It’s not a stretch to say that Dragon Ball FighterZ may very well be the most anticipated fighting game of the year. With its stunning saturday-morning visuals and astounding attention to detail, FighterZ is shaping up to be a wish come true for Dragon Ball fans. With any fighting game, a great deal of hype comes from the quality and quantity of the roster. As a Dragon Ball fan myself, here are ten characters that I think need to be in Dragon Ball FighterZ.
Honorable Mentions: Jaco, Baby Vegeta, Demon King Piccolo, and Broly.
Obvious Choice – Mr. Satan (Hercule)
Few Dragon Ball characters are as iconic as Mr. Satan, known in the West as Hercule. Viewed by some people (jealous losers) as a cowardly braggart, it’s well-known that Mr. Satan saved the World from both Cell and Buu. He’s a true hero in every sense of the word. Satan himself would provide some much needed variety to the usual roster of Saiyans and aliens, as he’s just a noble, humble human with a plethora of unique attacks.
Gameplay-wise, Satan would use his usual array of traps and weapons, ranging from bombs disguised as presents to his rolling-dynamite punch. He’s been in almost every single Dragon Ball fighting game, so it would be an utter shame to break that streak now. How could Arc Systems not include the World Champ?
10 – Mecha Freeza
This pick may seem redundant since Freeza is already a playable character, but I have a specific version of Mecha-Freeza in mind. Rather than his regular cyborg form that’s featured in his short-lived battle against Future Trunks, Mecha Freeza would sport his Super Dragon Ball Z design.
For the unaware, Super Dragon Ball Z was a fantastic DBZ arcade fighter that is criminally underrated. At the game’s release, Akira Toriyama himself created a new design for Mecha Freeza, with more detailed robotic parts and an enormous cybernetic cannon. This design would allow Freeza to utilize an entirely new moveset, based more around his robotic weapons than his usual Death Beams. Giant cannon blasts and buzzsaws would fill his moveset up, making for a fun character who looks far cooler than he has any right to.
9 – Captain Ginyu
The reason Ginyu is so low on the list is purely because he’s practically guaranteed to be in the game. Serving as a major antagonist in the stellar Namek Saga, Captain Ginyu is the titular leader of the Ginyu Force, a creative parody of the tokusatsu genre, and Freeza’s right-hand man. His reappearance in Dragon Ball Super gives him extra moveset potential, and extra costumes based on the bodies he borrowed in those episodes.
Alongside the usual Milky Cannon blast attacks, Ginyu could focus on a variety of ranged attacks to keep his opponent at bay while he prepares to use his iconic Body Swap attack, which would let him take on his opponent’s form, health, and moveset. To further mess with his opponent, Ginyu could feature attacks that reduce his own health, leading to a high-risk playstyle that focuses on evasion and precision. And what would be more satisfying than taking over an opponent’s body when they have way more health than you?
8 – Tien
Like Captain Ginyu, Tien’s placement on this list is heavily influenced by his high likelihood of being included in the game. Tien could serve as another human representative in FighterZ, though there’s a great deal of debate as to whether the Triclops race is alien or human. Either way, Tien is an essential member of the Z Fighters, and one of the few non-Saiyan fighters that remained relevant beyond the Saiyan Saga.
Tien’s moveset would be a mix between close and long-range, capitalizing on his Crane-style combat training and his tri-beam projectiles. If we’re getting creative, Tien could have Chiaotzu floating around him to provide extra projectiles and hits, serving as a partner character/Strider Hiryu-esque drone. Similar to Captain Ginyu, Tien’s Neo Tri-Beam could shave away his health in exchange for extra shots, providing a similar high-risk high-reward character.
7 – Tao Pai Pai
Dragon Ball pre-Z is referenced far too little in Dragon Ball fighting games, and the best remedy for that would be Tao Pai Pai, assassin extraordinaire and the man who gave Tien his sweet chest scar. Serving as a main antagonist in Dragon Ball, Tao is one of the few people to defeat Goku. Not only that, but he eventually becomes part robot, which is always appealing to me.
Tao’s moveset could be the most unique in the game, revolving around assassin techniques, dodon-rays, and throwing giant stone pillars. Using fast pokes and steady up-close damage, Tao would be able to rush opponents with quick and strong stabs and heavy chip damage. To balance this out, his status as a regular human could make him a glass cannon, with little health and defense. Tao could even change into his cyborg form for his ultimate, using his hand-blade to slash his opponent, finish with a super Dodon Ray. The moveset potential is expansive with Tao, and it would serve as a refreshing change of pace from more beam-based characters.
6 – Dabura
Dabura is a pretty “out there” character choice, as he only really appears during the beginning of the Buu Saga. Holding the position of “Demon King”, Dabura served Babidi in his quest to revive Majin Buu. While Dabura was shown to have some neat skills and some solid story potential, he joined Babidi’s other henchmen by dying far too quickly. Dabura could be a fantastic character in FighterZ, however, and here’s how.
Dabura could serve as a “medley” character by implementing Babidi and his henchman as different Super attacks to fill out his moveset. Dabura’s main attacks would revolve around ruthless sword slashes and his ability to transform enemies to stone by spitting on them. As Dabura stuns and slashes, Spopovich and Yamu could deal heavy physical damage, while Pui Pui and Yakon could unleash Ki attacks. Dabura’s Ultimate could have him turn his opponent to stone, slash them to pieces, and have Babidi blast them away. While this would obviously be an ambitious moveset to say the least, Dabura and his crew could be a stand-out character.
5 – Android 17
Android 17 is a personal favourite character of mine, meaning my opinion on his inclusion is a bit biased. Nonetheless, he’s as important as Android 18, especially with his newfound relevance in Dragon Ball Super’s current tournament arc. As another villain from the Android and Cell Sagas, 17 was the most ruthless android, finding a great deal of fun in toying with his opponents before killing them. 17 would eventually redeem himself and become a Park Ranger, which most would agree is the last occupation they would picture him having.
Android 17 would serve as the Ken to Android 18’s Ryu, serving as an enhanced palette swap with slightly different moves and attack range. 17’s attacks would deal more damage to reflect his cruel personality, while he would take more damage to represent his recklessness. As a nod to one of the few strong parts of Dragon Ball GT, 17’s Ultimate could have him transform into his most powerful form, Super 17, as he lays waste to his opponent with his gun arms. As Super continues, we could see new moves that would work in FighterZ, so be sure to stay tuned.
4 – Hit
In my humble opinion, Hit is the best thing to come out of Dragon Ball Super. Introduced as the deadliest and most fearsome assassin of Universe 6, Hit’s ability to slightly manipulate time would go on to catch Goku’s attention, leading to a strange sense of respect between the two.
Hit’s moveset would be largely based around his time manipulation, and elegant and calculated attacks fitting of the universe’s greatest assassin. Hit would definitely be a specialist character, requiring precise timing and quick-thinking to nail his counters and hits. Hit would be another character who’s refreshingly melee based, as he doesn’t share the beam-based attacks that most other characters focus on. His Ultimate attack could freeze the stage and his opponent for a set period of time, allowing for some ridiculous culminating damage that all hits at one as soon as time resumes.
3 – Tapion
Let’s throw a movie character in FighterZ, specifically the best one. Being an ambiguously non-canon warrior who gives Future Trunks his sword, Tapion exists to destroy the monstrous behemoth known as Hirudegarn, featured in the DBZ film Wrath of the Dragon. Tapion serves as something as a mentor to young Trunks, and looks a lot like Chrono Trigger’s Crono all the while.
Tapion would have a mid-range sword-based moveset, focusing on energy-based slashes and stabs that crumple the opponent, leaving them open to extra attacks. He could use his Hero’s Flute to give himself barriers and buffs, alternating him between different damage modes. He could even trap opponents in his music box as an Ultimate move, followed by a barrage of slashes that destroys them while in the box. While I don’t expect many, if any, movie characters to be included in Dragon Ball FighterZ, Tapion is the one that I would love to see most.
2 – Caulifla
While she was only recently introduced in Dragon Ball Super, Caulifla has already made waves in the community for being the first canon female Super Saiyan. While this has little bearing on her character, it’s more her aggressive fighting style and Goku-like behaviour that sets her apart from most other Saiyans.
Caulifla would have a largely reckless and heavy damage-based moveset, focused around slower hits that hit hard. A part of Caulifla’s moveset would be her protegé, Kale, attacking in her Broly-like form. Originally, Kale was in this slot independently, but outside of her transformation, Kale wouldn’t have many moves. As such, combining Caulifla and Kale felt natural. Caulifla is the primary character with physical attacks, while Kale flies in for Super and Ultimate attacks, firing off her green energy blasts while crushing enemies with huge punches. This mix of two characters would take advantage of each of their strengths, while providing an incredibly different playstyle for fans of the characters.
1 – Beerus
If Hit is the best thing to come out of Dragon Ball Super, Beerus is the best thing to come out of the post-Buu DBZ era in general. Unlike godly figures like Supreme Kai and Kami, Beerus is a lethargic, grumpy, and endlessly hungry God of Destruction. He can destroy a planet with one finger, but a delicious meal is enough to keep him from destroying the earth. Beerus quickly became one of my absolute favourite anime characters, and his inclusion in FighterZ is an absolute must.
As seen in other games, Beerus would have a widespread and erratic moveset, reflecting his unpredictability. Rapid Ki blasts and spread-shots would make Beerus impossible to dodge, while his speed would let him zip around the screen. Beerus could use counters to keep excitable opponents in check, such as him grabbing his opponent and flicking them in the head, sending them crashing into the ground. If we’re thinking cinematically, Beerus’s Ultimate attack could have him fly into the sky and obliterate the stage where players are fighting, fitting of his occupation as the God of Destruction. And if we’re aiming for some gag-based moves, Beerus’s taunt could have him eat a tasty cup of pudding, restoring a very minute amount of health.
And those are my choices for the characters that need to be in Dragon Ball FighterZ. Leave your choices in the comments below, and stay tuned to MonsterVine for all the latest Dragon Ball FighterZ news and previews.
