The is a fictional group of characters featured in
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for his highly successful manga series ''Dr. Slump'', before going on to create ''Dragon Ball'' (his best-known work) and acting as a character design ...
's ''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' anime and manga series. The many operatives of the Red Ribbon Army, led by , serve as opponents for series protagonist
Goku
Son Goku is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is based on Sun Wukong (known as Son Goku in Japan and Monkey King in the West), a main character of the classic Ch ...
during his second quest for the Dragon Balls. In the aftermath of the Red Ribbon Army's defeat by Goku, a surviving member known as
Doctor Gero
The is a fictional group of characters featured in Akira Toriyama's ''Dragon Ball'' anime and manga series. The many operatives of the Red Ribbon Army, led by , serve as opponents for series protagonist Goku during his second quest for the Drago ...
continues the group's legacy and creates a series of powerful
artificial humanoids known as Androids as part of his vendetta against Goku.
The group was generally well received by reviewers. Commentators noted that the Red Ribbon Army arc, in which the group is presented as the first legitimate threat to Goku, represented a shift to a darker tone for the series, as well as a notable example of antiquated or politically incorrect attitudes towards real world stereotypes and tropes in Japanese anime. Some of the group's individual members, including the Red Ribbon Androids who appear as recurring villains in the franchise, have left a lasting impression in popular culture and specifically received commentary by media outlets.
Conception and creation
''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' series creator Akira Toriyama drew inspiration for the military organization, particularly its base, from the video game ''
Spartan X'' (known as ''Kung-Fu Master'' internationally), in which enemies tend to
spawn
Spawn or spawning may refer to:
* Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise
** '' Spawn: Ar ...
at a rapid rate while the
player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
ascends a tower; the game itself was based on two
Hong Kong martial arts films
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese and Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling and aesthetic traditions, which Hong K ...
,
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
's ''
Wheels on Meals
''Wheels on Meals'' () is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written and directed by Sammo Hung, with action choreographed by Jackie Chan. The film stars Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Lola Forner, Benny Urquidez and José S ...
'' (known as ''Spartan X'' in Japan) and
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
's ''
Game of Death
''The Game of Death'' (Chinese: 死亡的遊戲) is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, filmed between August and October 1972, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee, in his final film project. Lee died during the making ...
''.
Some of the Red Ribbon Army members wear uniforms reminiscent of the
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
, the youth organisation of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, albeit without their signature
swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
armbands.
One of the group's major characters, , is coded as a stereotypically homosexual character, and is similar in concept to the ''
Sturmabteilung
The (; SA; literally "Storm Detachment") was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for Nazi ral ...
'' co-founder
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Günther Röhm (; 28 November 1887 – 1 July 1934) was a German military officer and an early member of the Nazi Party. As one of the members of its predecessor, the German Workers' Party, he was a close friend and early ally ...
.
[ Blue's Japanese voice actor, ]Toshio Furukawa
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actor Shino Kakinuma.
Career
He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Keroro Gunso''), Kai Shiden (''Mobile Suit Gun ...
claimed said it was a difficult role to play due to the character's sexuality. The North American English releases of the manga by Viz Media edited the lips of , Staff Officer Black in English anime, by shading them in; D.F. Smith from ''IGN'' remarked that the character is a "ridiculous caricature of a black man".
Toriyama created Androids 17 and 18
An android is a humanoid robot or other artificial being often made from a flesh-like material. Historically, androids were completely within the domain of science fiction and frequently seen in film and television, but advances in robot techno ...
after Kazuhiko Torishima
is a Japanese publishing executive and former manga magazine editor, who is currently serving as an advisor to Hakusensha. He formerly worked at Shueisha, where he began as an editor in 1976, before becoming a senior managing director (CEO), a ...
, his former editor, expressed his disappointment with Androids 19 and 20 being depicted as the villains of the Android Saga
The fourth season of the ''Dragon Ball Z'' anime series contains the Garlic Jr., Future Trunks, and the Androids arcs, which comprises Part 1 of the Cell Saga. The episodes are produced by Toei Animation, and are based on the final 26 volumes of t ...
arc. When Torishima complained about the youthful duo as well after they were incorporated into the story, Toriyama decided to develop and introduce Cell.
Members
The Red Ribbon Army's membership comprises humans, anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
animals, monsters, and robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
s.[ Its hierarchy is organized like a pyramid structure: its supreme leader is Commander Red, followed by his second in command and adjutant Staff Officer Black, who is in turn followed by commanding officers such as General Blue, and so on.][ Doctor Gero, creator of the Red Ribbon Androids and ]Cell
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
Cell may also refer to:
Locations
* Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...
, is the chief scientist of the Red Ribbon Army.[ The organization functions as a military dictatorship where orders from a superior officer are absolute, but each member may conduct themselves according to their respective ambitions.][
Goku's protracted struggle with the Red Ribbon Army begins when he resumes his search for his ]Grandfather
Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually-reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic ...
's Dragon Ball following the conclusion of a martial arts tournament he participated in. At the same time, Commander Red directs his forces to raid several settlements throughout the world in search for the Dragon Balls, ostensibly on a quest for world domination. Goku initially encounters and defeats and his subordinates. Silver is later sentenced to death by Red for losing to a little boy.
Though its leadership believe that Silver's defeat was an anomaly, Goku is increasingly seen as a genuine threat when he manages to defeat the forces under in their northern stronghold known as Muscle Tower. General White's forces include the android brute , the ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
and his four identical brothers, and the large extraterrestrial monster . Other members include , an anthropomorphic tiger whom Goku defeated when arriving at the land of Korin; and , the only known female operative of the army. A and the Corps are mentioned in passing, but are never seen.[ The Red Ribbon Army occasionally recruits hired help to further their objectives, such as the assassin Mercenary Tao, and the anime-exclusive thief .][
During the ]Commander Red Saga
'' Dragon Ball'' is the first of two anime adaptations of the '' Dragon Ball'' manga series by Akira Toriyama. Produced by Toei Animation, the anime series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on February 26, 1986, and ran until April 19, 1989 ...
, Black eventually discovers that Red's motivation to obtain the Dragon Balls in a bid for world domination, is in fact a ruse; Red, an exceedingly short man, secretly covets the power of the Dragon Balls to wish himself taller. Black turns on Red and attempts to take command of the army and rename it the "Black Ribbon Army", only to be killed by Goku after he is able to wipe out most of the remaining Red Ribbon forces. Following the downfall of the organization, Doctor Gero continues his research and development work on his line of Android operatives to seek revenge against Goku.
General Blue
is the titular villain of the General Blue Saga
'' Dragon Ball'' is the first of two anime adaptations of the '' Dragon Ball'' manga series by Akira Toriyama. Produced by Toei Animation, the anime series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on February 26, 1986, and ran until April 19, 1989. ...
arc in the original ''Dragon Ball'' series. One of the Red Ribbon Army's leaders and seemingly its most powerful member, Blue has special telekinetic
Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
abilities that allow him to paralyze other individuals and can also be used to control objects. He is a neat freak, and when he does not enjoy Bulma
is a fictional character featured in the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise, first appearing in the manga series created by Akira Toriyama. She debuted in the first chapter "Bulma and Son Goku", published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine on June 19, 1 ...
's attempts at seduction, she states that he is gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
. He manages to steal the Dragon Radar during their final encounter but after returning to the army's headquarters is set to be executed for not obtaining any of the Dragon Balls after multiple failures. He is allowed to fight the hitman Mercenary Tao to redeem himself, though Tao easily kills Blue using only his tongue. He is voiced by Toshio Furukawa
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actor Shino Kakinuma.
Career
He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Keroro Gunso''), Kai Shiden (''Mobile Suit Gun ...
in Japanese, and Sonny Strait
Sonny Strait is an American voice actor, ADR director, and writer at Funimation, known for his work on a number of English versions of Japanese anime series and as an illustrator for the independently published comic book series '' Elfquest.''
C ...
in the Funimation dub.
Mercenary Tao
, Mercenary Tao or General Tao in English anime dubs, is a hitman hired by the Red Ribbon Army to deal with Goku. He is the younger brother of Master Shen, or , the lifelong rival of Master Roshi
Master Roshi, known in Japan as as well as , is a fictional character from the ''Dragon Ball'' series created by Akira Toriyama.
Within the series, he is an elderly martial arts master, born on March 20th, who is the innovator of the technique ...
. He wears a custom made pink gi with the kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
for on the front and the English phrase "KILL YOU!" on the back. He is first introduced in the series by being hired by the Red Ribbon Army to take out Goku and retrieve the Dragon Balls he possesses. He murders General Blue with only his tongue, slew Bora the guardian of Korin Tower with his own spear, and seemingly kills Goku. After succeeding in the initial battle and collects most of the Dragon Balls in Goku's possession, he where Goku challenges him again with his newfound power from Korin. He gets caught in the explosion of his own grenade and is assumed dead. Master Shen later enters his disciples Tien Shinhan
, known as Tenshinhan in Japanese media and Viz Media's release of the manga, is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is introduced in chapter #113 "The 22nd Tenka'ichi Budōkai", first published ...
and Chiaotzu
'' Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the c ...
in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, and attempts to avenge his brother by ordering his disciples to hurt and kill Goku and Master Roshi's other students. It is later revealed that Tao survived and was modified into a cyborg using all the money he gained from his previous assassination jobs. He enters the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament with the support of Master Shen, but is easily defeated by his brother's former student Tien Shinhan. In the anime Tao makes further appearances in filler episodes of ''Dragon Ball Z'' during its fifth season.
In Japanese, he is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He was most known for the roles of Captain Hook (''Peter Pan no Bōken & Disney's Peter Pan''), Dick Dastardly (''Wacky Races'' & ''Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines''), Goemon Ishikaw ...
in ''Dragon Ball'' and Yukimasa Kishino
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan. He is also active in the theatrical entertainment field and is the chairman of his own theatrical group, ''Gekidan Kishino Gumi''. Some of the members of this group include ...
in ''Dragon Ball Z''. In the Ocean dub, he is voiced by Scott McNeil
Scott McNeil is an Australian-born Canadian actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the best-known Canadian voice actors of all time, McNeil has provided voices to many characters in animated shows, most notabl ...
, while in the Funimation dub, he is voiced by Kent Williams, who also voiced Dr. Gero.
Red Ribbon Androids
Android 8
or Mechanical Man No. 8, is the first Red Ribbon Android operative seen in the series. Although he is deployed against Goku as a weapon, Android 8 turns out to be kindhearted and dislikes fighting; he befriends Goku, defects from the Red Ribbon Army, and later lives peacefully with the locals of and adopts the alias ("Eighter" in the anime) as suggested by Goku. Android 8 is seen towards the end of the original manga series, giving energy for Goku's ''Genki-Dama'' to destroy Majin Buu. An alternate future timeline counterpart of Android 8 makes a cameo appearance in ''Dragon Ball Super
is a Japanese manga series written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. A sequel to Toriyama's original ''Dragon Ball'' manga, it follows the adventures of Goku and friends during the ten-year timeskip after the defeat of Maj ...
''.
In the ''Dragon Ball'' anime, Android 8's creator is revealed to be Doctor Frappe (フラッペ博士, ''Furappe Hakase''). Later supplementary material suggests that Frappe and Gero developed the Red Ribbon Androids together as colleagues.[''Daizenshuu 7'', 1996]
Doctor Gero is voiced by Shōzō Iizuka
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Fukushima Prefecture. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University.
He is most known for the roles of Hakaider (''Android Kikaider''), Doctor Neo Cortex ( ''Crash Bandicoot'' s ...
in Japanese, Dale Wilson in the Ocean dub, and Mike McFarland
Michael McFarland is an American voice actor and ADR director who works on English dubs of Japanese anime at Funimation. He is known as the original English voice of Master Roshi and Yajirobe in Funimation's dubs of ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Dragon ...
in the Funimation dub.
Doctor Gero
does not appear in the original Red Ribbon Army story arc, and is retroactively linked to the group when his motivation of revenge against Goku for the organization's downfall is revealed in the Android Saga
The fourth season of the ''Dragon Ball Z'' anime series contains the Garlic Jr., Future Trunks, and the Androids arcs, which comprises Part 1 of the Cell Saga. The episodes are produced by Toei Animation, and are based on the final 26 volumes of t ...
arc. After creating a more advanced series of Red Ribbon Androids, he eventually implants his own brain into an exact replica of his body, and calls himself . He is initially encountered by Yamcha
is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is first introduced as a desert bandit and an antagonist of Son Goku in chapter #7 "Yamcha and Pu'ar", published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine on ...
, who is nearly killed when Gero impales his chest with a hand and absorbs Yamcha's ''chi
Chi or CHI may refer to:
Greek
*Chi (letter), the Greek letter (uppercase Χ, lowercase χ);
Chinese
*Chi (length), ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter
*Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon
*Chi (surname) (池, pin ...
'' using a small device on his hand. Gero later flees back to his laboratory and release Androids 17 and 18 in order to fend off Goku's associates, but 17 turns on his creator and murders him following a brief altercation.
Doctor Gero is voiced by Kōji Yada
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was represented by Aoni Production. Kōji Yada was also his birth name, but was written with different kanji . He died in Tokyo due to chronic kidney disease on May 1, 2014.
Notable voice roles
...
in Japanese, Brian Dobson in the Ocean dub, and Kent Williams in the Funimation dub, who also voiced Mercenary Tao.
Android 19
is a round, pale fully mechanical android and the most loyal of Gero's creations. Like Gero's Android form, 19 is capable of absorbing the energy of others. During an attack on Goku and his associates, the Dragon Team, 19 successfully drains Goku of his energy while he is incapacitated by his heart virus condition, but is destroyed by Vegeta afterwards. Gero retreats back to his laboratory in response.
Android 19 is voiced by Yukitoshi Hori
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the elder brother of fellow voice actor Hideyuki Hori and is currently represented by Aoni Production.
He is most known for the roles of Tokumaru Tatsumi (''Saint Seiya'' ...
in Japanese media, Cathy Weseluck
Cathy Weseluck is a Canadian actress and comedian who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia and is known for her roles as Near in '' Death Note'', Cybersix/Adrian Seidelman in ''Cybersix'', and Spike in '' My Littl ...
in the Ocean dub, Phillip Wilburn
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
in the Funimation dub, and Todd Haberkorn
Todd Haberkorn is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games.
Career
While Haberkorn was working in theater, he joined Funimation as a voice actor, with minor roles in ''One Piece'', ''Black Cat'', a ...
in the ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'' dub.
Android 17 and Android 18
Androids 17 and 18 are originally a pair of twins who have been transformed by Gero's cybernetic enhancements. They are initially presented as antagonists against Goku's friends and associates. Cell would successfully absorb both 17 and 18, which leads to the events of the Cell Games Saga
The sixth season of '' Dragon Ball Z'' anime series contains the Cell Games arc, which comprises Part 3 of the Cell Saga. The episodes are produced by Toei Animation, and are based on the final 26 volumes of the '' Dragon Ball'' manga series by A ...
. Both Androids eventually reformed and lead normal lives following Cell's defeat.
In an alternate future timeline where Goku dies from a heart virus condition, 17 and 18 are depicted as sociopathic mass murderers who wiped out a majority of the Earth's population, including almost all members of the Dragon Team, but are eventually killed by Trunks.
Android 16
is a large fully mechanical android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
modeled after Gero's son Gevo, a high-ranking soldier in the Red Ribbon Army who died from an enemy bullet in an undisclosed battle. 16 is deemed a failure by Gero, and is deactivated until Android 18 reactivates and releases him. Android 18
is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. Android 18 makes her debut in Chapter #349 "The Androids Awake!", first published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' on November 12, 1991.
She and her twin brother, ...
16 processes a sophisticated mechanism to sense and track power levels in real time, a feature both 17 and 18 lack. Unlike his Android companions, 16 does not take pleasure in fighting others, and is fully committed to follow his programmed orders: to search for and kill Goku. Despite his large and cold appearance, 16 is very gentle and friendly, similarly to Android 8. 16 also has an appreciation for humanity and nature, and views Cell as an evil that serves to destroy both. While trying to protect Android 17 and 18 from Cell, he is badly damaged, though Bulma and her father later repair him. After he is repaired, he temporarily set aside his orders to kill Goku to focus on the fight against Cell. Like 17 and 18, 16 was designed with the ability to self-destruct, but the device was removed when he was being repaired. This is made known only when 16 tries to destroy Cell using his self-destruction mechanism, with Cell retaliating and destroying him. However, his head and consciousness survive, but later is crushed by Cell, which pushes Gohan over the edge to unleash the Super Saiyan 2 form, the necessary power level to overcome Cell.
Android 16 is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production. He is best known for the roles of Softon in ''Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo'', Tamahome in ''Fushigi Yûgi'', Seiran Shi in ''Saiunkoku Monogatari'' ...
in Japanese media, Scott McNeil
Scott McNeil is an Australian-born Canadian actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the best-known Canadian voice actors of all time, McNeil has provided voices to many characters in animated shows, most notabl ...
in the Ocean dub, and Jeremy Inman
Jeremy Inman is an American voice actor and ADR director, known for his work in anime dubs for Funimation. He is known for his role as Android 16 in ''Dragon Ball Z'' and ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'' and Akitaru Obi in ''Fire Force''.
Voice acting Ani ...
in the Funimation dub.
Cell
Cell is Doctor Gero's ultimate creation, referred to as a "Bio-Android". He is designed to evolve into the "perfect" being. The creature is completed at a later date and unleashed by Gero's supercomputer, intended as a fail safe by collecting data in the background.
Gamma 1 & 2
and , are two androids created by the reformed Red Ribbon Army that appear as secondary antagonists in the 2022 film '' Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero''. They are conceived by the army as an even more powerful new series of androids, designed by Doctor Hedo according to his liking of superheroes. Despite their flamboyant, often ridiculous showmanship, they are powerful and dedicated fighters with a strong sense of justice, albeit misguided by their creators. They are supposed to be used as a pretense for the organization to paint themselves as heroic figures while they seek revenge against Goku. Each of them wield special ray guns in battle that unleash an array of powerful ''ki'' blasts.
Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 are respectively voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya
is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production.
He is best known for the voice of Levi Ackerman in ''Attack on Titan'', Trafalgar Law in ''One Piece'', Mephisto Pheles in ''Blue Exorcist'', Izaya Orihara in ''Dur ...
and Mamoru Miyano
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his roles on '' Steins;Gate'', ''Durarara!!'', ''Death Note'', '' Soul Eater'', ''Wolf's Rain'', ''Ouran High School Host Club'', '' Ajin: Demi-Human'', '' Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood'', ' ...
in Japanese, and by Aleks Le and Zeno Robinson
Zeno Robinson is an American voice actor. He has done voice acting for both Western animation and English dubs of Japanese anime. Some of his major anime roles include: Hawks in ''My Hero Academia'' (for which he won Best VA Performance (EN) at ...
in English.
Red Pharmaceuticals
Following the deaths of Doctor Gero and Cell, a new reincarnation of the Red Ribbon Army was eventually formed, eager to seek revenge once more on Goku, whom unbeknownst to them is offworld. They concealed all their operations in a hidden base holographically protected in plain sight, using a pharmaceutical company as a front.
Magenta
is the primary antagonist of '' Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero'', being the son of the late Commander Red, he resembles the former. He is the presumed head of Red Pharmaceuticals, used as a front for the reformed Red Ribbon Army, where he serves as its new leader. He secretly plots, alongside Doctor Hedo, to seek revenge upon Goku and his loved ones for annihilating his father's organization, under the claim that Capsule Corporation hosts evil aliens. He is confident about his plans, but like his father, becomes belligerent when faced with the notion of things not going his way. He is accompanied by his bodyguard and driver, .
Magenta is voiced by Volcano Ōta in Japanese and Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet (, ; born September 17, 1955) is an American actor and voice actor, known for his portrayal of both Mario and Luigi in the ''Super Mario'' video game series since 1992. He is also the voice of other characters in the series such ...
in English.
Doctor Hedo
, is the short, portly genius scientist who is the grandson of the notorious Doctor Gero, who works for the revived Red Ribbon Army under Magenta after breaking free from prison. Unlike his grandfather, he has little desire to carry on Gero's revenge upon Goku, and he has an obsession with superheroes, and seeks to create the ultimate superhero androids, while also desiring the research funds from the army. He is responsible for the creation of the army's secret weapon, an even more powerful variant of the original Cell, . He has an expertise in biology and has a medical license, and is revealed to have injected himself with a serum that protects him from light shock injuries. He is accompanied by his insectoid robot
An insectoid robot is a, usually small, robot featuring some insect-like features. These can include the methods of locomotion (including flying), methods of navigation, and artificial intelligence based on insect models. Many of the problems f ...
, Hachimaru.
Doctor Hedo is voiced by Miyu Irino
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He voiced Haku in ''Spirited Away'', Shoya Ishida in '' A Silent Voice'', Sena Kobayakawa in ''Eyeshield 21'', Jinta "Jintan" Yadomi in '' Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day'', Syaoran in '' Tsubasa: Rese ...
in Japanese and Zach Aguilar
Zachary Aguilar (born February 21, 1998) is an American voice actor who has appeared in various English dubbed versions of Japanese anime and video games, working for Bang! Zoom Entertainment, Viz Media and Funimation. Aguilar's first major r ...
in English.
Carmine
is the secondary antagonist of '' Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero'', as he is the secretary of Red Pharmaceuticals and Magenta's loyal bodyguard and chauffeur. He has a large pompadour hairstyle and has a habit of combing it. He assists Magenta in rebuilding the Red Ribbon Army in secret and plotting their revenge against Goku and his friends and family. He is incredibly ruthless and cold-blooded in situations, as he enjoys tormenting his enemies and is willing to kidnap and kill children.
Carmine is voiced by Ryota Takeuchi in Japanese and Jason Marnocha
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was ...
in English.
In other media
Several key members of the Red Ribbon Army appear in the alternate-retelling film '' Dragon Ball: The Path to Power'', where they are presented with different character designs.
In the film '' Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure'', General Blue and Sergeant Metallic appear as soldiers in Emperor Chiaotzu's army; the former is murdered by Mercenary Tao in the same manner as the original source material.
Sergeant Major Purple and General Blue appear in the 1990s remake of the ''Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1980 to 1984, with the chapters collected into 18 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series fol ...
'' anime, where they attempt to claim the Dragon Balls from Goku and Arale Norimaki
is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ''Dr. Slump'' manga series, created by Akira Toriyama. She is a robot built by Senbei Norimaki who looks like a young girl. She is known for her naïveté, energetic personality, lack of common ...
.
The story of Trunks' alternate future timeline being ravaged by Androids 17 and 18 is depicted in the 1993 anime TV special '' Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks.
Doctor Gero's death at the hands of Android 17 is retold in the seventh ''Dragon Ball Z'' film, which features three of his other creations as antagonists: Androids 13, 14, and 15. Aside from multiple non-canonical licensed video game appearances, the three Androids do not appear in the original manga or anime TV series.
In ''Dragon Ball GT
is a 1996–1997 Japanese anime television series based on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball (manga), ''Dragon Ball'' manga. Produced by Toei Animation, the series premiered in Japan on Fuji TV and ran for 64 episodes from February 1996 to Novem ...
'', Doctor Gero creates a replicant copy of Android 17 along with Doctor Myu in the afterlife, who later merges with the original Android 17 to become the villanous Super 17 (超17号, ''Chō Jū Nana-Gō'').
Members of the Red Ribbon Army and the later Red Ribbon Androids have appeared in numerous licensed ''Dragon Ball'' video games. A notable original character, created for the 2018 fighting game ''Dragon Ball FighterZ
''Dragon Ball FighterZ'' (pronounced "fighters") is a 2.5D fighting game, developed by Arc System Works and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Based on the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise, it was released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Micr ...
'', is Android 21
is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise. Created as part of a collaborative process between Arc System Works and Akira Toriyama, Android 21 makes her debut appearance in the 2018 fighting game ''Dragon Ball FighterZ'' pub ...
. Her backstory as a Red Ribbon Army researcher as well as her in-universe connection to both Doctor Gero and Android 16 have been subject to media coverage.
Promotion and merchandise
The ''Dragon Ball 30th Anniversary Super History Book'', released in 2016, features concept art and sketches for various characters drawn from the series' history. Manga artist Masashi Kishimoto
is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, ''Naruto'', which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, vi ...
contributed a sketch featuring the Pirate Robot, a minor character from the General Blue Saga
'' Dragon Ball'' is the first of two anime adaptations of the '' Dragon Ball'' manga series by Akira Toriyama. Produced by Toei Animation, the anime series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on February 26, 1986, and ran until April 19, 1989. ...
arc.
Reception
Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network opined that the Red Ribbon army arc represented the ''Dragon Ball'' series at its peak in terms of its tone, a pleasant balance between "the frivolity of early ''Dragon Ball'' and the ponderous solemnity of ''Dragon Ball Z''". He found the Red Ribbon Army to be effective villains, as it was first time Goku has faced "real bad guys", as opposed to "goofy Team Rocket
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to infor ...
-esque wannabes" like the Pilaf Gang. Kimlinger noted that the complete defeat of the Red Ribbon Army would have major implications for the franchise's narrative, as it sets the stage for the Android Saga storyline in ''Dragon Ball Z''. Smith commented that the Red Ribbon Army storyline is indicative of a time period that predates the prevalence of the notion of political correctness in popular media, noting that the concept never gained significant traction in Japanese popular culture by contrast. In his view, some of the antiquated writing and character design for the Red Ribbon Army is "less of a light form of entertainment, and more a throwback '80s cultural artifact"; Smith formed the view that while the series never loses its anthropological or historical interest, storylines like the Red Ribbon Army arc may be challenging for viewers to "just turn your brain off and enjoy it straight".
The individual members and associates of the Red Ribbon Army have received varied receptions. Uonuma Usui
The manga series ''Rurouni Kenshin'' features a large cast of character (arts), fictional characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Set in Japan during the Meiji period, several of the characters are real historical figures who interact with the ...
from Nobuhiro Watsuki
, better known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his samurai-themed series '' Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story'' (1994–1999), which has over 70 million copies in circulation and a sequel he is cur ...
's ''Rurouni Kenshin
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work ...
'' manga is modeled after Mercenary Tao; Watsuki stated that Tao made "a strong impression" on him as he was the first villain in the series to defeat Goku.[ Watsuki, Nobuhiro. "The Secret Life of Characters (35) Uonuma Usui," '']Rurouni Kenshin
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work ...
'' Volume 14. Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
. 66. Craig Elvy from ''Screen Rant'' said Android 8 is a minor but important influence in Goku's overall character development throughout the series, and drew a link between their interactions early in the series to Goku's consistently merciful attitude towards his enemies as an adult. Android 16 is considered to be the franchise's best villain by Brandon Zachary, who described the character in an article for ''Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' (''CBR'') as a tragic figure who brings a somber side to the ''Dragon Ball'' universe. In a 2004 poll, Japanese fans voted Androids 17 and 18 as the 18th and 10th most popular character in the series respectively. Sheldon Pearce from ''Complex'' found both 17 and 18 to be interesting in their own right and gave them high rankings in his list of ''Dragon Ball Z'' characters. The fight between 17 and Piccolo is considered to be one of the greatest fights in ''Dragon Ball Z'' by David Dennis Jr. from ''Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
''.
Conversely, Todd Douglass Jr. felt that collectively, the Red Ribbon Army characters were "hit or miss" for him. Aimee Hart, writing for ''Anime Feminist'', was disturbed by an in-joke conveyed in the anime, which depicts Bulma breaking the fourth wall
Breaking or breakin' may refer to:
Arts
* Breakdancing (also breaking), an athletic style of street dance
* ''Breakin, a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film
* "Breakin, a twelfth-season episode of the American animated television se ...
in an episode to imply that a scene of her being raped by a group of Red Ribbon Army soldiers is censored from publication in the original manga. Both Anthony Gramuglia, writing for ''CBR'', and Aimee Hart considered the homophobic characterization of General Blue to be deeply problematic. Gramuglia is particularly critical of Blue's uniform being styled after that of an organization which persecuted homosexual individuals, as well as the anime adaptation's depiction of Blue as a pedophile, which evokes an offensive stereotype of gay men being sexual predators.
References
''Dragon Ball'' manga
Entire series
* Toriyama, Akira. ''ドラゴンボール ragon Ball
Ragon may refer to:
People Surname
* Charles Ragon de Bange (1833–1914), French artillery officer and Polytechnician
* Heartsill Ragon (1885–1940), United States Representative from Arkansas
* Henriette Ragon (1918–2015), stage name Patach ...
' (in Japanese). 42 vols. Tokyo: Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
, 1985–1995.
*Toriyama, Akira. ''Dragon Ball''. 16 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
, 2003–2004.
*Toriyama, Akira. ''Dragon Ball Z''. 26 vols. San Francisco: Viz Media, 2003–2006.
Individual volumes
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Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Ribbon Army
Villains in animated television series
Dragon Ball characters
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
Fictional military organizations
Fictional terrorist organizations
Red Ribbon Army characters
Lists of supervillains