Dragon Ball Z Video Showcase

is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He first appears in the manga chapter first published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984. He is loosely based on Sun Wukong, a central character in Journey to the West. However, Toriyama changed some of his characteristics to be more original. Goku is introduced as an odd, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. As the story unfolds, he is actually revealed to be from a fictional race of extraterrestrials called Saiyans, said to be the strongest warriors within the fictional universe.

Goku has starred in most of the episodes, films, and specials of the anime series Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, as well as many of the spin-off video games. Outside of the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku has had cameo appearances in Toriyama's self-parody series Neko Majin Z. He has also been the subject of other parodies, and has appeared in various special events and in American pop culture.

is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball universe created by Akira Toriyama as a protagonist for the media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime, soundtracks, movies, television specials, video games, and other collectibles. Gohan is introduced as the first son of the primary protagonist, Son Goku, and his wife, Chi Chi, in volume #17 of the original manga, or the premiere episode of its animated adaptation, Dragon Ball Z. Gohan is the first Saiyan/Human hybrid in the series.

is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball franchise by Akira Toriyama. Trunks is the half-Saiyan son of Vegeta, the prince of the dying race of fictional aliens called the Saiyans, and Bulma, the heir of a massive company called Capsule Corporation. In keeping with the family's tradition of using puns for names, Trunks' name is derived from the term for men's swim shorts.

is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Vegeta first appeared in the manga chapter #204 first published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on December 19, 1988, and in episode 6 of its anime adaptation Dragon Ball Z (though he can be spotted briefly in a still scene in an earlier episode), as the prince of the nearly extinct race of alien warriors called the Saiyans. Vegeta was the original enemy of the series, hoping to use the seven Dragon Balls to gain immortality and galactic rule. As common enemies appear, Vegeta is forced into an often unstable alliance with the protagonists of the series. By the end of the manga, Vegeta develops into a trustworthy ally of the series' main character, Son Goku. Vegeta's character is known for his bitter rivalry with Goku, because in spite of his vigorous training and royal heritage, he often believed his strength and skill to be inferior to that of Goku.Dragon Ball Z, vol. 24 pg ?

is a fictional character who first appears in the Dragon Ball manga created by Akira Toriyama, followed by three anime adaptations. She first appears in the first chapter first published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984.Weekly Shonen Jump #51 December 3, 1984 She was originally portrayed as a secondary main character, next to the main protagonist Son Goku. Her role is quickly downplayed as the series continues, though she does continue her role as a supporting character for the remainder of the series. Bulma is the daughter of Dr. Briefs; the founder of Capsule Corp., a fictional corporation that creates special capsules that are often used to store objects of various sizes. Being the daughter of a brilliant scientist, Bulma is also a scientist, as well as an inventor and engineer. She is most credited for inventing the Dragon Radar, a fictional device that is specifically designed to detect the energy signal emitted by a Dragon Ball.

Bulma's role as an inventor becomes important at several points in the series. Several of her creations were major contributions to various plotlines, including a microband that could make her shrink, the time machine that brought her son Trunks to the past during Dragon Ball Z and the generator that allowed her husband Vegeta to achieve Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball GT.

Category: File - :Dragon Ball Cast.PNG|thumb|250px|The principal cast of Dragon Ball, as depicted in the final chapters of the manga.

This article lists characters who appear in the anime and manga fictional universe of Dragon Ball.