The Androids are one of the most popular elements of the Dragon Ball franchise because although there were around 20 of them, each of them have their own unique design and personality.
One of the most unique was Android 13, who original creator Akira Toriyama recently shared the original design for.
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Today in the Nearly Complete Works of Toriyama: his design for Android No.13 from DBZ Movie 7. While not shown here, he also provided the designs for 14 and 15. //t.co/rNd7JhE1WQ pic.twitter.com/ccQi8Km5dx
โ Todd Blankenship (@Herms98) September 18, 2018
As fans can see, Android 13 looks nearly identical to the final design seen in the Dragon Ball Z film Super Android 13 save for a slight thinness in comparison to his final look. Originally released in 1992 in Japan, Android 13 appears in the seventh film in the franchise which takes place shortly after Dr. Gero is destroyed by Android 17 in the Android saga. Dr. Gero’s mind instead transfers to a supercomputer, and activates the Androids for revenge.
Though the film is non-canon, fans were drawn to the newly introduced Android 13, 14, and 15, which were designs with various defects that would be improved on in later designs by Gero. Android 13 was pretty on par with Super Saiyan Goku at his base level, but when Android 14 and 15 were destroyed in battle, Android 13 absorbed their power.
Forgoing his trucker hat, Android 13 absorbs microchips from Android 14 and 15 and transforms into the powerful “Super” Android 13. Goku eventually defeats him when he absorbs a Spirit Bomb into himself and uses the subsequent energy to punch a hole right through Super Android 13’s chest. The English dub of the film is infamous, however, for adding a Southern drawl to Android 13’s voice. But it added a layer of character that the more serious Japanese version of the character did not have.
Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and Crunchyroll.
If you want to catch up with the English dub, the first 52 episodes of Dragon Ball Super are now available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and available to purchase on Amazon Video as well. The 52 episodes span the full range of what has aired in the North America and covers the “Battle of Gods” arc, “Revival of F” arc, the “Universe 6” arc, and bringing the series right up to the “Future Trunks” arc.