Akira Toriyama’s vision behind the world of Dragon Ball was simple but effective. As the story progressed, he added more interesting and colorful elements to the story. He thickened the plot with electrifying power-ups, compelling fusions, and threatening villains. During an interview, Toriyama delved into the process behind the creation of the Dragon Ball series. He shared his perception of the villains and how he always wanted to create a challenge for Goku.
He worked his way around this intention by doing things differently with each arc and adding a heavy glaze of humor. His categorization of the villains explains that creating a supreme villain might not have been a part of his plan ever. All he did was look for organic ways to challenge Goku in every shape and form possible. There was also an additional struggle due to the unfair power dynamics.
More than a Supreme Villain, It Was About Challenging Goku
Throughout the Dragon Ball series, we get introduced to several villains, and some of them even become allies for a lifetime. Every villain is more menacing than the previous one or at least an attempt is made to suggest that fact. However, Akira Toriyama believed that Piccolo was the first truly bad villain in the series. He shared in an interview (translations on Kanzenshuuu) how every villain prior to Piccolo had likable traits, he tried to switch things around with the Demon King.
Even Piccolo or Cell could be considered supreme villains, but they had their own ways of matching up the power of the Z warriors. While focusing on creating a compelling and truly threatening villain, Toriyama’s focus was also on other ways in which he could challenge Goku. With how strong he himself was, and his allies who had comparable strengths, posing a challenge could be hard. As there was always someone who would jump in to help him out.
But then after all, I’m always thinking of how there are a lot of guys on our side, but only one enemy. If you think about it, isn’t it unfair? (laughs) They can just gang up on him.
Goku’s allies created unfair power dynamics by coming to his aid. Goku received assistance from his allies quite often as well. There were even times when he had to pass the baton to others in the middle of the fight. Toriyama worked his way around this problem by always having Goku fight one-on-one. He always had help at arm’s length, but the main fight was always his own.
Perfect Segue for the Other Characters to Showcase their Strength
With a character as powerful as Goku, it could be hard to subvert the attention to other characters. By juggling the characters who fight and those who assist, Toriyama balances things out between the other characters and Goku. The fights were turn-based where instead of ganging up against the villain, Goku would run out of steam and others would take over.
The Buu Saga is the best example of this phenomenon. From Gotenks to Vegeta, everyone who could take the spotlight did so. It’s a shame that Gotenks presence was limited primarily to providing comic relief, but Toriyama managed to give everyone their due attention while also challenging Goku. The villains in Dragon Ball might not be the most nuanced or well-written characters even, but they have an iconic streak to them, which makes them supreme in their own way.
Dragon Ball Series is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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