Dragon Ball: The 10 Best Characters Voiced By Christopher Sabat, Ranked

Dubs don’t always work out. Sometimes it’s due to translation errors; other times, the new actors simply aren’t as good as the originals. This is why Funimation deserves praise for the job they’ve done with dubbing the various Dragon Ball animes. While some still prefer the Japanese version, Funimation’s dub isn’t too far behind.

Someone who deserves plenty of credit for that is Christopher Sabat. From the original Dragon Ball series to Super to the movies, Sabat voices a lot of different characters in the franchise. So many of them, in fact, that it begs the question, which is the best?

10 Nappa

As far as Dragon Ball Z villains go, Nappa is often underrated. He might not have a deep character arc, but he’s a terrifying physical threat – at least in the beginning.

The Saiyan decimates most of the Z Warriors, which is the first time anyone accomplishes that feat in Dragon Ball Z. Plus, it’s an exciting battle too, with the five on one dynamic allowing for some varied sequences. Overall, he’s a solid early saga villain.

9 Recoome

The members of the Ginyu Force are unique antagonists. Their constant posing and general flamboyance set them apart from Goku’s other powerful opponents.

One of the main men in the group is Recoome, who during his time on Namek, puts a beating on Krillin, Gohan, and Vegeta. Most importantly, though, he does it in style with plenty of prancing and posing. As outrageous as the villain is, his sadistic and bully-like attitude makes him easy to hate.

8 Kami

For much of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Kami acts as the guardian of Earth, albeit he doesn’t tend to get his hands dirty.

However, without the Dragon Balls he created, the Z Warriors would’ve perished many years ago. Also, he had a hand in training several of them, most significantly Goku. So, even though he rarely throws punches, he still plays his part. He’s an enjoyable character to have around too.

7 Shenron

Shenron is perhaps the most important non-combatant in the series. Without his magical wish-granting powers, everyone would be dead, and the Earth would be destroyed. Effectively he acts as the clean-up crew for the main heroes.

He appears in every single Dragon Ball series, although as he only turns up when someone makes a wish, those appearances are sporadic. Yet, the moments the giant dragon is summoned are some of the best non-fighting scenes in the franchise.

6 Gogeta

Gogeta is the individual that’s born when Goku and Vegeta successfully perform the fusion dance. Unfortunately, the two Saiyans only join bodies when absolutely necessary, thus the character only appears in GT and a few of the better movies. But when he does, his insane fighting ability and arrogant attitude are fun to watch.

Due to the warrior’s dual voice, Christopher Sabat shares this role with Goku’s voice actor Sean Schemmel.

5 Vegito

Another role that Sabat shares with Schemmel is Vegito. This is the fused Saiyan that Goku and Vegeta become when they wear a set of Potara earrings.

Vegito’s power is similar to Gogeta, but they differ slightly in personality. The Potara earring fighter loves to toy and insult his opponent as he fights them. While that tends to cause problems for the Saiyan, and in turn, the universe, there’s no denying that it’s hilarious.

4 King Piccolo

The original Dragon Ball series has some good villains, but the best is definitely King Piccolo. Naturally, he’s a good fighter, yet it’s the way that he towers over his opponents and his overall presence that make him intimidating.

He’s also unique in that he actually achieves his main goal. The Namekian kills most of Earth’s best martial artists, wishes himself to be young again, and takes over the world just like he plans. It makes for the original series’ best arc.

3 Yamcha

Yamcha is often regarded as the joke of the franchise. His relatively weak power and tendency to be beaten or killed makes him a bit of a laughing stock.

Yet, it’s also the recipe for a great comic relief character. And he’s clearly good in the role since he provides many hilarious moments in each Dragon Ball series, from his baseball antics to his failures with women. In a franchise about people constantly dying and the world being in peril, it’s nice to have someone to lighten the mood.

2 Piccolo

Dragon Ball excels at turning the evilest bad guys into likable heroes. Piccolo is one of the best results of that particular trope. For much of Dragon Ball Z, he’s a fantastic anti-hero whose badass attitude and affinity for Gohan make him a compelling character throughout.

He’s an equally entertaining fighter as he possesses a unique and exciting arsenal of attacks – plus unlike Goku, he invented most of them. In particular, his brawls with Android 17 and Goku are true spectacles.

1 Vegeta

Vegeta has arguably the most engaging arc in the entire franchise. He starts as a cruel villain and slowly transforms into a dependable hero. All the while, he partakes in an incredible rivalry with Goku as the two Saiyans constantly try to surpass each other.

Even when he becomes a better person, he remains an arrogant and ruthless warrior. That’s what people like about him as he’s different from the kind-hearted Goku and Gohan. In fact, without him, very few antagonists would actually die. What’s more, he has plenty of outstanding lines in the series, which are enhanced by Sabat’s strong delivery.

About The Author

Ben Jessey
(88 Articles Published)

Ben Jessey spends all his time playing video games, watching TV, watching movies, watching football aka soccer (which I guess counts as watching TV) or writing about those things. He has a degree in Film and Television studies and is now a freelance writer.

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