What happened to android in Dragon Ball Z?
Dragon Ball Z is an immensely popular anime that follows the adventures of Goku and his allies as they defend Earth against various villains. One of the major story arcs in Dragon Ball Z centers around a pair of androids, Android 17 and Android 18, who were created by the evil scientist Dr. Gero to kill Goku.
Android 17, along with his twin sister Android 18, started out as one of the main antagonists in Dragon Ball Z. However, Android 17 went on to become a supporting protagonist and played a major role in later story arcs. This article will provide an overview of what happened to Android 17 throughout the Dragon Ball Z story.
Android 17’s origins
Android 17 was originally a human named Lapis before being turned into an android by the evil scientist Dr. Gero. Along with his twin sister Lazuli, who became Android 18, Lapis was abducted by Dr. Gero and transformed into an android against his will (Dragon Ball Wiki).
Dr. Gero was a brilliant but vengeful scientist who sought to create powerful androids to destroy Goku and take over the world. After the Red Ribbon Army was defeated by Goku as a child, Dr. Gero became obsessed with getting revenge and constructed a secret laboratory in a mountain area where he could work on creating the ultimate artificial humans (Androids Wiki).
Using his sophisticated technology and expertise in cybernetics, Dr. Gero turned Lapis and Lazuli into cyborgs, altering them on a cellular level to be extremely powerful fighters. This cruel experimentation robbed them of their humanity and forced them to serve as instruments of Dr. Gero’s vengeance against Goku and his allies (Quora).
Android 17’s Personality
Android 17 is characterized by his rebellious personality and quest for freedom. One of Android 17’s strongest personality traits is his resistance to control and following orders (https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Android_17). He frequently disobeys and rebels against Dr. Gero, the scientist who created him. Android 17 wants freedom from Gero’s programming and control. This is evident in his constant defiance of Gero’s orders during the Android saga.
Android 17 has a carefree and adventurous spirit, often displaying a laidback, nonchalant attitude (https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Android_17). He does not like being told what to do and values making his own choices. After being resurrected, Android 17’s personality is still marked by independence. He chooses to live alone as a park ranger, patrolling islands and protecting wildlife. This solitary lifestyle allows 17 to be free and uncontrolled.
Android 17’s rebelliousness reflects his core desire for individuality and self-determination. He fights constantly to liberate himself from programming and external authority figures trying to assert control over him. Freedom is 17’s primary motivator throughout the series.
Android 17’s role in the Android saga
In the Android saga of Dragon Ball Z, Android 17 and his sister Android 18 are awakened by Dr. Gero to carry out his vendetta against Goku. After rebelling and killing Dr. Gero, Android 17 and 18 proceed to activate Android 16 and head out to find and destroy Goku (Androids Saga | Dragon Ball Wiki – Fandom).
When the androids arrive at the city Goku is supposed to be in, they end up fighting the Z Fighters instead. Android 17 battles Piccolo while Android 18 takes on Vegeta and Trunks. Their power proves to be far greater than the Z Fighters anticipated, and Android 17 nearly kills Piccolo in their fight. The androids are unswayed by the Z Fighters pleas to not kill Goku since he is sick, showcasing their ruthless nature (Androids Saga | Dragon Ball Wiki – Fandom).
After easily defeating the Z Fighters, Android 17 decides to have more fun by tracking down Goku and killing him rather than quickly completing their mission. This demonstrates Android 17’s cruel and sadistic tendencies that Dr. Gero unintentionally created. The androids’ overpowering of the Z Fighters sets the stage for the continuing struggles against them throughout the rest of the saga.
Android 17’s sacrifice
During the Cell saga, Android 17 plays a pivotal role in Cell’s defeat. Cell needs both Android 17 and Android 18 to achieve his perfect form. After absorbing Android 17, Cell achieves his Semi-Perfect form. Later, he absorbs Android 18 as well and reaches his Perfect form.
After Cell achieves his Perfect form, the Z Fighters struggle to defeat him. As a last resort, Goku decides to sacrifice himself by teleporting Cell to King Kai’s planet before he can destroy Earth. Cell self-destructs in an attempt to destroy Goku’s planet, but regenerates from a single cell that survives the blast.
Cell returns to Earth more powerful than ever. At this point, Android 16 urges Android 17 to self-destruct to try and destroy Cell. As Krillin had previously wished for the androids’ self-destruct bombs to be removed, Android 17 did not actually have a bomb inside him. However, he was still able to manually initiate a self-destruction sequence by overloading his energy reactor (1).
Android 17 self-destructs in a last-ditch effort to kill Cell, causing a massive explosion. However, Cell is able to regenerate once again, finally killing Android 17. While 17’s sacrifice is ultimately unsuccessful in destroying Cell, it buys time for Gohan to unlock his full potential and defeat Cell.
Android 17 Returns in Dragon Ball GT
Android 17 makes a brief return in Dragon Ball GT during the Super 17 saga. He is revived by the evil Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu who create a new Android 17, Hell Fighter 17, by cloning him from a sample taken from the bottom of the lake where 17 was defeated (https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Super_17_Saga). They fuse Hell Fighter 17 with Android 17 to create Super 17, an extremely powerful android designed to seek out Goku. Android 17 seemed to have reformed during his time in Hell but allowed Dr. Gero to manipulate him into fusing with Hell Fighter 17. As Super 17, he easily defeats the Z Fighters before facing off against Goku. Eventually Android 18 arrives and confronts Super 17, reminding Android 17 of his true peaceful nature. This gives Goku an opening to destroy Super 17 for good.
Android 17 returns in Super
After many years, Android 17 resurfaces in Dragon Ball Super when Goku seeks recruits for the Tournament of Power. Initially reluctant, Android 17 is swayed by the promise of a wish from the Super Dragon Balls if their universe wins, which he plans to use to wish for a cruise ship to take his family around the world [1]. He reunites with Android 18 and joins Team Universe 7 in the tournament.
In the Tournament of Power, Android 17 works together with Goku and Vegeta against powerful adversaries like Toppo and Jiren. He unleashes continuous blasts and shields his teammates when necessary. Android 17 even battles Toppo one-on-one and proves a worthy opponent. His energy shields make him invaluable in the survival match. In the final showdown with Jiren, 17 plays a clutch role in saving Goku and Vegeta, and his strategy enables the final blow against Jiren. Thanks to 17’s role, Team Universe 7 emerges victorious.
Android 17’s wish with Super Dragon Balls
After winning the Tournament of Power at the end of Dragon Ball Super, Android 17 was awarded one wish from the Super Dragon Balls. He surprised everyone by wishing for something selfless – to restore the erased universes that Zeno had destroyed earlier in the Tournament of Power. When Zeno had grown frustrated with the slow pace of the tournament, he erased several universes from existence. Android 17, showing compassion and forethought, wished for all those destroyed universes and their inhabitants to be brought back into existence.
Some fans have speculated that Android 17 may have inadvertently restored more than just those specific universes [1]. His wording was to “restore all of the universes that were erased.” Since we know from Dragon Ball lore that there used to be 18 total universes before Zeno destroyed 6 of them prior to the Tournament of Power, Android 17’s wish may have brought back not just the 4 erased during the tournament, but also the 6 universes destroyed previously. This could potentially set up brand new characters, villains, and story arcs moving forward in the Dragon Ball universe.
Android 17 as a park ranger
After the Tournament of Power, Android 17 goes on to live a peaceful life as a park ranger on a remote island, protecting the wildlife from poachers (https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Android_17). He takes his job very seriously and patrols the island daily to stop any illegal hunting activities. Android 17 finds fulfillment in preserving nature and helping animals thrive in their natural habitat.
Despite his tremendous power, Android 17 is content living a simple life as a ranger. He resides in a small cabin on the island and spends his days exploring the wilderness, apprehending poachers, and rescuing injured animals. His reformed nature is shown through his dedication to protecting life rather than destroying it.
Android 17’s choice to become a park ranger reflects his growth into a selfless and compassionate character. He finds purpose in using his abilities to serve the greater good. The peaceful island provides a stark contrast to his earlier days pursuing wanton destruction. Overall, Android 17’s new career path brings him satisfaction and allows him to make amends for his troubled past.
Conclusion
Android 17 underwent one of the most dramatic transformations in the Dragon Ball series. He started as a human turned into an android and programmed by Dr. Gero to kill Goku. Together with Android 18, he brought havoc and destruction to the world in Future Trunks’ timeline. However, with the intervention of Trunks and Cell’s arrival, things turned out differently in the main timeline. After being absorbed by Cell, Android 17 had a change of heart, and he went on to live a peaceful life as a park ranger. Though he struggled with his programming at times, 17 ultimately chose to protect life and nature. His selfless wish to restore the erased universes with the Super Dragon Balls capped off his redemption arc. Android 17 morphed from a cold, murderous villain into a compassionate defender of the planet. His growth shows that even someone created for evil can choose to walk a heroic path.