Why do people constantly criticize Dragon Ball villains for not having enough depth?

It’s just a comicbook guys. Why does it NEED to be Shakespeare just to have some tiny level of quality? What really cracks me up is that these same people crying for more “depth” will then turn around and praise their favorite comicbooks and think characters like Electro or Mangog are badass.

They are one-dimensional villains. Look Joker and General Zod or Alexander Pierce if you want a great villain with depth.

@onlyoneempereor: Joker is literally just an insane man and he’s pure evil for no reason so I’m not seeing the great well-spring of depth that you are seeing. That sounds like the exact definition of one dimensional, Joker always acts the same and he never changes or feels anything differently. Please explain how Freeza and Cell are one dimensional given all the emotional states they’ve displayed.

@the_hajduk: That's easily a lowball of a complex and interesting charachter like The Joker.

His dialogue in The Dark Knight or His Comics says otherwise.

@onlyoneempereor: Well Freeza and Cell have some great dialogue too so I don’t see the difference? The Joker is interesting but he’s not a complex person. He’s very simple to figure out at first glance and afterwards there’s not much left to find. The Joker is very surface level, and so is Freeza, so I’m not seeing the difference.

It's Dragon Ball after all. Not like anyone watches it expecting any depth really.

Because none of them really had much motivation beyond just being evil prior to super. That's not to say they are bad but I can probably sum up frieza, cell, and buu's character in one sentence. And those are the 3 characters people think of when they think of dragon ball villains.

Joker not complex? You are having a laugh mate. Frieza and Cell changed after Super besides that they had 0 depth or plans.

All im gonna say here is magneto>joker>most dbz villains

@jashro44: I can sum up Magneto, Doc Ock, and Loki with one sentence. So why are Dragon Ball villains treated with a different standard?

To be fair, characters like Zod, joker, and Pierce are the exceptions to the status quo rather than being the norm. For every great villain like a Thanos or Magneto, there's like 10 or 20 other villains in comics who are evil 'jus cuz', and are just written for the purpose of the hero to defeat for that issue.

Its all about execution while I think frieza was certainly the monst entertaining, buu and Cell didnt leave much of a mark Especially the former.

Something other characters like joker have is how they bounce off their foe. Again I feel frieza is a great entertaining villain in the same with Dio from Jojo is. A great entertaining villain despite lack of true depth because their just so fun to watch. Cell and Buu for me don't do it in any interesting way. Goku Black and Zamasu were interesting in concept but didn't stick the Landing. King piccolo was just another big boss.

It also factors in other than a physical challenge what lasting effect do most villains in db have on our heroes?

Characters like Joker as 1 dimensional imo as he is does it better than most if not all db villains because he legit has wins over Batman that have pushed Bruce to the point of breaking his rule only being pulled back by his closest friends. He's challenged him from s character standpoint not just physically

Zod is another example. Modern day zod just wants to rebuild his world with his family. He's not really a traditional horrible person but he's a soldier who has forced himself to try and be the savior of his fallen civilization. Something that contradicts superman in the way that... Well superman is the "hero" Yet he's fully okay with kryptons time being passed and has accepted it which is why Zod hates him so much.

Tl;dr - villains with not much depth can be great but Dragonball imo has never done much with it and most of their villains are only memorable because their Dragonball villains not because their great villains of their own merit.

Do it.

Probably because people want everything to be the best it can be, regardless of how unrealistic the expectation is.

Probably those who say said feedback are young adults who don't remember the fact that Dragon Ball is a manga for kids and younger teenagers.

How the hell are you going to sum up Loki in one sentence?

Frieza and Cell are amazing villains with a lot of depth. A very solid case can be made for Vegeta and Piccolo as well.

Obviously if you compare them to the Joker or Darth Vader then their character depth does not compare, but Frieza and Cell are great in their own right.

The recent villains are a big letdown though. Pointing to Jiren and Broly.

Maybe there's just different kinds of people. It is probably like watching a social commentary/allegory vs a smackdown in that you want people or a lowkey personified-but-practical disaster to eventually talk about their problems and reasons to maybe see them one day change rather than just be an imminent walking potential disaster in personified form.

Time's changed and some or most people probably prefer to watch shows with developing relationships and a villain's preparations rather than encounter with an highly unstoppable force while others vice-versa.

Because the most famous and popular shonen of all time having one dimensional and flat characters is a valid criticism.

I don't understand either. It's a damn villain. Who cares about their backstory?

@williams20076: Garou from One-Punch lol

Because they don’t. They just come all the way from whatever planet they are from just to destroy the earth.

im interested in this one... especially Magneto one of the most complex fictional characters in existence.

this should be fun

I don't really watch Dragon Ball for depth and story. In fact i'm one of those "turn off your brain" type of guys that prefers action over most other things and takes in the story for just an extra flavor on top of the cake.

pretty sure 90 % of us do the same

Because they are one dimensional, and I don't agree with your assessment about those comic villains.

Cuz DB is made for kids not adults.

DBZ is still a masterpiece nonetheless

@lan_fan: Its true. There is no depth to the Joker

Agreed.

when ppl criticize that dragonball got a lack of character than they should simply drop it.

dragonball is the best example you can get of something simple that is supposed to purely entertain.

complaining about goku having no character is simply you not gettin gokus character.

go watch some try hard series with “deep“ characters that get boring by chapter 10 or something.

how does it feel like being trashed by a series who‘s writer literaly does NOT TRY?

@arthur_morgan: when ppl criticize that dragonball got a lack of character than they should simply drop it.

dragonball is the best example you can get of something simple that is supposed to purely entertain.

complaining about goku having no character is simply you not gettin gokus character and not becouse his character is too deep.

go watch some try hard series with “deep“ characters that get boring by chapter 10 or something.

how does it feel like being trashed by a series who‘s writer literaly does NOT TRY?

Good is subjective and there is also a difference between being deep and being good.

Freiza/Cell/Vegeta are among the Greatest villain in all fiction.

the only Deep depth character villain in DB is obviously nappa smh

but tbh, most villains in DB got the rep of no depth for the simple fact they "want to be the strongest in the universe!" or "destroy the universe" type of headset. its one dimensional at one stance cause they have no motive pushing that dream/agenda. the only set villain i thought got depth had to be vegeta or the androids.

Zambuto-force sentence incoming

Lol Dragon ball villians have a lot of depth...but they tend to be more static than dynamic.

@onlyoneempereor: Could you explain how the Joker has depth other than being an insane clown who is obsessed with a man in a bat suit?

Who watches DBZ for character development or story? The writing sucks get over it.

You don't consume enough fiction. And Piccolo was a better villain than Vegeta or Cell.

Cell wants to be the most supremely perfect and most powerful being in the universe. Frieza wants to rule the universe.

While I can agree most of the time Joker doesn't really have depth you don't need depth to be an entertaining or good villain

He just does it better than most of not all db villains

What’s so deep about the villains though?

Frieza came in just evil

Cell came in just wanting a good fight

Buu came in clueless

Beerus came in OP looking for SSG, fought a few people, then sits back

Zamasu might be one of the few who came in with some sort of depth, even though it was cliche and outshined by the fights

And Jiren’s depth is lackluster.

And that’s not something to shame DBZ villains for, they’re there to give us a good fight scene at the end of the day.

I honestly think Broly, Piccolo, and Vegeta has more depth

@mainjp: I didn’t say they are the best I said among the best you don’t need to know all fiction for that they are great villains for sure tho Piccolo was a better villain then Cell but not from Vegeta

@the_hajduk:

Read Killing Joke, or Arkhum Asylum A Serious House. Those will provide some complexity in the character beyond "hurr durr evil cause evil"

Because it's "cool" to hate on Dragon Ball.

frost was a missed opportunity