Android 13

Android 13

"Free will. Pitiful humans! War, segregation, hatred! Is that what you've done with your free will boy? Don't you lecture me with your thirty dollar haircut, Goku dies!"

-Super Android 13! Android 13 is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise. He makes his debut in the 1992 film Super Android 13!. Dr. Gero's thirteenth creation, Android 13 was designed to serve Gero's vendetta against Goku, who overthrew the Red Ribbon Army as a child.

Android 17 asserts during the Androids Saga of Dragon Ball Z that Dr. Gero destroyed the first fifteen androids he designed, however this disturbs the canonicity of both the mainstream series (as Android 8 makes cameo appearances throughout both Z and Dragon Ball GT) and Super Android 13!, which features androids 13, 14 and 15 as its lead villains and provides an original explanation that Dr. Gero was murdered by androids 17 and 18 prior to personally completing 13 through 15 (leaving an underground supercomputer to finish the models posthumously).

Biography

The new android threat

Android 13 is completed by Dr. Gero's self-aware supercomputer later than androids 14 and 15, who by this time are already taking up arms against Goku and Future Trunks. Upon his arrival on the scene, 13 confronts Goku, leaving Trunks and Vegeta to struggle against 14 and 15, shortly after which Piccolo intervenes to assist Goku, as well. Ultimately, androids 14 and 15 are defeated following Trunks and Vegeta's transformations to Super Saiyan, however even their deaths are fail-safe in Gero's plan, as 13 pauses to absorb components from 14 and 15, resulting in his Fusion into Super Android 13.

Super Android

Super Android 13 easily withstands Piccolo's assualt.

Vegeta is the first to attack the newly transformed super android, only to be quickly brought to his knees by 13's amazing new strength. Goku, Future Trunks and Piccolo's attempts are also foiled with little effort on 13's part. Becoming desperate to stop the android threat before he grows out of control, Goku is forced to prepare his ultimate weapon, the Spirit Bomb, whilst Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan and Trunks distract 13. The Spirit Bomb's effectiveness is amplified when Goku makes a transformation to Super Saiyan during the process of gathering energy. Krillin states that only a calm-hearted person can sustain a Spirit Bomb, and when Goku transforms into his Super Saiyan form, his body absorbs the Spirit Bomb's immense energy. When 13 lunges at Goku, one punch from Goku sends the super android into the depths of the Spirit Bomb, where he is disintegrated by its ki.

Personality

Android 13 was created for the sole purpose of destroying Goku. In the original Japanese version of the film, his serious demeanor regarding this task is demonstrated in Android 13's personality, while in the Funimation dub, his attitude is essentially that of a stereotypical "redneck" (which his character design also appears to have been modeled after). In the dub, he scarcely refers to Goku by name, preferring instead to call him by such titles as "city boy," "son" or "boy."

In addition, the English dub provides a further glimpse into Android 13's psyche and to a small extent, humanity, when he lectures Trunks about how people have misused their free-will to create more sufferings like war, segregation and hatred; the original Japanese version and Chinese dub feature completely different dialogue from the character during this sequence. Also in Funimation Entertainment's dub, Dr. Gero's computer directly relays information to him, which is something only subtly hinted at in the original Japanese version of the film.

Other appearances

Android 13 makes his first playable appearance in a Dragon Ball video game spin-off in Budokai Tenkaichi 2. He has since featured in one other video game, the following installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi series. Each of these games allow the character's fused "Super Android 13" transformation to be played.

Special abilities

• Android Barrier
• Energy Attack, the most basic form of energy wave used by androids.
• Flight, the ability to fly without the use of ki.
• S.S. Deadly Bomber, Android 13's signature technique, where he generates a red ball of spiraling energy that homes in on its target. This attack was named in Budokai Tenkaichi 2.
• Super Explosive Wave

Power

Android 13, during the transformation to his Super form.

As an artificial being, Android 13 has the advantage of having virtually unlimited energy and stamina, as well as being generally undetectable as a result of not being an organic life form.

In his standard form, 13 is able to keep up with Goku even as a Super Saiyan. While in this base form, he doesn't seem to be as strong as android 17 and 18, who are able to keep up with and even surpass a Super Saiyan's power. After absorbing the components of 14 and 15, Android 13 is given an enormous power boost.

In his Super form, 13's appearance becomes almost unrecognizable from his standard form, with the exception of his widow's peak hairline and few pieces of apparel he dons. His skin pigment turns blue, the pupils and irises in his eyes apparently disappear, his hair turns orange and is raised in a similar manner to Vegeta's, and his muscle mass increases dramatically. Coupled with his new appearance, 13's power skyrockets ferociously. Despite being attacked by Piccolo, Goku, Vegeta and Future Trunks, the latter three in their Super Saiyan transformations, Android 13 is absolutely unfazed. His body also becomes so tough that Trunks' sword shatters upon striking 13's arm. It is only when Goku forms a Spirit Bomb and absorbs it as a Super Saiyan that any damage is done to 13 at all (curiously, it is also this damage that results in Android 13's death).

Voice actors

• Japanese dub: Kazuyuki Sogabe
  • Budokai Tenkaichi video game series: Moriya Endo
• Funimation dub: Chuck Huber

Trivia

• Android 13 is the only synthetic android capable of fusion, as Android 17, who with his Machine Mutant counterpart fuses into Super 17, is actually a human fitted with cybernetic implants.
• Android 13 is the only character to harbor two Red Ribbon insignias (one on his cap and another on his vest), as all other androids have only one.
• One member of the Tow Boys biker gang seen in the Dragon Ball Z episode "Closing In" has a face which bares a striking resemblance to Android 13 (which is not him).
• It is unknown if he became a resident of Hell after his defeat.
• Interestingly, even though Android 13, 14, and 15 were not featured in the Manga, the "Androids A-B-C's" section mentions that Androids 13, 14, and 15 were very close to the Android concept.