Android 18 is the de facto femme fatale of Dragon Ball Z. Half of the ruthless Android duo that threatened mankind in the desolate future, sister of the dreaded Android 17, and eventual wife to Krillin, 18 went through a major redemptive character arc and has since become a beloved fixture of the series.
She’s proven to be an exceptional rival-- able to best a Super Saiyan-- a would-be champion of the World Tournament, and a great mother to boot, but despite her fighting prowess, limitless energy and ever-flowing love from fans, Android 18 has had to deal with a brutal series of hardships, not only as a villain, but even after her face-turn.
Some of these are fairly benign, whether they’re an unwanted change to her outward appearance, or a blow to her pride. Some are much worse, like unwanted changes to her entire being or a blow against those that mean the most to her.
Here arethe 15 Worst Things To Happen To Android 18, where we’ve compiled the most unfortunate and sometimes brutal occurrences to cross the former evildoer’s path, so prepare yourself for gruesome descriptions of vomiting and sobering tales of soul-crushing despair.
Being Destroyed By Trunks
Android 18 can’t seem to get a break, can she? She is forced to fight her own brother, gets surgically altered into an android, turned to chocolate and devoured and even experiences the death of the planet beneath her feet firsthand.
Yet, the trials and tribulations continue. Seemingly going for some kind of death record (and getting eerily close to shattering Goku’s infamous streak, but still a ways behind Krillin’s) 18 once again bites the dust in the ruined future that she helped to create.
The sword-wielding Trunks came back to the past to save Goku and warn the team of the Android threat, succeeding on both fronts and saving the world. Unfortunately, this would not change his future, but he knew he was now powerful enough to liberate it on his own, which he does with overwhelming efficiency.
Upon returning to his shattered world, Trunks psychologically tortures the two androids before laying utter waste them. After taking a massive haymaker to the jaw, Android 18 is vaporized by a massive ki blast, with 17's doom to follow seconds later.
Spending Time In Super Buu's Belly
During the Majin Buu Saga, the last major arc in Dragon Ball Z, the goopy, pink nemesis that the saga was named after managed to do something no other villain at the time was able to: wipe out most of the Z fighters, their friends and family, along with humanity itself.
While the majority of Earth’s population was snuffed out by the relatively quick “Human Extinction Attack,” the group of beloved main characters went through a much worse ordeal.
With his infamous “Chocolate Beam,” Super Buu turned the gang into his favorite sweets and ravenously devoured them, Android 18, her daughter, and Krillin among the victims.
Getting turned into an android is one thing, but being turned into chocolate and them chomped on by a gluttonous wad of living bubblegum is another.
Being Turned Evil Again
After committing some of the worst atrocities in the Dragon Ball franchise with gleeful cruelty, Android 18 goes through a major character shift where she abandons evil and lives a normal, righteous life, thanks in no small part to her budding family with series' punchline, Krillin.
Imagine going through this enormous change of heart yourself, and then imagine what it would be like to have all of that progress reversed because something out of your control forced you back into the ways of evil. That is exactly what happened to the reformed Android 18 in Dragon Ball GT.
The Tuffle’s final act of spite, Baby, was hellbent on eradicating the Saiyans that eliminated his race, and came incredibly close to accomplishing this. Part of his plan involved taking control of the majority of Earth’s population and bending them to his dark will, something Android 18 was unable to escape.
Being Absorbed By Cell...
While Dr. Gero created many androids in order to serve him and eliminate his hated adversary, Goku, only one was the perfect match for the Saiyan and his comrades: the bio-mechanical Cell.
This hideous creation was created with the cells of the Z-fighters, meaning that their most famous techniques were at his disposal. There was another layer to this dastardly plan, though: in order for Cell to reach his ultimate form, he needed to absorb the errant Android 17 and 18.
Using his tail as the method for his madness, Cell’s stinger turned into a funnel-like object that gobbled up the hapless 18 much like how a snake ingests prey larger than its own body.
The disgusting, undulating process must have been an absolute nightmare for 18, but it only got worse.
Then Being Thrown Up By Cell
Cell in his “perfect” state was an extreme nightmare that nearly wiped out the last of Earth’s defenders. All except one: Super Saiyan 2 Gohan. Even after the bug-like villain bulked up his muscles and size, he was unable to land a hit on the powerful youth, which Gohan took advantage of by nailing Cell’s stomach with a brutal battering ram of a punch.
The force of this was so great that it forced Cell to vomit and regurgitate the previously absorbed Android 18.
While it was certainly a disgusting experience to be consumed and constricted by Cell’s nasty funnel tail, the act of being absorbed into his body and wallowing around in whatever putrid bodily fluids his organs secreted and then being forcibly ejected like a pound of rotten fish mixed with sour milk easily tops the chart in terms horrifying disgust.
Fighting Against Her Brother
Dragon Ball GT, the supposed “Grand Tour” and original continuation of Dragon Ball Z features many elements that fall flat on their face, but there are a select few that are conceptually solid, namely anything involving the later villains.
In a stroke of genius, Android 18’s brother, Android 17, was re-introduced as part of a heinous plot by Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu, launched from the depths of hell, to create a fearsome nemesis in the name of revenge.
When Earth’s and hell’s 17s fused together to form Super 17, the series' most powerful Android was born, but that didn’t stop 18 from doing her best to defeat him.
Despite the evil the two did together, 17 and 18 were still siblings, and still grew up together before being converted into killing machines. To be forced to fight her blood, and long-time partner in crime, was easily a painful experience.
Being Turned Into An Android In The First-Place
Androids 17 and 18 weren’t always ruthless, genocidal, mechanical terrors. In fact, they were both born human, and, adhering to Akira Toriyama’s love of puns, went by the names Lapis and Lazuli.
As they got older, they went on a rebellious streak in the way that misguided teens typically do. Unfortunately for them, they crossed paths with the infamous Dr. Gero, purely by chance.
Seeking new subjects for his android-driven revenge scheme, the evil doctor altered the duo’s bodies with cybernetic and bio-mechanical enhancements, turning them into the cruel villains we know and love, while also unknowingly sealing his own fate.
For the young Lazuli, to be kidnapped, have her entire life stolen from her and then be forcibly altered into a merciless machine had to have been an absolute nightmare, with her soul suddenly a prisoner in its own body, now under the control of a madman.
Experiencing Earth Exploding First-Hand
In the truly soulless cash-in film known as Resurrection F, Dragon Ball Z’s most bankable villain, Frieza, returns from the dead, develops a palette-swapped “new” transformation, and inexplicably challenges the literal gods Goku and Vegeta in a grudge match for his embarrassing defeat ages ago.
To the intergalactic tyrant’s credit, he does manage to do some serious butt-kicking and is even able to successfully destroy Earth (in way less than “five minutes,” too.)
With the destruction of the planet, nearly all of our heroes are slaughtered in an instant, Android 18 among the fallen.
Of course, this is all undone by Whis in moments, but for the briefest amount of time, Android 18 got to experience the unpleasant sensation of having the very earth beneath her feet torn asunder and violently erupt, causing species-wide extinctions.
Fusing With Her Obnoxious Brother
The absurd-but-enjoyable 3DS game Dragon Ball Fusions before includes a lot of wild android abominations that can be made though the game’s fusion system.
Of course, Android 17 and 18 becoming a fused fighter was included, and they go by the name Android 1718. Considering the properties of fusions, we know that this being must be incredibly powerful, but it wouldn’t be the only non-canon fusion between the android siblings.
In the bonkers Japanese arcade game Dragon Ball Heroes, which has its own collection of insane sagas and characters, Super 17 and Android 18 fuse together and are able to easily defeat Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Vegeta.
This sounds great on paper, but for 18 to have to become one with her obnoxious brother, who is constantly getting on her nerves, was easily a torture worse than being turned into chocolate.
Getting Her Hair Cut By Trunks
If there’s one trait we know for sure about Android 18, it’s that she loves to carefully maintain her appearance. You can imagine her frustration when the powerful warrior Trunks ruined her impeccably crafted hair.
During their final, brutal encounter in The History of Trunks special, Trunks unleashed a savage swing of his blade which separated a few strands of hair from 18’s scalp.
For a normal human, this is no big deal, but according to 18 herself, those hairs aren’t going to grow back, which put her into quite the rage.
The whole situation ends up somewhat bizarre, though, as she later gets a hair cut in GT, while seemingly having other human functions as well. Regardless of whether her hair actually does grow back or not, the incident was enough to trigger a major beating.
Getting Her Clothes Supplier Fried
On a similar note, 18’s love of maintaining her appearance doesn’t just extend to her hairstyle; Major parts of this obsession are her fashion and clothing choices.
In The History of Trunks, she’s lucky enough to find a gentlemen who runs a clothing store that happily, if not willingly, allows her to try on any clothes she likes, and then keep them, all while being inundated with praise regarding her appearance.
Android 18 was so pleased with this fellow, his compliments, and his available wardrobe that, in a moment of unheard of mercy, she decides to spare him.
After leaving the store with her closet’s worth of new clothing, Android 17 obliterates the building and the clerk inside. This sets off 18, who not only lost a good source for the latest fashions, but also now looks like someone who goes back on her word which, for whatever reason, doesn’t sit well with the murderous killing machine.
Putting Up With 17's Immaturity
Androids 17 and 18 may be able to fight perfectly in sync with deadly efficiency, but they are still siblings, and still have sibling rivalry, despite the loss of their humanity. It seems to go a little further beyond that, however, as Android 17 continually gets on 18’s nerves. It’s not just one or two incidents or actions, either; it seems to be 17’s entire, immature personality.
While the two enjoy the “sport” of murdering humans and causing mayhem, 17’s reckless streak and single-mindedness is a source of ire for the more controlled 18. Where 17 will simply want to kill and destroy, 18 has other interests, such as fashion, and occasionally doles out mercy, even if only rarely.
Android 17 seems incapable of anything beyond pleasure and thrill-seeking, and 18 has to just bite the bullet while the two go on their rampages, no matter what timeline.
Having To Deal With Goku
Android 18 may end up redeemed by the conclusion of the Cell Saga, even getting married and having a child with nary an evil bone in her body, but for someone who was literally programmed with a single task in her head, it can be difficult to fully get over old habits.
Because of this, Android 18 noticeably has very little patience for Goku and his idiotic antics, being that he was (and possibly remains) her target for assassination.
Despite the ensuing years of living peacefully and even shared heroics, 18 just can’t fully get over her urge to kill Goku, despite the fact that she’ll never carry it out. That doesn’t mean she won’t scoff, roll her eyes or verbally express her distaste for him, however.
Krillin's Death
Somehow, someway, the diminutive Krillin, who expressed his desire to find a good girl and get married for saga after saga, ended up with the reformed Android 18.
It’s without a doubt that Krillin’s illogical crush had an enormous affect on her eventual change of heart, and the two led a happy life together, even having a cute daughter named Marron (whose name is eerily similar to Krillin's ex.)
In Dragon Ball GT, this tranquil life came to a sudden and brutal end. Android 17, doing the will of Dr. Myuu and Gero in their plan to achieve vengeance, callously killed Krillin off after Android 18 refused to join his crusade of evil.
To lose the man who helped her find peace in her life, whom she loved deeply and had a child with, was surely a crippling, soul-crushing moment. To have his death be at the hands of her hated brother was much worse.
Losing To Hercule
Hercule Satan, false hero extraordinaire and Dragon Ball Z’s version of Hulk Hogan, is one of the series’ funniest characters. His entire life, and the success that comes with it, are all based on the utter falsehood that he saved the world from various villains, and he’ll do anything to maintain it.
Despite all this, he is an excellent martial artist and had reigned supreme as the champion of the World Tournament. At the start of the Majin Buu Saga, the World Tournament starts anew and many Z-fighters decide to partake, including Android 18.
When the threat of Babidi becomes known, heavy hitters like Goku and Vegeta resign in order to combat the new threat, but 18 remains. Upon having a showdown with Mr. Satan, Hercule realizes he’s absolutely no match for her and begs her to let him win. She agrees, sacrificing her pride for double the prize money.
Whether or not it was a worthy trade-off remains to be seen, although it seems only fair that Hercule got to maintain his fame, considering the enormous role he played in the destruction of Buu.
---
Can you think of any other terrible things that have happened to Android 18? Let us know in the comments!