Every hero's most iconic enemy, explained

It is said that a hero is only as good as his villain, and this has proven to be true in many shonen anime series. There are many franchises in the genre that have introduced some of the most memorable and iconic villains of all time and Dragon Ball may be the greatest example of all.

Over the years, the villains of Dragon Ball stories have become some of the most memorable in the anime world and often serve as one of the main reasons why the series is still so fondly remembered today. Over the years, each of the franchise's beloved heroes has had a particular enemy that has been a thorn in their side.

The most iconic enemy of Goten And Trunks was Super Buu

Gotenks legendary enemy

Goten and Trunks are typically spoken of as a singular unit due to their closeness and chemistry. Their most iconic enemy was none other than Super Buu, who they initially faced in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. At one point, they even became the villain's greatest obstacle due to their connection with Gotenks.

With most of the strongest heroes either gone or dead, Goten and Trunks were the only ones left to deal with the threat of Super Buu, who they successfully held at bay for a time thanks to Gotenks incredible strength. However, Gotenks would then be absorbed by the villain to launch a form even stronger than Ultimate Gohan.

Future Trunks' most iconic enemies were the Androids

A scary future

Although Future Trunks will return Dragon Ball Super in the fight against his archenemy Goku Black, for many fans the Androids remain his most famous foes. It was directly because of their actions that the whole story happened the way it did, with the trunks traveling back in time to save Goku so the future could be changed.

Due to the android's wanton destruction and sadistic nature, Gohan was killed, directly forcing Trunks to unlock his awesome Super Saiyan form, becoming the second human in the franchise after Goku himself. While Goku Black remains Trunks' archenemy, no one can say that he was a part of the Saiyan's journey more than the Androids.

Piccolo's most iconic enemy was Goku

A story of perfect redemption

Although Piccolo is now one of the most important and powerful defenders of Universe 7, there was a time when he was one of the greatest threats Earth had to face. The biggest obstacle standing in his way of achieving his sinister goals was none other than Goku, as the two began their relationship as rivals.

Even though they are now invaluable allies, both trying to protect the world, Piccolo and Goku once had a thing for each other. However, thanks to Goku's victory and subsequent pardon against the villain, fans were treated to one of the greatest character redemption arcs of all time, with Piccolo becoming an important hero, all because of the man he once called his enemy.

Broly's most iconic enemy was Gogeta

The biggest merger

When Broly finally made his long-awaited canon debut Dragon Ballhis insane potential was so great that he could easily surpass Super Saiyan Blue Goku, Vegeta, and even Golden Frieza. To end his mindless destruction, Goku and Vegeta combined through the Metamoran Fusion Dance to become the legendary Gogeta.

Once they merged, the battle became incredibly one-sided, with Broly unable to even hit the fusion once he went Super Saiyan Blue. Because of this, it was found that the only way to defeat this monster was to keep it at bay with an absurdly strong character whose strength was closer to the gods of destruction than ordinary characters.

Gohan's most iconic enemy was the perfect cell

A legendary rivalry

One of the most iconic rivalries in the entire franchise is the one shared between Gohan and Perfect Cell. Of course, the last time some version of these two faced off was fairly recently, when Gohan Beast effortlessly defeated Cell Max at the end of the Super Hero arc, but that doesn't even begin to compare to how awesome their original rivalry was.

Perfect Cell goes down as one of, if not the, biggest antagonist in the franchise, mainly because of his infectious, arrogant personality. That's exactly what makes his dichotomy with Gohan so memorable, as the young Saiyan finally unlocks his legendary Super Saiyan 2 form in a final battle against Cell that ends with him defeating the villain once and for all.

Vegeta's most iconic enemy is Goku

The greatest rivalry of all time

Many would argue that Frieza is the most iconic foe Vegeta has ever faced, and there is some truth to that thanks to the pair's history. However, Vegeta has since gone through perhaps the biggest redemption arc in all of anime, and the only reason for that journey is his passionate and beautifully written rivalry with Goku.

Goku started off as bitter villains who were each other's only true rivals in strength, before redeeming Vegeta to become one of Earth's greatest protectors. To this day, they are absolutely integral to each other's journey due to their desire to reach greater heights, leading to some of the best moments for both of their arcs.

Goku's most iconic enemy is Frieza

Galactic Tyrant

While the exact same thing can be said about Goku that was said about Vegeta, most would argue that the most iconic villain Goku faced in his journey was none other than Frieza. Despite having many rivals over the years, none were as pivotal to his journey Dragon Ball story as a whole than Frieza.

One of the most memorable enemies in the anime, Frieza was the reason why Goku went through his legendary Super Saiyan transformation. That, along with Frieza's continued place in the greater Dragon Ball the story makes him not only Goku's most iconic enemy, but also his archenemy Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball Super can be streamed on Crunchyroll.