Waifu Wednesday: Android 21 (Dragon Ball FighterZ)
Dragon Ball doesn’t always have the best female characters. With the exception of Bulma, any woman in the Dragon Ball universe is likely to lose their plot relevance around the time they have a kid. So when Dragon Ball FighterZ introduced us to Android 21, I was excited for the chance to see a new potential lady added to the roster.
What’s better than a scary villain? A scary, sexy villain. If the last few months of people thirsting over Resident Evil’s Lady Dimitrescu have taught me anything, its that people love a villain. So for this week’s Waifu Wednesday, lets take a look at our favourite pink lady.
Who is Android 21?
Like most Dragon Ball game villains, we saw Android 21 long before we got to play as her. She was hinted at in promotional material, telling us little more than that she was a new character designed to challenge Goku and his friends. It wasn’t until Dragon Ball FighterZ dropped that we got to properly meet her as the main antagonist of the game’s story.
Though she is generally overshadowed by the more iconic DLC characters in Dragon Ball FighterZ, Android 21 is a key part of the game’s story mode, so fans of the game will get to know her well. She seems to take a loose approach to her past as it seems to change depending on who she is talking to and what she wants from them. Sometimes she is based on the wife of the evil Dr. Gero. Sometimes she is just an amalgamation of the most evil warriors in the series. Its likely that she doesn’t really know herself — and so we don’t either. It wouldn’t be the first time Toriyama was caught making it up as he went, after all.
She does seem to have all the basic Dragon Ball abilities and powers plus the ability to transform her opponents into delicious treats and gobble them up, further enhancing her own power. While in her human form, she showcases intelligence to rival Dr. Gero. However, when her evil form takes hold, she is overcome with an insatiable desire to eat everything in sight. (I know that feel – Ed.)
Why We Love Her
I love a Jekyll and Hyde story, with an evil hiding inside someone trying to do everything they can to suppress it. So, Android 21’s story, to me, is one of someone trying desperately to overcome their own nature and do the right thing. The balance between helping people and knowing that she could become their greatest enemy at the drop of a hat makes for a compelling story.
Of course, this is all told in typically Dragon Ball fashion, with very little in the way of subtlety, but sometimes simple stories are the best kind. It doesn’t hurt that Android 21 is hot in both her forms. Her human form is rocking the nerd-chic look to its fullest extent while her Android/Majin form has all the “I’m going to eat you” energy that the world has been thirsting over.
Why You’ll Love Her
If you can get past the shifting nature of her backstory, Android 21 is one of the most interesting female characters in Dragon Ball. She is that mix of sweet and scary, with the impulsive chaos of Kid Buu combined with the brains of Bulma. She has never been the deepest or most complex of villains, but this is a series where a villain’s motivation doesn’t have to be anything more than just “I’m Evil Cause Its Fun”.
Go ahead. You know you like to live dangerously.
If you’d like to have a go at taming her voracious appetite, check out Dragon Ball FighterZ on PS4, XBone, Nintendo Switch or PC.
Join The Discussion
Rice Digital Discord
Rice Digital Twitter
Rice Digital Facebook
Or write us a letter for the Rice Digital Friday Letters Page by clicking here!
Disclosure: Some links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on them. This is at no additional cost to you and helps support Rice Digital!
- Six of the best Stands in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure - June 2, 2023
- 4 of the best JRock tracks from May - June 1, 2023
- Hump Day Husbandos: Guts (Berserk) - May 31, 2023
