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Android 21
From The Character Database
| “ | What a smorgasbord of strong fighters! This is awesome! I feel like a kid in a candy store! Literally! Ahhhh! The sheer joy! I feel I've died and gone to android heaven! I can hardly contain myself! This couldn't have gone any better!
|
„ |
| ― Android 21 |
Android 21 (人造人間２１号, Jinzōningen Nijūichi-Gō) is a New-Type Android created by Dr. Gero, is unique in that she was once human. Before her transformation, she was the mother of the man who became the model for Android 16, suggesting she was also Dr. Gero's wife Vomi. Gero’s Supercomputer continued to enhance her even after she became an android, implanting cells from some of the universe's most powerful beings, including warriors and minds like Cell and Majin Buu.
Android 21 has a split, evil personality that emerges when she becomes hungry, driving her to consume powerful fighters she encounters. This darker side of her character becomes so powerful and distinct that it eventually splits off from her through fission, creating a separate entity with its own ambitions. This split highlights her complex nature as both a scientific marvel and a character with internal conflicts.
| Names | Android 21 (人造人間２１号, Jinzōningen Nijūichi-Gō), No. 21, #21, Vomi (human name) |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Android (Saiyan, Human, Namekian, Majin, Frieza's Race Hybrid) |
| Occupation | Martial Artist, Scientist |
| Origin | Dragon Ball FighterZ (January 26, 2018) |
| Alignment | Varies |
| Age | Less than 10 |
| Created By | Akira Toriyama (Design), Arc System Works, Bandai Namco |
| Height | 1.75 to 1.80 m (5 ft 8in to 5ft 10in) |
| Weight | Not Stated |
Appearance
Android 21 is described as tall and curvaceous, with a distinctive and sophisticated style that reflects her scientist background. She has long, bushy auburn hair, wears glasses, and is often seen with a gold ring on her left middle finger and black-painted nails. Her typical outfit includes a sleeveless, high-neck minidress in a blue and red checker pattern, black opaque tights, matching black arm sleeves, and contrasting blue and red ankle boots with gold tips. Additionally, she usually sports a white lab coat over her attire. Her eyes are similar to other androids created by Dr. Gero, like Android 18.
In her true Majin-like form, Android 21's skin turns pink, her hair becomes white with a pink hue, and her ears become pointed. She keeps her curvy physique but gains a tail and distinct Majin features, including a change in attire to a black tube top, black boots, and loose, white baggy pants. She retains her arm sleeves, now with gold bracelets at the ends. Her eyes reflect her alignment: in her good form, she retains her human-like eyes, while in her evil form, her eyes become more Majin-like. This form is a result of her having traits from various Z Fighters, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu.
Android 21 mentions that, despite her mature appearance, she is less than ten years old, expressing regret over not experiencing adolescence, which makes her uncomfortable when young children address her as "ma'am."
Personality
Android 21 has a complex personality shaped by her biology, especially her compulsive and uncontrollable urge to feed, similar to Majin Buu. Her favorite food is macarons, and she constantly struggles to resist her hunger, which drives her to want to turn others into sweets and consume them. This uncontrollable appetite has split her psyche into two distinct personalities: a kind, motherly side and an evil, sadistic side.
When her true, good persona is in control, Android 21 is compassionate and caring, showing concern for others, including Android 18, whom she agrees to help. In contrast, her evil side emerges when her hunger overwhelms her, transforming her into a sadistic and power-hungry figure who becomes obsessed with consuming powerful fighters, mirroring Majin traits passed down from her inherited Buu cells. This evil persona's relentless hunger and sadism push her towards insanity.
Her good side also feels a kinship with Good Buu, likely due to their similar biology and shared fondness for sweets. Following intense emotional turmoil over her adoptive son, Android 16, who was killed by her evil side, Android 21's split personalities eventually become separate physical entities through a fission process, with each personality embodied in a different form.
Android 21's good side is aware that her human template was the mother of Android 16’s template, leading her to develop a maternal affection for him. However, she has minimal memory of her former human life, which leaves her to wonder about her human template's name and life experiences. She is unaware of Dr. Gero’s connection to her human template, or that he was Android 16’s template's father. Despite this, she acknowledges her creator’s scientific brilliance and expresses a desire to understand the reasons behind her creation, although she doubts he would provide satisfying answers—or that she would want to know the truth if he did.
In conversations, she refers to Dr. Gero indirectly, implying her limited memory and reliance on personal research about herself and Android 16 for insight.
The evil side of Android 21 is completely indifferent to Android 16, believing that Androids do not need family or loved ones. She even orders Android 18 to attack her husband, Krillin, showing a complete disregard for personal relationships. Unlike her good half, she values Dr. Gero solely for his research and labs. While her primary motivation is satisfying her insatiable hunger, the evil 21 entertains the idea of galactic conquest—likely influenced by Frieza's DNA—though this ambition is secondary to feeding. She embodies a selfish and bratty persona, with a sense of superiority akin to Cell, viewing other beings as inferior and merely food to enhance her power.
Her evil half creates clones of the Z Fighters and resurrected villains like Nappa, the Ginyu Force, Frieza, Cell, and Kid Buu using the Namekian Dragon Balls, purely as a food source despite finding them unsatisfying. She initially allows them to grow stronger to consume them later but becomes enraged when the Z Fighters, along with Frieza and Cell, begin destroying the clones to deplete her food supply, prompting her to pursue them in a blind fury.
After her separation from her good half, the evil 21 taunts her counterpart, predicting she will eventually yield to her own hunger. However, with the help of a linked human soul, the good 21 resists her hunger and stands against her evil side. Recognizing the risk of one day losing control, the good 21 chooses to sacrifice herself to stop her evil half and protect her friends. Whis and Beerus observe that, over time, even the good 21 would have likely succumbed to her hunger, making her sacrifice necessary. This selflessness mirrors her adoptive son, Android 16, emphasizing her dedication to safeguarding others, even at her own expense.
Biography
Background
Android 21’s origins are complex and fragmented, leaving her uncertain about her true history. In one version of her backstory, she believes she was once a human converted into an Android by Dr. Gero. As a human, she supposedly had a son with Gero, whose likeness inspired Android 16's design. However, she lacks memories of her human life and often imagines what her original name and experiences might have been.
In another telling, she is described as a new type of Bio-Android, superior to Cell and created in a human female form with the intellect of an adult. Despite her mature appearance, she is technically under ten years old, giving her a sense of lost adolescence. Over time, Gero enhanced her by adding the cells of numerous warriors and intelligent scientists, including even Majin Buu, which left her with insatiable hunger and immense power.
Her "good" side knows little about Gero beyond acknowledging his brilliance and evil nature, though mentions of him evoke an unexplainable sadness. Conversely, her "evil" side possesses some knowledge of Gero yet dismisses him as irrelevant, seeing no value in family or sentimental connections. This detachment likely fuels her disregard for Android 16, despite his origin as her "son's" model.
At some point, Android 21 remembered that she—or her human template—had a son, stirring a deep desire to reunite with him. Driven by this longing, she repaired Android 16, modeled after her son, and expressed a wish to treat him as family. Despite being unaware of Dr. Gero’s connection to her past, including his role as the father of her human self’s son, 21’s strong familial feelings towards Android 16 hint at an emotional connection that survived her transformation.
When 21’s urges to feed intensified, she activated the link system, hoping it would help her control these urges by connecting herself and other Androids with a human soul, which could act as a stabilizing influence. She and Android 16 sought out Android 18 and 17 to further this goal.
According to Android 16, the cells within 21 may have gone out of control, potentially because of Majin Buu's influence. The combination of cells from various fighters, including Saiyan and Majin, likely fuels her voracious appetite. Her "evil" side, influenced by the cells of Frieza, Cell, and Kid Buu, embodies cold-hearted traits reminiscent of Frieza and Cell, along with a chaotic mindset like Kid Buu's. This side even considers galactic conquest, perhaps due to Frieza's influence.
In the Android 21 Arc, 21’s original personality collaborates with Android 16 to find a method to suppress her evil persona and hunger. Meanwhile, her evil side exploits her good persona as a hostage, forcing Android 16 to obey until he rebels, using the Wave Machine to link a human soul to Goku in the Super Warrior Arc and accidentally to Frieza in the Enemy Warrior Arc.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Super Warrior Arc
In Dragon Ball FighterZ’s Super Warrior Arc, Android 21 initially misleads Goku and Krillin by claiming to be a Red Ribbon Army researcher who deserted with Android 18’s assistance, fabricating a story that Android 18 was injured while protecting her from Cell. This deception is revealed after the Dragon Team defeats Android 16, who had linked a human soul to Goku against 21's will. This angers her, causing her to transform into her true form and obliterate Android 16 with an Absolute Release Ball. Goku attempts to follow her, but she knocks him out of the sky, inadvertently linking the human soul with Cell. Although 21 engages Cell in battle, he is quickly outmatched and forced to escape using a Solar Flare, collapsing from injuries shortly afterward as the soul returns to Goku.
Android 21 then consumes several revived villains, including Nappa, the Ginyu Force, Frieza, and Cell, before setting her sights on the Dragon Team. To protect Earth, Goku teleports the team to the Sacred World of the Kai, where they face 21. Ultimately, she is defeated by Goku’s Super Spirit Bomb, but questions remain regarding her origins and Android 16.
At Whis’s suggestion, the human soul is sent back to the beginning of the events, potentially altering the arc’s outcome by possessing another fighter to uncover more about Android 21's true nature.
This storyline was also adapted into a Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle Story Event during a FighterZ crossover. Here, players can obtain a "Conflicting Mind Android #21" card, which can be upgraded to "Good Versus Evil Android #21 (Transformed, Good)" using specific Awakening Medals. Some plot details, such as the human soul linked to Goku sharing the name of the FighterZ Quest Mode protagonist, were changed or omitted, though Android 21’s role and her final defeat via Goku’s Spirit Bomb remain consistent.
Enemy Warrior Arc
In Dragon Ball FighterZ's Enemy Warrior Arc, Android 21 and Android 16 journey to New Namek and use the Namekian Dragon Balls to revive Frieza, Cell, Nappa, and the Ginyu Force. Android 21 then returns with them to Earth, creating clones of the revived villains and linking artificial souls to Cell, Nappa, the Ginyu Force, Android 17, and Android 18 to control them. Unexpectedly, Android 16 links a human soul to Frieza instead of Goku, enabling Frieza and the soul to eventually break free and liberate Nappa and the Ginyu Force, forming a new Frieza Force.
Android 21 sends Android 18 to eliminate the villains, but 18 is defeated and freed. Afterward, 21 deceives Krillin and Goku by making it appear as though 18 was injured while protecting her. When Frieza and Cell realize her deception, 21 escapes while the two sides clash. Infuriated by 16’s betrayal, 21 orders him to kill her enemies, but when he shields her from Frieza and Cell, she cruelly destroys him herself after transforming into her true form.
As her clones are eliminated, 21 consumes the original villains to gain strength, a strategy orchestrated by Frieza to force her hand. She ultimately faces a combined attack from Goku, Frieza, and Cell, who destroy her with a joint energy wave after she uses Bulma’s machine to maximize her power. Following 21's defeat, the soul leaves Frieza, who then resumes hostilities with the Dragon Team alongside his allies.
In the end, these events are seemingly reversed when the soul travels back to the beginning of the arc, setting up a new attempt to uncover Android 21's true nature.
Android 21 Arc
In the Dragon Ball FighterZ Android 21 Arc, Android 21 appears after a successful linking process with Android 18 and a soul. She introduces herself as "21" and explains to the soul inside 18 the dire situation: Red Ribbon Army clones are wreaking havoc across Earth. She provides Android 18 with attire from her Red Ribbon days, which 18 reluctantly accepts. Together with Android 16, 18, and 17, 21 embarks on a mission to stop the clones.
However, as the journey progresses, 21's control over her hunger starts to falter. When Krillin arrives to help 18, 21 loses control and nearly attacks him, but the group manages to restrain her with the help of the soul in 18. A mysterious voice warns the soul that 21's urges will eventually overcome her. Despite this, the soul helps 21 open up, encouraging her to resist her hunger. Yet, as they encounter Cell, who has regained his strength with an artificial soul, 21 transforms into her true Majin-like form to fight him alongside 17 and 18.
Afterward, 21’s hunger overwhelms her, and she tries to consume Cell. When the soul attempts to link with her, an entity within 21 rejects it. Android 16, in a desperate effort to stop her, sacrifices himself. This act devastates 21, who sees 16 as a surrogate for her son, and she finally realizes the tragic loss her hunger has caused. Overcome with guilt and grief, she pushes out the evil entity within her.
It is later revealed that her evil side activated the Wave Machine, which enabled her good side to regain control temporarily due to the weakening effects of the waves. The confrontation between her good and evil halves ultimately sheds light on the internal battle that has haunted her since her creation.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
In the Dragon Ball game World Mission, the Android 21 Saga: Activation segment features players using the Link System to connect their Avatar to either Goku or Frieza, following the narratives established in the Super Warrior and Enemy Warrior arcs.
During the gameplay, players encounter Android 21 (Normal) alongside two Clones. Goku confronts her in a Boss Mission after defeating New Model 16, while Frieza faces her in a Super Boss Mission after defeating a Clone of himself, Cell, and Kid Buu. Notably, players cannot capture Android 21 using a Hero Robo Capture Module, meaning she cannot be transformed into a Summon Module. However, the Clones that accompany her can be captured. This setup highlights her significance as a formidable antagonist in this segment of the game.
Powers and Statistics
Tier: 4-B | 2-C
Key: Base | Majin Forms
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Afterimages, Acrobatics, Accelerated Development (Training; Physical Stats, Abilities), Master Martial Artist, Ki Manipulation (Can be used defensively and offensively, to strengthen her skin or to fire ki blasts, which can home in on targets, and form defensive barriers), Ki Sensing (Can locate others by reading their ki), Enhanced Senses (Should have the senses of a Saiyan, allowing her to locate small, distant objects by their smell, see clearly over long distances, and track the movements of others even in pitch black conditions by feeling vibrations in the air), Self-Sustenance (Types 1 and 3), Flight, Absorption (She can absorb ki and others to gain their abilities and knowledge, increasing her own power as well), Reactive Evolution (Due to her Saiyan blood, 21 grows stronger every time she fights and can become stronger in the midst of combat, vastly increasing in strength whenever she is mortally injured), Transmutation (Can turn people into candy and other types of food), Soul Manipulation (Can swap out and seal people's souls), Power Nullification (Can suppress and seal the power of others with her waves), and Memory Manipulation (Krillin couldn't remember what happened after the waves affected him) with the Wave Machine, Transformation, Longevity, Space Survival,(Resistance to Extreme Cold and Cosmic Radiations)
Attack Potency: Solar System level (Superior to what levels of power Cell has shown off, which therefore includes his Super Perfect form, and it's stated that her potential surpasses Cell's own) | Low Multiverse level (Comparable to Super Saiyan Goku after the events of Resurrection of F)
Speed: At least FTL+ (Superior to Super Perfect Cell) | Massively FTL+ (At least 196 quadrillion c, likely far higher. Could keep up with Post-Resurrection of Frieza Base Goku)
Lifting Strength: Unknown
Striking Strength: Solar System level | Low Multiverse level
Durability: Solar System level (Superior to Super Perfect Cell) | Low Multiverse level (Took hits from Post-Resurrection of Frieza Base Goku)
Stamina: Infinite
Range: Standard Melee Range; Interplanetary with Ki blasts and attacks. (Since she possesses more potential than Cell ever had, she should have the potential to have at least similar, or superior, range to his Super Perfect form) | Standard Melee Range; Universal with ki blasts and attacks
Standard Equipment: Nothing notable
Intelligence: Extraordinary Genius (Android 21 is said to be a brilliant scientist whose intelligence rivals and may even surpass that of Dr. Gero. She is capable of copying techniques after observing them once. She possesses the skills and knowledge of the great warriors and scientists who were incorporated into her design)
Weaknesses: Android 21 can be somewhat overconfident and can lose control when her urge to feed goes out of control
Attacks and Techniques
- Tail Attack: In her true form, Android 21 can use her tail to attack enemies in combos and can thrust it into the ground for surprise attacks. This ability is likely due to her Frieza Race, Namekian, and Majin cells.
- Hungry Beam: A move that allows Android 21 to turn opponents into food.
- Sweet Tooth: A Level 3 Super attack in FighterZ, where she transforms opponents into desserts and taste-tests them, regaining health. If it finishes off the opponent, she consumes them entirely.
- Absorption: She absorbs clones and powerful opponents (like Nappa, Cell, the Ginyu Force, and Frieza), increasing her power, similar to the abilities of Majin Buu and Cell.
- Connoisseur Cut: Absorbs an opponent's energy, allowing her to use up to four of their moves. The ki attacks copied from this move appear red and black.
- Savory Slicer: A Super Skill in Xenoverse 2 from the Ultra Pack 2 DLC.
- Appetizing Rush: An Ultimate Skill in Xenoverse 2 from the Ultra Pack 2 DLC.
- Solar Flare: Similar to Krillin's version, but can be used in the air, obtained from enemies related to Goku.
- Kamehameha: One of the moves she can use after Connoisseur Cut, obtained from Goku-related enemies.
- Majin Kamehameha: A pink version of the Kamehameha, used in Xenoverse 2 while in her human form.
- Homing Energy Blast: Similar to Piccolo's, but she can conjure only one orb at a time.
- Continuous Energy Bullet: A rapid-fire series of blasts obtained from Vegeta-related enemies.
- Sticky Energy Blast: A command grab that throws the opponent across the arena, also obtained from Vegeta-related foes.
- Barrier Sphere: Obtained from android-related enemies.
- Explosive Energy Blast: A pair of blasts fired at the ground, also from android-related foes.
- Instant Transmission: Teleports Android 21, learned through mimicry from Goku.
- Hors d'Oeuvre Stab: A diving attack where she strikes the opponent into the ground.
- Total Detonation Ball: A ki ball that explodes on impact; the heavy version discards all her acquired moves for extra power.
- Absolute Release Ball: A large attack used to destroy Android 16, featured in Dragon Ball Heroes and Dokkan Battle.
- Photon Swipe: Produces a Death Beam-like attack that explodes on contact with the ground.
- Excellent Full Course: A Level 3 Super where she delivers a flurry of attacks before firing a ki blast at the opponent.
- Survivability: Possesses great endurance due to cells from Frieza, Cell, and Kid Buu.
- Regeneration: Has high regenerative capabilities, inherited from cells of Piccolo, Cell, and both Majin and Good Buu.
- Fission: After defeating Android 16, she releases her evil persona as a separate entity, indicating a split in her character rather than a life link.
Trivia
Android 21 shares similarities with several other characters in the Dragon Ball universe and beyond. Like Towa, she is an attractive, highly intelligent female scientist and antagonist, both created by Akira Toriyama. Both characters wear lab coats and high-neck attire, highlighting their scientific personas.
She also resembles Arale Norimaki, as both are powerful female Androids capable of fighting formidable opponents like Goku and Vegeta. Additionally, both wear glasses in certain forms, with 21 sporting them in her human form only.
Android 21 is also comparable to Launch, another Toriyama character, as both are attractive females with split personalities. Though initially antagonistic, both characters eventually lean towards a more heroic role.
Her uncontrollable hunger aligns with that of King Gurumes from Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies, who also developed an insatiable appetite after a transformation. Her evil side's approach to other beings as mere sustenance is reminiscent of Moro, who feeds on life energy from beings and planets. However, 21 consumes others directly by turning them into sweets.
Interestingly, in her Lab Coat variant, Android 21’s level 3 super move includes a pose that references Dio Brando from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
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