Akira Toriyama's Approach to Villains Proves What Modern Manga Still Have to Learn From Dragon Ball

One of the most defining characteristics of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series is how unique and different its villains look. Despite the many enemies Goku and his friends fought throughout the series, none of them look the same.

From galactic emperors who have multiple forms, to bug-like robots ready to destroy Earth, each of the antagonists is easy to recognize.

Anime fans all over the globe can differentiate almost every Dragon Ball villain, as they are excellently designed and rarely ever take characteristics from previous antagonists. This does not tend to be the case in many modern manga, especially shonen, where the main antagonists regularly look like a dark version of the hero.

Related Dragon Ball's Cell Saga Original Villains Could Have Destroyed The Series The Cell Saga is one of Dragon Ball Z's best arcs, but it might not have happened if the original villains considered for the story were used instead!

Toriyama Wanted To Create Something Different

An interview reveals the thought process behind Dragon Ball’s villains

While working on his manga, Akira Toriyama wanted to create memorable villains that would stand the passage of time. This was revealed in an interview, in which he stated his desire to break the rules of antagonist designs from his era. He said in the interview, “I’d always try and come up with 'villains unlike those up to now' and it was pretty difficult.” Dragon Ball’s creator also revealed that he would often feel unsatisfied with the result of his villains, most likely believing that they were not unique enough.

Nonetheless, he stated that he was happy with the final design of Majin Buu. Among Dragon Ball’s villains, the pink monster is indeed one of the more unique of the bunch, and very expressive. Its first form is almost too adorable and innocent to be a villain, and it is still one of the most terrifying villains in existence. His two subsequent transformations, while more in line with the physique of Dragon Ball’s characters, are still widely different from any other member of the cast. Majin Buu is a perfect example of how incredibly well-thought-out Toriyama’s villains are.

Modern Villains Need More Creativity Behind Them

Villains are in desperate need of renovation

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For many years, one of the biggest complaints modern manga have received is the similarities between their villains. Despite not all of them looking alike, the antagonists in modern manga often fail to be as recognizable and iconic as in the past. Their designs tend to be simplistic, looking like an almost regular human or a dark mirror of the protagonist. This is not to say that modern manga have no imaginative and distinctive villains, but they are not as prevalent as they were in the past.

One of the main reasons why Dragon Ball is so successful even decades after its release is the mark its villains left on readers. Frieza’s demeanor and egocentric attitude are beyond iconic. Cell’s rampage against the world and his fight against Gohan are still being talked about today. And few villains can claim to be as peculiar as Majin Buu. Modern villains need to become more extravagant and peculiar, as having a recognizable antagonist can help a manga be remembered years in the future.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of modern manga with villains that have already established themselves as iconic due to their design or personality. More stories need to contain antagonists with similar characteristics, as plain villains can turn an interesting story into a forgettable one.

Dragon Ball Super is available for streaming on Crunchyroll in the U.S.

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