Throughout the history of Akira Toriyama's massive and beloved Dragon Ball franchise, there have been many amazing villains - some of anime's greatest. These antagonists wield unimaginable power, many being able to destroy entire galaxies single-handedly. The amount raw strength needed to fend of someone like Goku is absurdly huge, but these bad guys don't disappoint.
Gods and wizards, androids and aliens - Dragon Ball has it all. Normally, ranking these adversaries would mean judging them purely on power. But, a great villain is more than just energy beams and planet busting. Instead, what these 10 baddies were able to accomplish during their respective sagas will be what they're ranked on today.
10. Babidi
While Babidi is easily one of the weaker villains in the Dragon Ball franchise, he was still able to accomplish more than most. Being a wizard, Babidi specializes more in magic than fighting, leading to some uniquely impressive feats. He was able to successfully awaken Majin Buu by recruiting powerful fighters to join his cause, including Dabura and even Vegeta. If it weren't for Babidi, the Buu saga would have never taken flight. He may not stand out as a fighter, but he was an exceptional puppet master, pulling strings to perfection to accomplish his ultimate goal: releasing the horrors of Majin Buu on the universe once again.
9. Mercenary Tao
Mercenary Tao, the assassin for hire, doesn't have a very long list of accomplishments, but he does have one big triumph under his belt. Mercenary Tao was able to outclass Goku in every facet of combat and was even able to take a Kamehameha Wave at full force from him when the two first met. The calculating assassin would have killed Goku with his powerful Dodon Ray if it weren't for the 4-star dragon ball that the young Saiyan hid beneath his gi, protecting his heart. The impact that Mercenary Tao had when he first appeared may be minuscule compared to the modern-day villains of Dragon Ball Super, but he gave Goku his first near-death experience in a serious fight.
8. Garlic Jr.
Garlic Jr. is one of the more interesting villains in Dragon Ball Z, but not because of the battles. Not only was he able to gain immortality with Earth's Dragon Balls, he was also able to easily take control of Earth's population. To do this, Garlic Jr. employed the mysterious Black Water Mist, which turned anyone who inhaled it into his ravenous, bloodthirsty slaves. There have been Dragon Ball bad guys with the power to destroy the Earth, but Garlic Jr. was the first to ever enslave it.
7. Dr. Gero
The Red-Ribbon Army's scientist-turned-android was known for creating artificial life-forms that were absurdly strong. Hell-bent on revenge against Goku, Dr. Gero would go on to turn two normal humans, Lapis and Lazuli, into the fearsome Androids No.17 and No.18, who were strong enough to handle all of the Z-fighters with relative ease. While No.17 and No.18 are ridiculously strong, they weren't his greatest creations. The mad-scientist collected the cells of the strongest Z-fighters, including Goku, Vegeta and even fellow villains Frieza and King Cold to create his greatest android, Perfect Cell.
6. Cell
Cell is very different from his "brother" and "sister", No.17 and No.18, in the sense that he was able to absorb living life-forms to increase his power. In an act of cruelty and vengeance, Cell was specifically built and programmed to hunt down and absorb Dr. Gero's other androids to reach his full potential. Cell was a living form composed of the DNA of some of the greatest fighters in the universe, giving him the ability to reach levels far beyond that of Super Saiyan. He even had the cells of Frieza and King Cold. At the time of his arrival, there were very few who could stand up to Cell in his perfect form, including Goku. He inherited the greatest traits, moves, and strengths from the Saiyan race, the Namekians and Frieza's race as well, making him dangerous and formidable. During his time on the show, Cell truly was a force to be reckoned with.
5. King Piccolo
When the Great Demon King made his first appearance in Dragon Ball, he threw the entire Earth into chaos. First appearing as an older character, King Piccolo was eventually able to regain his youth and do something that no other villain had done before him in the series: destroy the Eternal Dragon, Shenron. He also created his own mutant "children" that were strong enough to best many of the Z-fighters. Piccolo was responsible for the deaths of Krillin, Chiaotzu, Master Roshi Master and Roshi's legendary teacher, Master Mutaito. Even Goku was temporarily killed by the fierce Namekian, but saved by Yajirobe after his heart had been stopped. King Piccolo was the first serious villain in the series, waging war on the Earth and becoming the first big bad to kill some of the series' most beloved characters. He set the tone for all the villains in the franchise even after the series continued to evolve.
4. Moro
The newest villain to join the Dragon Ball franchise's long list of evil heavyweights is"Planet Eater" Moro. He is the Dragon Ball Super manga's current main villain and is certainly no pushover. Moro was able to defeat Goku and Vegeta soundly with minimal resistance using his ability to absorb the energy of living things around him to boost his strength. Moro's energy absorption skill is so deadly that he can even absorb the living essence of planets, increasing his already vast magical and physical prowess. He's already destroyed several planets and stolen their life energy, including New Namek, and also used the Namekian Dragon Balls to grant himself eternal youth. Moro was able to eradicate all the Namekians residing on New Namek, destroying the Namekian Dragon Balls in the process. With his youth intact and having access to his most powerful abilities thanks to the Dragon Balls, Moro will be sure to add to his list of accomplishments. He's the most daunting villain that the Dragon Ball universe has ever seen.
3. Zamasu/Goku Black
Zamasu's feats are so great that there's little one could do to dispute his rank as one of the top 3 Dragon Ball villains of all time. A former Supreme Kai-in-training, he was able to gather the Super Dragon Balls...twice. He stole Goku's body, then went on to travel through time and wreak havoc across Trunks' timeline. To make matters worse, the Zamasu of the future met up with Goku Black, the alias that his present day counterpart took on. Goku Black was able to reach the realm of the gods and unlock a new transformation: Super Saiyan Rosé. Goku Black and Zamasu teamed up together to wipe all of the gods out of existence in the future timeline, which is no small feat. They even fused their bodies, becoming so strong that no one could stop them, including the combined might of Goku and Vegeta when the two fused into Vegito. There has never been a terror like this duo across all of Dragon Ball history as they created a world where literally no one but the Omni King could stand up to them and put an end to their reign.
2. Kid Buu
Kid Buu is the crazed representation of pure, unadulterated evil wrapped up in a child's body and painted pink. While his looks are deceiving, Kid Buu is the first villain in the series to possess the all-powerful God-Ki. The pink menace ran rampant across the universe, destroying whole galaxies while searching for Goku and Vegeta. He even destroyed the Earth for a quick laugh. Kid Buu lacks a conscience, feeling no kind of remorse for the awful acts he commits. He was so fixated on destruction that he would often destroy himself along with the planets he blew up, reforming immediately afterward. Buu was so powerful that he could emulate techniques after only seeing them for an instant, including Goku's Instant Transmission and the legendary Kamehameha Wave. No one in the universe could escape the wrath of Buu, as he could jump from dimension to dimension, even traveling to Other World while still alive. Kid Buu knew nothing but death and destruction; no other villain in Dragon Ball history personified pure monstrosity as much as this small, pink terror.
1. Frieza
Frieza is currently the longest-lived villain in the history of the franchise, and the most consistent when it comes to causing trouble for the Z-fighters. Frieza was an all-powerful tyrant and emperor when he first appeared in Dragon Ball Z. Responsible for the destruction of Planet Vegeta, the original Planet Namek and even the Earth at one point, Frieza's only joy is committing unspeakable acts of evil. The emperor of the universe completely decimated the Saiyan race - save a few survivors - and ruthlessly laughed as the Saiyans' homeworld exploded before his eyes. Frieza rarely shows any mercy, murdering powerful fighters and innocent children with equal malice for no other reason besides his own entertainment. After his resurrection in Dragon Ball Super, the pan-universal tyrant wasted little time getting back to his evil ways, raising his power to even greater heights and unlocking his signature Golden Frieza form. He was able to fight on par with Goku after the Saiyan unlocked Super Saiyan Blue, nearly killing him. He is still alive at the conclusion of Dragon Ball Super and his reign of terror across the universe will undoubtedly continue.