Goku by the time of Super.
• Dungeon Bypass: Goku’s response to General White saying they have to get through a maze to get to him? Ram through the walls.
• Dynamic Entry: She starts her second fight with Tao Pai Pai by kicking him in the face.
  • Later on, this is how she saves Suno when the latter is fighting Black’s Battle Jacket.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When she meets the Bandit Bear in Chapter 2.
  BB: I'm quite hungry, you see. And I plan to dine… on turtle soup!
  Goku: Well, that’s kind of a problem. We’re out in the woods, and the only turtle is- ohhhhh!
• Gender Flip: Well, it’s in the story’s description…
• I'm Not a Hero, I'm...: Goku admits to Krillin once before the Cell Games that she never really wanted to be seen as The Paragon to her friends, or placed on a “pedestal” – she just wanted to be herself.
• In Love with Your Carnage: A rare heroic version is shown – after Suno kills Cymbal, one of Demon King Piccolo’s “children”, the normally Chaste Hero Goku actually blushes.
• Make Me Wanna Shout: She can be very loud when she wants to, to say the least.
• Mama Bear: Freeza killing Krillin sends Goku into the Despair Event Horizon. Him threatening Suno and Gohan right after that sends her back up into Unstoppable Rage – and into Super Saiyan.
• Master of None: When she was younger – Grandpa Gohan notices that while her style and power were both good, she was reliant on just being either stronger or more skilled (or both) than her enemies to win. She grows out of it later.
• One of the Boys: Being a girl doesn’t really seem to have changed Goku’s personality. At all.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Believe it or not, she actually goes on one of these when she’s fighting Majin Vegeta after his Motive Rant.
  Goku: Oh, will you shut up?! I’m so sick of this! All you ever talk about is your Saiyan pride! How you were meant to be the strongest, how you were meant to be better than me! That’s the craziest thing, Vegeta, you WERE stronger than me! I had to multiply my strength four times to be stronger than you, and I still needed Gohan, Krillin, and Suno’s help to beat you! But I didn’t let it bother me! You wanna know why? Because I never took anything for granted! I never just assumed that I was the best! I’m glad Freeza blew up our stupid planet! Because otherwise, I might have grown up to be a coward like you!
  Vegeta: A coward? A COWARD?!
  Goku: What else would you call it? What would you call it when the second life goes any way other than exactly how you think it’s supposed to, you start to have a crisis? What do you call it when your life is validated by being strong enough to do whatever you want and falling apart when suddenly that changes? (points to the Majin tattoo on Vegeta) What do you call taking the easy way out when things got hard? Do you want to know why I let you live? Not just because you were strong. Not just because I wanted to fight you again so that I could prove I could beat you on my own. But because somewhere, deep down, I knew that you could have been more than what you were. That there wasn’t that much separating what I could have been from what you were. I wanted to give you the chance to better yourself, to prove me right. But if this is all you are… I should’ve just let Krillin kill you.
• Rejection Affection: Turns down Chichi’s marriage proposal when she asks at the 23rd Budokai.
• Simple-Minded Wisdom: Goku isn’t really any brighter than in canon, but that doesn’t mean she’s isn’t capable of being surprisingly insightful at times with other people.
• Tempting Fate: When she fights Piccolo.
  “So, do you have another secret technique? It’s not like you can get taller.”
  Piccolo chuckles.
  “...You’re about to get even taller, aren’t you?”
• Tomato in the Mirror: Realizes that she was responsible for the original Gohan’s death after Vegeta turns into an Oozaru.
  I was the monster! I killed Grandpa!
• We Do the Impossible: Goku’s specialty, and she lampshades it more than once.
  Don’t tell me – what I can’t do!
• Worf Had the Flu: After the 22nd Budokai and Krillin’s death, she immediately goes after Tambourine to avenge him – as it turns out, Goku had already exhausted herself fighting in the Tournament, and is beaten with ease by the fresh Tambourine.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Honestly believes, even during the Cell arc, and as it turns out, as far back as when he was introduced, that Vegeta had it in him to become a better person if he “didn’t take himself as seriously.”

Bulma:

• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Much to Bulma’s mortification, her parents both exemplify All Men Are Perverts and All Women Are Lustful.
• Amicable Exes: Averted at first with her and Yamcha, due to their breakup here being more ideologically based. Later played straight, but not until after the conclusion of the Namek saga when he’s resurrected.
• Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: When she first encounters Pilaf, he, like in canon, just blows her a kiss to try and get her to hand over the last Dragon Ball.
  Bulma: I thought you were gonna try to… y’know…
  Pilaf: How dare you? That’s despicable!
  Bulma: What? Am I not pretty enough to be ravished or something?
• Armor-Piercing Question: At Tien after he breaks Krillin’s leg.
  “Hey! Who do you think you are, huh?! Do you think this makes you a badass, hurting people? You think that makes you a real man?!”
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Bulma is jealous during the Red Ribbon arc when Yamcha is out training with Krillin and Launch under Roshi, even though he calls every day.
• Comedic Sociopathy: Lampshaded when Goku hits the plane that Pilaf, Shu, and Mai are in after they take off without her, Yamcha, or Puar.
  She took a perhaps unhealthy amount of pleasure from watching the plane get smashed into pieces as three people probably died.
• Everyone Has Standards: Despite being a fairly big Mad Scientist, and having more than her fair share of less-than-moral moments among the Z-fighters, she was clearly concerned about Goku when she thought she had killed her with her car when they first met, and shooting her was clearly motivated by terror instead of anger.
• Gadgeteer Genius: Bulma actually puts this to use when helping the other early Z-fighters invade the Red Ribbon Army’s base to support Goku by weaponizing a bunch of Capsule Corp gadgets.
• Instant Expert: She had the Namekian language and the history of Namek implanted into her head by Kami’s ship.
• Jump Scare: When she hears a knock on the window at the hospital, she was expecting a bird. She was not expecting Mr. Popo.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: When Yamcha, as detailed below, attempts his Heroic Sacrifice, she realizes quickly that even though she (sort of) wants to help, she probably couldn’t do anything.
• Mad Scientist: She’s both a relatively moral and sane example of one, but make no mistake. She is crazy in a lot of ways.
• Not in Front of the Kid: At one point, is about to curse, but cuts herself short, since Gohan is within earshot.
• Oh, Crap!: After she sleeps with Vegeta, Bulma “puts together” the pieces about who the parents of Future Trunks were.
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Is outright named as such by Suno.
• Shadow Archetype: Notices that she’s this to Vegeta, in some ways - they’re both high-”ranking” in their respective societies, have somewhat of a sense of entitlement, and can overlook the feelings of others. However, where Vegeta had only negative influences on him growing up thanks to how saiyan society and Freeza operated, Bulma became part of the heroic Z-fighters.
• Spoiled Brat: Downplayed – however, until she met Goku, she had no idea that anyone could “rough it” due to being a rich city-dweller.
• Suddenly Shouting: When Goku tells her that she and Suno are fighting the Red Ribbon Army, Bulma’s initially subdued before she starts yelling.
• Tears of Joy: After Goku, Krillin, Suno, and Gohan defeat Vegeta, Bulma arrives with a helicopter to get them medical attention, and starts crying, relieved they’re all alive.
• Token Evil Teammate: VASTLY downplayed, but it’s pretty clear that Bulma’s moral compass is… not that steady. To her credit, she recognizes and acknowledges this after the start of Z, and tries to improve herself.
• Woman Scorned: After Yamcha briefly cheats on her with Launch, she has him ejected from Capsule Corp and tells the guards to shoot him if he comes back.
• Yaoi Fangirl: When Vegeta and Zarbon get in each other's faces, she starts quietly chanting "Please make out".

Master Muten Roshi:

• Awesomeness by Analysis: He’s able to recognize the older Gohan by studying his Kamehameha, despite Gohan’s disguise.
• Best Served Cold: When Shen tries to kill Goku with a Dodonpa, Roshi blasts him into the air with a Kamehameha and says he waited over 200 years for that.
• Combat Pragmatist: When a Red Ribbon grunt has him at gunpoint, when Roshi’s Brutal Honesty that he knows Goku catches him off guard, he throws his tea in the man’s face.
• The Fog of Ages: Downplayed overall, but he doesn’t remember what his sister’s name was before she changed it to Uranai Baba.
• Healing Hands: He knows this, and is good enough to offer Suno lessons.
• It's a Long Story: Roshi has a lot of these that we never get to hear entirely (mostly).
• Lethal Joke Style: As mentioned below, Krillin notices that while it’s actually rather effective, the Sleepwalker Fist sounds completely ridiculous.
• Like a Son to Me/Like a Daughter to Me: Krillin and Goku are this to him, he admits.
• One-Man Army: Was able to take on literally thousands of King Piccolo’s minions by himself with only Shen for backup (before their falling out). Deconstructed somewhat later – he states in chapter 39 that he needs to channel his ki for most of his badass moments, and that otherwise, he’s just an old man – hence his cane.
• Sleepwalking: His Sleepwalker Fist weaponizes this.
• Training from Hell: Aside from his canon training, after the 21st Budokai, he tells Krillin that for the next bit of training, they’re going to swim back to Kame House. And when Yamcha arrives, his first move? Give him a heavy turtle shell and tell him to run fifty laps around the island with it on.
• The Unmasking: Outed as Jackie Chun by Tien during their battle in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai.
• Weak, but Skilled: He’s got enough skill with Healing Hands to offer Suno lessons, is capable of Shock and Awe, has a number of magical items at his disposal, is entirely willing to be a Combat Pragmatist, has centuries of experience, and is capable of destroying entire mountains with his Kamehameha if he has enough charging time… and he has, as of the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, a power level of 139.
• We Used to Be Friends: How he thinks of Shen.

Yamcha:

• Blah, Blah, Blah: How he sums up Cell’s goals.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Yamcha, when he was still a bandit, was completely appalled by Bulma’s initial intentions with Goku.
  “You’re kidding,” he muttered. There was no way. No one could be that evil. “You have got to be kidding.” Bulma’s fingernails dug angrily into the doorframe as Yamcha laughed despite himself. “That is the worst thing I’ve ever heard!”
  […]
  “Lady, I am a desert bandit. I rob people at swordpoint. I take their food, water, capsules, money, everything and leave them for dead in the middle of nowhere. You manipulated a naive little girl to be your bodyguard by using the memory and love of her dead grandfather as leverage,” he leveled an accusing finger at her face, “You are the worst person I have ever met.”
• Happily Married: With Chichi.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Briefly attempts this the first time Goku goes Oozaru, to keep her from going after Bulma. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to do it.
• Storming the Castle: After Shu steals the Dragon Balls for Pilaf, and they don’t know where he went, Yamcha suggests this.
  “All right, how do we find them?” Yamcha reached into the glove compartment and took out a pair of binoculars. He adjusted the focus as he looked into them.
  “Just a suggestion,” he said as he pointed towards the horizon. “We could try the castle?” Standing ominously in the distance was an enormous castle. The kind a supervillain who has robot suits at his disposal might use.
• Take Up My Sword: The recipient thereof - After he marries Chi-Chi, she gives him her mother’s sword to use for himself.
• This Is Gonna Suck: After he goes up against Imperfect Cell in Ginger Town without backup, he’s fully aware that he’s likely screwed unless help arrives quickly.
• We Help the Helpless: He, and later Chichi, runs a mercenary hero business helping people with kidnappings, natural disasters, and basically any job that calls for a superhero. Chichi retires after she becomes pregnant and Yamcha has to retire once Gohan becomes the Great Saiyaman.

Puar:

• Jack of All Trades: Seems to have an inexhaustible amount of odd jobs and skills.
• Running Gag: Puar summoning Shenron (in this story) takes place often enough that it’s given multiple Lampshade Hanging moments.
• Shamu Fu: When Yamcha is eliminated in the preliminaries of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, Bulma (who recently broke up with him) laughs at him, leading to Puar turning into a fish to smack her.
• Throat Light: His wish on Shenron was to “taste the rainbow” – as a result, his tongue is literally glowing with all the colors of the rainbow.

Krillin:

• All Love Is Unrequited: He had a crush on Goku for several years – and given that Goku’s married to Suno, you can probably guess how that turned out.
• Bag of Holding: He bribes Master Roshi into training him with one of these… filled with dirty magazines.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Was this towards Suno when they first met until the 23rd Budokai, due to Suno being seemingly closer to Goku than he was despite Goku meeting Suno very recently.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: When Lazuli offers him a “penny for his thoughts”, he says they’re not worth that much.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: At first, when they’re no longer Taken for Granite after Dabura dies, he and Piccolo decide not to go near Goku and Vegeta’s battle… until they feel Boo’s presence, and decide that the battle between Goku and Vegeta is now sounding pretty friendly in comparison.
• The Mentor: While the Turtle School is apparently much less well-known than the Crane School, he has apparently taken in several students over the years between Goku’s death and Boo’s release.
• Not in Front of the Kid: Scolds Lazuli (his wife) for cursing in front of Marron (their daughter). To Lazuli’s credit, she covered Marron’s ears beforehand.
• Romantic Runner-Up: To Suno, obviously. It even seemed that he had the same idea as Chi-Chi and was planning to propose to Goku at the Budoukai.
• Stay in the Kitchen: His initial reaction to Goku saying she wanted to learn martial arts (though to be fair, he grew out of it even before the first Budokai).
• Tempting Fate: A rare positive example: when he and Goku are watching TV and see the first mention of the Red Ribbon Army, Goku says that she’s going “to beat them up” if she ever sees them herself. Krillin’s response:
  “You might be strong, Goku, but no one person can take on an entire army.”
  • Though, given that he, Roshi, Launch, Bulma, Yamcha, and Suno all helped her defeat the Red Ribbon Army later in the arc, he was technically right… at the time.
• World's Strongest Man: He's and Suno are basically each other's rival for the position of being the strongest "unmodified" human, and he's basically the strongest male human in the series (though Kaioken X 10+ Tenshinhan is stronger).

Launch:

• Adaptational Badass: From a relatively strong Muggle in the original Dragon Ball series to a full-on badass regardless of which personality is dominant.
• Ascended Extra: She all but disappears from the story from Z onwards in the manga and anime. Here, she continues to be a side character even after the events of the original Dragon Ball.
• Combat Pragmatist: Has no issues against using guns in a fight (when guns were still effective against the enemy fighters, at least).
• Hammerspace: Where her blond self appears to store her guns (before she starts training with Yamcha and Krillin, after which she no longer uses/needs them).
• Happily Married: In a stable relationship with Tien.
• Split-Personality Merge: During the interval between Goku's defeat of King Piccolo and the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, due to her two original personalities conflicting more and more, she resorted to training with Ten to find inner peace, which led to this.
• Spontaneous Human Combustion: Her Dodonya technique can inflict this to a target.

Suno:

• Ascended Extra: Suno was a minor character in the Muscle Tower arc in the original Dragon Ball. Here... not so much.
• Badass Teacher: One of the strongest humans (if not the strongest human) in the series, and works as a schoolteacher for her day job.
• Berserk Button: Suno hates the Red Ribbon Army and everything to do with it. A lot.
  • Threatening or badmouthing Goku, Gohan, or Goten will also set her off.
• Blunt "Yes": Her response to Bulma asking if Suno is stronger than her after they first met.
• Cast from Lifespan: Her first Kamehameha was apparently this, and Roshi notices it probably cost her a few years of her life.
• Dance Battler: “Odori”, Suno’s style, translates to “Dance”.
• Distracted by the Sexy: When Goku starts taking her weighted clothing off, Suno’s left making a Freudian Slip.
  “I trained pretty girl. Hard! Hard. I trained… pretty hard.”
• Eating the Eye Candy: Suno tends to check Goku out whenever she gets the chance.
• Fainting: She passes out from horror after Boo hurts Gohan badly enough to reduce his ki signature sufficiently low that she can’t detect him (and thinks he’s dead).
• Fragile Speedster: Her Fubuki Odori technique turns her into this by increasing her speed at the cost of reducing her attack and defense (essentially an inversion of Trunks's Ultra Super Saiyan form). This weakness is later remedied with the Shinsoku Odori technique, which doubles her speed without the side effects.
• Giving Up on Logic: Does this after Kami summons Goku to revive Shenron.
  “WHAT?!” Suno said one last time with her disbelief echoing into the open air before she threw up her hands and just gave up. This was, officially, too weird.
• Happily Married: Even after Goku spent several years in Other World after refusing to be resurrected, both Goku and Suno are visibly happy to see each other.
• Healing Hands: Averted: While Master Roshi says in the Red Ribbon arc that she has the potential to be this, she turns down his offer of lessons in favor of getting stronger.
• Hot Teacher: Extremely. So much, in fact, that the “Hot for Teacher” song, in this world, was written about her.
• In Love with Your Carnage: In a heroic example, after Goku arrives on Namek and subjects Burter and Jeice to a Curb-Stomp Battle, Suno and Gohan have the following conversation.
  Gohan: You’re really red, mother. Are you sure you’re okay?
  Suno: Oh, I’m more than okay…
  Gohan: Huh?
  Suno: Nothing!
• I Want Grandkids: Teases Gohan about how cute Videl is, and decides after the two of them start talking her grandchildren will be beautiful.
• The Mentor: Starts training Videl as a fighter after she learns how to fly, since Gohan is teaching Goten.
• O.C. Stand-in: Originally, Suno showed up in a single arc in early Dragon Ball, and was forgotten afterwards, save for a few cameos.
• Please Wake Up: Suno falls into this briefly when Goku is killed in her Heroic Sacrifice against Raditz.
• Rage Breaking Point: When General White shoots Goku and Suno briefly thinks she’s dead, she briefly snaps and pummels him.
• Refused the Call: Roshi offers to teach her Healing Hands, noticing that her chakras are not geared towards fighting. She turns him down.
• Sensor Character: She was one of the first characters shown to be capable of sensing chi besides Master Roshi.
• Shipper on Deck: For Gohan/Videl.
• Talking to the Dead: Did this when she was younger at her father’s grave.
• Training from Hell: Unknowingly (maybe) subjects Videl to this by making her train in a meat locker to replicate the conditions in her hometown of Jingle Village. Suno’s hardly bothered, while Videl is in winter gear and still cold.
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: She is this to Goku (even though Goku usually doesn’t need said protection).
• When I Was Your Age...: Tells Videl that she had trouble adjusting to ki and flying “when she was younger.” She wonders after that if she’s starting to get old.
• World's Strongest Woman: She and Krillin are more or less each other's competitor for the position of the strongest (non-enhanced) human in the series, and she has the highest (unmodified) power level of the human Z-fighters.
• You Killed My Father: Half of the reason Suno hates the Red Ribbon Army so much is because of this.

Chi-Chi:

• Amazonian Beauty: Absolutely ripped, taller than most of the cast, and still considered beautiful.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: She wanted excitement in her life – she got it.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: The main reason Chi-Chi is interested in Yamcha after the 23rd Budoukai.
• In a Single Bound: Chi-Chi doesn’t know how to fly (at first) when she’s reintroduced during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, and this is how she gets around until she learns.
• Missing Mom: Her mother passed away when she was around six due to a giant serpent named Madaija, who attacked Frypan Mountain.
• Pregnant Badass: Averted – Chichi doesn’t do any fighting after the start of Z for this exact reason until the arrival of Android 13.
• Rejection Affection: Subjected to this from Goku when she asks her to marry her. Chichi doesn’t burst out in tears, but it’s a close thing.
• Statuesque Stunner: As beautiful as canon, while taller than most of the male cast.
• That Came Out Wrong: As she's talking to Yamcha in Chapter 45.
  “While we were staying at the village inn, we happened to watch the 21st Budoukai on the television in the common room. That was the first time I’d seen Goku since she had left with the Dragon Ball. Watching her fighting fanned that little spark inside me and I started to think about things I normally didn’t.”
  Yamcha snickers.
  “Not those kinds of thoughts!”
• This Cannot Be!: Breaks down in tears after Nappa kills Yamcha.
• We Help the Helpless: She joins Yamcha's hero business saving people for money, though they both eventually retire (Chichi before Yamcha).

Tenshinhan:

• Attack Reflector: Does this to Krillin’s Kamehameha when they fight.
• Blood Knight: Despite himself, he’s fond of fighting for sport.
• Commonality Connection: The reason he’s friends with Chaozu is that both of them were seen by the other Crane students as “weird”, and Chaozu was the first to truly approach Ten without seeing him that way.
• Didn't Think This Through: How he dies when Nappa and Vegeta arrive – he tries to blast the much stronger than him Vegeta with the Shin Kikohou, which is smart. Doing it at point blank range… not so smart.
• Flipping the Bird: Gives this to Piccolo.
• Might Makes Right: Believes this prior to the 22nd Budokai, due to Shen’s training and upbringing. He grows out of it.
• Pressure Point: Does this during his fight with Goku, hitting the 64 points on a human that lead to energy shutdown of the body – however, since Goku’s a Human Alien, it doesn’t work.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Ever since Yamcha had him try it, Tenshinhanloves pizza.
• Training from Hell: Underwent this under Shen/the Crane Hermit from a very young age.
• Uneven Hybrid: As it turns out, Ten is 12.5% (1/8) alien.
• Unstoppable Rage: After Chaozu is killed by Nappa and Launch tries to kill Nappa in a Taking You with Me and fails, he tries to blast Vegeta with the Shin Kikohou, and is killed for his efforts.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Wanted this very badly from Taopaipai when he was younger, partly because he suspected that the man was his actual father.

Chaozu:

• Instant Illness: It’s implied that he managed to make one of his opponents in the 22nd Budokai need to throw up mid-fight with his telekinesis.
• I Shall Taunt You: Does this to Goku during their fight in the 22nd Budokai while he tries to use his Telekinesis to immobilize her. All it does is make Goku angrier.
• Nightmare Fetishist: He thinks Perfect Cell is pretty hot.
• True Companions: With Tien.

Piccolo:

• Actually Pretty Funny: When Gohan first shows him the Great Saiyaman outfit, he’s baffled.

Gohan:Sorry. Next time I talk to Bulma, I’ll get her to put on some six-foot shoulder pads.
Piccolo chuckles.

• Armor-Piercing Question: As he and Goku go to face Raditz.
  “I heard this Raditz talk about his countless murders across numerous worlds. Is Raditz any less of a monster than my father? Or is it different because he is your blood and not mine?”
• I Always Wanted to Say That: When he announces he’s King Piccolo reborn as he fights Goku.
• Noodle Incident: He’s apparently not allowed to come to the Son’s house after nearly burning it down over a Trivial Pursuit game.
• Not So Above It All: In Chapter 40, Piccolo of all people wants his rule of Earth to start “fittingly” when he faces Kami (who is possessing Hercule).
  He had a sneaking suspicion as to who he was really facing. Damn the old man. In the quarter-finals? No sense of dramatic timing.
• Put on a Bus: After the Boo arc ends, he decides to move to New Namek for good, though he's still in contact with the Z-Fighters.
• Sweet and Sour Grapes: While it’s not directly mentioned in-story, at the end of the Cell Saga, if one takes his Kaioken X 5 into account, he’s actually stronger than all of the Z-fighters except Gohan and Super Saiyan 2 Mirai Trunks.
• Shout-Out: To Abridged Vegeta during his fight with Goku.
  That’s it! Everyone dies!
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Initially, he dismisses Tien’s Multi-form technique as a variation of the afterimage. He quickly realizes he’s mistaken when they all punch him at the same time.

Son Gohan:

• Adaptation Dye-Job: Due to Suno being his (second) mother here, Gohan has red hair instead of black.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Sometimes, Goku and Suno can be this to him. Mostly when they're asking/teasing him about his romantic life, or talking about theirs.
• Boxing Lessons for Superman: As it turns out when he fights Boo, he's spent several years trying to figure out how ki works, and can among other things, make his standard attacks invisible.
• The Cape: Gohan relishes in being this as The Great Saiyaman.
• Face Death with Dignity: When Vegeta is about to kill him as he and Nappa are invading Earth – though thanks to Piccolo pulling a Heroic Sacrifice, he doesn’t die.
• Foreshadowing: Gohan foreshadows Super Saiyan 3 at the end of his fight with Cell when his hair grows longer as he fires the Ryuhameha.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: As this conversation puts it.
  Piccolo: You spent your formative years battling alien despots and self-worshipping, time-traveling killer robots. You are not normal.
  Gohan: I know. It’s nice to pretend, though, right?
• The Mentally Disturbed: According to Babidi, when he’s reading Gohan’s mind, all the stress from when he was younger has had effects on him mentally. However, this also goes the other way, because he has no interest in dealing with Babidi, having been told beforehand by Xi what he is like (and seeing him kill two of his minions).
• Worthy Opponent: A PTO soldier named Bill who he defeats, who after admitting he’s lost, decides to Face Death with Dignity (unlike… almost every other villain in Z).
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: When he sees the Zeta/Z Sword in the plateau, he’s not impressed.
  A sword in a stone. You gotta be kidding me.

Vegeta:

• Dying Moment of Awesome: In the original canon, a beam through the heart by Freeza puts Vegeta down. Here, he gets back up and fires what could only be the predecessor to the Final Flash at Freeza.
• Fantastic Racism: Towards Gohan when they first meet, to the point of calling him an abomination. He grows out of it, though.
• Fatal Flaw: According to Gohan, while Vegeta can be very clever, when he gets angry, it becomes Unstoppable Rage instead of Tranquil Fury, and he becomes more predictable and less able to strategize or think things through.
• Friendship Denial: When Goku says he's her friend at the 25th Budokai, Vegeta is disgusted by the idea.
  “I have not, nor shall I ever be, your... Buddy.”
• I Take Offense to That Last One: When Bulma says in chapter 107 that she’ll get the “old sourpuss” to come around, Vegeta’s response is “I”M NOT OLD!”
• Jerkass Has a Point: When Gohan is contacted by Xi about Babidi coming to Earth to revive Boo, Vegeta isn’t concerned about the potential “end of the world” - as he notices, the same thing was said about Freeza, Cell, and even Vegeta himself, and the world is still there. But the Earth is blown up by Boo, so he was wrong for once.
• Motive Rant: When he’s fighting Goku as Majin Vegeta, he gives one on why he accepted Babidi's Deal with the Devil.
  You won’t be winning at all! … What’s the matter, clown? Are you feeling angry? Are you feeling humiliated? You don’t even know the meaning of the word! You couldn’t even begin to imagine it! But I will teach you. My lesson will be long and arduous, but it is still nothing compared to the teachings I took from you! I was a King! Unchallenged in my knowledge of my own supremacy! The universe once trembled at the very mention of my name! In my veins runs the sole great bloodline of our people, the bloodline of kings! It was my burden to avenge our people! My destiny to become the Super Saiyan! You stole that from me! You stole everything from me, Kakarot! You ripped it away with your filthy, common hands when you dared to challenge me! You handed me my first true defeat! I actually owed you my life! My world began to crumble around me, my honor forsaken and my pride questioned by your every waking breath! Well, no more! You will be cut down inch by inch, the way you have stripped away everything that mattered to me! I shall have my victory. I shall have everything that I deserve!
  Goku: Oh, will you shut up?!
• My God, What Have I Done?: His reaction to nearly striking Trunks when his son tries to stop Vegeta and Goku's battle.
• Never My Fault: Blames Trunks at first for failing to kill Cell when he could have, despite the fact that he was the one who helped Cell become Perfect by absorbing Lazuli.
• Oh, Crap!: His reaction when Goku starts to turn Super Saiyan 3 and he realizes just how large the gap between them still is.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one of these to Trunks about him failing to kill Cell. Trunks turns it right back around at him.
  Vegeta: "Oh yes, grovel before Kakarot and wait for her to solve the problem. Bunch of cowards!” [To Trunks] “And you’re the worst of the lot. No doubt you intend to put all of your problems and your failures at my feet like the disappointment you are, refusing to accept any responsibility for your actions. You had all this power inside you. You could have finished Cell off at any time! So why did you not do so? Well? Come on, let’s hear it!”
  Trunks: “…Because, I wanted to believe in you. I wanted to give you a chance to do the right thing. Because despite everything my mother told me, I wanted to believe you could be a good person. Because I was an idiot. I can’t believe I ever wanted to know you. I don’t want anything to do with you!”
• The Scream: When he, Raditz, and Nappa meet up at the former site of Planet Vegeta, where he details The Plan to reunite the Saiyans who are left to fight Freeza. After Raditz leaves, Nappa watches Vegeta scream so loudly and angrily that he can actually hear him through the void of space.
• Unskilled, but Strong: In his Oozaru state, as he realizes swiftly that he’s never actually fought anything in it, let alone something as big as he is (Gohan).
• What Have I Become?: Vegeta nearly says this word for word after selling his soul to Babidi when Trunks looks at him the way Vegeta looked at Freeza when he was a boy.

Future Trunks:

• Adaptation Dye-Job: To avoid the hair-color hiccup of Dragon Ball Super, Trunks' hair was blue from his first appearance.
• The Lost Lenore: It's all but stated that Gohan is this for Trunks. It's later confirmed when we get our first glimpse of Goku Black, and the two are dating.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When he first sees Cell in the main timeline, Trunks pretty much goes berserk trying to kill it.
• Tragic Keepsake: Trunks carries a locket with a picture of Gohan inside of it.

Lapis (Android 17):

• Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed and zigzagged. While Lapis and Lazuli have power levels of roughly 200,000 here (compared to Goku having approximately 100,000 before she became a Super Saiyan), both of them decide after Cell has been defeated to start training with Tenshinhan and Krillin respectively to get stronger.
• Big Damn Heroes: While he wasn't able to kill Super Boo and was absorbed for his trouble, he came very close to doing it by himself, and was able to give Dende enough time to heal Gohan's eyes from the Eye Scream that Boo rendered on him so he could see again.
• Genre Savvy: The reason he never shows up on the Lookout after Boo is freed is that he says having the highest power signatures on the planet gathered together is asking for trouble. Considering that he lived through the Human Extinction Attack, he made the right call.
• Happily Adopted: Averted, as he and Lazuli didn’t take well to the foster system after their parents died, and wound up homeless before they were kidnapped by Gero.
  • Played straight by him later, as he has three adopted children named Greg, Andy, and Jamie.
• Happily Married: To his wife Amy, a fox woman.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": He's overjoyed to see Tenshinhan, stating that he's his favorite fighter.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: He decides to head to his family's house in the woods to avoid Boo while staying beneath notice, since Boo has no reason to look for them, and he's not strong enough to beat Boo.
• The Needless: Downplayed: Bulma after analyzing Lapis and Lazuli says that beyond needing to stay hydrated, they have no need for food, sleep, or even air.
• Strong and Skilled: While they’re relatively weak compared to the Super Saiyans or Piccolo, both Lapis and Lazuli are both vastly Unskilled, but Strong at first compared to the other (human) Z-fighters (being twice as strong as Freeza’s 3rd form), and later on, start training under Tien and Krillin respectively to avert that trope.
• Unstoppable Rage: After he survives the Human Extinction attack, he sees that the rest of his family and Adrian were all killed by it. The only reason Boo survived his attack, despite how much stronger he was, is because he split off part of himself beforehand.

Lazuli (Android 18):

• Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed and zigzagged. While Lapis and Lazuli have power levels of roughly 200,000 here (compared to Goku having approximately 100,000 before she became a Super Saiyan), both of them decide after Cell has been defeated to start training with Ten and Krillin respectively to get stronger.
• All There in the Manual: Lampshaded, as Lazuli was apparently the only one to know about the Elimination Machine for the 25th Budokai beforehand.
• Declining Promotion: Lampshaded and Averted; she works as a police detective, but refuses to take a desk job, saying that it would be a waste of her talents (namely, being bulletproof) to do so.
• The Needless: Downplayed: Bulma after analyzing Lapis and Lazuli says that beyond needing to stay hydrated, they have no need for food, sleep, or even air.
• Strong and Skilled: While they’re relatively weak compared to the Super Saiyans or Piccolo, both Lapis and Lazuli are both vastly Unskilled, but Strong at first compared to the other (human) Z-fighters (being twice as strong as Freeza’s 3rd form), and later on, start training under Tien and Krillin respectively to avert that trope.
• Teacher/Student Romance: How she and Krillin got married - after Krillin became the Turtle Hermit, she was his first (and possibly only) student.

Adrian (Android 16):

• Friend to All Living Things: Is kind to all animals.
• Good Feels Good: Decides to be good because doing good (helping a woman and her sick son get to the hospital) feels better than doing bad (crushing a bird.)
• Replacement Goldfish: Implied to be this for Dr. Gero, as he was built after the original Adrian's death and, unlike 17, 18, or 19, was given a name by the Doctor.
• Spared by the Adaptation: He isn't killed by Cell - instead, Hercule was. Boo kills him instead as part of the Extinction Attack, when he died trying to shield several animals. He's resurrected with everyone else, though.

Fusions

Gotenks

The gender-neutral fusion of Trunks and Goten.

• Freak Out: Spends their first half-hour existing having one of these about what gender they are before Shouronpo calms them down.
• Shout-Out: Has several of these to Stevonnie.
• Unstoppable Rage: After Piccolo yells at them that Boo killed everyone else, they promptly go Super Saiyan 3 and beat the living snot out of Boo.

Xibito

The female-identifying fusion of Xi and Kibito.

Vegetto

The male-identifying fusion of Goku and Vegeta.

• Comically Invincible Hero: Even after absorbing Ultimate Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, and Goten, Boo could barely scratch him in his base form. Going Super Saiyan pretty much ended the fight, with Boo only surviving because Vegetto was prolonging it on purpose.
• I Don't Want to Die: When he defuses back into Goku and Vegeta.
• Tranquil Fury: The only reason he let Boo live so long was that he wanted to see if Boo could amuse him before he killed him.

Other Earthlings

Mark “Hercule” Satan:

• Adaptational Badass: After the Boo arc, he goes to Krillin to learn how to wield ki, and it's stated that he could likely have taken on Raditz and won.
• Adaptation Expansion: Rather than being introduced during the Cell Saga like canon, Mark first appears during the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai.
• Adaptational Heroism: Here, he still takes most of the fame for killing Cell, but does it at the Z-fighter's request, with Gohan's part being noticeably downplayed (since neither Gohan or Suno really want any media attention due to Goku's death).
• Cowardly Lion: Despite being clearly terrified, he tries to help Gohan against Perfect Cell, and goes to Boo on purpose to try and befriend him.
• Glory Seeker: Deconstructed. While he claims to have killed Cell, it's at the request of the Z Fighters because they don't want the fame, especially not with Goku Killed Off for Real. Hercule even remarks that he didn't really contribute to the battle, but is willing to claim credit to spare them the attention.
• Good Parents: Completely accepts Videl and Gohan’s potential relationship, saying that Gohan is “a good kid”, even if his name brings up bad memories of the Cell Games.
• Grand Theft Me: Briefly body-snatched by Kami to fight in the 23rd Budokai.
• Happily Married: To Miguel, his wife and Videl’s mother, who he’s been going out with since before the 23rd Budokai.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: After losing to Master Roshi during the preliminaries in the first Tenkaichi Budokai, he speaks with his own master, who points out to him there's no shame in losing to the guy who went on to win the whole tournament, and that he just has to be better for next time.

Videl Satan

• Curse Cut Short: When she starts flying in chapter 108, she starts to swear in amazement, then realizes Goten is right next to her.
• Distracted by the Sexy: When she sees Gohan in gym clothes, her brain briefly turns "off".
• From the Mouths of Babes: One of her first lines in the story is claiming that her "dad is going to kick Cell's fucking butt".
• Oh, Crap!: When she’s learning to fly, she gets about a hundred feet up - and loses her focus. She promptly starts swearing.
• Shooting Superman: When Gohan tells her that cutting her hair to help her fly is a good idea, Videl cuts it down a lot. When she sees that Suno’s hair is longer then hers, she starts whacking Gohan - which does effectively nothing.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Videl is completely overjoyed when she gets to meet Goku, and apparently idolized her as a child.
• Tsundere: She’s this towards Gohan at first.

Nam

• Determinator: He managed to bypass Master Roshi's Pressure Point attack by willing himself to focus past the pain.

Bacterian

• Death by Irony: According to Suno, he died shortly after the 21st Budokai due to a series of bacterial infections.

Ken/The Budokai Announcer

• Only Known by Their Nickname: Averted - Ken is the Announcer for the Tenkaichi Budokai.
• Seen It All: Even more so than canon - he’s barely even fazed by weird things by the end of the first Budokai the Z-fighters partake in when Goku turns Oozaru.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: Manages to sneak up on Krillin at one point.

Giran

• Ascended Extra: From a one-time character in the original manga with a few cameos, to one of the more important minor characters.
• Self-Made Man: From a Tenkaichi Budokai participant, to the leader of a group of “monster” civilians, to the first monster elected to the World Parliament, to the King of Earth after King Furry dies from a heart attack during the Saiyan attack. During none of this is it indicated that he had any great wealth or status beforehand.

Master Frost

• Handicapped Badass: He lost one of his arms before the story even began.
• Old Master: He’s the one who taught Suno the Odori style.
• Original Character: Given that Suno is greatly expanded upon, there needed to be a character who taught her martial arts. He is that character.
• Training from Hell: Downplayed, but Suno's Establishing Character Moment here is training in the middle of a blizzard.

Yuki

Suno’s mother.

• Good Parents: She was extremely affectionate towards Suno, and was completely accepting of both her relationship with Goku, and Gohan.
• My Beloved Smother: Averted entirely – while she was sad to see Suno leave for a while, she was willing to let her go away with Goku.
• Raspberry Kisses: With Gohan when the latter is a baby.

Korin

• The Cameo: Sometimes makes these – usually involving him muttering about how nobody comes to see him anymore.
• Defiant to the End: Boo doesn't see it, but his last moments are spent giving the Human Extinction Attack two raised middle fingers.
• Killed Off for Real: He decides to stay in the afterlife after the Boo arc.
• Sensor Character: He’s able to sense ki more clearly than Goku, even by the time of the Cell Games.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Lime gelatin.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: As the Z-fighters save Goku and Suno are writhing on the floor of his tower in pain due to the Water of God, he starts reading the newspaper.

King Furry

• Death by Adaptation: He dies from a heart attack while Vegeta and Nappa are clashing with the Z-fighters before Goku arrives.

Upa

• Demoted to Extra: While he's still present in the storyline, he doesn't travel with Goku here after his father dies, instead staying behind to guard the land.
• One True Threesome: He gets involved in one of these with Mai and Iris Bellerose/General Violet.
• Shaping Your Attacks: By the time of the 25th Budokai, he’s actually able to manifest his ki physically as weapons (specifically, as tomahawks).

Uranai Baba

• Aloof Big Sister: Subverted – while she and Roshi aren’t on the best of terms, she’s deeply saddened when he temporarily dies fighting King Piccolo.
  • Averted later on, as both of them make an effort to spend more time together.
• Cool Old Lady: Friendly to the Z-fighters overall, and gave Goku some ribbon candy to eat when they first came.
• Daywalking Vampire: Dracula Man, her first champion. Krillin lampshades this.
• Giver of Lame Names: Subverted – the names of her champions are their own, and “The Devil’s Toilet” was apparently given with the lease (and couldn’t be changed).
• The Mentor: Is becoming this to Kani.
• Seers: Apparently had some knowledge of the events of Dragon Ball Z long before they actually happened.
• This Cannot Be!: Is visibly stunned when Goku manages to No-Sell the Devilmite Beam.

Mr. Popo

• Composite Character: This Popo seems to be channeling both his canon self and Abridged Popo to some degree…
• Legacy Character: Apparently, a different Popo serves each Kami.

Kami

• So Proud of You: When Piccolo dies to save Gohan.

Shouronpo

• Blood Knight: Loves to spar with her family, and entered the Junior Budokai.
• Original Character: She's Yamcha and Chi-Chi's daughter.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: As Yamcha sadly notes, she’s probably the strongest competitor in the Junior Budokai, after Goten and Trunks (who are both hybrids of saiyan and human). As the story later notices, if Shouronpo and Upa's son Mercury are above the crowd… Goten and Trunks are on a pair of stilts above them.
• Younger Than They Look: She’s apparently nearing Yamcha’s height when she’s only eleven years old.

Ocha

• Original Character: She's Yamcha and Chi-Chi's daughter.

Trunks:

• Fridge Logic: Causes it by asking Vegeta how he turns his ki purple, and causing Vegeta to realize he’s not sure how ki changes color. This turns out to be Foreshadowing for Gohan’s fight with Boo.
• Spoiled Brat: Definitely has elements of this. Being the son of the most powerful woman on Earth and of the King of a warrior race, with the title of Prince Trunks definitely doesn't help matters.

Goten:

• Gender Bender: Like Goku, she’s female instead of male.
• Hates Baths: When she crashes into the ground after her first flying lesson with Gohan and Videl, Gohan teases her by asking if it will still be fun when she takes a bath. Goten immediately runs away.
• Speak of the Devil: Right after Gohan says she seven and “has a lot of energy” she falls out of the sky.

Kani:

• Original Character: Ten and Launch's daughter.
• Seers: How her Third Eye manifests itself.
• Third Eye: Which she got from her father.

Keri:

• Generation Xerox: The announcer for the Junior Budokai.
• Original Character: She's Ken (the Budokai Announcer)'s daughter.

Aliens and non-Earthlings

Nail:

Great Elder Guru:

Dende:

Flash Parsec:

Quantos Vee

• The Captain:
• Didn't See That Coming: Was clearly surprised when she and Geco found out Gohan was half-saiyan.
• Rock Monster: A benevolent one, but Vee’s body is literally composed of crystal.

Geco:

• Big Brother Worship: Downplayed, but it’s clear that Geco seems to admire his older brother Jaco.
• Didn't See That Coming: Was clearly surprised when he and Vee found out Gohan was half-saiyan.

Other World

King Enma:

• No Indoor Voice: SPEAKS IN ALL CAPS.

King Kai/North Kai:

• Time Abyss: Four hundred years is apparently a short time to him.

Olibu:

• Expy: Of Thor. It’s even stated that he was the inspiration for a number of myths. Also of Heracles, as he describes killing a mighty serpent as the last of his twelve labors that will let him reclaim his honor.

Pikkon:

• The Cape: All but stated to have been this in life.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Being dead with zero challenges for thousands of years left Pikkon extremely bored and jaded, with the only reason that he hasn't given up his body to be reincarnated is that nothingness would be even more boring.
• No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: Fighting Goku really got his blood racing again.
• World's Strongest Man: Or rather, Other World’s strongest man – with the possible exception of the Supreme Kai, until Goku died in battle against Cell, he was the strongest combatant Other World had, and he is fully capable of taking on Super Saiyan Goku with weighted clothing after potentially centuries without serious practice.

Kibito:

The Kaioushin/Supreme Kai/Xi

• Actually Pretty Funny: When Videl pokes them in the chest and says to stop using Talking in Your Dreams to speak with Gohan, the Kai seems more amused than annoyed at the defiance.
• Conservation of Ninjutsu: Averted. As it turns out, while Xi is definitely more competent than Shin was, and more aware of what she has to do, she’s still one kai trying to do the work of five, and as a result, has needed to let a lot of her duties slip or become automated due to simply not having enough time on her hands to do everything by herself.
• Creating Life: Explicitly shown doing this with the saiyans.
• Face Your Fears: When Babidi shows her an image of the other Kais calling her a failure, she manages to snap out of it and make her peace with their deaths.
• God Is Flawed: While she honestly does her best, she’s still one person doing the work of five people on a job that is very complex.
• Gone Horribly Wrong: Says that the saiyans were this, as they were originally intended to be a race of protectors, similar to the universe 6 saiyans.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Gohan. While she teases him on occasion (since Gohan is heterosexual, and she’s very attractive), there’s apparently nothing romantic between them. Not that it stops her from giving him a kiss on the cheek for luck when he's about to go and fight Boo.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: She created the Saiyans, and regrets that she didn't make them smarter.
• Surrounded by Idiots: Complains about how Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan aren’t taking the release of Majin Buu seriously several times, though it's all mostly Played for Laughs. But it's Played for Drama when Vegeta lets Babidi possess him and Goku agrees to fight him despite doing so risking freeing Boo, and she completely flips out and starts screaming at them.
• You Are Not Alone: She’s visibly overjoyed to learn about Pracya, since she’s no longer the only Kaioshin.

The Elder Kaioushin/Pracya

• So Proud of You: After being called Daikaioshin by Xi, he denies it, saying Shengda worked hard to be called Daikaioshin, and that if anyone should be called Daikaioshin, it should be Xi.

Dragon Ball Antagonists

Pilaf Gang in General:

• Heel–Face Turn: After they’re killed by King Piccolo and get a first hand view of Hell, they decide to just give up on the whole evil thing. It goes quite well for them.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Piccolo announces that he’s King Piccolo reborn, the entire stadium save the Z-fighters and Ken run for it. Mai, Shu, and Pilaf are at the front of the crowd.

Pilaf

• Blue Blood: According to Pilaf, his great-great-grandfather Quinoa was the former ruler of Earth before Shenron gave Furry’s predecessor the throne instead.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Rather appalled by Bulma’s Aren't You Going to Ravish Me? moment. Also, when he has her, Goku, Yamcha, and Puar at his mercy, he spares them instead of killing them.
  “The nerve of that girl! It’s the gas for them!”
  • Beat
  “The sleeping gas, of course. No need to make a mess.”
• Godzilla Threshold: After Goku near-effortlessly destroys his Pilaf Machines, wrecks his castle, takes his Dragon Ball once, and helps Puar steal the first wish, he decides to search for the prison that held King Piccolo to enlist his aid.
• Manchild: He throws a tantrum after he realizes he only has six Dragon Balls after Shu steals the other five from Goku, Bulma, Puar, and Yamcha.
• Sweet and Sour Grapes: He finally achieves happiness (along with wealth and power) by starting a chain of fast food restaurants.

Shu:

• Declining Promotion: After he and Pilaf create a world spanning fast food empire, he stays a regional manager despite repeated offers for a higher position, citing that he likes to stay among the workers.
• Friendly Enemy: He actually introduces himself when he’s robbing the Z-fighters when he first meets Goku, Bulma, and Yamaha.

Mai:

• Hard Boiled Detective: Becomes one of these after splitting up from Pilaf and Shu.
• One True Threesome: Got caught up in one with Iris Bellerose and Upa.
• Yes Woman: Seems to be this towards Pilaf when she’s first introduced. It's averted later on when she leaves him and Shu to become a private detective.

Tao Pai Pai

• Badass Boast: Gets in a rather good one when he’s fighting General Blue.
  Blue: “I… I am Siegfried von Heigel! I am the General of the Blue Division of the Red Ribbon Army and I demand your respect!
  Tao Pai Pai: “No, you demand my attention.” (Kills Blue).
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: How Hercule’s master dies – he mocks Taopaipai’s hairstyle, and gets killed for it.
• Evil Feels Good: Apparently the entire reason he does what he does.
  It was good to be bad.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Inverted - after his defeat at Goku's hands, and his public defeat during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, he's gone from The Dreaded to a near laughingstock.
• Genre Savvy: After killing Tien’s parents, he decides to scout the house to kill anyone else, only sparing Tien and leaving him with his brother because he was strong enough to catch his attention even as a baby.
  No sense in leaving any brats to plan revenge.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: According to Suno, he managed to land his pillar in the same place twice – with a three day difference and from miles away.
• Insistent Terminology: His name is Mercenary Tao, not Tao Pai Pai.
• Knuckle Cracking: Tries to do this at the 23rd Budokai – and as it turns out, since he’s a cyborg, he can’t.
• Oh, Crap!: When Goku slaps his grenade back at him.
• Red Baron: Mercenary Tao is his name – use it.
• Villainous Breakdown: When Goku starts to beat him during their rematch, he starts to break down mentally, to the point of frothing at the mouth.

Master Shen

• Antagonist in Mourning: Despite swearing undying hatred of the man and vowing to kill him, Shen still finds himself crying when he feels Roshi die.
• Cool Horse: Has a Pegasus seemingly made out of mist as a mount, or at least did.
• Face Death with Dignity: When he sees the Human Extinction Attack bearing down on him, he lowers his head and quietly says to Mutaito that he will join him soon.
• Insult Backfire: Sort of.
  Shen: ‘I have sensed the ki of this ‘Jackie Chun.’ He is nothing more than the old pervert Muten Roshi. I do not know what he attempts to achieve with this little masquerade of his but if the opportunity presents itself, break his brittle, ancient bones.’
  Ten: ‘Master, forgive my boldness… but are you not the same age?’
  Shen: ‘Silence!’
• You Are in Command Now: Passes on leadership of the Crane School to Tenshinhan after Cell is defeated.

King Piccolo

• Adaptational Villainy: While he was evil in canon, he at least cared for his offspring. Here, the only reason he cares for them is that they do his bidding, and if someone kills them, that means that someone is defying him.
• Faux Affably Evil: Acts polite and friendly, but when someone capable of successfully opposing him shows up, that goes right out the window.
• Keystone Army: His “children” are dependent on him to survive – take him out, or even imprison him, and they die as well.
• Victory Is Boring: After conquering Earth and forcing King Furry to kneel to him, he almost immediately decides that it’s boring… and decides that eventually, he’ll leave Earth.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Kills the Pilaf Gang after he gets his youth back.

The Red Ribbon Army

Commander Red/Cyril Rosewood

• Alien Invasion: He apparently started the Red Ribbon Army, at Gero’s advice, to protect Earth from one of these.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Was this before he met Dr. Gero and founded the Red Ribbon Army.
• Electronic Eyes: He has a cybernetic eye designed by Gero.
• Fantastic Racism: Cites this and ableism as the reason that he wants to use the Dragon Balls to be taller, of all things - he says that, King of the world or not, there are still people who would mock people like him or Chief of Staff Black and look down on them no matter how influential they were otherwise.
• The Scream: Has one of these after Goku starts wreaking havoc in his main base and Gero isn’t available.
• Tempting Fate: Says this just before Goku and Suno invade the Red Ribbon Army’s main base.
  “That’s very good. The girl is dead and nearly all of the Dragon Balls are mine. Things are looking up again.”
• Would Hurt a Child: Orders Tao Pai Pai to kill Goku after she interferes with his plans too many times, and is not above ordering children be sent to work in mines in areas the Red Ribbon Army conquers.

Head of Staff Black/Dudley Slate

• Authority Equals Asskicking: He’s good enough even without his Battle Jacket to put up a good fight against Suno.
• Combat Pragmatist: He shines a flashlight in Suno’s eyes to buy himself enough time to deploy the Battle Jacket.
• False Reassurance: He assures Commander Red that he won't judge him for wanting to use the Dragon Balls to be taller. But he's still going to kill him.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: How he views himself, and he's not exactly wrong.
• Oh, Crap!: As Goku is smashing his Battle Jacket to pieces.
  -as the flames hung off Goku like torn ropes, Suno saw a depth of fear in Commander Black’s eyes that she had never known humans to be capable of.
• Smart People Play Chess: He does this with Commander Red, and is the winner between them (though Red’s nerves were shot due to the Z-fighter’s attack).

General Blue

• Genre Savvy/Genre Blind: Manages to be both at once – while dispatching 50 soldiers to deal with Goku’s allies is smart, since as he mentions, they don’t know where they are or how many of them there are, when those allies are Launch, Yamcha, and Master Roshi… 50 soldiers really aren’t going to cut it.
• Pragmatic Villainy: He refuses to kill his men for insubordination. But only due to the hassle of burying the body, filling out paperwork, informing next of kin, and training up a new recruit.
• Putting on the Reich: Even more overt than in canon, as he refers to himself as "The Ubermensch" and calls Commander Red "Fuhrer".
• Small Name, Big Ego: He’s confident that he could have won the Tenkaichi Budokai by himself – and while he’s definitely a step above most of the enemies Goku faces before the 21st Budokai, he’s nowhere near the level of the Z-fighters even at that point.
• Smug Super: He thinks that he’s this – he really isn’t.
• Underestimating Badassery: Dismisses Goku and Suno as threats after hearing about how they destroyed Muscle Tower from Commander Red, figuring he can kill them easily. You can probably figure out how that goes for him.
  “Super girl.” Such an undignified idea.

General White

• Destination Defenestration: He’s pummeled to a pulp by the enraged Suno when he knocks out Goku with a “heavy” gun, then shoved out the side of Muscle Tower before crashing on the ground below.
• Taking You with Me: After Goku, Suno, and Android 8 have made it to him, he attempts this by threatening to trigger the bomb implanted in Android 8 if Goku doesn’t give him the Dragon radar and their Dragon Ball. Goku smashes the trigger as a result.

General Silver

• Bad Boss: He doesn’t kill them outright, but he has no issues terrorizing his troops to get them to work.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Gets roughly half a chapter of screentime before Red kills him.
• You Have Failed Me: Subjected to this by Commander Red when Goku takes the Dragon Ball he and his men were searching for.

Ninja Murasaki/Sergeant Indigo

• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Here, he doesn’t even get beaten up by Goku – it’s Suno that beats him and his brothers. And just to boot, she dodges all his sword strikes, elbows him when he tries to use smoke bombs, and his trump card (Android 8) turns out to have a conscience and turns on him.

General Violet (Iris Bellerose)

• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Goku and Suno arrive at the Red Ribbon Army's main base, she decides to just grab a bunch of money from the vault and bolt.

Android #13

Android #14

Android #15

Android #19

The last Android produced by Gero before he converted himself into one. Pretty much no different from its canon self.

Dr. Gero

The Mad Scientist who created the Androids in canon, Dr. Gero has far more time to appear here and has a far bigger (if less direct) influence on the Earth plot lines.

• Ascended Extra: He shows up in the original Dragon Ball run, and continues making cameos until his death.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: How he finally dies for good - his computer-uploaded self in Gero’s mountain lab where Lapis and Lazuli were kept tells Future Trunks that mankind was obsolete, and that the bioandroids (Cell & Cell Jrs) from his timeline were its successors, and that since Trunks was the only “alien” left, his plan was a success. Trunks responds by asking him where his information is all stored.
  Dr Gero: In a computer system about three miles underground. Why?
  Trunks annihilates most of the mountain range with one attack.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He had a son named Adrian (who he based Android 16 off of), and was at some point in the past Happily Married.
• Humans Are Insects: Believes this to a degree, which is why he started the program to create the Cyborgs and Androids.
• Mad Scientist: A far more classical example than Bulma.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: At first, Dr. Gero seems like he wants the best for humanity, seemingly created Cell to defend Earth from alien invaders, and hated Goku because she destroyed the Red Ribbon Army, his main source of funding (as well as Commander Red being a friend of his). However, he’s entirely too willing to “purge” some of humanity due to his belief that the world cannot sustain a continually-booming population, and a computer download of his personality claims that he intended to have Cell eliminate humanity from the start and replace the population with Cell Jrs. Whether A.I. Is a Crapshoot occurred, or the original Gero suffered Motive Decay, is unclear.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: He thinks that Goku is an alien… because she’s super strong, fast, and invulnerable. Which can apply to almost anyone in Dragon Ball who’s trained enough.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Only opposes the Z-fighters directly once, but indirectly, was one of the co-founders of the Red Ribbon Army, was responsible for creating Cell and the Androids, and was the one who turned Taopaipai into a Cyborg.
• Tautological Templar: He was a co-founder of the Red Ribbon Army, created Cell, kidnapped Lapis and Lazuli to turn them into cyborgs, and did all this (supposedly) to save the world.
• They Called Me Mad!: He says that he tried to go to the government, and numerous other places, before he went to Commander Red, to warn them about potential Alien Invasion. He was ignored.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: His initial goal with the Red Ribbon Army was to unite humanity under a single banner – by force.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He intends to do this on his assistant Frappe after he gets out from him everything of use on biomechanics he can – and after he gets everything of use, he does.

Arcosian Empire/Planet Trade Organization

General:

• Galactic Conquerer: According to Cooler, the Planet Trade Organization was not much more than a minor offshoot of the Arcosian Empire, which apparently ruled a huge part of the known universe at its height.
• Master Race: The Arcosians (or at least the Cold Family) seem to view themselves as this.

Kiwi:

• Butt-Monkey: Is openly mocked by other members of the PTO, particularly Zarbon and Dodoria.
• Snipe Hunt: He gets left behind by the rest of Freeza's patrol party on Namek when Freeza sends him off to go find Freeza's horn polish, which does not exist.

Dodoria:

• Where I Was Born and Razed: Apparently, he murdered half of his own race to prove himself to Freeza.

Zarbon:

• Comically Missing the Point: When Vegeta says Zarbon will be reunited with Raditz in hell, Zarbon wonders why they'd be in hell and not Vegeta.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Was in a relationship with Raditz, judging from comments from both Freeza and Vegeta.

The Ginyu Force:

• And I Must Scream: Ginyu's eventual fate is to be stuck as a rock for all eternity.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Guldo is very much treated as this.
• Gender Flip: Recoome is a woman here.
• Purely Aesthetic Gender: In-universe, Captain Ginyu really doesn't care what sex a body is so long as it's strong.

Freeza:

• A God Am I: Despite coming from an antitheistic species, Freeza considers himself godlike for the power and terror he wields over others and his major motivation for wanting the Dragon Balls is so that he can become a god through immortality.
• Answer Cut: After he asks who could possibly stop him, the story directly cuts to Goku.
• Even Evil Has Standards: In taste, that is – while he’s confused by Zarbon’s choice of hairstyle and clothing, he admits that he’s not in a position to judge him, since he doesn’t have hair or wear clothes save his armor.
• Enfant Terrible: Slightly biased given that it's from Cooler's POV chapter, but it definitely seems like Freeza was born evil.
• Fantastic Racism: Towards pretty much everyone that isn’t an arcosian, and also to a lesser degree everyone that isn’t his family, and to an ever lesser degree, everyone except himself.
• Generation Xerox: His son, Kuriza, is described as "the spitting image of his father, but even smaller."
• In Their Own Image: What he plans on having as a end goal after becoming immortal – kill the entire universe except for himself, possibly his wife and any children he has, and recreate whatever’s left for his own purposes.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Of the Arcosian Empire, only the king and his heir know of the existence of Beerus the Destroyer, so when Vegeta mentions him, Freeza has no idea who the saiyan is talking about.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Even if the problem is sending his condolences, he's liable to solve it by killing someone and/or blowing up a planet.
• Psychopathic Manchild: There are elements of this to his character. After being monstrously cruel from the moment he first appeared, the second things stop going his way he complains about why everything bad happens to him.

Cooler:

• Die or Fly: Cooler discovers his transformation by flying into a neutron star.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Both himself and King Cold dislike Freeza's actions on a practical level. Destroying Planet Vegeta cost them valuable resources and Freeza's attitude and genocides were liable to attract Beerus' attention.
  • Even saving Freeza's life is solely because he wanted to crush him personally to silence any possible future dissenters.
• Training from Hell: Despite being able to survive almost anywhere, Cooler subjected himself to enviroments that even his race could barely tolerate.

Salza:

• Number Two: He's this to Cooler, and takes over the war against the Galactic Federation while Cooler is training.

Dragon Ball Z Antagonists

Raditz:

• Big Brother Instinct: Entirely contrasting to canon, he does care for Goku.
• Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: When he discovers that Goku’s technically Gohan’s “father”, (since Suno was the one who gave birth), he calls Vegeta with that information… to mock him by saying Goku is more masculine than he is.
• Don't Make Me Destroy You: He desperately wanted to avoid fighting and killing Goku, begging her at the end not to make him fight her.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Raditz is shown to be clearly concerned about his sister when Vegeta decides to make Goku his "queen" before he heads to Earth, and was in a relationship with Zarbon.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Is repulsed by Vegeta's intentions for his baby sister but is powerless to do anything about it, as Vegeta and Nappa are far stronger than him.
• Evil Laugh: He decides when he first lands that Goku is stranded on “the funniest planet in the universe.”
• Evil Uncle: Is this to Gohan – though Raditz is initially delighted when learns he’s an uncle.
• In a Single Bound: Does this at first when he arrives on Earth.
• Last-Second Chance: Gives an evil one of these to Goku before he fights her and Piccolo.
• Omniglot: Supposedly, “saiyan adaptability” allows him to understand nearly any language.
• Token Good Teammate: Downplayed - he’s still solidly evil, but until (and even during) Vegeta’s Heel–Face Turn, he’s the most sympathetic of the three saiyans who still served the PTO.

Nappa:

• Half the Man He Used to Be: Krillin’s Kienzan severs his spine shortly before Goku arrives.
• Worthy Opponent: Admits that Gohan is “saiyan enough” that he tries to make his death painless.
• You Are Already Dead: Tells Yamcha this – and shortly afterwards, he makes good on his threat.

Cell:

• Casual Danger Dialogue: Both does this and lampshades it.
  Imperfect Cell (referencing Vegeta): I must get my desire to ramble from him.
• Creative Sterility: The only original technique Cell demonstrates despite being older than the Z-fighters by several decades is the Galickhameha, a Combination Attack of the Galick Gun and Kamehameha. Which are incredibly similar techniques to begin with.
• For the Evulz: Admitted to killing people early in various timelines "just to fuck with people" to alleviate her boredom.
• Gender Flip: Perfect Cell is a girl, as it turns out.
• Make Me Wanna Shout: Does this in Imperfect form to exploit Piccolo’s weakness to loud noises.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: To Vegeta after becoming Perfect, in a way that channels Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.

“You’re too short. Too temperamental.Not to mention egomaniacal.You’re vainglorious to the point of insanity. You obsess over how others perceive you while insisting that you don’t care about the opinions of ‘commoners'. All of this, while acting like a big macho warrior king to hide how sad and alone you are. You miss mommy and daddy. You’re sad that your brother hates you. You’re all alone in the universe. Basically extinct. You’re just a sad, lonely little boy floating out in space. It’d be funny if it weren’t so pathetic... Ah, what the hell, I’ll laugh anyway.”

• Taught by Experience: How does Cell know so much about both the timeline and the Z Fighters? She's been traveling to different timelines for fifty years now and has seen everything they do.
• Victory Is Boring: Like canon, Cell is from a different timeline than Trunks. Unlike canon, she's been to several timelines, won in most of them, then started getting bored with the whole thing.

Yamu:

• Deal with the Devil: Subverted: Yamu had no interest in working for Babidi, and was dragged in by Spopovich’s agreement.
• Ludicrous Gibs: How he's killed by Dabura.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Was very much roped into Spopovich's "sell my soul for revenge" scheme (his exact reaction to Spopovich agreeing to sell their souls was more or less "What is this "We" thing?!") and is really only doing as much as is necessary to not die. Sadly, he dies anyways at the hands of his boss.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After he’s brought back to life by Launch wishing for the revival of everyone who was killed by Babidi and his minions, he decides that he’s done working for Babidi, and promptly flies off.

Spopovich:

• Body Horror: Babidi kills him by turning him inside-out.
• Deal with the Devil: With Babidi. And here, the process itself is actually shown.
• Parting-Words Regret: As the Human Extinction Attack bears down on him, his last thoughts are of Yamu.
• Revenge Before Reason: Plans on killing Hercule, and when Yamu points out that he won’t win the Budokai if he does that, he says he’ll kill everyone in his way.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: How Babidi treats both him and his brother once they bring him Gohan's ki.

Dabura:

• Defiant to the End: When Babidi tells Boo to make cake out of Dabura, he does not take it lying down, and tries to kill the latter before he falls victim to Boo’s Forced Transformation.
• Flat "What": When he tries to kill Boo by launching a Storm of Blades at him, he’s left doing this when Boo eats the blades.
• I Am Not Left-Handed: Literally and figuratively - at the start of his fight with Gohan, he decides to "lead" with his left hand to make the fight last longer, and later on, is able to go toe to toe with a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan after he's teleported to the Demon Realm (he was previously capable of fighting Super Saiyan Gohan evenly, but lost the advantage after Gohan went 2).
• Pragmatic Villainy: When he sees the Supreme Kai down on the ground, paralyzed by Babidi’s spell, he decides to just go for the kill.

Babidi:

• Body Horror: Downplayed - after Buu heals him from getting blown in half by Gohan, he notices that his knees are on backwards. He decides it’s not a big issue.
• Epic Fail: When he gives the entire world a view of him and Boo destroying towns to terrify them into submission, this leads to them seeing Goku going Super Saiyan 3 and thrashing Boo senseless.
• Explosive Overclocking: When Vegeta refuses to come to his aid, it overloads the shield spell he was using at the time to protect himself from the Supreme Kai (who was already damaging it).
• Half the Man He Used to Be: Gohan ripped him in half with the Ryuhameha when he tried to kill Boo before the latter was released. Boo fixes him rather fast, however.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: When he searched the minds of the Supreme Kai, Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta with his magic, he didn’t even bother making an offer to the first three (Xi knew how his magic worked, Goku was too good for him to have anything to work with, and while he thinks that Gohan has Parental Abandonment issues, he still loves both Goku and Suno, and makes it clear he’s not interested).
• This Cannot Be!: While he gets over it quickly, he’s clearly stunned that Vegeta was able to resist his influence.

Boo:

• Beware the Silly Ones: Just like in canon, just because Boo can be friendly doesn't mean Boo isn't very dangerous.
• Eldritch Abomination: By his own recollection of events, Majin Boo is apparently older than the multiverse.
  "Before there was time, before there was anything, there was nothing. And before there was nothing, there was ME."
• Harmful Healing: He’s able to fix almost any injury, up to restoring Babidi to normal after the latter had been blown in half and reduced to just his head. Judging by Babidi’s screaming, however, the sensation is not pleasant. It's later revealed that the pain, however, was only because Boo didn't care enough about Babidi to make the healing painless.
• I Am Big Boned: As Vegeta finds out to his horror, Boo does not take being called fat well.
• Time Abyss: Older than Zen'o, the Grand Priest, and the multiverse.