Dragon Ball is one of the greatest franchises of all time, with the stories of Goku and his friends becoming a legendary depiction of what the shonen genre is all about. Dragon Ball wastes no time in introducing viewers to the amazing power dynamics that are present all throughout the series, letting fighters take on new forms to attain an immense level of power that's enough to destroy entire planets!

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Of course, a compelling shonen anime needs its fair share of great villains to elevate the medium. Thankfully, Dragon Ball has had its fair share of amazing antagonists that have become legendary figures in their own right. This is mainly due to their amazing introductions, with the best of the lot being ranked on this list.

10 The Ginyu Squad

dragon ball z kakarot ginyu force

While The Ginyu Squad might not have been the most powerful foes around, there's no denying the fact that they had an amazing screen presence. Their comedic antics underplay the threat they brought in combat, making for an engaging group of foes that gave the Z Warriors a ton of trouble.

Captain Ginyu was the most powerful enemy of the lot, but even he couldn't hold a candle to the power of Goku. While he did manage to switch bodies with his foe, these efforts ultimately led to nothing.

9 Cell

Dragon Ball Z Screenshot Of An Imperfect Cell Close up

Cell is easily one of the most compelling antagonists in the entire series. That being said, his introduction wasn't particularly intimidating.

After all, Cell appeared as a bio-android who hadn't even reached his full power level. His bug-like appearance and cowardly antics early on made most people underestimate his presence... before he ended up absorbing Android 18 and 19, that is.

8 Android 16, 17, & 18

Android 16, 17, & 18 in Dragon Ball

Given how casual the trio of Android 16, 17, & 18 appears at first glance, it's hard to believe that these Androids were going to bring ruin to earth. However, it only took one fight against Super Saiyan Vegeta to put all these doubts to rest.

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These Androids might've undersold their power, but that's not taking anything away from their imposing presence. They were great antagonists who ended up playing an important role in the story.

7 Piccolo

King Piccolo with Tien

Most people consider Piccolo to be the stone-hearted Namekian whose heart softened with Gohan's presence. That being said, the truth of the matter is that Piccolo was anything but good when he was introduced for the first time.

King Piccolo was a vile creature who almost killed Goku and used the Dragon Balls for his own nefarious purposes. It didn't help that his aging appearance made him look even more menacing early on in the series.

6 Broly

Broly in Dragon Ball Super

Broly is a legendary villain in the Dragon Ball canon who has received a fresh makeover during the events of Dragon Ball Super. Both the new series and his appearances in the Dragon Ball Z movies were pretty legendary in their own right.

Watching this calm Saiyan turn into a berserk fighter at the mere sight of Goku was absolutely terrifying back in the day. Dragon Ball Super has made him more of an empathetic figure, which has worked well in his favor.

5 Kid Buu

Kid Buu in Dragon Ball Z

Majin Buu wasn't really the most compelling antagonist around. However, after his face turn, it took some time before the ultimate evil form of this villain took center stage.

Kid Buu appeared with a vengeance and wasted no time in showing just how hungry for destruction he really was. The callous manner in which he destroyed Earth was incredibly shocking and made him one of the most powerful beings to appear on the show.

4 Goku Black

goku black

The idea of an antagonist sporting the face of the main character is extremely unnerving. While this idea had been implemented in the Dragon Ball Z movies, Dragon Ball Super went above and beyond with this concept with the introduction of Goku Black.

The manner in which Goku Black killed Bulma was extremely brutal and established him as a riveting antagonist. Watching the Saiyans trying to best this foe makes for one of the best arcs in Dragon Ball Super.

3 Vegeta

Vegeta on Namek Cropped

Vegeta might be everyone's favorite Saiyan right now, but there was a time when the Prince of all Saiyans was a dastardly villain who wanted to use the Dragon Balls for his own nefarious purposes. The manner in which he appeared and struck fear in the hearts of foes during the Saiyan Saga was pretty amazing to witness.

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His first impression was strong and made it clear that he wasn't wasting any time trying to prove his powers to anyone. This fact itself made him such an amazing villain early on... and that's not even mentioning his Majin variant!

2 Beerus The Destroyer

Beerus and the Hakai Energy in Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball Super needed to kick things off with a bang to attract more viewers to the series. It managed to do so with the advent of a Destroyer God and the introduction of a brand new Super Saiyan transformation.

Beerus initially seemed like a person inclined solely towards destroying planets for the sake of it. However, over time, Beerus becomes an endearing character who helps Goku and Vegeta reach new heights in power.

1 Frieza

Dragon-Ball-Z-Frieza

It would be impossible to not give Frieza the credit he deserves. He is one of the most legendary villains in Dragon Ball history, to the point where he was brought back once again in Super!

His introduction early on in Dragon Ball Z was pretty intimidating, with his name being brought up time and time again before he finally showed his presence. The fact that he had a bunch of new forms also made him such an amazing antagonist.

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