Dragon Ball: 5 Strongest Villains Who Goku Redeemed, Ranked

Despite many of anime's best and most iconic villains belonging to the Dragon Ball franchise, there is a notable trend of the series eventually turning many of these villains into heroes. This has actually happened quite a few times over the course of the story, with many of the greatest and most iconic characters of today once being villains.

The common denominator among them that usually leads to such a change of heart is none other than Goku himself, who has been a huge reason why the villains give up their evil ways. So, in this article, let's go over the strongest characters in Dragon Ball who were once villains but eventually became heroes due to Goku's influence.

5 The Androids Were Created To Destroy Goku

Arc: Android Saga

Created by Dr. Gero for the sole purpose of killing Goku, the Androids were powerful bio-machines that had infinite energy and were originally hellbent on causing as much destruction as possible. However, everything changed due to Future Trunks' intervention, who came back from the future to save Goku's life.

Even though he saved Goku, Androids 16, 17, and 18 were initially still villains. However, as the story would go on and the threat of Cell became far more prevalent, Goku would openly accept the Androids once they had given up their evil ways. Even in the modern era, 18 is now married to Krillin and 17 was even recruited by Goku to fight for Universe 7.

4 Piccolo Was Once Goku's Greatest Foe

Arc: King Piccolo Saga

Long before the days of Dragon Ball Z, the franchise began with the original Dragon Ball series, and the greatest villain whom Goku would face as a child was none other than the legendary Demon King Piccolo. Upon killing the villain, Piccolo would reincarnate through his son, who would himself become Goku's greatest rival.

However, after a hard-fought battle against the Namekian in the final of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku would give Piccolo a Senzu Bean to help him recuperate. This began a slow turn within the villain, who would then go on to become one of Universe 7's strongest protectors and even the mentor and best friend of Goku's son, Gohan.

3 Vegeta And Goku Have The Greatest Rivalry In Anime

Arc: Saiyan Saga

In what would later come to be known as the best rivalry in anime history, Goku and Vegeta share perhaps the greatest character dynamic in Dragon Ball. However, as fans of the series know, it did not start off this way, as Vegeta had made his way to Earth in hopes of defeating or turning Goku, specifically due to his classist upbringing as a Saiyan elite.

Though he would eventually lose the battle against Goku and his allies, his life was spared since Goku felt some semblance of goodness in him, which planted the seed for the greatest redemption arc in anime history. Although they bicker and argue, Goku and Vegeta are essential to each other's lives and journeys and are the greatest duo in the series because of this.

2 Broly Was The Strongest Saiyan For A While

Arc: Broly Arc

Although Goku alone can't get all the credit for Broly's turn, he did play the biggest hand in it. Broly was never a villain in the traditional sense, since he was brought up his entire life to be a mindless tool to be used by his father to enact revenge on Vegeta and the Saiyans. However, due to his immense power causing him to lose his mind, Broly played the antagonistic role.

Despite this, Goku still fought against the Saiyan and even tried to get him to snap out of his rage, showing that he cared more about peace and Broly's overall well-being than fighting him. Eventually, Goku would even take amenities to Broly at the end of the arc to help him out, with the current setting showing Broly undergoing training to finally hone his magnificent power.

1 Goku Changed Beerus' Mind About Destroying Earth

Arc: God of Destruction Beerus Arc

Although this wasn't a 'redemption' in the traditional sense, Goku was the reason why the God of Destruction of Universe 7 changed his mind about destroying Earth. Beerus originally came to the planet with the desire to fight the Super Saiyan God to finally fulfill his lust for battle, but even Goku's strongest form at the time was far below even a fraction of his power.

Although the main reason he spared Earth was due to the love he had for its cuisine, seeing Goku and the other's immense potential and fighting ability did influence his decision. It is primarily because of this that the Destroyer can't even be considered a villain anymore, and is one of Goku's most powerful allies.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.