Dragon Ball fans have come across some of the best and most iconic antagonists that the anime industry has ever seen. Due to this series introducing such incredible characters, they have often been looked at as the foundation for villains in other anime franchises, and often, the benchmark for them to reach.
Arguably the greatest villain of them all is Perfect Cell, who was the main antagonist of the Cell Saga. Although Cell was strong, his personality is what truly made him such a beloved character. Dragon Ball Super 2 is set to unveil the best villain since Perfect Cell who is remembered fondly for many of the same reasons, so let’s see who this could be.
Moro Was The Greatest Threat Millions Of Years Ago
The Legendary Villain of Universe 7 is Coming For Goku & Vegeta
Eons before the franchise began with the original Dragon Ball, Universe 7 was a much different place compared to what fans had seen. Within this confusing time, there were a few names that have been written down in legend and infamy, such as Majin Buu and Beerus. However, one name that had been largely forgotten to time was that of Moro.
This expunging of public memory was quite deliberate though, as Moro was one of the most powerful and unhinged villains in the history of the multiverse whom everyone thought would be better forgotten about completely. Upon being freed from imprisonment from the Galactic Patrol Prison, fans saw exactly why he was so feared in the first place.
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Moro Had Some Of The Most Terrifying Forms And Abilities
Moro Is A Deadly Opponent
One of the major reasons why Moro stood out so much from many of the series’ villains was because of his incredible appearance. Designed by Toyotaro as an homage to demons in traditional Western folklore, the artist modeled Moro with striking goatlike features to convey a sense of pure evil, as well as wanting to hammer home the fact that he couldn’t be redeemed at all, like villains in the past like Vegeta or Piccolo had been.
This design philosophy stays intact with each of his forms. Moro was also an energy absorber like some of the franchise’s most iconic villains, such as Cell, though Moro’s ability to do so far eclipsed anyone else’s. This is because Moro had the power to strip entire planets of their energy and life force, leaving them completely barren and destitute while he rose to power exponentially himself. It was primarily through these means that he would get stronger and more youthful as the arc went on.
I’ve consumed countless planets since our previous encounter. All of which have filled me with enough power to transcend the very Gods!
Starting off as an old and frail wizard, Moro would then gather heaps of energy through his absorption powers, which unlocked a more youthful appearance for him and made him much stronger than ever. Although his strongest form gained some criticism because of its traditional villain design, the power he held with it was absolutely horrifying.
This is because Moro managed to absorb Merus; an Angel in training. In doing so, he got an exponential boost in power and also gained the ability to use Ultra Instinct, marking him as the first villain who has ever been shown with this ability and an equal to Goku’s most powerful state of Mastered Ultra Instinct, which made for an incredible showdown between the two.
Eventually, this surge in power proved to be too great for the villain, causing him to lose his mind and undergo a final transformation that was not only stronger than all those before it, but it also grew entirely unhinged. Moro grew to gigantic proportions and merged with the Earth itself, becoming a force of such magnitude that he threatened to destroy the entire world and take all the Z-Fighters with him.
All in all, Moro has already cemented himself as one of the strongest characters in the history of Dragon Ball as well as one of the most evil threats that the heroes have had to face. By the end of the arc, his strength was so great that all the Z-Fighters needed to work together in some capacity to finally take him down.
Moro’s Personality Was Arrogant And Incredible To Behold
Moro is Cell’s True Equal
Perfect Cell was incredibly powerful during the Cell Saga, but the real reason why he is remembered so fondly as arguably the greatest villain in the franchise is because of his infectious personality. His arrogance and pride in being the perfect being in the universe fostered the drive within him to prove himself against Goku and the others, and his hilarious and constant putting down of others definitely mirrored this.
Similarly, Moro viewed himself as the most superior life form who felt that his strength gave him the right to commit all the heinous acts that he did, such as the draining of entire planets of their energy. Anyone who sought to challenge him was seen as nothing more than a nuisance, which is what endears Moro so much to fans of Perfect Cell.
Such power… it’s almost a shame I can’t steal it.
Naturally, this isn’t the first or even the last time that Dragon Ball has experimented with such megalomaniacal tropes within its villains, since many of them have acted similarly. However, Moro’s brand of villainy still felt quite unique in this regard, and it successfully portrayed the irredeemable aspect that Toyotaro was aiming for with this villain.
Although Moro met his end at the closing of the Galactic Prisoner Patrol arc, he is still remembered as one of the highlights of Dragon Ball Super as a whole. In a series where many of the main villains eventually get redeemed to become heroes, it’s a breath of fresh air when one of the most powerful characters remains rotten to the core, and unapologetically so.
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
