Cell is perhaps the scariest villain in the Dragon Ball universe, not so much because of his power level as there are beings far stronger than he is, but because of the way he hunts and kills his victims–and there is one power in Cell’s arsenal that makes him so much more disturbing.
Cell is a bio-android created by Dr. Gero–a scientist with the Red Ribbon Army, though after Goku dismantled the Red Ribbon Army when he was a child, the entire fascist regime collapsed into obscurity. Following Goku’s attack, Dr. Gero created a tiny robot that followed the Saiyan hero everywhere he went and collected DNA samples from him and anyone he ever came into contact with, including Piccolo, Vegeta, and even Frieza. All those samples were then uploaded into a supercomputer that was growing Cell, granting the bio-android the power of the universe’s greatest fighters upon its birth, as well as one completely original power that was beyond terrifying.
In Dragon Ball chapter 373 by Akira Toriyama, Cell has successfully absorbed Android 17, meaning he now only has to absorb Android 18 to reach his perfect form. However, there are a few hurdles that stand between Cell and his goal of perfection, including Vegeta and Trunks who just underwent massive upgrades themselves after training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Before the two Saiyan warriors arrived at the location of Cell and the other Androids, however, Cell tried to coerce 18 into joining him rather than resorting to brute force. To do that, Cell impersonated Android 17 by mimicking his voice, telling 18 to join him inside of Cell and ‘fulfill their purpose’. While Android 18 didn’t fall for Cell’s trick, the fact that he can do a trick like that at all is insanely terrifying on a deeply emotional level.
Cell Mimics Those He Absorbs to Trick New Victims
This power calls into question Cell’s earlier acts of atrocity across the Earth as it gives one pause to wonder if he can mimic everyone he absorbs or just these two Androids that can make him whole. Before Cell encountered the Androids, he traveled the globe, going from city to city absorbing the life forces of every human he came across. This is the reason Cell is so terrifying, because he didn’t just drop bombs on these cities or eradicate them with a ki blast, but he killed everyone who lived in them one at a time, stalking them like a legitimate horror movie monster and then sucking the life force out of them with his tail in a manner that seemed excruciating. So, if Cell can imitate 17 after absorbing him, can he do that with everyone he absorbed?
If Cell could tap into the minds of those he drained, then he could use their human voices to lure their friends and family members into his grasp and drain them too. Imagine a parent being killed by Cell, and their child hiding scared in their house only to hear the voice of their mom or dad telling them it is safe to come out and then being painfully killed by a nightmarish Dragon Ball monster. The idea of this power being the reason behind Cell’s proficiency in wiping out entire cities is incredibly disturbing, with the aforementioned example being just one of countless possibilities. The only caveat, however, is that fans don’t know if that is actually within his power set. It could be that Cell can only imitate 17 because he fully assimilated the Android, meaning he wouldn’t be able to do so with just anyone. Unfortunately, the specifics of this power remains unconfirmed. What is confirmed, however, is just how terrifying this ability is. Whether it can be used on regular civilians or it is simply 18’s personal horror, Cell’s secret Dragon Ball power makes him so much more disturbing.