Android

Android Jinzōningen Cyborg
Homeworld	Earth
Average Height	Similar to the average Human
Diet	Don't require food
Sapience Level	Sapient

Androids (サイボーグ, Jinzōningen) are robotic/cyborg humans, most of them created by the evil scientist Dr. Gero. Most of the androids are said to have unlimited energy and have eternal life. They also have no aura unlike Saiyans, Humans, and others. There are at least 8 android models shown to have been fully functional (out of the RRA Series) throughout the series (11 if you count Cell, #20 who is really Dr. Gero, and Super 17 who his half android half machine mutant).

[edit] Background

The androids served as main villains during the Android Saga and the Imperfect Cell Saga, each serving a purpose of their own. Originally, all of the androids were plans used to kill Goku, however, most of the androids turned to the good side or were killed. However, in the Future Trunks time line, the androids succeeded in their plans for world destruction, managing to kill all of the main Z Fighters (except for Goku, who died of a heart virus, and Gohan, who survived but was killed 13 years later) until later being finally killed by Trunks almost 20 years later.

There are three types of androids seen in the series, according to their power supplies:

1. The kind with no drawbacks and an unlimited power supply (such as #16, #17 and #18).
2. The kind which requires constant intake of energy, usually stolen from victims, to keep their power reservoir from draining, which would cause the android to malfunction (such as #19 and #20).^[1] Curiously, Dr. Gero oversees his configuration into the latter, rather than the type with no apparent limitations (though it's implied by 18 that this was because the energy-absorbing model was easier to control).
3. Cell. See below.*

There are also three types of androids seen in the series, according to their "base" or materials:

1. "Cyborgs", androids made from an original human as a base (such as #17, #18 and #20).
2. "Total artificial construct types", androids which were made up completely from mechanical parts (such as #13, #14, #15, #16, and #19)). For some reason, the totally artificial ones have a blood-like liquid crimson substance, presumably a kind of red power oil.
3. Cell. See below.*

Cell is the only example of the third kind of android depicted in the series known to exist, both based on base material and power supply. He is a bio-mechanical android, constructed bio-artificially rather than from machine parts and/or a human base. Also, his power runs on some form of cross-organic ki based on cells from different humans, Saiyans and other species, which makes it generally circulate the same way as that of organic warriors.

His cells also possess elements of the first two power supply types as well. For one, he is able to absorb the energy of others and integrate them into his being through his tail, either by sucking them up or swallowing them whole. The latter method actually transforms him into a stronger state, and if he absorbs both #17 and #18 this way, he enters a form of evolution he describes as "perfection". Also, his cells can store memory of any form of power they ever taste, allowing him to return to that form if he should ever nearly become vaporized after losing it. Thanks to this and combined with the Seikan healing factor of his Saiyan cell properties, he can in fact return from near death even stronger than ever before no matter how severely he should be weakened beforehand.

[edit] Red Ribbon Army Series

• Major Metallitron (Created by the Red Ribbon Army, destroyed by Goku and again by Pan, and may have not been made by Dr. Gero)
• Android 1 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 2 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 3 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 4 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 5 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 6 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 7 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 8 (Created by Dr. Gero (and Dr. Flappe in the anime), considered failure, living in peace with Suno)
• Android 9 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 10 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 11 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 12 (Considered failure and destroyed)
• Android 13 (Created by Dr. Gero's supercomputer, considered failure and destroyed in manga)
  • Super Android 13 (Fused with Androids 14 and 15, killed by Goku in Movie 7)
• Android 14 (Created by Dr. Gero's supercomputer, considered failure and destroyed in manga, killed by Future Trunks in Movie 7)
• Android 15 (Created by Dr. Gero's supercomputer, considered failure and destroyed in manga, killed by Vegeta in Movie 7)
• Android 16 (Pure robotic, considered failure, killed by Perfect Cell, possibly resurrected)
• Android 17 (Half-human and half-android (correct term cyborg), considered failure, fused with Hell Fighter 17, resurrected)
  • Future Android 17 (Half-human and half-android (correct term cyborg), considered failure, reigned terror on Earth for nearly 20 years, eventually killed by Future Trunks)
  • Hell Fighter 17 (Machine mutant, fused with Android 17)
    • Super 17 (Fusion of Android and Hell Fighter 17, half-cyborg and half-machine mutant, killed by Goku and Android 18)
• Android 18 (Half-human and half-android (correct term cyborg), considered failure, living in peace with Krillin)
  • Future Android 18 (Half-human and half-android (correct term cyborg), considered failure, reigned terror on Earth for nearly 20 years, eventually killed by Future Trunks)
• Android 19 (Pure robotic, considered success, killed by Vegeta)
• Android 20 (Robotic body of Dr. Gero, killed by Android 17 and again by Super 17)
• Cell (Bio-mechanical, distractedly killed by Gohan, Krillin, or Trunks, depending on timeline)

The android ABC guide explains the origin of all the androids canon to the storyline

[edit] Other Androids

• Arale Norimaki (Created by Senbei Norimaki in Dr. Slump, appeared in Dragon Ball))
• Dr. Kochin (Movie character, accidentally killed by Dr. Wheelo (knocked him into a chasm where he exploded))
• Dr. Wheelo (Movie character, killed by Goku in The World's Strongest)

[edit] Trivia

• Before the android concept had become more fleshed out in the anime series, particularly by the Trunks Saga (when previously there was only one android character in the franchise), the term 'android' is used in "Enter Goku" by Vegeta, to describe the seemingly invincible Recoome.
• To date, no single video game has featured all of the androids that appear in the Dragon Ball series and the movies based on it. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 comes close, but still does not include Androids 14 and 15, or Dr. Kochin.
• The 17 and 18 of the main timeline and the 17 and 18 of Future Trunks' ruined timeline seem to have differing morals: In Future Trunks' timeline, the duo enjoy destroying everyone and everything in sight, not caring who they hurt, while looking for a good time in the process. However, in the main timeline, 18 impatiently wants 16 to fight Goku whereas 17 just wants to have fun driving around. While the main timeline's duo scare and surprise many people, neither android ever actually kills anyone (except Dr. Gero).
• Trunks notes that the androids of his timeline, while much stronger than him, are not as strong as the ones seen in the main timeline. This may be due to the fact that Dr. Gero's bug sized robot tracking device had gathered information later on that noted Goku's strength. In the main timeline, Goku would have been considerably stronger than before he died in Trunks' timeline, as he spent three years training.
• Although they are all called androids, 17, 18 and Dr. Gero are actually cyborgs. Cell, on the other hand, is completely bio-mechanical.
• All, or nearly all of the Androids that are featured, have been capable of keeping up and even surpassing the intensity of Super Saiyan level, but would be easily defeated by anything beyond that level. A possible exception would be Cell's Super Perfect form, which could possibly match that of the Super Saiyan 2 level.
• Despite being mechanical, thus having no soul or inner essence, even the full androids still manage to make it to other world after their destruction (As Android 19, and Kochin's Bio-men are seen in Fusion Reborn)
  • Android 16, on the other hand, seems to be an exception, never being seen anywhere in Other World since his destruction at the hands of Cell.

[edit] References