A villain is only as powerful as their strongest transformation, at least in Dragon Ball. Beginning with the Z-era onwards, the franchise’s canonical antagonists have made a habit of one-upping themselves when push comes to shove. Frieza is the first character to really embrace the transformation concept, setting a precedent Dragon Ball has held onto even deep into Dragon Ball Super.
For as often as villains transform in Dragon Ball, they don’t always spend that much time in their final form– dead or dying within a few chapters. This isn’t the case for every antagonist that’s graced the series, but it’s surprising to note which forms in Dragon Ball the main villains actually use most often.
6 Frieza: First Form
Although Frieza’s first form isn’t actually his true form, it is the transformation he spends most of Dragon Ball in. Frieza clarifies on Namek that his “final” form is actually his normal state. Rather than transformation to increase his strength, Frieza transforms to suppress it. Even restricted, however, first form Frieza is no slouch and posed enough of a threat as is.
For as long as the final battle against Frieza is, the Namek arc spends a considerable amount of time building up to that final battle– time that Frieza spends in his first form. Curiously, Dragon Ball Super has made a point to keep Frieza in his final form more often. While DBS: Broly does show Frieza in his first form at the beginning of the film, the present day portion of the movie (along with the Tournament of Power) suggests Frieza is now comfortable maintaining his final form.
5 Cell: Perfect
Cell is actually the only villain in Dragon Ball to be in his final form for the majority of their story arc. Although Cell does spend a fair bit of time in his Imperfect form– less so Semi-Perfect– roughly a third of the arc is spent with Cell in his Perfect form before & during the Cell Games. In fact, most of Cell’s fights happen after he absorbs Android 18.
Cell fights every single Saiyan in his Perfect form, putting down Grade 2, Grade 3, and Full Power Super Saiyan as they arrive. That said, Cell is also the only main villain who was arguably always stronger than the main character: Gohan. Gohan very well could have defeated Cell as a simple Super Saiyan had he the will do so.
Gohan is so strong as a Super Saiyan 2, he’s able to kill Cell with a one armed Kamehameha. Cell also gets a new form come the end of the arc– Super Perfect– but other than adding some lightning and a Super Saiyan-esque aura to his design, Cell doesn’t undergo a major visual change.
4 Majin Buu: Fat Buu
Majin Buu is an interesting case in that the form he spends the most time in is neither his strongest form nor his original form. Rather, Fat Buu is the result of Pure Buu absorbing the Dai Kaioshin. Majin Buu became more docile as a result (and debatably weaker,) before being sealed away by Shin himself. As Buu is now a part of the main cast, this is also the form he’s spent the entirety of Dragon Ball Super in. That alone makes Fat Buu the djinn’s most used form.
In the context of the original Dragon Ball, Evil Buu comes close to matching Fat Buu in terms of chapter count, but he’s offset by his subsequent transformations (Buutenks and Buuhan,) along with the fact that the arc ends with a final battle against Pure Buu. It’s also worth noting that Fat Buu gets actual character development before being replaced by Evil Buu, a rarity for Dragon Ball villains.
3 Goku Black: Super Saiyan Rose
Enraged at the insolence of mortal– particularly Goku’s ascension into Godhood and Trunks’ time travelling– Zamasu vows to wipe out every single mortal in the multiverse so that they no longer taint the world with needless conflict (all while defiling the divine’s sacred image.) Zamasu’s plan involves learning everything about Goku before wishing to swap bodies with him.
As Goku Black, Zamasu has access to all of Goku’s abilities. While he can’t turn into a Super Saiyan right away, Goku Black eventually becomes stronger enough to tap into Super Saiyan Rose– a version of Super Saiyan Blue that’s been influenced by Zamasu’s Kaioshin Ki. Although Goku Black has access to regular Super Saiyan in the manga, most of his battles are fought in SSR. That said, Goku Black is most often depicted not in a transformed state, but in his base form.
2 Broly: Wrath
Where Broly was the Legendary Super Saiyan as far as Dragon Ball Z’s movies were concerned, Dragon Ball Super refashions Broly as little more than a freakishly powerful Saiyan whose raw brute strength is enough to go head to head with Super Saiyan Gods. Having pushed his limits in a harsh environment since birth, Broly can actually tap into his Oozaru strength without needing to transform into a Great Ape. When enough of his senses are gone, Broly triggers how Wrath State– a pseudo transformation that radically raises his Battle Power over the course of a fight.
1 Moro: Prime
Planet-Eater Moro has been wreaking havoc in Dragon Ball Super for months now, but it finally seems as though the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc is finally reaching its conclusion. Moro has gotten considerably more powerful since his introduction, absorbing raw energy through his magic and even taking on the powers of an Angel– Merus.
Moro’s most present form throughout the arc, however, was his Prime form. After unsealing his magical abilities with the Namekian Dragon Balls and draining the planet of its very life, Moro is restored to full power, loses his beard, and sports a look audiences have come to expect out of Dragon Ball villains. For better or worse.