History EnsembleDarkHorse / DragonBall

*** Vikal, the Harpy Fighter, has gathered a group of fans. What with her [[EvilIsSexy appearance]] and implying to be a DarkActionGirl in contrast to the MagicalGirl counterparts The Maiden Squadron. Even after the theories about her being a villain were proven wrong, she still got this status due to her DarkIsNotEvil nature and her being in a TokenYuriGirls relationship with Kakunsa.

* Demon King Piccolo for being the KnightOfCerebus that turned Dragon Ball from a lighthearted adventure series, to the action-pack drama we know it today. He is also one of the most [[GeniusBrusier cunning]] villains in the show who outwitted the heroes and never succumb to holding the VillainBall like many later enemies. Even Toriyama himself says that Piccolo is still his favorite villain.

* Yamcha. Ironically, the more he seems to fade away, the larger, or at least more vocal, his fanbase becomes. For whatever reason, Yamcha is easily among the more popular human characters in ''Dragon Ball'', getting his own spin-off manga, having an entire, long-running fan manga dedicated to him (''Dragon Ball Z Elsewhere'') and is a prominent player in a large number of fanworks (Like his Android 17 analogue in ''Webcomic/DragonBallMultiverse'' or TheChewToy from ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''). People were even disappointed when Yamcha wasn't chosen as a warrior to join the Tournament of Power in ''Super''. According to a poll done by a Japanese magazine, ''Yamcha was the most requested character who people wanted to see helping Universe 7'' (By comparison, Gotenks, Pikkon, ''Future Trunks'', or ''Cell'' didn't even reach that high). ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ'' also caused a massive boost in Yamcha's popularity, where he sees lots of use as an effect support character, making the once-MemeticLoser a MemeticBadass in the FGC.
** Fans particularly found the spin off manga ''Manga/DragonBallThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsYamcha'' particularly gratifying as by having someone else in Yamcha's body the desert bandit can go though the needed TrainingFromHell. So when it jump cuts to his embarrassing death by exploding Saibaman, it's that more awesome to see Yamcha proudly [[SmokeShield standing unharmed]].

* Android 18 is a well-loved character, thanks to being one of the very few ActionGirl characters in the series prior to ''Super'' and having a dry ManipulativeBitch personality that's a lot of fun to watch.

* General Blue, for being pretty much the only competent member of the Red Ribbon Army - starting at the point where he strangles an electric eel to death ''while it's still electrocuting him.'' There is also the fact that he is the first villain to almost kill Goku in a straight fight. Pity he’s a paedophile in the anime[[note]]A trait which the Funimation dub tries to hide, to mixed results…[[/note]].
* Similarly, the villain who follows Blue - Mercenary Tao, who kills Blue ''with his tongue'' and is the first villain to flat-out ''defeat'' Goku, not to mention the first legitimate KnightOfCerebus the series has ever had, before even Piccolo.

* Much like Android 17, Pan was such a minor character in ''Z'', only appearing at the very end, that most fans were either apathetic towards her or they outright hated her due to her depiction in ''GT''. However, her depiction in ''Super'' quickly made her beloved in the fanbase, thanks to being ''one-year-old'' and already knowing how to fly and use Ki-attacks.

* Gowasu, for being a [[MemeticMutation GodTuber]] and the source of a [[FountainOfMemes good tonne of memes]] from the "Future Trunks" Saga. His MemeticLoser status of always receiving the short end of the stick is the source of many jokes, especially him being killed ''three times'' onscreen in the space of one saga, with one of them being undone (giving Krillin a run for his money). [[TheWoobie Fans also felt a lot of pity for him]] at the end of the Future Trunks Saga, where he considered everything his fault and sin. There is a lot of fan art of him, with either Zamasu, God of Destruction Rumsshi, or Cus the angel. [[spoiler:The fanbase was very saddened when he was erased with the rest of Universe 10--and were subsequently overjoyed to see him revived after the tournament.]]

** Universe 10 Elephant God, Rumsshi and his [[BadassAdorable angel]] [[PintSizedPowerhouse Kusu]]. There's a lot of fanart of these two often with Gowasu or Zamasu. Kusu's excited reactions at seeing the fights also became [[MemeticMutation memetic]]. [[spoiler: What also helps is that Kusu is the only angel to actually show sadness at the erasure of her universe at the tournament]].

*** Top/Toppo is well regarded by the Dragon Ball fandom for his awesome introductory fight with Goku, where Goku did pressure him, but Top managed to go even with a Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken Goku. His character focus during the recruitment episodes (Where he shows a more human side to him behind the superheroic persona) his small fights in the tournament, him being able to back up his silly posing and shouting of justice with power[[note]]Which separated him from [[TheScrappy Ribrianne]][[/note]], and his design, made him stand out heavily amongst the Pride Troopers. [[spoiler: Episode 125 made his popularity skyrocket, when it's revealed he can become a ''literal'' God of Destruction. His epic and well-deserved beatdown on [[HateSink Golden Frieza]], and his fight with Android 17, made many call him one of the best characters in ''Super'' period]].

* Salza, the PrettyBoy of Cooler's elite squad has a minor fan-following and has managed to nag appearances on multiple videogames. It helps that he was the first fighter in the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise that thought about doing something else than shooting blasts with his energy manipulation skills - he made a ki energy blade, something that, besides being used briefly by Vegitto, other characters like Goku Black and Zamasu wouldn't do until ''20 years later''.

* General Blue, for being pretty much the only competent member of the Red Ribbon Army - starting at the point where he strangles an electric eel to death ''while it's still electrocuting him.'' There is also the fact that he is the first villain to almost kill Goku in a straight fight. Pity he’s a paedophile in the anime[[note]]A trait which the Funimation dub tries to hide, to mixed results…[[/note]]?

* General Blue, for being pretty much the only competent member of the Red Ribbon Army - starting at the point where he strangles an electric eel to death ''while it's still electrocuting him.'' There is also the fact that he is the first villain to almost kill Goku in a straight fight. Pity he’s a paedophile in the anime.

** Universe 10 Elephant God, Rumsshi and his [[BadassAdorable angel]] [[PintSizedPowerhouse Kusu]]. There's a lot of fanart of these two often with Gowasu or Zamasu. Kusu's excited reactions at seeing the fights also became [[MemeticMutation memetic]].

*** Vikal, the Harpy Fighter, has gathered a group of fans. What with her [[EvilIsSexy appearance]] and implying to be a DarkActionGirl in contrast to the MagicalGirl counterparts The Maiden Squadron.

* Gine from ''Dragon Ball Minus'', despite coming from a controversial story to the fandom, has been well received mostly for the fact she is Goku's mother. Gine got new admiration for her appearance in the [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly Broly Movie]] since she's just so [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonball/images/1/15/Gine_BrolyMovie.png/revision/latest?cb=20181004161153 freaking adorable]] in the new artstyle. Gine has become so popular that one of the most popular WhatIf stories among the fandom is her actually escaping to Earth with baby Goku, and seeing how [[Fanfic/WhatIfGineWentWithGokuToEarth she would affect]] the series' timeline with her presence.

* Raditz, who many thought was [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter wasted potential]] and was killed off after just one arc. Especially considering his [[SmallRoleBigImpact single appearance had huge ramifications]] for ''Dragon Ball''. He is the first character to have blood-ties to Goku, introducing the concept of Saiyans. He also has a very interesting design, even non-Raditz fans are curious what he looks like as a Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan 3. He is never mentioned again outside of brief filler-exclusive cameos, movies, and games. Speaking of which, ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse2'' [[ThrowTheDogABone straight up makes him an instructor you can learn from]]. Like Yamcha, he is a popular character in fanfiction, with Creator/MasakoX's ''[[Fanfic/WhatIfRaditzTurnedGood Dragon Ball R&R]]'' fan series being a destacable mention.

*** Maji-Kayo, the blob creature. He is most frequently brought up when listing off favorite characters from the Tournament of Power, due to having both creative BlobMonster powers that puts Buu to shame, and being one of the few Team Universe 3 members who can give Goku of all people a challenge.

** Likewise, the Gods of Destruction of the 8th and 12th universe, Liquiir and Giin, have attracted the attention of the fanbase for either having the best design for a god (Liquiir, who is also quite PopularWithFurries), or having an interesting backstory (Giin, [[VictoryIsBoring who after obtaining the second best universe, has grown bored and is interested in watching the Tournament of Power]].) Fans were disappointed they, and neither Iwan and Arak, weren't going to be involved in the Universal Survival arc other than commentators but were pleased when they saw Liquiir have a friendly fight with two fellow [=GoDs=].

** Saonel and Pirina: Not much was seen or known about this pair, as the initial line-up for Universe 6's representatives only showed eight of out of ten necessary members. Only the midway point of the Tournament of Power suddenly revealed to be Universe 6's Namekians. Namekians, besides [[BreakoutCharacter Piccolo]], are rarely involved in modern Dragon Ball stories, so the eagerness to see ''new'' ones in the middle of a battle royale peaked fan interest at the chance of them meeting and fighting Piccolo. Not only did they get a focal battle between Gohan and Piccolo, which [[WebComic/DragonBallMultiverse borrowed]] [[AscendedFanon new lore]] about being super Namekians fusions, but they managed to be Universe 6's last stand.

** Vados is well-liked by the fandom, despite mostly being a DistaffCounterpart to her brother. She gets a lot of positive reception for being a classy, polite BeleagueredAssistant and ServileSnarker to Champa, as well as being one of the franchises strongest female character.

* Hatchiyak, a villain exclusive to the OVA ''[[Anime/DragonBallPlanToEradicateTheSaiyans Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans]]'', like Broly, proved popular enough to be given a rough canon analog during the Tournament of Power in Aniraza, and to an extent, inspire Baby from ''Anime/DragonBallGT'', which in turn is considered the best villain from that series.

** Magetta wasn't liked at first, mainly because many thought his design was a bit wonky or at least inferior to the other members of Universe 6. However, when they saw him ''fight'', he quickly became a pretty popular character, in no small part because his fighting style is very unique and tactical in a series that mostly relies on KiAttacks and RapidFireFisticuffs. When the Funimation dub changed the Metal Man's vocals to a text-to-speech format, rather than keeping a human VA, a surprising amount of Super fans were outraged. They argued the decision ruined Magetta's charm and [[PokemonSpeak wordplay]], despite being a minor mini-boss character among Universe 6's team.

* There's Seripa[=/=][[DubNameChange Fasha]], who despite only appearing briefly in the Bardock Special before her death has quite a fan following, due to being the only named full-blooded female Saiyan in the series for over ''two decades''. She's often featured in a lot of fanart and fanfiction, and even managed to be popular enough to be featured as a playable fighter in the 3rd ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokaiTenkaichi Budokai Tenkaichi]]'' game.

* Gine from ''Dragon Ball Minus'', despite coming from a controversial story to the fandom, has been well received mostly for the fact she is Goku's mother. Gine got new admiration for her appearance in the [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly Broly Movie]] since she's just so [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonball/images/1/15/Gine_BrolyMovie.png/revision/latest?cb=20181004161153 freaking adorable]] in the new artstyle. Gine has become so popular that one of the most popular WhatIf stories among the fandom is her actually escaping to Earth with baby Goku, and seeing how she would affect the series' timeline with her presence.

* While Vegeta is not an example of this nowadays (being an ArcVillain who went full BreakoutCharacter), a specific transformation of his does: his Majin transformation, where he sold his spirit to Babidi to obtain more power to fight Goku. His temporary transformation into Majin Vegeta in the Buu Saga is beloved to bringing one of the [[TearJerker most heartbreaking moments]] in the series.

* The Ginyu Force, what with their Super Sentai parodying, has also become this. Ginyu even makes a brief return in ''Super''.

* Bardock is beloved despite his briefs appearances since the special about his conflict with his race's predestined end at Freeza's hands (or rather finger), earned him status as a CanonImmigrant. Like Vegeta, he also went on to become a BreakoutCharacter, enough to gain a What-If movie and manga where he turned Super Saiyan and defeated Frieza's ancestor Chilled, and to become a rather important character in the ''[[Videogame/DragonBallXenoverse Xenoverse]]'' and ''[[Videogame/DragonBallHeroes Heroes]]'' lore. To the series canon, however, he is still a minor character.
* There's also Seripa[=/=][[DubNameChange Fasha]], who despite only appearing briefly in the Bardock Special before her death has quite a fan following, due to being the only named full-blooded female Saiyan in the series for over ''two decades''. She's often featured in a lot of fanart and fanfiction, and even managed to be popular enough to be featured as a playable fighter in the 3rd ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokaiTenkaichi Budokai Tenkaichi]]'' game.

** Frost: Although he lost his initial appeal of being a GoodCounterpart of Frieza after the reveal, Frost garnered a decent fanbase for his own brand of underhanded tactics and charismatic conviction. This is greatly highlighted in his spotlight episode, Episode 107, during the Tournament of Power arc where he temporarily outwitted both Roshi and Vegeta, nearly costing Universe 7 a major setback. Since then, his fanbase has grown in numbers and appreciation for the execution of his character. Not to mention, his chemistry with Frieza during the arc itself.
** Caulifla: She was an instant hit for being the first canon female Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 to appear in the anime and manga. There's also the fact she acts more like the savage Saiyans of Universe 7, rather than the more civil, noble Saiyans like Cabba, essentially making her a DistaffCounterpart to Goku since they are both opposites in their races. She also gained quite a fan following for being the one of strongest Saiyans in Universe 6. According to some fan polls, she won over more fans than Cabba and Kale themselves, despite Kale being the most awaited character before the saga even started!
** Kale: First shown in the initial trailer for the Universal Survival Saga as a competing Saiyan with a [[DistaffCounterpart similar]] Legendary Super Saiyan form, she was ''already'' this ''before the saga even started''. In the story proper, her reserved demeanor [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship reacting]] to Caulifla's vivacious type sparked a plethora of positive fan reception, [[https://tinyurl.com/y9wlmenz according to arc director Ryōta Nakamura]]. Depending on the medium, fans have latched on to her personality extending to CharacterArc about [[Anime/DragonBallSuper reigning in her power and self-worth]], or a [[Manga/DragonBallSuper bodyguard]] to Caulifla in secret to happily make her boss look good. Her controlled/Super Saiyan Two form is often cited as the [[AmazonianBeauty ideal body type]] for female (Super) Saiyans, much like the primal Saiyans from Z's filler.
** Kefla: To wrap up the female Saiyans is the unexpected fusion of the two, which brought about a fan-favorite battle between her and Ultra Instinct -Omen- Goku. In some cases, this cocky fusion can eclipse the appeal and popularity of her fusses, often requested to be put in future Dragon Ball games for the sake of a relevant female fighter and moveset potential (such as the competitively-driven VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ). Being DLC for Xenoverse 2 months down the road is a start.

* Jaco, the star of the ''Dragon Ball'' manga prequel, ''Manga/JacoTheGalacticPatrolman''. Despite the manga being somewhat obscure to the ''Dragon Ball'' fandom, he stole the show when he appeared in ''Resurrection 'F''' and quickly became a beloved character in ''Super'', thanks to his interesting design, DeadpanSnarker tendencies, and being a BadassNormal.
* Mira and Towa from ''VideoGame/DragonBallOnline'', ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' and so on. Thanks in no small part to their cool designs, evil couple dynamic and evil time travel antics. Towa in particular is the only pure female BigBad in Dragon Ball to this date and Mira and Towa's son Fu gained traction in ''VideoGame/DragonBallHeroes'' and Xenoverse 2.

* Similarly, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'', Demon God Demigra, who is popular for similar reasons as Dabura in that he is a fighter with a dark magic-based style.
* Android 21, when revealed for ''VideoGame/DragonballFighterz'', instantly became popular with fans for being a new Android, a female one at that and apparently having a connection with 16. When it was revealed she had a Majin form, her popularity among the fanbase skyrocketed up even higher. However, while her design is praised, the [[spoiler:evil side of 21 has been considered [[GenericDoomsdayVillain lackluster or quite annoying]], while the Good side of her has been considered [[TheWoobie quite tragic]] and downright adorable.]]

* Demon King Piccolo for being the KnightOfCerebus that turned ''Dragon Ball'' from a lighthearted adventure series, to the action-pack drama we know it today. He is also one of the most [[GeniusBruiser cunning]] villains in the show who outwitted the heroes and never succumbs to holding the VillainBall like many later enemies. Even Toriyama himself says that Piccolo is still his favorite villain.

** The Shadow Dragons as a whole, conceptually. Like Super Saiyan 4 below, one of the things that people really found to be an interesting idea for GT, taking what had long become relegated to a ResetButton and giving it [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor consequences]]. Though that said, while the concept was deemed interesting, the execution was not, with most of the Shadow Dragons being gimmicky, one-note [[VillainOfTheWeek villains of the week]], with only Nuova, Omega, and Eis winning fans over.
* For the series as a whole, Super Saiyan 4 was one of the few things that was well-received from GT. This transformation gained a lot of popularity because of how unique it is compared to other Saiyan transformations.

** [[ProfessionalKiller Hit]]. He has the status of a legendary hitman in Universe 6 and displays an intriguing fighting style that allows him to defeat Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta, who defeated three contestants in a row, then proceeded to have what is widely agreed to be one of the best fights in the series against Goku in what, for all intents and purposes, is the decisive bout of the tournament. Hit's development throughout his match also won over many people who thought he was just a typical, aloof badass. He eventually returned in his own two-part mini-arc featuring a rematch with Goku, reappeared in the Tournament of Power a prominent role, and has become [[BreakoutCharacter a stable]] of being one of the first representatives of Super-era characters in video games and other tie-ins.

*** Dyspo. Personality aside, he received a lot of attention from fans for being one of ''Dragon Ball'''s true speedsters. He also received points for giving [[CatharsisFactor Frieza a well-deserved and humiliating beatdown]].

* Cheelai the GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe from ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' rivals Android 21 when it comes to the fans’s favourite new sexy female character. Her {{Tomboy}} attitude, curvaceous bod and touching ShipTease with Broly is just makes Cheelai more lovable to the fans.

* Cooler, Frieza's older more competent brother from ''[[Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge Cooler's Revenge]]'', was the first NonSerialMovie villain to really hit a cord with the fanbase. It helps that, in terms of characterization, he was also one of the more "complex" movie villains. Which admittedly isn't saying much, but Coolers' degrees of ALighterShadeOfBlack, BenevolentBoss, and savvyness certainly made him memorable. So memorably in fact Cooler got a sequel straight away, was given [[GoldenSuperMode golden form]] like Frieza in ''VideoGame/DragonBallHeroes'' and when he was debuted in ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ'' the audience went ''nuts''.

* Turles from ''Anime/DragonBallZTheTreeOfMight'' is not as popular as Broly, but he probably ties with Cooler for being the second most popular DBZ movie villain, at least at this late date due to showing what an evil Goku would look be like. A lot of people even mostly remember the movie (which a lot of people have fondness off for being the [[SequelFirst first movie to be released outside Japan]], [[SoOkayItsAverage even though is nothing special by many in the community]]) because of him. He never got a sequel film, but he has become a BreakoutVillain in many of the videogames, having a relevant role in ''Videogame/DragonBallXenoverse2'' (which incorporates his [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]], fleshing him out considerably) and ''Videogame/DragonBallLegends''.
* While he may fall behind Cooler and Broly in popularity, [[Anime/DragonBallZ Lord Slug]] has a special place in longtime fans’s heart as one of the more unique movie villains. [[spoiler: Since it turns out he’s the first evil Namekian seen since King Piccolo in early Dragon Ball which doubly serves as a nostalgic throwback and to show how far Dragon Ball has come when it came to beating crap out of giant green slug aliens]]. Slug is so popular he stands with Frieza, Cooler and Turles in Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans and has been in almost as many videos games as Broly has.
* Zangya from ''[[Anime/DragonBallZBojackUnbound Bojack Unbound]]''. She's a henchman of Bojack who is extremely popular despite her small role, mostly because she's one of the few fighters in the franchise who is a female and extremely powerful. Her boss, Bojack, is also quite popular on his own, but not as much as his female underling.

* Janemba, mostly for his design and [[RealityWarper unique power set]], and coming from one of the most [[Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn well-received movies in the franchise.]]

[[folder: ''Dragon Ball GT'']]

* General Rildo is a BenevolentBoss of which there are few of in ''Dragon Ball''. He also has unique metallic metamorphoses powers that make him stand out and shows a professional air of competence throughout all of his appearances.
* Sixinglong/Nuova Shenron. Unlike the other Shadow Dragons who are pure evil and somewhat one-dimensional, Nuova is a NobleDemon who was born from the only truly selfish wish from the Dragon Balls (King Piccolo wishing for youth). He is also one of the few Shadow Dragons with fighting skills, he is as hot as the sun, and he is the Four-Star Ball, giving him a personal connection to Goku. He is one of the few Shadow Dragons to appear in video games besides Omega Shenron.
** Similarly, Sanxinglong/Eis Shenron, despite being a blue re-skin of Nuova, is also well-liked for his PragmaticVillainy, his perfect {{foil}} to Nuova, and being on the receiving end of one of the best-looking [[MegatonPunch Dragon Fists]] in the anime. He, too, is often playable in games where Nuova is.

[[folder: ''Dragon Ball Super'']]

** Caulifla: She was an instant hit for being the first canon female Super Saiyan [[spoiler: and Super Saiyan 2]] to appear in the anime and manga. There's also the fact she acts more like the savage Saiyans of Universe 7, rather than the more civil, noble Saiyans like Cabba, essentially making her a DistaffCounterpart to Goku since they are both opposites in their races. She also gained quite a fan following for being the one of strongest Saiyans in Universe 6. According to some fan polls, she won over more fans than Cabba and Kale themselves, despite Kale being the most awaited character before the saga even started!
** Kale: First shown in the initial trailer for the Universal Survival Saga as a competing Saiyan with a [[DistaffCounterpart similar]] legendary Super Saiyan form, she was ''already'' this ''before the saga even started''. In the story proper, her reserved demeanor [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship reacting]] to Caulifla's vivacious type sparked a plethora of positive fan reception, [[https://tinyurl.com/y9wlmenz according to arc director Ryōta Nakamura]]. Depending on the medium, fans have latched on to her personality extending to CharacterArc about [[Anime/DragonBallSuper reigning in her power and self-worth]], or a [[Manga/DragonBallSuper bodyguard]] to Caulifla in secret to happily make her boss look good. Her controlled/Super Saiyan Two form is often cited as the [[AmazonianBeauty ideal body type]] for female (Super) Saiyan, much like the primal Saiyan from Z's filler.

* Gowasu, for being a [[MemeticMutation Godtuber]] and the source of a [[FountainOfMemes good tonne of memes]] from the "Future Trunks" Saga. His MemeticLoser status of always receiving the short end of the stick is the source of many jokes, especially him being killed ''three times'' onscreen in the space of one saga, with one of them being undone (giving Krillin a run for his money). [[TheWoobie Fans also felt a lot of pity for him]] at the end of the Future Trunks Saga, where he considered everything his fault and sin. There is a lot of fan art of him, with either Zamasu, God of Destruction Rumsshi, or Cus the angel. [[spoiler:The fanbase was very saddened when he was erased with the rest of Universe 10--and were subsequently overjoyed to see him revived after the tournament.]]

** Universe 11 clown God of Destruction resembling [[Literature/{{It}} Pennywise]], Vermoud, and Marcarita his angel attendant. The two of them are constantly compared to ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/HarleyQuinn among western fans and were among the first characters to receive fanart.
** Universe 10 Elephant God, Rumsshi and his [[BadassAdorable angel]] [[PintSizedPowerhouse Cus]]. There's a lot of fanart of these two often with Gowasu or Zamasu. Cus' excited reactions at seeing the fights also became [[MemeticMutation memetic]].

** The Goddess of Destruction from Universe 2, Jerez, is also well-liked for being the strongest non-angel ActionGirl and her Egyptian theme design. It helps she is a BenevolentBoss to her team during the Tournament of Power, while her habit of referring to everything as "beautiful" (including Goku) provides humorous moments.

** Likewise, the Gods of Destruction of the 8th and 12th universe, Liquiir and Geene, have attracted the attention of the fanbase for either having the best design for a god (Liquiir, who is also quite PopularWithFurries), or having an interesting backstory (Geene, [[VictoryIsBoring who after obtaining the second best universe, has grown bored and is interested in watching the Tournament of Power]].) Fans were disappointed they, and neither Iwne and Arack, weren't going to be involved in the Universal Survival arc other than commentators but were pleased when they saw Liquiir have a friendly fight with two fellow [=GoDs=].

*** Maji Kayo, the blob creature. He is most frequently brought up when listing off favorite characters from the Tournament of Power, due to having both creative BlobMonster powers that puts Buu to shame, and being one of the few Team Universe 3 members who can give Goku of all people a challenge.

*** In 4chan, at least, Majora, the blind wolf/dog/fox fighter, some translators and generals taking him as an avatar and calling himself [[FanNickname Smug Pup]]. The character managed to win some popularity polls, and has his fair share of fan art. It was eventually revealed that "Smug Pup" is actually a member of Universe 4. The fact that his name is indeed "Majora" hits hard, as a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask there's already a very popular Zelda game that has to do with masks ...]]
*** Cawey for have a really cute design, an interesting fighting style of using HardLight weapons, and for being an {{Expy}} of Ranfan

[[folder: ''Dragon Ball'' Movies]]

[[folder: Spin-Offs]]

[[folder: ''Dragon Ball'']]

* Similarly, the villain who follows Blue - Mercenary Tao Pai Pai, who kills Blue ''with his tongue'' and is the first villain to flat-out ''defeat'' Goku, not to mention the first legitimate KnightOfCerebus the series has ever had, before even Piccolo.
* Demon King Piccolo for being the KnightOfCerebus that turned ''Dragon Ball'' from a lighthearted adventure series, to the action-pack drama we know it today. He is also one of the most [[GeniusBruiser cunning]] villains in the show who outwitted the heroes and never succumb to holding the VillainBall like many later enemies. Even Toriyama himself says that Piccolo is still his favorite villain.

** Fans particularly found the spin off manga ''Manga/DragonBallThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsYamcha'' particularly gratifying as by having someone else in Yamcha’s body the desert bandit can go though the needed TrainingFromHell. So when it jump cuts to his embarrassing death by exploding Saibaman, it’s that more awesome to see Yamcha proudly [[SmokeShield standing unharmed]].

[[folder: ''Dragon Ball Z'']]

* Kuriza, Frieza’s son from the Nekomajin Z manga. Just how canon he is is in question, since it’s a gag manga, but that hasn't stopped the fans from making neverending fanart featuring him.

* Mira and Towa from ''VideoGame/DragonBallOnline'', ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' and so on. Thanks in no small part to their cool designs, evil couple dynamic and evil time travel antics. Towa in particular is the only pure female BigBad in Dragon Ball to this date and their Mira and Towa’s son Fu gained traction in ''VideoGame/DragonBallHeroes'' and Xenoverse 2. Sadly Dragon Ball Super doesn’t make use of Time Breakers despite a whole goddamn saga based around time travel.
* Gine from ''Dragon Ball Minus'', despite coming from a controversial story to the fandom, has been well received mostly for the fact she is Goku's mother. Gine got new admiration for her appearance in the [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly Broly Movie]] since she’s just so [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonball/images/1/15/Gine_BrolyMovie.png/revision/latest?cb=20181004161153 freaking adorable]] in the new artstyle. Gine has become so popular that one of the most popular WhatIf stories among the fandom is her actually escaping to Earth with baby Goku, and seeing how she would affect the series' timeline with her presence.

* Chronoa, the Supreme Kai of Time, from the brilliance ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' games has quite a following, due to her cute design and mannerisms. Many aren't happy with her being ExiledFromContinuity and desire for her to get introduced into the canon series.

* Android 21, when revealed for ''VideoGame/DragonballFighterz'', instantly became popular with fans for being a new Android, a female one at that and apparently having a connection with 16. When it was revealed she had a Majin form, her popularity among the fanbase skyrocketed up even higher. However, while her design is praised, the [[spoiler: evil side of 21 has been considered [[GenericDoomsdayVillain lackluster or quite annoying]], while the Good side of her has been considered [[TheWoobie quite tragic]] and downright adorable.]]

* The Namekian healer Dende is remarkably beloved in Japan, frequently ranking in respectable positions in popularity polls taken all throughout the original manga's run. This is likely due to his cute design and his distinctive role as the heroes' 'White Mage'. Despite not being a hugely marketable character thanks to his status as a non-combatant, Dende becomes deceptively influential to the storylines of the later arcs.

** Fans particularly found the spin off manga "Reborn as Yamcha" particularly gratifying as by having someone else in Yamcha’s body the desert bandit can go though the needed TrainingFromHell. So when it jump cuts to his embarrassing death by exploding Saibaman, it’s that more awesome to see Yamcha proudly [[SmokeShield standing unharmed]].

* Gine from ''Dragon Ball Minus'', despite coming from a controversial story to the fandom, has been well received mostly for the fact she is Goku's mother. Gine got new admiration for her appearance in the [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly Broly Movie]] since she’s just so [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonball/images/1/15/Gine_BrolyMovie.png/revision/latest?cb=20181004161153 freaking adorable]] in the new artstyle.