Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has grown in significant ways since its inception in the 1980s, and it’s incredible to consider the scope that the series has reached and the levels of power that Goku and the rest of the characters have achieved.
Dragon Ball has hundreds of memorable characters, some heroic and others villains, but it’s not common for a truly unnerving figure to enter the picture. However, there are some deeply disturbing creeps who have popped up in Dragon Ball over the years.
Updated on March 8th, 2023 by Daniel Kurland: Dragon Ball has no shortage of Saiyans and courageous heroes, but there are also some truly unnerving designs for individuals that push the series into much darker territory. Dragon Ball knows how to get dark when it wants to, and there are many creepy characters who feel like they’d be more appropriate in another series.
15 Lucifer (Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess In Devil’s Castle)
The original Dragon Ball loves to reinterpret classic characters from fantasy and horror folklore and the movie Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle offers a unique twist on vampires. Lucifer masquerades as a handsome, charming man who undergoes a terrifying transformation whenever the sun goes down.
Lucifer’s goal is to permanently take out the son so that he and his demonic brethren can thrive and rule the world. This grim goal, as well as Lucifer’s tendency to hide his true nature and gaslight Bulma makes him a deeply creepy character.
14 Dino-Droid No. 1 (Dragon Ball Super)
The latest arc in the Dragon Ball Super manga has given Goku and Vegeta a break in exchange for some more light-hearted antics where Goten and Trunks are in the spotlight. Trunks and Goten’s growing feud with Dr. Hedo is set to lead into the events of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Hedo’s inferior zombie Androids would be chilling if they weren’t so silly.
Chapter 90 of Dragon Ball Super’s manga introduces Dr. Hedo’s latest macabre experiment, Dino-Droid No. 1, a dinosaur-Android hybrid that briefly runs wild. Dino-Droid No. 1 doesn’t pose much of a challenge to Goten and Trunks, but the idea of more cybernetically-enhanced dinosaurs is troublesome.
13 Hirudegarn (Dragon Ball Z: Wrath Of The Dragon)
The Dragon Ball Z movies receive their share of criticism for how they nebulously fit within the events of the series, but they typically feature some satisfying villains who leave an impression on audiences. Wrath of the Dragon is the 13th Dragon Ball Z movie and it increases its stakes through a kaiju-sized threat, Hirudegarn.
Hirudegarn’s design truly feels alien in nature and like it’s the work of H.R. Giger or something out of Blue Gender. It has a haunting look that’s only magnified by Hirudegarn’s massive size.
12 Buyon (Dragon Ball)
The original Dragon Ball takes some wild swings when it comes to the rules of its universe and it introduces plenty of anthropomorphic animals, dinosaurs, and other odd entities that co-exist with humans. Goku’s exploits against the Red Ribbon Army set him up against many challenges in Muscle Tower.
General White does his best to hold back Goku, which includes the release of Buyon, a Blob-like monster who feels more in line with one of Babidi’s minions in Dragon Ball Z. A young Goku defeats Buyon by freezing him solid and then shattering him to pieces, which is a strangely sinister defeat for this frightening foe.
11 Bio-Broly (Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly)
Broly, Dragon Ball’s Legendary Super Saiyan, has properly entered the franchise’s canon after Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which remixes the character’s history into the best take on the aggressive Saiyan. Previously, Broly is at the center of three of Dragon Ball Z’s movies, the last of which is frequently viewed as the franchise’s worst film.
Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly revolves around a clone of the burly brawler that’s produced from some of the Saiyan’s blood. Goten and Trunks take on this creepy cloned version of Broly that looks more like the Toxic Avenger than the Legendary Super Saiyan. Bio-Broly is a gruesome, gross imitation of the real thing.
10 Super Janemba (Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn)
There are plenty of upsetting Dragon Ball characters that occupy the realm of the living, but Dragon Ball has also spent plenty of time in Other World’s afterlife where demonic beings roam free. The Dragon Ball Z movie, Fusion Reborn, features Janemba as its signature antagonist.
Janemba’s first form isn’t very intimidating, but Super Janemba looks like a hellish creature who only craves chaos. Super Janemba’s regal, demonic look is grim and makes him feel like he belongs better in a horror anime, but his powerful abilities and rabid personality make him even creepier.
9 Dabura (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball has ventured to dark places and encountered its share of demons, but Dragon Ball Z’s Majin invasion prominently features Dabura, who basically looks like an intimidating depiction of Satan. Dabura has the honor of possessing the foreboding title of demon king of the Demonic Realm, and his look doesn’t disappoint in this regard.
Dabura is a frightening presence who feels even more like a nightmare creation because his spit can petrify people to stone and he wields a deadly blade. Every element of this character commands authority and fear.
8 Pui Pui (Dragon Ball Z)
“Alien” is a relative term in Dragon Ball, and some of the extraterrestrials that appear in the series look borderline human or are the furthest thing from intimidating. Pui Pui is one of Babidi’s trusted minions, and he absolutely represents the more horrifying side of what’s hiding away in the universe.
Pui Pui acts feral and looks insect-like in some respects, and it’s easy to imagine someone like Krillin or Yamcha running away from this battle. Pui Pui’s home planet, Zoon, is also a barren and hostile environment that hardens him into more of a threat.
7 Dolltaki (Dragon Ball GT)
Dragon Ball GT remains a contentious chapter in Dragon Ball, but there are still some compelling and unique ideas that it explores. Dragon Ball GT’s earlier episodes send Goku, Trunks, and Pan across the galaxy on more lighthearted adventures.
Dolltaki is one individual who becomes particularly obsessed with Pan and goes so far as to turn her into a doll. Dragon Ball GT is full of unusual and more comedic characters, but the motivations that drive Dolltaki and his out-of-touch nature make him an extremely unsettling threat.
6 Demon King Piccolo (Dragon Ball)
King Piccolo is one of the biggest villains to come out of the original Dragon Ball series. Audiences have become somewhat numb to the presence of Namekians, but Demon King Piccolo is a major change of pace when he first appears.
King Piccolo comes across like a true monster, which is only amplified by the mass destruction that he causes and his goal to enslave humanity. King Piccolo’s creepiness hits higher levels since he reproduces asexually, which is depicted through a gross ejection of an egg.
5 Frieza’s Third Form (Dragon Ball Z)
Gratuitous transformations have become a staple of the Dragon Ball series at this point, but it’s Frieza that really kicks off this tradition through a seriously prolonged battle. Frieza cycles through several transformations until he’s at full power.
His third form is the one that receives the least focus, which is perhaps for the best since it’s also easily the creepiest of the lot. Frieza’s third form almost looks as if it draws inspiration from Alien’s Xenomorphs. His body morphs in an awkward manner that’s the opposite of sleek and emphasizes Frieza’s most unflattering features.
4 Fused Zamasu (Dragon Ball Super)
Initially, Zamasu doesn’t seem like that aggressive of a presence, and his look isn’t any different than the rest of the Supreme Kai that populate the different universes. That being said, Zamasu takes matters into his own hands and seriously disrupts the state of the universe. Zamasu ultimately gains immortality and fuses with another version of himself, which creates a powerful, albeit unstable union.
Fused Zamasu begins to transform into an Akira-like beast that’s seriously hard to look at. The look of this monstrosity, plus his desire to erase all mortals, is far from comforting.
3 Baby (Dragon Ball GT)
Dragon Ball GT really begins to pick up steam after the arrival of Baby, a parasitic life form who’s obsessed with revenge and the pursuit of the perfect host. Baby ultimately deems Vegeta worthy to be his carrier, which results in a frightening hybrid, but Baby is even more disturbing in his base form.
Baby’s evil, parasitic nature induces constant anxiety, and he toys with his hosts by pushing himself to distort their bodies and turn them into freaks. An intelligent enemy is a dangerous threat, but, sometimes, a wild and infectious burst of evil can be much worse.
2 Raiti & Zaacro (Dragon Ball Z)
Filler often gets a bad reputation, and Dragon Ball Z can get egregious in this department during some stretches of episodes, but there are other tiny filler sagas that are actually entertaining. The “Fake Namek” filler gets criticized for how it manipulates the audience when Krillin, Gohan, and Bulma get fooled by two conniving aliens, Raiti and Zaacro.
The true nature of these aliens is quite harsh and a stark difference from how Namekians actually look. Raiti and Zaacro’s ability to induce hallucinatory dreams in their victims makes them even creepier.
1 Imperfect Cell (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball Z’s Cell turns into a pompous antagonist who prides himself on how he’s supposedly the perfect life form. Cell reaches perfection by absorbing Androids, but his earlier versions are much rougher around the edges.
Semi-Perfect Cell has some heft to him, but his predecessor, Imperfect Cell, looks like something from a sci-fi movie or the works of David Cronenberg. Imperfect Cell uses his tail to drain the life out of his victims, and the combination of this insectile monster and the desiccated husks of humans amounts to some of Dragon Ball’s most upsetting imagery.