There are few anime series that have gained the cultural relevance and massive staying power as Dragon Ball Z. Each chapter in the lengthy franchise looks at Goku’s development as Earth’s strongest hero and it’s consistently satisfying to see stronger and stronger villains crumble under the weight of the anime’s heroes.
Dragon Ball’s unique and vile villains are one of the series’ most iconic traits and it’s often hard to single out who’s the best of the worst. Cell is a formidable foe who doesn’t always get his due and there’s a lot more to the villain than fans realize. Some of Cell’s greatest hits have been copied by later enemies, but Cell remains a very creative turn for Dragon Ball Z.
10 Is Cell Stronger Than Goku? In The Cell Saga, Cell does have Goku overpowered, even without his self-destruction & regenerative skills
Goku is usually the most powerful character in Dragon Ball, which means that he’s also the one who defeats the villain. The Cell Saga has Goku attempt to take a backseat and allow Gohan to rise up to the occasions.
Gohan assumes that his father is strong enough to win, yet merely holds back for his benefit, but this isn’t actually the case. Cell does have Goku overpowered, even without his self-destruction and regenerative skills. Goku beats Pikkon in the Other World Martial Arts Tournament, who proves himself to be stronger than Super Perfect Cell, but it’s also filler material.
9 Who Created Him? Dr. Gero designed Cell to be the ultimate weapon & his tool to get revenge on Goku & the rest of the world
Often the villains in Dragon Ball are disgruntled individuals from the far corners of the universe or people who have broken out of captivity. Cell is a refreshing change of pace since he’s artificial intelligence that’s created by the Red Ribbon Army’s Dr. Gero and completed through the help of his supercomputer.
Dr. Gero designs Cell to be the ultimate weapon and his tool to get revenge on Goku and the rest of the world, but Cell’s own obsession over perfection becomes even more intense and the villain’s driving motivation.
8 Whose DNA Is He Built From? Dr. Gero made Cell from the DNA of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, & King Cold
One of the most terrifying details about Cell is that Dr. Gero builds him from the own DNA of many of the universe’s strongest fighters. This doesn’t mean that Cell is only incredibly powerful, but also that he’s able to use these heroes’ own techniques back on themselves.
Gero made Cell from the DNA of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, and King Cold. Cell is equipped with a wide arsenal of abilities, but he also benefits from the same genetic perks as Saiyans and Namekians, since he shares their DNA.
7 Can He Turn Into A Super Saiyan? Cell seems to achieve the power boost after he absorbs a large amount of humans
Cell is an amalgamation of the genetic data of different individuals, but since Saiyan DNA is a part of his genetic profile, it raises some interesting questions regarding his transformation capabilities.
Goku and Vegeta’s DNA is taken at a point before Super Saiyan transformations were plentiful, but Cell seems to achieve the power boost after he absorbs a large amount of humans. Cell has no hair, but he attains the same golden aura. He even briefly turns into the bulky equivalent of Ultra Super Saiyan in the manga as a way to taunt Future Trunks.
6 Which Androids Does He Need To Absorb For Perfection? It’s only Androids 17 & 18 that Cell requires to evolve into his perfect form
Cell makes for one of Dragon Ball Z’s most compelling villains, but his introduction comes along with several deadly Androids that are also a major threat. Five Androids wreak havoc on the Z-Fighter, but not all of them are integral to Cell’s evolution.
It’s only Androids 17 and 18 that Cell requires to evolve into his perfect form. The other Androids, like 16, 19, and 20 — who is Dr. Gero himself — are mere obstacles. Cell absorbs other entities and he benefits from the process, so it’s likely that these Androids would also increase his power, but not in the same way.
5 Does He Ever Come Back To Life? The 12th Dragon Ball Z movie, Fusion Reborn, does allow him to temporarily escape the afterlife
There are absolutely huge stakes throughout the climactic battles that constantly occur in the Dragon Ball series, but death loses a bit of its impact due to tools like the Dragon Balls that can revive lost fighters. The villains in Dragon Ball tend to stay dead, but Frieza is someone who’s returned on several occasions.
Cell does make some brief appearances in Dragon Ball GT, but he remains confined to hell. The 12th Dragon Ball Z movie, Fusion Reborn, does allow him to temporarily escape the afterlife, but it’s not long before the heroes send him back.
4 Does He Know Frieza Or Buu? Some of the extended Dragon Ball material in the movies & Dragon Ball GT show that Cell does spend time with Frieza in Hell
It’s not often that Dragon Ball’s major villains work together or are even aware of each other, but there are several powerful entities like Frieza, Majin Buu, and Beerus that have legendary reputations where the whole universe is frightened over them.
It often feels like Cell doesn’t receive the same level of attention as Frieza and Buu, both of whom manage to return. Some of the extended Dragon Ball material in the movies and Dragon Ball GT show that Cell does spend time with Frieza in Hell and a strange friendship develops, although he doesn’t meet Majin Buu.
3 Does He Exist In Future Trunks’ Timeline? Cell does show up in this timeline, but Future Trunks eliminates him before he becomes much of a threat
Dragon Ball Z explores some complicated territory once it brings time travel into the equation and the existence of two separate and radically different timelines. Future Trunks heads to the past to prevent the invasion of the Androids and Cell in the series’ prime timeline, but after he’s helped accomplish this he returns home to fix his own reality.
Cell does show up in this timeline, but since Future Trunks is ready and prepared for him, he’s able to eliminate him before he becomes much of a threat. It’s a cathartic way for Future Trunks to make things right.
2 What Is His Strongest Form? Cell is able to push his perfection a few steps further, becoming Super Perfect Cell
Like many of Dragon Ball Z’s villains, Cell undergoes several transformations until he’s become his most powerful self. The most distinct differences are between Cell’s earliest Imperfect and Semi-Perfect forms and his Perfect form after he’s successfully absorbed the Androids.
Cell is able to push his perfection a few steps further and he becomes Super Perfect Cell after he successfully revives himself from self-destruction. Cell gets a major power boost and his aura contains electricity, like with Super Saiyan 2. Cell also briefly shows off an Overpowered/Powered Up form in Dragon Ball GT after he temporarily absorbs Goku.
1 Who Defeats Him? Gohan completely eradicates Cell & leaves nothing behind
The Dragon Ball franchise has featured many memorable villains, and although the series has a large cast of characters, it’s still typically Goku that gets the honors of finishing off the latest enemy.
Dragon Ball Z’s Cell Saga takes a major creative pivot when Goku unexpectedly passes away and Gohan is the one that’s left to face off against an even stronger Cell. All of the trauma that Gohan endures pushes him to become the first Super Saiyan 2, which is strong enough to completely eradicate Cell and leave nothing behind.