The DRAGON BALL anime/manga powerhouse franchise has seen a resurgence in popularity with the addition of the new series, DRAGON BALL SUPER. Though mostly remembered for big blonde hair, screaming fights, and battles that raged across several episodes, the series still holds a fond place in many fans hearts and featuring epic battles. Though, for many others, nightmare fuel levels over 9000! Here are 7 diabolical scenes from throughout the Dragon Ball series sure to make your hair stand on end higher than a Super Saiyan.

Goku Looks At A Full Moon

Starting in the beginning, when our hero Goku was just a pint-sized adventurer with his friends trying to find the mystical dragon balls for the first time. At the end of the first major arc, our heroes found themselves captured by the nefarious Emperor Pilaf, who wanted to use the ancient relics in order to conquer the world. When his wish is wasted, he decides to waste the gang in a terrible fashion, leaving them in a wrought iron room with a sky window that will roast them all when the sun rises! As they bemoan their fate, Goku recalls how his caregiver, Gohan warned him against looking at the full moon before he was mysteriously killed and the land destroyed. When the full moon rises through the window, the young martial artist decides to take a look anyway, and transforms into a kaiju sized great ape! For those watching the original series at the time, it came as quite a shock to see the young hero turn into a giant, rampaging monster. Only stopped when his allies are forced to cut off his tail, reducing him to normal after Pilaf attempted to fight the beast KING KONG style with a bi-plane… before being knocked down. This wasn’t the last time we would see the great ape transformation, and every time it happened, things would get horrendously seriously.

The Reign Of King Piccolo

The 2nd to last arc of the original DRAGON BALL introduced its most serious and diabolical villain to date, Demon King Piccolo. Despite being named after a woodwind instrument, he’s the DB equivalent of Satan, and damn proud of it. Long story short, he’s the evil half of Kami, the guardian of the Earth, and was sealed away in order to stop his mayhem… only to be released by Pilaf and his gang in a misguided attempt at world domination again. King Piccolo goes to work, fast. Creating a small army of demonspawn to find and hunt down every and all martial artists that may get in his way and kill them before he even makes a major move. Crushing Goku emotionally when his best friend, Krillen is killed and pushing the hero into a quest for justice… only to receive one of the most savage beatdowns in the series.The Demon King showing his pragmatism as well, checking Goku’s pulse to make absolutely sure he’s dead… though not counting on him being healed by allies. King Piccolo manages to gather the dragon balls, wish back his youth and KILL THE DRAGON so no one else can use them! On top of that, actually succeeding in taking over the world, freeing all prisoners, destroying all law and order, and making a literal hell on Earth. Despite being a villain earlier in the franchise, King Piccolo had a disturbingly high success rate of evil.

Frieza And The Planet Trade Organization

As we move up to DRAGON BALL Z, the nightmare fuel tends to get scaled up. As the series took to the stars, even more monstrous enemies were revealed. Case in point, Frieza and his Planet Trade Organization. Frieza is a megalomaniacal tyrant with unbelievable power. Capable of wiping out planets on a whim with a smile on his sinister face. Frieza is one of the heads of the PTO, which deals in the acquisition and sale of planets. Actual planets. And notice I don’t say “Buying” because it’s cheaper for Frieza and his army of super-powered henchmen to just wipe out the populations and sell what’s left. Now he has his sights on the planet of Namek for their dragon balls, so he can wish for immortality and reign eternally and invincible forever. And though the evil overlord wreaks havoc on a galactic scale, he’s sadistic and playful enough to give a personal touch to his mayhem. Enjoying front row seats to his minions slaughtering hapless villagers, or joining the ‘fun’ himself by sadistically beating people to death with his own hands, and even reducing badass characters like Vegeta to tears through sheer force and torture. Series creator Akira Toriyama based him off of real estate speculators, who he considered evil, and it shows.

The Ultimate Lifeform, Cell

The Big Bad of the Androids arc, who earns that title and then some. Unlike a lot of villains, Cell doesn’t appear with fanfare or outward destruction. In the midst of the Android crisis, our heroes hear reports of a mass disappearance in the city of Nicky Town. All the people are gone and all that remains are their clothes with massive punctures… but no blood. We are soon introduced to the terror behind this. Not so much a fighter, as a bio-mechanical monstrosity. Cell is yet another creation of the mad scientist, Dr. Gero. Spliced with the genes of all major heroes and a few villains, Cell’s potential for growth is seemingly limitless. Especially with his ability to absorb average humans as well with his horrifying stinger tail. Gaining power by absorbing countless thousands of average humans to try and boost himself up for his true targets. Android 17 and Android 18. And with his regenerative DNA, he can heal even from being dismembered or blown up. After doing so, attaining his ‘Perfect’ form and becoming a borderline physical god. And once he does become ‘Perfect’ he decides the best thing to do is to hold a final martial arts tournament. Beating everyone before he blows up the planet and goes on a galaxy wide rampage! On top of that, his Imperfect form has one of the creepiest themes of any character.

 

 

Majin Buu, Pink And Deadly

The final enemy of DRAGON BALL Z proper also proved to be the most dangerous. An ancient evil created aeons ago by an evil sorcerer… and is actually rather cuddly. When he’s not killing by the millions or transmogrifying people into candy and devouring them. The thing is, the fat ball of bubblegum isn’t even necessarily evil. Buu’s like a five year old given ungodly power along with a child-like imagination and attention span. And through magical means beyond any other villain, capable of reforming even if reduced to molecules. So, a deadly combination for the people of Earth. Fortunately, his massacre is put to a halt when he’s basically told that killing is wrong. Unfortunately, a series of events lead to his evil side being unleashed and things just get so much worse. Goku and the heroes unable to stop Buu as he literally wipes out the entire population of Earth, culminating in his devolution into his ‘Kid Buu’ form. More compact, but even more destructive. And with no ego or personality beyond destroying everything. Literally, he blows up the Earth right then and there.

A Sadistic God And The Great Destroyer

An entry from the new series, DRAGON BALL SUPER, and well deserving of attention. Though touched upon once or twice, what happens if a villain gains access to the awesome power of Goku, one of the greatest and most powerful characters in the universe? In short: genocide on a universal scale! In the future, an evil double of Goku appears, calling himself ‘Goku Black’ (go figure) and starts wiping out planet after planet, taking devilish glee in personally evaporating populations. On top of that, it turns out to be all part of a ploy by a rogue Kai, one of the divine entities of the ‘verse. Believing gods to be the ultimate lifeforms and mortals to be corrupt and weak, his entire worldview was shattered when he sparred with Goku… and lost. Going mad, he used the dragon balls to steal Goku’s body and enact his ‘Zero Mortals Plan’ in that he literally wants to murder every none god in existence. Zamasu is a an angry, and vengeful god. With a mohawk. And with serious tactical skills, teaming up with his own body switched double and preparing for confronting our heroes by wishing himself physically immortal, making the duo of gods virtually unstoppable.

The Dragon Balls, A Monkey’s Paw

Reflecting on the series as a whole, perhaps one of the most nightmarish aspects of the franchise is its very namesake. In theory, the Dragon Balls seems like a neat mechanic of this world. Just find and collect the seven magic orbs, summon the dragon, and you get a wish. Adventures ensue. But then you think about all the connotations of such a reality warping artifact, and the results can be catastrophic. As noted above, a whole lot of planet destroying villains have sought the balls for their awesome power, and have happily slaughtered their way through countless populations in order to obtain them. Even in the original series, tinpot tyrants like Emperor Pilaf and The Red Ribbon Army would happily amass their forces to get a shot at ultimate power. On top of that, the idea of resurrection seems to have made our heroes a little numb to dying. Considering several characters have been killed several times over the years, not much of surprise.