Dragon Ball FighterZ Roster Guide: Which Character Should I Pick?

Are you a bit lost looking at the roster of Dragon Ball FighterZ? We'll help you understand who these characters are.

Article by Mike Williams Reviews Editor, USgamer

Updated on Jan. 15, 2018

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

This the second part to our Gateway Guide to Dragon Ball FighterZ. This part of the guide will endeavor to give you an understanding of who each character is. Not in the way they play—since not all of the roster is playable right now—but the space they occupy in the Dragon Ball universe. Maybe this can help you find a team in Dragon Ball FighterZ that appeals to you.

Warning: I do spoil some Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super stuff in here.

Goku

Available Versions: Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Blue

Goku is the the main hero and primary focus of the Dragon Ball saga. He's the universe's strongest martial artist. If there's a major fight to be had, Goku will be at the center of it. Goku is carefree and a little bit dumb, but calm and strategic in the heart of battle.

Cool Move Names: Kamehameha, Spirit Bomb

Play Goku If: You're the best at everything you do, even if you're not really trying.

Vegeta

Available Versions: Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan Blue

The Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta is on an endless journey to surpass Goku. Originally a villain in the series, Vegeta is a member of Goku's circle of friends inasmuch as he needs to stay around Goku to keep track of his progress. He's a bit of antihero and an all-around angry guy, but also he's a stay-at-home father. Vegeta is weird.

Cool Move Names: Big Bang Attack, Final Flash

Play Vegeta If: You're the second best at everything you do, even when you're trying very hard.

Gohan

Available Versions: Teenage (Super Saiyan), Adult (Mystic)

Gohan is Goku's son. The product of Goku's Saiyan genes and his Earth-born mother, Chi Chi, Gohan is theoretically stronger than his father. While most of the Dragon Ball characters avoid a normal life, Gohan actively runs towards it, initially at the behest of his mother. He holds a close bond with Piccolo, who trained him early on.

Cool Move Names: Kamehameha, Masenko

Play Gohan If: You're busy trying to get your law degree so you're set for life, but your dad and his friends keep trying to get you to play in their band because you're actually damn good on the bass.

Piccolo

Piccolo, like Vegeta, was originally a villain. He was previously a demon, then an alien, then he merged with another alien—look none of this is important. Think of Piccolo as a nicer version of Vegeta. He's a bit angry, but actually has other peoples' well-being in mind.

Cool Move Names: Special Beam Cannon, Hellzone Grenade

Play Piccolo If: People look at your outfit and think you worship Satan, but you're actually a really nice person inside.

Trunks

Vegeta's son from the future. He is very serious because he came back in time to prevent bad things from happening. He is very cool, because he uses a sword despite not needing one. He is nicer than his father because an older version of Gohan trained him.

Cool Move Names: Burning Attack, Heat Dome Attack

Play Trunks If: You're constantly apologizing for the things your family members do.

Krillin

Krillin is an early friend of Goku, back when he was younger and smaller. The constant march of shonen power creep has seen Krillin largely left behind as comic relief. He's known in the fandom as the one who dies before everyone else gets serious. He's married to Android 18.

Cool Move Names: Destructo Disc, Solar Flare

Play Krillin If: You're not really into your friends' scene, but you're always there to help out, even if it goes horribly wrong for you. Your Facebook or LinkedIn profile says "Martyr" somewhere in it.

Gotenks

Okay. This one will take a moment to wrap your head around. Gotenks is the being created from the fusion of Goku's second son Goten and the younger version of Trunks. They're eight year olds that fight because their parents let them and they're stronger. You'd think Child Protective Services would get involved, but Goku and Vegeta can easily destroy planets, so... *shrug*

Cool Move Names: Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack, Galactic Donut (They're eight.)

Play Gotenks If: All you want to do is play, but you have trouble getting things done because you find yourself pulled in two different directions.

Android 18

Krillin's wife and also an artificial human built to kill Goku. She obviously gets over the latter part of that situation before embarking on the former part. Being an Android, 18 has kind of a dry personality. She's in the game as a dual character with her twin brother, Android 17.

Cool Move Names: High-Pressure Energy Wave, Accel Dance

Play Android 18 If: You find yourself losing patience with humanity as a whole, but not enough to wipe them off the face of the planet.

Android 16

An earlier, fully mechanical being created by the same guy who made Android 18. Android 16 is largely peaceful, outside of his programmed animosity towards Goku. He died.

Cool Move Names: Hell Flash, Suicide Bomb

Play Android 16 If: You're a really nice person to everyone except that guy, because he's a dick. Man, I hate that guy too.

Tien Shinhan

Tien is a martial artist that meets Goku early on in his career, before space aliens and gods threatened the planet. He has a third eye because he was born that way. Imagine Krillin, but not useful as comic relief. He has a close friend named Chaozu, who's even less useful.

Cool Move Names: Solar Flare, Tri-Beam

Play Tien If: You're just a person out here living your day-to-day and trying to survive. You have a little something special about you, like a great origami collection or nice balcony garden.

Yamcha

Like Tien, Yamcha is a martial artist Goku met long before everything went all Dragon Ball Z. Now he's just a guy. He strives to be the best warrior, but loses at that. He wants to get married, but as of Dragon Ball Super, he's still single. He plays baseball. His best known image is one of his broken, smoldering body (recreated above in Dragon Ball FighterZ).

Cool Move Names: Wolf Fang Fist, Spirit Ball

Play Yamcha If: You think you're really awesome, but life keeps telling you that you're not.

Frieza

Frieza is probably one of the most iconic Dragon Ball Z villains. The race that killed most of the Saiyans and enslaved the rest? That was Frieza's people. He takes over planets with an eye towards reselling them to other races and destroys planets he can't sell. In a series where bad guys turn good, Frieza is still straight up evil.

Cool Move Names: Death Ball, Death Beam, Death Cannon (Seeing a theme here?)

Play Frieza If: You like being evil. Yeah, you're the guy that rolls up to McDonald's and orders that black coffee just to mess with the kids in the car.

Cell

Cell is the ultimate artificial life form, created by the guy behind Androids 16, 17, and 18. Cell is the antagonist of the Perfect Cell arc. Less of a character and more of a force of nature. He's dead.

Cool Move Names: None, All of his moves are stolen from others.

Play Cell If: You live by the maxim, "Good artists copy; great artists steal."

Buu

Available Versions: Majin Buu, Kid Buu

Buu is an ancient being revived by sorceror Babidi, son of Bibidi. (Get it?) Over the course of the arc in which he is the primary protagonist—which is the last one of the Dragon Ball Z anime—Buu has several forms. Two of these are in Dragon Ball FighterZ: Innocent Buu, a large, rotund version that's playful until he gets angry; and Kid Buu, his "pure" form that exists only to destroy things.

Cool Move Names: Mad Kill Spike, Planet Burst

Play Buu If: You like to toy with your victims before finishing them off. Man, you're evil, huh?

Goku Black

Not actually Goku! Goku Black is actually Zamasu, a Supreme Kai (read: god) of another reality having taken over the body of a version of Goku. Yeah. Unlike Goku and the other Saiyans, when he goes Super Saiyan his hair turns pink. Hence the name Super Saiyan Rosé for his upgraded form. Goku Black is pretty unhinged, wanting nothing more than the destruction of humanity across all universes. He's also one of the few Dragon Ball Super-only characters in Dragon Ball FighterZ.

Cool Move Names: God Split Cut, Sickle of Sorrow, Black Power Ball

Play Goku Black If: If you have everyone and everything and the only thing better than beating your foes is doing it while wearing their colors. So, you're a troll.

Hit

Hit is a fighter from another universe, standing as the strongest member of Team Universe 6 in Dragon Ball Super. Hit is pretty stoic and no-nonsense. He attacks at high speed, dodging most attacks and hitting his opponent before they can even think to counter. Hit is not really a villain; he's only up against Goku and friends because it's a multiversal tournament and the losers will have their universes erased.

Cool Move Names: Time-Skip, Flash Fist Crush

Play Hit If: You listen to metal as sharpen your katana for your daily Naruto run.

Beerus

Beerus is a God of Destruction. His job is to destroy planets. He's an antagonist for one arc, where he comes to the Earth to destroy it, coming into conflict with Goku and crew. Beerus actually beat Goku in the final fight, but appreciates his moxy and spares the planet. Since the current arc of Dragon Ball Super is about fights between universes, he's on the team now. He also loves a good meal.

Cool Move Names: Destruction before Creation, Beerus' Judgement

Play Beerus If: You like cats. He's a cat. Yep.

Nappa

Vegeta's second-in-command back when he was a bad guy. His main claim to fame is being the guy that said "What? 9,000?" after Vegeta said, "It's over 9,000!"

Cool Move Names: Exploding Wave, Bomber DX

Play Nappa If: You never skip the gym, even leg day.

Captain Ginyu

Captain Ginyu is the leader of the Ginyu Force, a group of mercenaries hired by Frieza. They're the warm-up act for Frieza himself during his arc on Dragon Ball Z. Ginyu's more of a trickster than a fighter, with a move that allows him to switch bodies with his opponents. He gets trapped in the body of a frog for a long time.

Cool Move Names: Galaxy Dynamite, Self-Harm

Play Ginyu If: If you like to pose like your favorite Power Rangers/Super Sentai characters.