List of Dragon Ball villains

The Villains in Dragon Ball are arranged here according to the saga in which they appeared.

Vegeta Saga

* Raditz - Raditz is the first real enemy of Goku in Dragonball Z. He is Son Goku's older brother (but neither one knows that at first), and also a part of an elite Saiya-jin strike force under Frieza. Raditz is eventually defeated by Piccolo's signature Ki Wave, the Makankosappo. Unfortunately, Goku is killed in the same blast as Raditz. During the fight, Piccolo speaks of the Dragon Balls, and the conversation is transmitted through Raditz's communicator to his other teammates.
* Vegeta - The Prince of the Saiya-jin. Vegeta comes to Earth in search of the Dragon Balls, to wish for immortality. After a very long journey, he and Nappa arrive on Earth and proceed to wreak havoc. During this time, Goku is still in Other World training and barely arrives in time to stop Vegeta from destroying the Earth. Goku uses his newest technique to defeat Vegeta, the Spirit Bomb, or Genki Dama. Vegeta retreats to his ship, and then to an alien medical facility to recuperate and wait for the day he would destroy Goku.
* Nappa - One of the last of the Saiya-jin. Nappa has traveled with Prince Vegeta for his whole life, traveling from world to world, destroying the occupants and giving the now dead planets to Frieza. Nappa first fights all of the Z-warriors at once, defeating them one by one, until Goku returns from Other World to defeat him. Vegeta kills Nappa right after Goku defeated him.
* Saibamen - A small humanoid creature with razor sharp claws on its limbs. Saibamen are green and goblin-like, and are grown from seeds planted into the ground, like mutated plants. Nappa grows them upon arriving on Earth, and while he and Vegeta sit back, the Saibamen attack the Z-Fighters. Fortunately, the powers of the Saibamen are limited, as is their intellect, and they are defeated.

Frieza Saga

* Frieza - An evil alien who rules a vast interstellar empire called the Planet Trade. The Planet Trade finds planets and invades them, sometimes utterly destroying the native inhabitants and assimilating the planet into Frieza's empire. Through this, Frieza has become the most notorious and feared entity in the universe. Frieza takes pleasure in the tortured screams of his victims. Frieza has a variety of forms, but when first seen he is a short being with a large purple head, pinkish flesh, black horns, and a tail and travels in a hovering chair. Later on, he transforms into a huge muscular form, and then a more monsterous form with an elongated head. His final and true form is a small, naked lizard-like alien with a bulbous head, childlike facial features, pale greyish-white skin, and patches of purple flesh on his head, chest, forearms, and shins. His long whip-like tail is prehensile and he often uses it in combat. Frieza's strength has earned him the "most powerful fighter in the universe" title, with his ability to copy techniques he sees and destroy whole planets with his "Death Ball".
* Zarbon - A high-ranking officer in the Planet Trade and Frieza's right-hand man. He answers directly to Frieza, and often collaborates with his colleague, Dodoria. In appearance, Zarbon resembles a handsome warrior, with light blue skin, long green hair, and golden eyes. He has a very feminine appearance and is a lover of beauty. However, he can transform into a hideous monster form, whereby his power increases. He fights Vegeta and cannot beat him, so he transforms and tortures him nonstop until he believes Vegeta to be dead. Vegeta just barely survives, and since he's a Saiya-jin, whatever doesn't kill him makes him stronger. Zarbon takes Vegeta to heal him for questioning on orders from Frieza. When Vegeta is healed, however, he manages to escape. Zarbon encounters Vegeta again but this time is over-powered by the Saiya-jin even after transforming. Vegeta kills him with ease the second time they fight by slamming clean through his stomach and sending him to a watery grave in the Namekian sea.
* Dodoria - A high-ranking officer in the Planet Trade, and Frieza's second most powerful henchman, Zarbon being the most powerful. He answers directly to Frieza, and often collaborates with his colleague, Zarbon. In appearance, Dodoria is a fat alien with bright pink skin, pointed ears, purple lips, and spikes on his head and forearms. He exists to impede the progress of Kuririn and Gohan in their search for the Namekian Dragon Balls. Once he encounters Vegeta he is out-matched and reveals the destruction of the Saiya-jin race to Vegeta as long as Vegeta would spare his life. Vegeta breaks the deal and destroys Dodoria before he gets a chance to escape.
* Cui - A high ranking underling of Frieza, and the third most powerful in Frieza's army. He is killed early on by Vegeta. Cui is a purple-skinned alien with a catfish-like face.
* King Cold - Frieza's father. He searches for Frieza's remains through the debris of Namek and restores him to full health by replacing his missing limbs with robot parts which makes him stronger. Frieza and King Cold follow Goku back to Earth to destroy him once and for all, but are thwarted by Trunks.
* Ginyu Force- A group of mutants that are Frieza's hired mercenaries. When Zarbon and Dodoria fail to defeat the heroes, Frieza calls for the Ginyu Force to help him in his quest for the Dragon Balls. They have the appearance of being flamboyant and silly, but their power tells otherwise. (Note: Akira Toriyama created the Ginyu Force as a mockery of other multi-colored teams, like the Power Rangers.)
** Captain Ginyu - The leader of the Ginyu Force. He answers directly to Frieza. Ginyu is a militant alien with purplish skin and two straight horns extending out of the sides of his head. His forehead is rather bulbous and veiny. Captain Ginyu's signature technique is the Body Change, where he trades bodies with anyone caught in the beams path. He uses this technique successfully on Goku, but can't seem to harness Goku's incredible power. He is defeated when he attempts to Body Change with Vegeta, and a frog is thrown into the beam.
** Recoome - A member of the Ginyu Force and the physically strongest. Recoome is the most human-looking, and looks exactly like an Earth human but is very tall and powerfully built, and is brutish-looking with a long jaw. Once Goku arrives, he is knocked out with one blow to the stomach. Vegeta can't resist finishing him off like the other four members.
** Jeice - A member of the team who is about average in all areas. Jeice isn't remarkable, although he is still a formidable and dangerous foe just by virtue of being on the Ginyu Force. Jeice is a good looking fellow, and has red skin and bright white hair. His hair is long and resembles a heavymetal star's hair style. Goku fights and easily KO's Burter, scaring off Jeice who flees for Captain Ginyu's aid. Jeice later encounters a much stronger Vegeta who easily kills him with a Ki blast to the face.
** Burter - A member of the Ginyu Force, Burter is the fastest member of the team. Burter is capable of moving so fast that he is but a blur to the outside observer, and to him the rest of the world moves in slow-motion. While all powerful beings in the DBZ universe are capable of incredible quickness, Burter seems to be the most remarkable when it comes to the Ginyu Force. Burter is a tall creature that looks distinctly reptilian, but has blue skin, red eyes, and a nose-less face. He has a patch of yellow flesh with horizontal stripes on his forehead. He teams up with Jeice to attack Goku but it had no effect on him, and Goku easily knocked him out with two hits. Vegeta later finishes him off by stomping on his neck.
** Guldo - A member of the Ginyu Force resembling a short, stout green creature with a large extra eyeball on either side of his head, he is the physically weakest member of the team. However, Guldo makes up for it by possessing some useful skills. Guldo has trained himself to freeze time as long as he can hold his breath. He uses this technique to great effect in his fight against Krillin and Gohan on Namek and is about to kill them when Vegeta interferes and decapitates him.

Cell Saga

* Android 16 - An android created by Dr. Gero, made to be the perfect machine. While the other androids are more like cyborgs, Android 16 is a complete robot, with no organic parts. Beneath his human-like exterior he has a Terminator-esque endoskeleton. On the outside, Android 16 is a tall muscular human with a small mowhawk of red hair. He has an infinite energy source and is incredibly powerful. However, he isn't as mischievous or hostile as the other androids; his only business is with Goku, whom he is programmed to kill. Later, when Cell appears, Android 16 becomes an ally to the Z-Fighters. He is killed by Cell, and as a result, Gohan goes Super Saiyan 2.
* Android 17 - A black-haired male Jinzoningen, a cyborg. He is a young teenage boy who, like his twin sister, #18, is mischievous and care-free. He only wants to have fun, although his idea of fun may differ from others. After being activated by Dr. Gero, he and #18 escape. According to Trunks, #17 and #18 are the two responsible for the apocalypse in his timeline. They wreak havoc on the Earth, killing for their own amusement. However, in this timeline, he and his sister seem far less evil, and are more delinquent than anything else. He has an infinite energy source within him.
* Android 18 - A blonde female Jinzoningen, a cyborg. She is a young teenage girl who, like her twin brother, #17, is mischievous and care-free. After being activated by Dr. Gero, she and #17 escape, during which #18 goes "shopping" for clothes (shopping is in quotations because she doesn't actually pay for the clothes). According to Trunks, she and her brother were responsible for the apocalypse in his timeline. However, in this timeline, she and her brother seem far less evil, and are more delinquent than anything else. She has an infinite energy source within her. She is so beautiful that Kuririn falls in love with her. Later on, she marries Kuririn and the two of them have a daughter, named Marron.
* Android 19 - An energy absorbing Jinzoningen by Dr. Gero. Unlike the earlier Jinozoningen, #19 doesn't have an infinite energy core, but instead must extract energy from other beings. He does this through special energy-absorbing receptors on his palms. Although he can easily become weakened by being denied energy, #19 has an advantage in that he can absorb energy attacks, such as the Kamehameha. Goku fights him, and initially Goku outclasses him, but through his energy-absorption he eventually gains the upper hand (although to be fair, Goku was also starting to succumb to the heart virus he had contracted). #19 nearly strangled Goku until destroyed by Vegeta. Physically, #19 is a fat human-like Jinzoningen with white skin, and an almost clown-like appearance.
* Dr. Gero - The head scientist of the Red Ribbon Army that created all the Jinzoningen. After Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army years ago, Dr. Gero went into hiding, swearing revenge. During those years between the defeat of the RRA and the years following the Frieza Saga, Dr. Gero was deep within his secret lab, observing Goku and the other Z-Fighters from afar using tiny insect-like robots, which spied on them. Collecting data from all of Goku's battles, Dr. Gero set about creating the perfect warriors. The result of those years of hard work are numbers 16, 17, and 18. In addition, Dr. Gero also created #19, and then finally, he turned himself into "#20". As #20, Dr. Gero has the same energy-absorption receptors on his palms, and can gleen energy from other beings. However, he is far less powerful than the earlier Jinzoningen, 16, 17, and 18, and when he is defeated by the Z-fighters, he desperately revives 17 18, but they, against Gero's will, activate 16. In revenge for their imprisonment, Androids 17 and 18 immediately destroy their creator. In appearance, Dr. Gero was basically an old man with a white mustache. After turning himself into Android 20, he looks the same except wears a tall hat with the "RR" insignia of the Red Ribbon Army.
* Cell - A bioengineered creation of Dr. Gero using the DNA of various Z Fighters. Right alongside his creation of the Jinzoningen, Dr. Gero also set about creating a purely organic life-form. This being was to combine all the best aspects of the Z-fighters, as well as Frieza and Vegeta. Cell is a mutant being and has all the abilities of the Z-fighters. However, to achieve his true form, he must absorb the 17 and 18, which will power his evolution. In his first form, Cell is a strange lizard/insect creature with green skin, black spots all over his body, a strange crested head, and a long tail with a stinger. He uses the stinger to absorb 17 and 18, but also uses it to extract the life out of various human victims. His second form is similar, but taller and more powerful, with a different face. His final form is the most human-like, but he retains the strange crest on his head, as well as beetle-like carapace on his back, and of course, the stinger, only without the tail. In his final form, Cell is capable of going head to head with multiple Super Saiya-jin, and can also spawn miniature Cell Jrs. to fight for him. It should be noted that Cell comes from a third timelime, separate from both Trunks' and the main storyline. When he awoke from Dr. Gero's lab in his own timeline, the Jinzoningen were nowhere to be found, and so he was forced to time-travel into the past. After achieving his final form, Cell creates the Cell Games in order to challenge Earth's champions. However, his main interest is in fighting Goku.
* Cell Junior - The "children" of Cell, they were essentially smaller versions of him with a bluish color,instead of green. While Gohan fights Cell in the Cell Games, Cell unleashes them on the Z-fighters.

Buu Saga

* Babidi - A very powerful and evil sorcerer. He utilizes dark magic to enslave other beings. A being that has been brought under his control is known as a Ma-jin, and can be identified by a stylized 'M' on their foreheads. Babidi comes to Earth with his minions to awaken Buu, a demon of great power. He is the son of Bibidi, who was the original sorcerer who controlled Buu ages ago.
* Bibidi - The original creator of Buu, and father to Babidi. (Note: Like "Bibidi Babidi Buu" from Cinderella)
* Buu - A polymorphic creature that can absorb the bodies and powers of others. Originally, Buu was a small imp-like creature with pink flesh and a small tentacle-like appendage on his head. This primary form is called Kid Buu. However, when Buu absorbs other beings, he takes on their traits, both physical and mental. The original Kid Buu was an insane, mindless creature who loved destruction, but as he assimilates other beings his character changes. When he was imprisoned by the Kaioshin, Buu had become Fat Buu, a playful but infantile being who loved to eat. After being revived by Babidi years later, Fat Buu further changes into newer forms. His most powerful form presents itself when he absorbs Piccolo, Gotenks, and Gohan. In his battle against Vegetto, Buu is a much smarter and more articulate being, a far cry from the gibbering madness that he originally was. All forms of Buu, however, have an intense love of sweets and candy, and Buu's favorite method of absorbing other beings is to transform them into a treat of some sort (like a cookie or chocolate), and eat them.
* Dabura - The King of the Demons, Dabura is a devilish-looking being who has red skin, large bat-like ears, and slit pupils. He is brought under Babidi's control through dark sorcery, and is Babidi's strongest minion. However, when Fat Buu is revived, Dabura foolishly challenges the creature and is killed. Dabura has the ability to petrify other beings with his own saliva, and with this method he turns both Kuririn and Piccolo into statues by spitting on them.

Bebi saga

* Baby - A machine mutant created by Dr. Myuu, heard to be the last of the Tsufuru-jin that were wiped out by the Saiya-jin long ago. Baby has the ability to travel through ki blasts into the origin of the blast, which is how Vegeta becomes Baby Vegeta. While Goku, Pan, and Trunks are searching for the Black Star Dragonballs, Baby is on Earth assimilating every one, and laying a seed in them to keep control.
* Dr. Myuu- A machine from an android planet who creates Baby to take his revenge on the Saiya-jin who destroyed his creators long ago.

Super Android 17 Saga

Super 17 - A fusion between Dr Gero's #17 and Dr. Myuu's artificial 17. Super 17 has the ability to absorb energy blasts into himself, thereby increasing his strength while draining his opponents. He is only finally defeated when he is being distracted by #18, and Goku does the Super Dragon Fist attack, which destroys Super 17.

Shadow Dragon Saga

* The Shadow Dragons - Created when the Earth Dragonballs cracked, the negative energy built up from the years was finally released in the form of the seven Shadow Dragons.
** Syn Shenron - The one-star dragon created from dark energies of the Dragonballs. Eventually turns into Omega Shenron after absorbing all the Black Dragonballs.
** Oceanus Shenron - A dragon that disguises itself as woman using the powers of the wind. Its true form is that of a hideous ogre. He is the 6-star dragon.
** Rage Shenron - A fat, pterodactyl-like dragon that can make itself expand in size by absorbing electricity. He is the 5-star dragon.
** Nouva Shenron - A thin, red human-like dragon that uses the powers of fire. He eventually breaks out of this form into his true, orange-colored form. He is the 4-star dragon, who turns good.
** Naturon Shenron - A dragon resembling a mole that can cause massive earthquakes. He absorbs Pan to transform himself. Once she is released, he reverts to his small, weak form before being destroyed. He is the 7-star dragon.
** Eis Shenron - The twin brother of Nouva Shenron, this dragon is a pale blue color and can use the freezing powers of ice. He destroys his brother for showing mercy on Goku. He is the 3-star dragon.
** Haze Shenron - A dragon resembling a large, bug-eyed, spiky frog creature. This dragon boasts the powers of poisonous toxins and throws his opponents into a toxic lake. He is the 2-star dragon.

Other

* Garlic Junior - Filler villain while neither Goku nor Vegeta was on Earth. Originates from the first Dragon Ball Z movie. Fights with his seasoning named minions.
* Cooler - Frieza's brother, stars in movies 5 and 6, and can obtain a form more powerful than Freeza.
* Emperor Pilaf - The first villain in the Dragon Ball series, he isn't much at all as a fighter, so he uses his machines and minions for his fights.
* Red Ribbon Army - An army searching for the Dragonballs. From the original Dragon Ball.
* Demon King Piccolo - Piccolo Daimao is the original Piccolo, and his offspring is the Piccolo we know from DBZ.
* Broly - A Saiya-jin warrior that was put beside Goku when they were both newborns. Goku's screaming drives Broly insane and finally hunts him down to Earth. Broly is the legendary Super Saiya-jin and can go to a level which resembles Ultimate Super Saiya-jin but with few of the flaws. He is released when his father's mind control crown shatters, and Broly then kills his father, Paragus. He is the arch-nemesis of Goku.
* Janemba - Result of an accident where all the evil souls in hell possess one demon, has two forms and is eventually defeated by Goku and Vegeta when the fuse to become Gogeta.
* Lord Slug - Super Namekku-sei-jin who wanted the Dragonballs to restore his youth and change planet earth into his own Space pirate HQ.
* Bojack - An incredibly strong warrior who was sealed within a star by the Kaio. However, he is released and takes over the Tenka'ichi Budokai tournament. Fortunately, Bojack was defeated easily when Gohan becomes Super Saiya-jin 2, and kills him with the Kamehameha.
* Tullece- A saiyan who resembles Goku, but came to Earth to plant the tree of might. He tried to even take over Gohan, and use him against Goku.
* Dr. Wheelo - A scientist who had his brain transplanted in a robotic body. Eventually an avalanche caused him to be trapped in his laboratory for years. The isolation eventually drove him insane, and when he was freed by his servent Dr. Kochin he planned to transplant his brain into the world's strongest person... Goku. He is eventually killed by Goku using the Spirit Bomb.

List of Dragon Ball villains: Encyclopedia BETA