Dragon Ballis no stranger to iconic villains. From Frieza to Cell and eventually Majin Buu, the series offers fights between not only the most recognizable heroesbut also several of the most popular bad guys in anime history. As the series went on, and with the introduction of Super Saiyan during the Namek Saga, transformations became the norm inDragon Ball. However, in the case of villains, those transformations become all the more complicated with each new passing threat.
Frieza had five transformationsduring his initial time in the series, a number that even Akira Toriyama felt was too many. Cell, on the other hand, had three, with some vague discrepancies surrounding his Perfect form and the often separately categorized Perfect Cell.Majin Buu, however, might just be the most complicated villain of them all, andDragon Ballnever exactly took much time to spell out how he worked. Akira Toriyama was famous for never planning too far ahead, and likely kept the differences in his forms vague on purpose. Nevertheless, there’s more to Buu than fans realize.
Majin Buu Takes Many Forms
The Iconic Villain Has Appeared Differently Throughout His Time in Dragon Ball
When Majin Buu first appeared inDragon Ball, he looked nothing like what both fans and the characters in the series expected. He wasa big round blob of bubble gum-esque pink matter with a playful demeanor and destructive touch. The key element of the Majin Buu that first appeared is that he isn’t pure evil by any means, as the series showcases with the character’s role today. This is because the original Buu, or Kid Buu as fans have come to know him, absorbed the Grand Supreme Kai, taking on both his physical and behavioral characteristics.
However, there was still evil in Buu, and like the Nameless Namekian before him, he split into two beings: a Buu that was free from evil and identical to his previous form, and a gray, skinnier Buu, aptly named Evil Buu. The previous version of the character became purely good, though this created a problem when the evil version, with a much more aggressive fighting style, quickly defeated and absorbed Buu,leading to his next transformation into the more muscular and powerful Super Buu.
It’s uncertain whether the evil version is actually stronger in any way, though his intense aggression gave him the upper hand over his better half in battle. After Evil Buu absorbed Good Buu,the Grand Supreme Kai’s nature was overpowered, essentially forming the same entity as the Buu that first appeared, but with greater evil tendencies and a changed appearance. From there,he took on several other forms, including Buu (Piccolo Absorbed), Buutenks, the fan-favorite Buuhan, and finally Kid Buu, who reverted to his original form after expelling every absorbed fighter.
No Other Dragon Ball Villain Is Like Buu
Buu Wasn’t a Threat Because of His Strength, But Because He Was Pure Evil
Dragon Ballis a relatively simple story with a simple structure. A villain stronger than anyone else will appear, and Earth’s heroes will either train, transform, or use teamwork to win. This is seemingly the case for every conflict in the series, except forthe Majin Buu Saga. By the time Goku and Vegeta begin fighting Kid Buu,the former is actually quite a bit stronger than his opponent, as is Gohan, who, unfortunately, wasn’t able to help. Kid Buu wasn’t a threat because he was the strongest, but because he seemingly had unlimited endurance and was pure evil.
He wouldn’t hesitate to blow up the Earth mid-fight or cause any harm to himself to harm his opponent. Fortunately, Kid Buu was eventually defeated,and the Good Buu he expelled is the one remaining in the series.Dragon Ballcan often get complicated withtransformations and various forms of characters, and though Buu is the fighter with the most moving parts, Akira Toriyama was able to keep his origin relatively coherent. UnlessDragon Ball Daimareturns with an all-new Majin villain, it’s likely Buu will remainDragon Ball’s most complex fighter.
Dragon Ball Z
Cast
Dragon Ball Z follows Goku, who lives a peaceful life with his family until the arrival of Raditz, a mysterious warrior claiming to be Goku’s brother. This revelation unveils their true heritage as Saiyans, a formidable warrior race known for conquering planets.
