A lot of Dragonball Z fans are kind of hard on the score composed by Bruce Faulconer for the American version. A lot of the diehards vehemently prefer the Japanese score. I’m not really a big fan of it. When the Japanese music is at it’s best, it’s phenomenal, but most of the time it’s repetitive and doesn’t do it for me. Faulconer started out kind of rough, but got better as time wore on and came up with some very catchy and indelible tunes for DBZ. I was originally only going to do ten, but then I realized there are a shitload of good ones, so I had to expand it to twenty-five. And if people are bitches and don’t want their videos embedded, whatever. If you really need to listen to it, go to Youtube and type in the title. Shouldn’t be hard to find. Anyway, enjoy.

25. Face Off

I think it’s appropriate to begin with this one. This track always played right before shit was about to go down. Usually, it would be two combatants staring each other down and we’d get shots of the surrounding area and all that. Sometimes, maybe some trash talking would be thrown in for good measure. This always built the fights up, but in DBZ, most of the time, the fights themselves were way better than the buildup.

24. Majin Theme

The Buu saga is generally not liked as much by the DBZ community as the previous seasons and I’m no exception. However, in a lot of ways, it had some of the best music. Just Faulconer getting better I suppose. Anway, I rather like this one as it sets the tone nicely for Babidi, Dabura and all the other henchmen and minions. It doesn’t particularly stand out, but it certainly got the job done.

23. Heroic Goku

This one takes me back a wee bit. It’s impossible to separate it from the epic battle between Freeza and Goku. The latter had just gone Super Saiyan and was beating up on the terror of the universe who up until this point had been all but invincible. Goku is a badass and the intensity of the stare he gives Freeza is incredible. The man has a tranquil fury about him that just seems to say shit is about to go down.

22. Namek Destruction

This also brings me back to that epic battle between Goku and Freeza. It doesn’t really get much more epic than the two most powerful fighters in the universe (at the time) battling on a planet about to explode. Lava’s erupting all over the place, the sky is black, the ground is shifting and falling apart. It’s awesome. There’s not much time and Goku has to defeat Freeza before the planet explodes. This song does a good job of capturing that impending doom.

21. Garlic Junior Theme

Pretty much the only good thing about the Garlic Junior Saga is the music. Everything else is pretty damn bad. And my favorite of it is the basic Garlic Junior theme. It’s just…. evil. I thought the whole saga and Garlic’s character certainly had some potential, but the execution of it all was just plain bad. But even though I can’t stand the plot or most of the dialogue, the music is good. Oh, and those random bits of Vegeta out in space are cool as well.

20.Hyperbolic Time Chamber

The Hyperbolic Time Chamber, or as it’s known in the Japanese version, The Room of Spirit and Time, is a very cool place. It can yield incredible increases in strength in very short amounts of time, but it’s so extreme and harrowing that it could kill you first. This theme seems to reflect that pretty wel. It’s also used for Gohan’s big moment when he goes Super Saiyan 2, though I don’t really think it quite fits there. The Japanese version of Gohan’s ssj2 transformation is pure pwnage. As I said earlier, I’m not a huge fan of the Japanese score but when it’s at it’s best, it’s great, though admittedly, they use a song for this. So, what the hell, here’s the Japanese version of Gohan going ssj2. That roar that they added on the scream is badass as shit.

19. Imperfect Cell

Cell is my favorite vllain from DBZ (well, villain that actually stayed evil, that is) and it’s awesome that he gets a lot of good music. In his first form, he really wasn’t terribly strong. So, he was just sneaking and running around and shit. This track captures that well. It also seems toward the end to capture the evil of Cell and atrocities he commits, including absorbing thousands of humans to make himself strong enough to handle Piccolo. Damn bastard.

18. Gohan Powers Up

I really, really do like this piece of music and would probably put it several places higher if not for what it represents. I always really liked Gohan as a character and was horrified to see what he became in the Buu saga. This is his “mystic” theme, used when he powers up before fighting Buu. Gohan does become badass for a few episodes again, but doesn’t really do much of anything. This theme is so damn triumphant, but Gohan ends up just being a huge let down. Oh well.

17. Ginyu Transformation

Now this one is epic. When this one plays, some pretty epic shit is going down. It was originally used when Ginyu traded bodies with Goku, but I associate more with Cell’s death and also when Kid Buu blew up the earth. They just seem more suited to its epicness than Ginyu’s somewhat comical body-swapping with Ginyu. But I will say that they certainly do a good job of not overusing this one, so it retains some of that epicness and importance when it is used.

16. Heroic Trunks

Back when I was a kid and DBZ was still airing new episodes on Cartoon Network (back when CN was awesome and had Toonami; that was the shit), before the new episodes started airing, some would come out on tape. I got a few of those tapes and in the previews for one I had, it gave this awesome preview for Trunks before I ever knew who he was. It was badass as shit and I couldn’t wait until he came on the scene. Oddly enough, it’s never actually used in the show itself, which is very disappointing, but doesn’t take much away from it. And while I’m at it, here’s the preview.

15. Gohan Fights Buu

Gohan, despite how much of a pussy he becomes in the Buu saga still gets some pretty badass music. This suits him pretty well when he’s beating up on Super Buu and is cool again for about three episodes before Buu turns the tide and starts whooping his ass. I think this is also used at least once during Gohan’s fight against Cell, where it’s much more appropriate because Cell Games Gohan will always trump Mystic Gohan in badassery.

14. Super Buu Theme

As I’ve said a few times already, the Buu saga in general does falter compare to what came before it. But Super Buu was pretty cool and this theme exemplifies him pretty well. It’s very chaotic and evil, much like the big man himself. He’s just a force of pure evil and is pretty much interested purely in destruction. Well, to a degree, Super Buu wants to fight someone strong, but Kid Buu is just interested in destruction. Eh, whatever, it’s cool regardless.

13. Final Atonement

This track is just very calm and peaceful. It plays for the majority of the episode “Final Atonement,” where Vegeta sacrificies himself in an effort to take down Buu. It just suits Vegeta’s contemplative nature in this episode very well. He stares into the distance, he looks down at his son, we get glimpses of the area and this tranquil, simple theme goes along with it very well. And it’s a great build up to the fantastic ending.

12. Super Saiyan Goku

Ah, now this shit is classic. This theme does a really good job of the build up for Goku’s transformation. In the anime (the transformation is actually really quick in the manga), Goku really looks like he’s struggling with the rage inside him as it swells up and Super Saiyan beckons. The ground is crumbling, lightning is flashing and both Gohan and Freeza are thinking “What the hell is going on?” And then Goku finally does transform and the guitar-like sound kicks in as he turns and stares Freeza down. Badass shit.

11. Gohan Angers

This one is used during Gohan’s fight with Cell prior to the former turning Super Saiyan 2. It always makes me think of Gohan being forced to watch as the Cell Juniors beat the shit out of his friends. And he just can’t draw out the power to stop Cell and help them. The piano is tight. Gohan was such a great character and this is pretty much his shining moment. This builds up to when he stops being a pussy, goes ssj2 and fucks shit the hell up. I decided to use the version with the little violin part toward the end just because violins are the shit.

10. Piccolo Theme

I feel as though Piccolo’s main theme is very underrated. It’s pretty simple and all that, but it’s cool. Like Final Atonement, it’s peaceful and kind of calming. It’s got a kind of dignity behind it that reminds one of Piccolo. Whenever I hear this, I think of him standing on a rock overlooking something with his cape flowing in the wind. Once he turns to the good side, it really does suit him extremely well. It fits quite well whenever he’s imparting wisdom to Gohan and stuff like that. Piccolo is a boss.

9. Spirit Bomb

This is a pretty long one. Anyway, this takes me back. I remember first watching the epic Freeza/Goku battle when I was ten or eleven. And watching Goku desperately try to gather the energy for the Spirit Bomb and take down Freeza. The situation seemed so hopeless, but the theme for this is more optimistic and feels like it’s really building toward something. Everything was riding on the spirit bomb at this point and Goku was determined as hell to make sure he gathered the energy.

8. Death of a Hero

Good shit right here. It’s a fantastic moment in DBZ when Goku decides to sacrifice himself to save everyone from Cell. It’s probably the closest I’ve ever come to crying while watching Dragonball Z. As opposed to just putting the music, I put in the clip itself because I feel as though it’s not really complete without it. This is the only time it plays in the whole series, aside from a very small part when Kid Buu is taken down. Goku’s such a selfless guy and the speech he gives to Gohan still gets to me.

7. Super Namek

“No longer am I Kami or Piccolo. I am the Namek who has long since forgotten his name.” Piccolo is a true badass. This theme first appears after Piccolo and Kami fuse, granting Piccolo a massive strength increase, putting him above Cell in strength and on par with Android 17. It is the definition of badass as Piccolo walks away, says that quote and goes about to fuck shit up. Granted, he gets his ass kicked by Cell about ten or twelve episodes later, but that’s just how DBZ goes, I guess.

6. Super Saiyan Vegeta

Ah, one of my all time favorite moments in DBZ. Goku, shockingly, has actually lost and the situation is looking very dire. Vegeta shows up, kicks 19 in the face and precedes to be the badass he is. The androids still don’t think he’s anything to be worried about. Following that, he asks 19 “Let me ask you. Does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?” He then shows off super saiyan for the first time. And then beats 19 in the fucking ground. This is used several other times for Vegeta’s assorted acts of badassery. If this plays, you know Vegeta’s fucking shit up.

5. Ginyu Force

Honestly, I have no idea why I like this theme as much as I do. For some reason, more than any of the other ones, this takes me back to my childhood and watching these episodes for the first time. The dubbing and everything on these episodes was so rough because Funimation was just starting out, but that’s what gave them their quaint little charm for me. And the Ginyu Force theme just oozes cool-ness. It’s used when Goku powers up to 180,000 in front of Ginyu, one of my all time favorite moments.

4. Perfect Cell

I just had to put this incredible techno remix for Perfect Cell’s theme. Cell is my favorite villain from DBZ and his theme for his perfect form is so badass and fitting. It’s also got just enough of an evil sound for it. But Cell isn’t pure evil like Buu and is rather intelligent, so it’s good it’s not as chaotic as the themes of Super Buu and Kid Buu. Cell, once he becomes perfect, is a smug little bastard very much assured of his own superiority and this track fits that well. He’s a bastard, but a very entertaining one.

3. Pikkon’s Theme

The first time I heard this during the Afterlife Tournament Saga, it became an instant favorite. It captures the otherworldly nature very well and also fits Pikkon very well. The Buu saga in general does have a lot more to do with the afterlife and the gods of the DBZ universe and all that. Pikkon’s theme just seems to suit this. I liked it so much I just hoped it would start playing during pretty much every subsequent fight. It was used very a bit during the Majin Vegeta/Goku fight as well as, if memory serves me correctly, a bit during the Goten/Trunks fight, during which it really doesn’t fit that well. A track like this has to be reserved for something more epic than a friendly fight between two kids. I kind of wish Pikkon were a canon character. In some ways, he’s a bit too similar to Piccolo, but I still would’ve liked to have seen him make an impact during the Buu saga.

2. Hell’s Bells

Considering that Vegeta is my favorite character, it’s probably not terribly surprising to find his theme at number two. The guitar and the bells throughout just suit him so well. It’s so god damn bad ass. It goes so well whenever Vegeta’s beating someone down or making an awesome speech or something. And it’s slightly evil too, certainly not fitting for someone who’s completely a hero. It would really only work with someone like Vegeta. I’m glad my favorite character got such a badass theme. This is great during his fights against Cell, Android 19 and others when he’s just kicking ass. And it also fits well in the Buu saga when he tries to return to his evil roots to incite a fight with Goku. And the name Hell’s Bell is unofficial as far as I know, but it’s badass and suits the theme very well. Anyone even slightly familiar with DBZ music could probably guess my number one at this point, so let’s just cut right to it.

1. Super Saiyan 3 Theme

Figured I’d just thrown in the clip where it makes its debut because it’s just pure awesomeness. This is pretty much the pinnacle of Faulconer’s work, the ultimate display of awesomeness in DBZ music. Even a lot of the diehard fans of the Japanese score admit that this is a great piece of work. It’s just so damn triumphant. And it fits, seeing as Goku has reached the absolute zenith of saiyan power here with this transformation. He gives Buu and Babidi a demonstration of the first two super saiyan levels, which doesn’t impress them. However, when he pushes “even further beyond” and cranks it up to level three, shit goes crazy and Babidi freaks out. A modified version is used as the theme for Gotenks and this is also used for when Goku brings down Kid Buu at the end of the series with the spirit bomb. And, you know what, what the hell, may as well toss that in for some finality. So, enjoy this clip and I’ll bid you farewell. Boredom gives rise to some interesting blogs.

Wow, would you really believe that it’s been over four months since I’ve blogged about Dragonball Z? It’s been all about Avatar and philosophy and shit lately? But who cares about that shit? We need to bring some DBZ back! Anyway, wasted potential is certainly something that is over abundant in Dragonball Z, so I’m going to count down the ten characters with the most, the characters who could’ve done so much more, but for whatever reason, they get cast to the side and never reach their full potential. It’s a shame. Dragonball Z is a show with lots of interesting concepts and ideas, too many of much aren’t really fully explored. Oh well. It doesn’t really make me love it any less. On to the list!

10. King Cold

All right, we start off the list with Freeza’s father. The Freeza family has a really obvious theme to their naming (Cold, Freeza, Cooler). Anyway, Cold pretty much does shit. We’re introduced to him as the father of the self-proclaimed most powerful being in the universe. Now, it’s never really answered whether or not Cold is actually stronger than his son, as there are good arguments on both sides, but even still, Cold kind of gets the shaft. He’s only around for about five episodes and gets completely dominated by Trunks. I’m not sure what more could have been done with him, but maybe he could’ve had a single transformation or at least put up a fight against Trunks. But instead, he’s just a chump.

9. Krillin

I’m not really the biggest Krillin fan and it annoys me a lot when people try to defend him for being a coward in certain situations. He’s a scrappy little guy that always manages to survive somehow, but I just don’t like him that much. But, yeah, like most characters in the series, Krillin just reached a certain point and turned to complete shit. He managed to make himself somewhat useful throughout the battle on Namek, but once they got back to earth, he was a complete waste of a character and did absolutely nothing. But somehow, he ends up with Android 18? And speaking of which….

8. Android 18

Girls don’t really get to do a whole lot in the DBZ world and a female fighter is even more rare. However, it’s not like 18 actually earned her immense power or anything. She’s just an android. Actually, the term android isn’t really the most accurate for these beings, but the Japanese term Jinzōningen doesn’t really have an English equivalent. The closest would be “artificial human.” But this is all beside the point. 18 does kick Vegeta’s ass, which is entertaining, but that’s about all she does. It would’ve been nice to see her maybe join the fight against Buu or something.

7. Yamcha

The three main humans in DBZ, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien all get pushed to the side completely; some just last longer than others.Yamcha is the first of the three humans to be relegated to pure shit status. He keeps pace with everyone to a degree during Dragonball, but then as soon as Saiyans arrive on the scene, he’s done. He gets blown up by a Saibamen and then doesn’t do a damn thing for the entire rest of the series. He ultimately retires after the Cell Games because he just couldn’t keep up anymore. Yamcha is probably the most human of all the DBZ characters; he even wanted to ask Shenlong for money. Yamcha, from the very beginning of Dragonball, was always two steps behind Goku, but it would’ve been nice to see him stick around for a while.

6. Goten

It feels odd to put a Saiyan on this list, considering just how much attention and screen time they do get, especially toward the end of DBZ, but even still, Goten doesn’t really do much of anything. He’s the second son of Goku and inherits a shitload more power than even Gohan did. And what does he do with it? Absolutely nothing. He gives up training because he’s just plain lazy. And then in GT, he’s even more of a lazy fuck and only does anything when he has no choice. It would’ve been cool to see an adult Gotenks in GT or something, but nope. Goten is just wasted.

5. Uub

Goku spends a lot of time in DBZ hoping to find some sort of successor. He keeps hoping someone will come along to be able to save the earth (or even the whole universe) when he’s gone. Gohan fails him. Goten and Trunks fail him. He ends up having to save the day himself anyway. So, he hopes that the evil Buu gets reincarnated as a good person. That is Uub, a young kid who should have at his disposal an unheard amount of power. So, has Goku finally found his successor? No. Uub does shit. He even fuses with regular Buu and then still gets his ass kicked. Goku steps in and saves the day again. Lucky for Uub and everyone else, Goku more or less becomes a God at the end of GT, so he’ll just step in whenever there’s trouble.

4. Videl

Another female fighter that does absolutely nothing. I don’t understand why it is that a couple times in the series, we get a powerful female fighter (Chi-Chi at the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, Android 18, Videl) but then she just gives up fighting pretty quickly. Chi-Chi becomes a bitch, 18 does rather little, Videl just becomes a mother. Videl is interesting in that she’s just a regular human girl with at best only slightly superhuman abilities when she meets Gohan. He teaches her to control ki and fly. Yamcha, Krillin and Tien all showed that humans could get their power levels could get well into the thousands, but Videl probably topped at an utter maximum of 20 or so. I just feel like there’s so much more she could’ve done. She was a tomboy who really enjoyed fighting and training and then all of a sudden, she just becomes a motherly type who gives it all up? Sigh…..

3. Trunks

Trunks gets a higer place than he would ordinarily because of the fact that he’s two separate characters, both of which have wasted potential. Present Trunks, much like Goten, doesn’t really do all that much. At least he’s more useful in GT. Still would’ve been nice to see him achieve super saiyan 2 or something. And then Future Trunks is a significantly cooler character, but he’s only around for one saga. I really have no idea why I left Future Trunks off my top five DBZ characters blog; he’s actually one of my very favorite characters. Anyway,I just think it would’ve been a lot more logical to have Trunks be the one who takes down Cell. After all, he’s the one that came from the ruined future and wanted to kill the androids. Have Trunks take down Cell and then Gohan can still save the day in the Buu saga. I love DBZ to death, but there are a lot of things I would’ve done differently.

2. Tien

I’m a big Tien fanboy. It seems to me that one is either a big fan of either Krillin or Tien. You can’t really, really like both of them. And there are endless debates over who’s stronger. In my opinion, Tien at any point in the series save for a few months in the Freeza saga, would tear Krillin apart. It would be more of a massacre than a fight. Krillin becomes a complete waste of space after the Freeza saga ends, but Tien still manages to have one more moment of glory. Before that, he actually attempts to fight the Androids, as opposed to cowering like Krillin does. Anyway, he locks Cell in his sights and unleashes a torrent of Kikohos (Tri-Beams) on the android, actually holding him off for several minutes. Then, he shows up in the Buu saga and saves Dende from a blast from Buu. If he had killed Dende, then the dragonballs would’ve disappeared and they’d be fucked.

Tien always goes into these battles and gives his all, no matter outmatched he is. He actually did manage to beat Goku in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai back in Dragonball. And then he gave him a good fight at the 23rd. He, unlike Krillin and Yamcha, never stopped training. He always kept improving, always kept getting better. But it never pays off. He never really gets a true moment to shine. And he only appears for about a half second in GT. But GT is retarded most of the time. I love Tien and just wish that he succeeded in doing more in DBZ. All right, now, my number one pick is probably going to be rather unexpected and I can already tell a lot of people won’t really agree with it at all, but it’s my opinion. So, here we are, number one!

1. Pan

That’s right, Pan. It’s pretty much unanimous throughout the DBZ community that Pan is just an annoying little girl. She’s pretty much univerally hated and has very few fans. I’m one of them. I don’t really get it, but I just kind of liked her. And perhaps it’s partly because she is kind of annoying that she has wasted potential. Let’s look at the facts here. Gohan was born with an incredible amount of power, so much so that he actually generated a higher power level than his father when he was only four. Gohan’s normal power level was only one. At the end of DBZ, when he fathered Pan, his power level would have to be at least one billion, probably far, far higher. And we see that Goten and Trunks inherited much higher levels of power because their fathers sired them at much higher power levels. They even inherited super saiyan like it was nothing. So why should Pan be any different? Yes, I realize that she’s only a quarter saiyan and that dilutes her blood somewhat, but it shouldn’t have that drastic of an effect.

And if the end of DBZ is anything to go on, Pan was already pretty powerful and was capable of flying around the world despite being only four years old. She also seemed interested in fighting and training, a stark contrast to her father. In GT, the series finally could’ve had a powerful female fighter, but Pan doesn’t do much of anything. She could’ve been immensely powerful and actually helped out Goku in the battles. She should’ve had at least super saiyan 2, maybe even three. It would’ve been fascinating to actually see a female super saiyan. There was so much more that could’ve been done with Pan, but she just turned into kind of a whiny brat. It would’ve been great to really see a female warrior out there kicking some ass as a super saiyan. But that’s just how I feel. There wasn’t really time to do anything with Pan in DBZ, but the possibilities with her in GT were endless and that’s where I find myself especially disappointed. Sigh…

That’s my list. Kind of curious to hear some thoughts on the whole thing. Four months without a DBZ blog is far too long. Well, I did have that Goku vs Superman thing, but that doesn’t really count. So, anyway, those are my Dragonball characters with wasted potential. I’ll be back on Sunday with my usual box office wrap up thing, as Avatar looks poised to top the charts for the sixth straight week, the longest streak since, guess what, Titanic’s epic 15-week dominance. With that, I’m done. Peace out.

Now that I’m on Christmas break, I have way too much time on my hands and just too little to do. In light of that, I find it extremely likely that I will blog every single day, maybe even multiple times. This is an idea that struck me earlier tonight. Pit two fictional characters against each other and give my thoughts about who would win if they were to duke it out. So, considering what a DBZ otaku I am, I figured frequently debated topic would be a good one to kick it off. The possibilities with this idea are endless, so I’m kind of excited. Blogging will be a such a good cure for boredom over the next few weeks. And, oh yeah, to my fellow Chez writers, if any of you have a different opinion or a second take on any of these duels, feel free to do your own version and give your two cents. With that, let’s begin and go over the combatants.

Superman: One of the most overrated and least interesting superheroes ever. However, I will take away from Superman his incredible influence on the whole industry of comic books. He was one of the very first superheroes and all that have followed him owe Supes quite a lot. However, so many of those superheroes are manifold more interesting and dynamic characters than good old Superman. He’s pretty much the quintessential superhero, but he just doesn’t have much depth. I’d list his powers, but he literally has every single power ever. Literally. Any power that’s necessary for the plot, he has it. If he’s gone dozens of years without showcasing a power, but it would be convenient for the plot and allow Supes to win, then he’ll suddenly unveil a new ability, which sometimes can be rather ridiculous. Some of the feats showcased by Superman are absolutely ridiculous and outright forbidden by the laws of physics. But, you know, he’s Superman, so he can do it. Now, there are a lot of different versions of Superman and there’s the whole Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths vs Post-Crisis versions of Superman, so I’ll just use the post Crisis version because the Pre-Crisis version is just way too powerful.

Goku: Ah, Goku. In some ways, Japan’s Superman. Admittedly, Goku himself isn’t really a particularly deep character, but I still think he’s a lot more likable and real than Superman. He actually trains for and earns his strength. He pushes himself beyond his limits again and again. The thing that’s really inconsistent about DBZ/DBGT is the power-scaling. Even if we take Vegeta’s Saiyan Saga statement that he could destroy earth as hyperbole, at the very least, the amount of power needed to destroy a planet is Freeza’s third suppression power of 530,000. So, given how ridiculously how powerlevels grow after that, the fighters should be destroying planets by breathing. Hell, Freeza’s full power was about 230 times his third suppression power, so even then, his destructive power should’ve been immense. So, if we fast forward all the way to the end of DBGT and use Super Saiyan 4 Goku for this bout, Goku should be capable of destroying entire galaxies with little effort. But that makes things ridiculous, so feats of strength in Dragonball are remarkably inconsistent. Even still, Goku’s a brilliant fighter as opposed to Superman. He has dozens of potent techniques at his disposal. Aside from eye lasers, Supes doesn’t really have any ranged weapons. Goku has tons. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My Thoughts: I’m incredibly biased when it comes to this fight. Like I said, power scaling in Dragonball is horrible and we cannot go by feats in the series. The fight between Omega Shenron and Super Saiyan 4 Goku actually seemed less impressive than did the fight between Saiyan Saga Goku and Vegeta, despite the fact that they should be at least a million times stronger. I haven’t gotten around to doing a Dragonball GT powerlevel list, but I cannot imagine having ssj4 Goku at any less than a trillion. Compare that to Vegeta’s 18,000 back in the Saiyan Saga. And Buu and Gotenks were capable of tearing holes in the fabric of space-time. Super Saiyan 4 Goku could kill both of them by blinking. He should be a universe-buster, but Dragonball’s too damn inconsistent. It doesn’t have any particularly absurd feats, aside from the aforementioned holes in space-time. But you have to factor in Goku’s incredible combat speed, his instant transmission, the solar flare, the trademark kamehameha and all his other techniqes. Superman is a powerhouse, but I can’t see him keeping up with Goku. Superman’s flight speed is incredible, but his combat speed doesn’t come close. Goku would just speedblitz him with a few quick blows, fire a kamehameha and that would be the game. But then some ridiculous plot device would come along and Superman would absorb the sun or something and beat Goku because, well, he’s Superman. He’s as strong as he needs to be. No more. No less. So, despite the fact that Goku really should win, despite the fact that Goku has everything going for him and by all means should tear Superman’s ass apart, Supes would win. It pains me so much to say that, but I really think it’s the truth. If the creators of GT had given us better indications of strength, I’d have more of an argument here. Well, actually, no I would. Superman wins because he’s Superman. Gay.

Verdict: Superman wins.

But what do you guys think? Vote in my poll!

You know, I gotta say that I did not see this coming. The Saw movies are some of the most reliable in history in terms of box office success. However, the upstart known as Paranormal Activity (I’m just going to start calling that PA from now because that title is such a pain in the ass to write out) has now taken down the once might franchise.

Paranormal Activity

PA continues its unsual (but successful) box office behavior this weekend by inching up 12% and jumping from number three to number one. It pulled in another 22 million to bring the total to 62.5 million. This is just extraordinary. To increase like this is very unusual. Granted, the theatre count was more than doubled, but even still, it’s very impressive. Even with all the new theatres, PA is still by far in the fewest number of theatres in the top ten. Despite that, it claims number one. This is definitely going to surpass 100 million now. Considering next weekend is Halloween weekend and it’ll probably get a few hundred more theatres, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this get around 20 million for the third straight weekend. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it stay at number one because it’s only competition is that retarded Michael Jackson movie. I’ve been scouring forums online and there are a shitload of people badmouthing this movie and saying it wasn’t scaring at all, but the hype machine is in full effect now, so I don’t think there’s any stopping Paranormal Activity.

Saw VI

Wow, this really, really sucks. The second through fifth entries in this series all opened to right around 30 million or so. The first one made about 18 million. Now, Saw VI gets fucking clobbered as it appears (finally) people are getting sick of these movies. It only made 15 million, around half of the last four flicks. And considering the terrible legs of these, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this finish with only around 30 million when all is said and done. For so many years now, Saw has ruled Halloween, but it has now at last been supplanted. Despite this, I’m 90% sure that we’ll end up seeing Saw VII next year anyway. Sigh…..

Where the Wild Things Are takes a huge drop for a kid flick, plummeting 56% to 14.4 million. That is just plain not good. Kids’ movies do not behave like this. I guess people must really not like this. Fuck, I thought it looked awesome. Anyway, with a total now of about 54 million, I really don’t think this has even a slim chance of hitting 100 million anymore. That’s disappointing. I still want to see this, though, and perhaps I will sometime soon.

As if it’s bigger than expected opening weekend wasn’t surprising enough, Law Abiding Citizen now has a decent hold, slipping about 40% to 12.7 million. I don’t really understand. I thought it would make about that much last weekend. It continues to surprise me. With a total now of about 40 million, I could see LAC reaching a height of around 60 million or so. Way more than expected.

Couples Retreat rebounds a bit, falling 36% to 11.1 million. The total is now up to 78 million, not half bad. This should finish somewhere in the 90 million range and has an outside shot at reaching 100 million. Haven’t seen this either. I wanted to until it got like a 13% at RT. That is absurdly low. Critics can be wrong sometimes, but 13%? Can’t really argue with that.

Just like I thought, anime adaptations will never, ever do will at the box office. If Speed Racer, Dragonball: Evolution, and now Astro Boy have taught us anything, it’s to stop fucking making anime series into feature films. It just does not work. Astro Boy made an abysmal 7 million this weekend, which just plain sucks. This should fall apart and make a quick trip to DVD.

I don’t understand The Stepfather. First of all, it made decent numbers last weekend. And now it has a decent hold. Why? I hate humans so much. Falling 44% to 6.5 million for a total of 20.3 million, The Stepfather has done half decently. Like I said, I hate humans.

Sucking even more than Astro Boy is Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant. This made only 6.3 million. Wow, that just plain blows.

Next we have Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, which earns 5.6 million to lift the total to 115 million. I never really had any desire to see this, but it’s fantastic rating at Rotten Tomatoes made me kind of curious. Perhaps someday down the road.

Rounding out the top ten is Zombieland, now in its fourth weekend. 4.3 million more brings Zombieland to 67.3 million. It has now expanded its lead as highest grossing zombie movie, which I find so infuriating. I did like this movie. I thought it was funny. It wasn’t great or hilarious. But it was funny. But highest grossing zombie movie? Really? A comedy? I know I said all this last weekend, but it still annoys me. Oh well.

So, something finally takes down the Saw franchise and I think it was about time too. Next weekend, the only release is that retarded fucking Michael Jackson movie. As much as I would love to see it fail, I foresee pretty big numbers for it. First of all, MJ’s dead. That can often help box office performance (The Dark Knight) or it can do little (Soul Men). Secondly, if Hannah Montana is anything to go by, concert films can actually open pretty damn big. I could really see anything from like 12 million all the way up to 50. It’s a wildcard but it’s the type of thing that makes the box office interesting to track. Until we meet again.

I have had several conversations about the best anime of all time. For me it’s Naruto, with Bleach being second. If you have any others I should start to watch then make sure you tell me.

The Tyrant Freeza

Krillin: 75,000

-healed: 78,000

Gohan: 112,000

-healed: 420,000

Piccolo: 928,000

-unweighted: 1,160,000

Vegeta:510,000

-healed: 2,800,000

Freeza, third suppression: 530,000

-Second suppression: 780,000

powered up: 900,000

-full power: 1,060,000

-First suppression: 1,600,000

-unseen full power: 2,120,000

-True form: 4,240,000

The Legend Awakened

Freeza: 4,240,000

- 50%: 85,000,000

-~70%: 119,000,000

100%: 170,000,000 and decreasing rapidly

Goku: 4,000,000

-kaioken x 10: 40,000,000

-worn out: 3,500,000

-kaioken x 20: 70,000,000

-kamehameha: 82,500,000

-exhausted: 3,200,000

- Super Saiyan: 160,000,000

Piccolo, with borrowed energy: 1,600,000

The Mysterious Youth

Yamcha: 60,000

Krillin: 90,000

Tien: 112,000

Gohan: 420,000

Piccolo: 2,500,000

Vegeta: 3,4000,000

Trunks: 4,600,000

-super saiyan: 220,800,000

Cyborg Freeza:95,000,000

-unseen full power: 190,000,000

King Cold: 60,000,000

Goku: 5,000,000

-super saiyan: 240,000,000

The Androids Arrive

Yamcha: 1,200,000

Krillin: 2,700,000

Goku: 9,500,000

-sick: 8,200,000

-super saiyan: 344,400,000

-drained: ~300,000,000

after kamehameha: ~200,000,000

19: 130,000,000

-w/kamehameha: 230,000,000

-w/Goku’s energy: 250,000,000

-w/Vegeta’s energy: 280,000,000

Vegeta: 10,000,000

-super saiyan: 400,000,000

20: 130,000,000

-w/energy: 165,000,000

Piccolo: 170,000,000

-unweighted: 212,500,000

18: 415,000,000

-full power: 540,000,000

The Next Level

17: 600,000,000

Piccolo: 488,000,000

-unweighted: 610,000,000

16: 1,000,000,000

Tien: 4,800,000

Cell: 1,000,000,000

-2nd form: 1,800,000,000

- full power: 2,700,000,000

Vegeta: 65,000,000

-ssj: 1,950,000,000

-ascended: 3,900,000,000

Trunks: 58,000,000

-ascended: 3,840,000,000

-ultra: 7,680,000,000

Perfect Cell: 6,500,000,000

Cell Games

Piccolo:8,400,000,000

Vegeta: 300,000,000

-semi-mastered super saiyan: 10,500,000,000

Trunks: 285,000,000

-semi-mastered super saiyan: 9,975,000,000

Goku: 350,000,000

- mastered super saiyan: 17,500,000,000

Cell: 19,000,000,000

-full power: 45,000,000,000

-super perfect: 258,000,000,000

Gohan: 400,000,000

-mastered super saiyan: 20,000,000,000

-unseen full power: 27,500,000,000

-super saiyan 2: 275,000,000,000

World Tournament

Gohan: 480,000,000

-ssj: 24,000,000,000

-ssj2: 192,000,000,000

Goten: 120,000,000

-ssj: 6,000,000,000

Trunks: 135,000,000

-ssj: 6,750,000,000

Piccolo: 12,000,0000,000

Supreme Kai: 700,000,000

Kibito: 50,000,000

Videl: 8

Final Atonement

Pocus: 80,000,000

Yakon: 1,500,000,000

Dabra: 26,000,000,000

Vegeta: 1,250,000,000

- majin: 87,500,000,000

-ssj2: 437,500,000,000

Goku: 1,750,000,000

-ssj: 87,500,000,000

-ssj2: 437,500,000,000

-ssj3: 1,312,500,000,000

Majin Buu: 15,000,000,000

-angry: 150,000,000,000

-pissed: 640,000,000,000

Gotenks: 24,000,000,000

Fusion

Super Buu: 1,800,000,000,000

-w/Gotenks: ~3,800,000,000,000

-w/Gohan: ~4,600,000,000,000

Goten, Trunks: ~250,000,000

Gotenks: 50,000,000,000

-super saiyan: 1,000,000,000,000

-super saiyan 3: 2,000,000,000,000

Mystic Gohan: 2,800,000,000,000

Tien: 10,000,000

Kibitokai: 325,000,000,000

Vegetto: 3,000,000,000,000

-ssj: 24,000,000,000,000

Kid Buu: 1,450,000,000,000

Good Buu: 750,000,000,000

Ten Years Later

Yamcha: 900,000

Krillin: 2,500,000

Tien: 16,000,000

Pan: 75,000,000

Goten, Trunks: ~230,000,000

Piccolo: 17,500,000,000

Gohan: 2,680,000,000,000

Vegeta: 5,000,000,000

-ssj: 250,000,000,000

-ssj2: 1,250,000,000,000

-ssj3: 3,750,000,000,000 (yes, I know we never see Vegeta actually go super saiyan 3, but come on, he’s had ten years since the fight with Buu and he’s a fucking badass; I think he would’ve ascended.)

Goku: 7,800,000,000

-ssj: 390,000,000,000

-ssj2: 1,950,000,000,000

-ssj3: 5,850,000,000,000
Eventually, I’ll get around to doing Dragonball GT, but that’s just a fucking mess and I still can’t power levels for that to work. Someday, I suppose. Until we meet again.

There are 291 total episodes of Dragonball Z. It was so hard to pick my favorites. I had to keep narrowing things down over and over again. If I could, I’d do a list of fifty or so, but that’s just way too long. Dragonball Z is divided into four central (Saiyan, Freeza, Cell, and Buu–though, it could be argued that the Saiyan and Freeza sagas arcs are one and the same) arcs and then sagas within those arcs. I decided, in order to get this list down to a manageable size, I had to limit myself to just one episode from each saga. With that, here we go.

Saiyan Saga: Saiyan Sized Secret

Of all the episodes in the Saiyan saga, I felt this was the best. It embodies what’s great about DBZ, fast paced fighting and ridiculous powers. Goku is pushed to the limit by the saiyan price Vegeta and is forced to use the triple kaioken, knowing that it might destroy his body in the process. He’ll do anything to protect the earth. This is the second episode of their battle, but it’s much more iconic what with the kaioken x 3 and the epic Kamehameha vs. Galick Gun battle. It’s good shit. You can witness the beginning of Vegeta’s pride being torn to shreds as he can’t accept that Kakarot, a low level saiyan, has surpassed him in strength. This episode is DBZ at its finest.

Namek Saga: Incredible Force

The Namek saga has its fair share of good episodes, but it serves mostly as build up to the epic battles with the Ginyu Force and then Freeza himself. This episode is one of my favorites mostly because it takes me back to my childhood. It first aired when I was like eight years old and when Goku powers up and that Ginyu Force theme is playing, it makes me feel like a kid again. Shit is really starting to get desperate and you can feel that a showdown with Freeza is looming. Even Captain Ginyu shits his pants at Goku’s full power of 180,000. I love that power up scene. It’s one of my favorites. Kaioken is just awesome in general.

Freeza Saga: Explosion of Anger

This was really, really difficult to choose. Lots of good episodes in this saga. In the end, I had to give it to the power of super saiyan. I choose this episode, the one after Goku transforms for the first time, because it’s the first time we really see what super saiyan is and what it’s capable of. Goku was nothing to Freeza before this and now the roles have been reversed. Goku is pissed off and fucks Freeza up throughout the episode. This was back when super saiyan was badass shit, before we had seven year old kids transforming like nothing. That was the way it’s meant to be.

Android Saga: The Secret of Dr. Gero

This episode is a perfect example of Vegeta at his very finest. He finally ascends to super saiyan and kicks some ass. He takes no prisoners and hands Android 19′s ass to him without even trying. 19 never stood a chance once Vegeta made the jump to super saiyan. The situation looked hopeless; Goku had been defeated, crippled by his heart virus. Then Vegeta comes in and fucks shit up. When 19 thinks he’s won, Vegeta presses his feet into the android’ss face and then literally rips his fucking hands off. He’s a badass. It’s what he does.

Cell Saga: Silent Warrior

This was another very, very difficult decision. Lots of good shit here. Part of me wanted to choose “Bow to the Prince,” but I just did a Vegeta-kicking-ass episode, so I couldn’t do that. So, Silent Warrior it is! Cell has been fucking shit up and took out Piccolo like he was nothing but trash. Now he’s about to absorb 17 and become even stronger. Not if 16 has anything to say. Android 16 is an awesome and very underrated character. Up to this point, we haven’t seen him fight and we have no idea of his power. Well, the guy is fucking strong. He’s on a level comparable to Cell and matches him all the way. He’s smart too and he rips off Cell’s tail so he can’t absorb the androids. Unfortunately, Cell can regenerate. I honestly would’ve liked to have seen 16 do more in the series, but that’s how things go in DBZ sometimes. Characters just get cast aside.

Cell Games: Save the World

The Cell Games is my favorite saga in all of Dragonball Z. It’s got fucking everything. And it’s got so many good episodes, but the decision on the best one was very easy to arrive at. It has to be Save the World. A full twenty minute episode of the most epic beam struggle ever between Cell and Gohan. The characters have gotten strong enough to destroy entire solar systems now and so much is on the line. Goku has passed the mantle on to Gohan and he has to save the day now. Plus, we have all the other characters jumping in and trying to do everything they can to help Gohan. Then, at the end, when Vegeta finally jumps in and hurls a Final Flash (arguably; the name of the attack is never stated) at Cell, clearly actually hurting him a little, Gohan unleashes everything and obliterates Cell. It just looks so cool. Gohan’s one handed kamehameha as these walls of pure energy surround him. It is so fucking epic. I’m a big Gohan fan and this is the pinnacle of his awesomeness before he becomes a pussy in the Buu saga.

World Tournament Saga: Goku vs. Pikkon

Honestly, this saga is kind of lame. There really isn’t much in here. It’s mostly just stupid shit like Gohan going to high school and going on dates and retarded shit of that nature. It kinda pisses me off. The best part of the whole saga is the first five episodes when Goku participates in an afterlife tournament against the universe’s best fighter. This culminates in the final match when Goku battles Pikkon. It’s a pretty damn cool fight and it really makes me wish that Pikkon were a canon character. He had some really cool attacks and is just a badass character. And then Goku somehow combines the kaioken and super saiyan too, which I guess he can only do when he’s dead. Otherwise, the strain would kill him. Anyway, that’s Goku vs. Pikkon for you.

Majin Buu Saga Part One: The Long Awaited Fight

I love the Majin Vegeta part of DBZ to limit this to just one episode. Plus, after that point, DBZ drags on and doesn’t really have much good shit. So, here I present the first episode from the Majin Buu saga. For over a decade, Vegeta had had all this rage building up inside of him and he had never gotten his rematch with Goku. Furthermore, he felt as though he had been softened by his wife, child, and time on earth. He wanted to return to his cold and ruthless ways from years past. Thus, he allowed himself to be possessed, but only to gain the power necessary to combat Goku. His pride and will are so strong that he can actually resist Babidi, the wizard posessing him. He is so obsessed with fighting Goku that nothing will stand in his way. The fight between these two is epic and fast paced. Vegeta takes no shit and beats the shit out of Goku several times. Were they allowed to finish the fight, I think Vegeta would’ve emerged the victor. But I’m Vegeta fanboy and I’m biased. Sue me.

Majin Buu Saga Part 2: Final Atonement

If I had to pick my favorite all time episode of DBZ, it would come down to Final Atonement and Save the World. I’m still not sure which I’d choose. Admittedly, there isn’t a whole lot of action during this episode. It’s mostly just Vegeta coming to terms and realizing what he has to do. He’s realized that he has been changed for good and can’t reclaim that evil that once dominated his heart. He embraces and son and then prepares to face down Majin Buu. He is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. For the first time, Vegeta is fighting for someone other than himself. The animation of this episode is gorgeous and the last five or so minutes are phenomonal. “I’m going to crush you…. and throw you into the wind,” says Vegeta to Buu as energy swirls around him. I love that moment. Vegeta then gathers all his power and unleashes everything he has. It’s a very poigant moment. For all the awful things he’s done, Vegeta knows that he will go to Hell, but he doesn’t even care. He just wants to defeat Buu and save the people he’s come to care for. It’s epic. I wish the Buu saga could’ve ended with this episode. But, alas, the show goes on.

Fusion/Kid Buu Saga: Spirit Bomb Triumphant

This is precisely where DBZ starts to drag on and get a little ridiculous. It’s downright annoying, but it certainly does have its good parts. I thought about going with “Vegeta’s Respect” for this one, but I’ve given Vegeta enough, I think. Spirit Bomb Triumphant is a good one, too. It’s in some ways similar to Save the World in that the entire episode is an energy struggle, though with some new twists. It is cool to see everything come together at the end of the series. I like that it’s not just one person saving the day. I like that it’s not Goku or somebody unlocking a new super saiyan level and finishing the enemy. Everyone on the entire planet gives their energy to the spirit bomb. They all join together and donate everything they have. We get to see glimpses of dozens of characters dating all the way back to the very first episodes of Dragonball. Over four hundred episodes at this point and so many characters; The Spirit Bomb is a nice way to wrap things up. Thus ends my favorite DBZ episodes. I’ve got a whole bunch of dragonball z blogs lined up, so there will be more on the way. Until we meet again.

Stop and think with me for a second. Was there ever that one kid who, no matter what he tried, was good at everything? You know what I’m talking about, one of those kids. Well, they exists when it comes to video games too. What I’m trying to discover is what makes these kids so damn quick at becoming good. I think they all have a common innate ability that gives them this skill that others just do not possess or have to a much lesser degree. I’m not talking about quickly adapting to a game because you played a game with similar physics, environments, or conditions, but rather having this innate cognitive ability to succeed. Not just doing it, but doing something fairly new and learning it fairly quickly.

I’m trying to pinpoint this ability in relation to video games (although it may apply to all things as well). I keep coming back to a concept called Spatial Cognition. It is an ability to perceive objects and understand them in such a way that one would know how they would react to certain stimuli. So, for example. One can see a ball, feel a ball, hold a ball, and then estimate how far they can probably kick that ball. Or, someone can pick up a plastic bag, see it, understand it, and realize what might happen if they kick that bag. I think that someone people are just much better at recognizing these things compared to others.

In a sense, it does have something to do with that person’s intelligence. It also has something to do with that person’s understanding of physics. One thing I believe that is a major influencing factor, is that person’s attention to detail. If one is to observe the world more minutely than another, he would have better spatial cognition because in a sense, he is more studied, learned, and practiced. The kid who pays more attention in class gets the better grades, plain a simple.

Applying this concept to video games, I believe that certain people have the ability to translate this spatial cognition into virtual reality. Some people can do it, others can’t. There are just those kids who can adjust to a game quickly and immediately become competitive, if not dominant. How? Who knows! But some players can just get into a game and figure things out much quicker than a person who owns that game or has been playing it for a while.

Prior video game experience, obviously, plays a major role. Prior experience leads to more developed hand-eye coordination which may be at the root of my investigation. I think advance spatial cognition coupled with superior hand-eye coordination will lead you to one of these “uber gamers.” Take out one element and that person becomes a damn noob.

Can this be what separates the hardcore and the casual gamers? To be continued…

Posted in 1, Psychology, Sociology Tagged: cognition, cognitive ability, dragonball z, genes, kristen stewart, mario, understanding, video game gene, Video Games, zelda ]]> http://thechez.net/2009/09/12/the-video-game-gene/feed/ 1 hydro033 vggene http://thechez.net/2009/08/14/ssjrems-power-level-list/ http://thechez.net/2009/08/14/ssjrems-power-level-list/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:24:37 +0000 ssjrem http://thechez.net/?p=1081 ]]> by ssjrem

I was looking at the stats for The Chez and it seems like my blogs about Dragonball Z have gotten the most views. I’d rather blog about things with more substance than DBZ, but, fuck it, whatever. So, yeah, power level lists are one of the main reasons DBZ fandom is still alive and kicking today. People debate endlessly about statements and their meanings and all the other jazz that goes into making a powerlevel list. So, I figured it was about time that I posted my own list. It’s in constant flux as new ideas arise and new evidence comes to light. This isn’t really comprehensive either; I’m not going to bother with really minor or stupid characters like the Bear Thief from the first episode or Colonel Silver. Or Chiaotzu. Fuck Chiaotzu. Power levels that were directly stated will be in blue ink. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll explain my rationale behind anything. Anyway, as of now, this is the powerlevel list of ssjrem.

Dragonball

Goku: 8

-oozaru: 80

Yamcha: 7

Master Roshi: 14

21st Tenkaichi Budokai

Goku: 16

-kamehameha: 24

-oozaru: 160

Master Roshi: ~16

-kamehameha: ~ 24

-buffed up: 80

-Max Power Kamehameha: 200

Yamcha: 11

Krillin: 13

Red Ribbon Army

Goku: 17

-after training with Korin: 50

Krillin: 13

General Blue: 15

Tao Pai Pai: 46

Yeah, I’m skipping that part where everyone goes to Baba’s place and battles her fighters. I never liked that and to be honest, I’ve never even watched or read all of it.

22nd Tenkaichi Budokai

Krillin: 52

Roshi: 61

Yamcha: 39

Goku: 80

-kamehameha: 140

Tien: 80

-Tri-Beam: 240

Piccolo Daimou

Goku, tired: 60

-rested: 84

-after super holy water: 250

Krillin: 52

Tambourine: 70

Tien: 81

Yajirobe: 82

Old Piccolo, 45% power: ~95

-full power: 210

-youth restored: 240

23rd Tenkaichi Budokai

Yes, Piccolo only has four fingers. In the manga, he always has four, but they decided to give him five in the anime. Go figure.

Yamcha: 140

Shen: 240

Tien: 250

Krillin: 188

Piccolo: 325

Chi-Chi: 112rad

Goku, weighted: 240

-weights removed: 300

-full power: 330

Arrival

Farmer: 5

Goku: 334

-unweighted: 416

-kamehameha: 924

Piccolo: 322

-unweighted: 408

-special beam cannon: 1330

-2nd try: 1070

Gohan: 1

-pissed: 1307

Raditz: 1200

-weakened: 700

Master Roshi: 139

Yamcha: 177

Krillin: 206

-full power: 240

Tien: 250

-full power: 315

The Invincible Nappa

Saibamen: 1200

Yamcha: 1280

Krillin: 1083

-full power: 1760

Tien: 2340

Gohan: 981

-full power: 1200

-masenko: 2800

Piccolo: 1220

-full power: 3120

Nappa: 3300

-powered up: 4400

Goku: 5000

-full power: 8050

-kaioken: 16,100

The Pride of Vegeta

Goku: 8050

-kaioken: 16,100

-kaioken x 3: 24,150

-worn out: 7500

-kkx3: 21,500

-kamehameha: 28,000

-kkx4: ~35,000

Vegeta: 16,600

-full power: 18,000

-galick gun: 28,000

-after using the power ball: 12,000

-oozaru: 120,000

-after being hit by the Spirit Bomb: 1400

Gohan: 1300

-injured: 170

-oozaru: 1700

Krillin: 1800

To Namek!

Cui: 18,500

Vegeta, suppressed: 1500

-full power: 24,000

-healed: 29,000

Dodoria: 21,000

Zarbon: 22,300

-transformed: 27,500

Gohan: ~1500

-powered up by Guru: 7000

Krillin: ~1500

powered up by Guru: 7000

The Ginyu Force

Vegeta, worn out: 27,000

-full power: 31,000

-healed: 150,000

Guldo: 5000

Gohan: ~10,000

-against Captain Ginyu: 26,000

Krillin: ~10,000

against Captin Ginyu: 24,000

Reacoome, Burter, Jeice: ~40,000

Goku: 5000

-full power: 90,000

-kaioken: 180,000

Captin Ginyu: 120,000

-in Goku’s body: 23,000

Showdown with Freeza

Freeza: 530,000

- second suppression: 880,000

-powered up: 960,000

-full power: 1,060,000

-first suppression: 1,750,000

-unseen full power: 2,120,000

-True Form: 3,600,000

Gohan: 50,000

-pissed: 840,000

-healed: 400,000

-bakuretsu ranma: 1,700,000

Krillin: 32,000

-healed: 34,000

Piccolo with Nail: 940,000

-unweighted: 1,175,000

Vegeta: 500,000

-healed: 2,450,000

The Ultimate Battle

Freeza: 3,600,000

-warmed up: 4,240,000

-using no hands: 8,480,000

-50%: 72,000,000

-100%: 144,000,000

Goku: 3,500,000

-warmed up: 4,000,000

-kaioken: 8,000,000

-kaioken x10: 40,000,000

-worn out: 3,200,000

-kaioken x20: 64,000,000

-kamehameha: 70,000,000

-spirit bomb: 88,000,000

-exhausted: 2,700,000

-super saiyan: 135,000,000

-theoretical full power: 200,000,000

The Mysterious Youth

Cyborg Freeza, suppressed: 50,000,000

-theoretical full power: 175,000,000

King Cold: 30,000,000

-theoretical full power: 100,000,000

Yamcha: 30,000

Krillin: 40,000

Tien: 50,000

Gohan: 410,000

Piccolo: 1,800,000

-unseen unweighted: 2,250,000

Vegeta: 3,100,000

Trunks, suppressed: 5

- full power: 3,900,000

-super saiyan: 190,000,000

Goku: 4,500,000

-super saiyan: 225,000,000

The Androids

Yamcha: 600,00

Krillin: 1,000,000

Goku: 12,000,000

-sick: 7,000,000

-super saiyan: 210,000,000 and decreasing

-before kamehameha: 175,000,000

-after kamehameha: 125,000,000

Android 19: 100,000,000

-w/Kamehameha: 150,000,000

-w/Goku’s energy: 170,000,000

-w/Vegeta’s energy: 210,000,000

Vegeta: 13,500,000

-super saiyan: 405,000,000

-energy taken: 365,000,000

Android 20: 110,000,000

w/energy: 130,000,000

Piccolo: 160,000,000

-unweighted: 200,000,000

-w/Kami: 550,000,000

Android 18: 420,000,000

-full power: 500,000,000

Android 17: 520,000,000

Cell: 700,000,000

Android 16: 700,000,000

The Next Level

Cell: 1,220,000,000

-full power: 1,800,000,000

- Perfect: 3,300,000,000

Vegeta: 85,000,000

-super saiyan: 1,190,000,000

-super saiyan 2nd grade: 2,380,000,000

-Final Flash: 4,200,000,000

Trunks:  80,000,000

-super saiyan 2nd grade: 2,240,000,000

-ultra super saiyan: 3,360,000,000

-full power: 4,280,000,000

Tien: 2,500,000

The Cell Games

Piccolo: 720,000,000

-unweighted: 900,000,000

Vegeta: 420,000,000

-super saiyan: 5,040,000,000

Trunks: 408,000,000

-super saiyan: 4,896,000,000

Cell juniors: 5,400,000,000

Goku: 1,000,000,000

-super saiyan: 8,000,000,000

Gohan: 1,250,000,000

-super saiyan: 10,000,000,000

-holding back: 8,400,000,000

-super saiyan 2: 50,000,000,000

Cell: 8,500,000,000

-full power: 20,000,000,000

-super perfect: 46,000,000,000

The Dark Prince Returns

Gohan: 1,200,000,000

-super saiyan: 9,600,000,000

-super saiyan 2: 48,000,000,000

Goten: 300,000,000

-super saiyan: 3,000,000,000

Trunks: 310,000,000

-super saiyan: 3,100,000,000

Videl: 7

Spopovich: 20

Piccolo: 740,000,000

-unseen unweighted: 925,000,000

Supreme Kai: 1,100,000,000

Pocus: 75,000,000

Yakon: 2,000,000,000

Dabra: 10,000,000,000

Vegeta: 1,800,000,000

-majin: 22,400,000,000

-super saiyan 2: 67,200,000,000

Goku: 2,800,000,000

-super saiyan: 22,400,000,000

-super saiyan 2: 67,200,000,000

Fusion

Super Saiyan 3 Goku: 134,400,000,000

Buu: 100,000,000,000

-Super: 500,000,000,000

-w/Gotenks: ~1,050,000,000,000

-w/Gohan: ~1,300,000,000,000

Goten, Trunks, after training: 550,000,000

Gotenks: 55,000,000,000

-super saiyan: 275,000,000,000

-super saiyan 3: 550,000,000,000

Mystic Gohan: 800,000,000,000

Tien: 8,000,000

Vegetto: 840,000,000,000

-super saiyan: 6,720,000,000,000

-theoretical super saiyan 3: 40,320,000,000,000

Kid Buu

Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta: 67,200,000,000

Kid Buu: 124,000,000,000

Super Saiyan 3 Goku: 134,400,000,000

-spirit bomb: 300,000,000,000

Good Buu: 105,000,000,000

Mr. Satan: 6.5

Ten Years Later

Krillin: 800,000

Yamcha: 400,000

Tien: 15,000,000

Goten: 580,000,000

Trunks: 620,000,000

Piccolo: 800,000,000

Gohan: 760,000,000,000

Pan: 180,000,000

Uub: 9

-enraged: 500,000,000

Goku: 9,500,000,000

-unseen super saiyan 3: 456,000,000,000

Vegeta: 8,000,000,000

-unseen super saiyan 3: 384,000,000,000

All right, a blog that doesn’t have to do with either Dragonball Z or the box office. I came up with this idea  a couple weeks ago and I figured it might make an interesting blog. So, then, here we go. I was originally going to just limit this to movie characters, but there were a few others that I just had to throw in. And I know that there are a lot of annoying characters not in this list but that’s because I’m either not aware of them or because they just plain slipped my mind. Let’s begin the countdown.

12. Evan Treborn (The Buttefly Effect)

Sometimes, the first time I watch a movie, I don’t like it all that much. It has to grow on me. Then other times, I like a movie the first time and upon repeat viewings, it only gets worse every time. The Butterfly Effect is an example of the latter. It’s really not that great of a movie. It’s a very interesting idea and all, but just not executed that well. The thing that kills me, though, is how annoying Ashton Kutcher’s character, Evan Treborn, is. The name is supposed to be a pun on “event reborn,” which goes along with the whole time travel idea and is mildly clever. Evan keeps going back in time and he tries to fix everything over and over again but he’s just a complete fucking idiot and he just keeps making things worse for himself every time. He makes such stupid decisions about how to fix his past and it just annoys the hell out of me.

11. Pikachu (Pokemon)

I’m sure even a lot of diehard Pokemon fans would admit that Pikachu is fucking annoying. I never got into Pokemon as a kid and I don’t really regret that at all. I do think I’m too harsh on Pokemon sometimes because I think mostly of that god awful anime series. I never actually played any of the games and those might actually be fun. Regardless, though, Pikachu is fucking annoying. He just keeps saying his own name over and over again and acts all cute and shit. I can’t stand that. And then he has that stupid fucking annoying lightning attack in Super Smash Bros. that drives me crazy. I hate when characters in Super Smash Bros. have moves like that, ones where fucking noobs can just pick up the character and start whooping ass with it. I’m no Smash Bros. pro and I don’t profess to be, but I just hate when someone who’s never fucking played the game before picks Pikachu and next thing you that fucking lightning move just sends me right off the playing field. Now, on other hand, Raichu, he was badass. But I just can’t stand Pikachu.

10. Kaepora Gaebora (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

I fucking hated this god damn owl. He shows up all the time at various points in Hyrule and fucking annoys the hell out of you with information you don’t give a fuck about. In Zelda games, lots of time after you’re told a story or something, you’ll get an option of whether on not you want to hear it again. Well, for some reason, when it comes to Kaepora and only Kaepora, “yes” is the default selection, so as you’re rapidly pressing the A button to get through the damn conversation, you’ll accidentally hit yes and then have to go through the whole thing again. Thankfully, he doesn’t show up once you’ve become an adult, but he’s annoying as all hell when you’re a kid, especially on repeated play-throughs

9. Misa Amane (Death Note)

It seems like pretty much everything, no matter how fucking good it is has to have at least one annoying character. In the anime master piece that is Death Note, Misa is that requisite character. She doesn’t come into the series until about fifteen or so episode in. And she does actually add quite a twist to the show when she does first make her presence known. It’s all a big mystery as to who she actually is because we don’t physically see her for a while. However, then we find out she’s this annoying dumb blonde. She’s absolutely infatuated with the show’s main character, Light Yagami, and follows him around like a love sick puppy. It gets really annoying. Misa’s character basically becomes useless after about fifteen episodes or so and it doesn’t seem like there’s any point in keeping her around. She does have a few good moments and her screentime does decrease a bit as time goes on. I actually found her less annoying in the English dub than the original Japanese version because her seiyū (Japanese word for voice actor) is way more annoying than her English voice actress. Then again, Light’s voice actor doesn’t really do a good job at all in the English dub, so either way you can’t really win. Misa’s annoying no matter what, though.

8. Tingle (The Legend of Zelda Series)

I fucking hate Tingle. The one good thing about Tingle, though, is that he’s mostly avoidable. He made his first appearance in Majora’s Mask back in 2000 and then later returned in 2003 with The Wind Waker. If you want to, he can completely avoid him all together in Majora’s Mask. He does provide you with useful maps of the land of Termina, but they’re not essential to completing the game. However, he came full circle in Wind Waker. You cannot avoid him in this game. You first have to rescue him from prison and then he talks to you for about forty-five minutes. Then, at the end of the game, you need to get all these charts deciphered to find the shards of the Triforce. You have no choice but to go to Tingle. And then he charges an absolutely ridiculous amount of rupees for deciphering these. Okay, Tingle, I didn’t free you from jail or anything. It’s not like I need these charts deciphered to save the entire fucking world. It’s not like you have a hard life, fucking standing there while you make your brothers work hard all day. No, you need like 8 million rupees a pop for all seven of the fucking charts. The only good thing is that he’s only in those two games and you can even avoid him entirely in Majoras’ Mask. I just wish it were the same in Wind Waker.

7. Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter)

Dolores Umbridge is one of the most easily-hated characters I have ever come across. Every single time she was on screen in Harry Potter, I wanted to murder her. I wanted her to become real just so that I could murder her. I hate her that much. I cannot fucking stand the woman. She insists on being so perfect and she carries about her such an air of unjust self-imposed superiority. And she’s just a bitch too. She refuses to accept the fact that Voldemort has returned and makes Harry write “I will not tell lies” over and over again….. with his own blood! She eventually gets fucked up by Grawp and the centaurs at the end, but I kind of wish that they just killed her. She didn’t annoy me nearly as much in the book, but maybe that’s because I couldn’t actually see or hear her. I still hated her to death in the book, but it wasn’t as bad.

6. Ashley Graham (Resident Evil 4)

One of the great things about Ashley that I can’t say for anyone else on this list is that if you want to kill her, you actually can! I think Resident Evil 4 is one of the greatest games that I have ever played. I’m not really not that good of a gamer and this game was really fucking difficult for me to beat, but I eventually did. One of the things that makes it so damn difficult is fucking Ashley. You go through a good part of the game as the badass Leon Scott Kennedy, who has all these guns and skills and he likes to fuck up zombies (yes, I know that they’re technically not zombies, they’re “ganados,” but for all intents and purposes, let’s just call them zombies). Then you rescue Ashley and you have to protect her as you move through the game. And it’s fucking annoying as all hell. Her voice is so annoying as she constantly whines for Leon to help her. And she’ll just fucking stand there sometimes when there are zombies everywhere. Or she’ll just crouch on the ground like a little bitch while I’m thinking to myself, let’s fucking run away from the god damn zombies. I have no fucking ammo left, Ashley. We need to fucking move, you bitch. You can kill Ashley using the various weapons in the game, but it’s not exactly satisfying. She just kind of falls over no matter what you use. I wish her head actually exploded if you got a headshot with the rifle like it does when you shoot the zombies. Fuck, man, that’s just sadistic. And a bit graphic. I apologize. Let’s move on.

5. Babidi (Dragonball Z)

Babidi is another character that is so easy to hate. His annoying voice and his attitude toward everyone else in the show just annoys me. Babidi thinks he’s the shit, but he’s a weak little piece of shit that almost anyone in the series could defeat. Hell, I’d reckon even Videl could probably beat him in hand to hand combat. Babidi has a bunch of magical skills that he uses to his advantage, though. He even manages to put the king of all demons, Dabura, under his control. But he can’t tame Vegeta as hard as he tries because Vegeta is too much of a badass. Babidi thinks he can control someone as ludicrously powerful as Majin Buu and thinks he’s fucking awesome because he has Buu “under his control.” I was so pumped when Piccolo stepped in and chopped Babidi in half. It was practically the only thing Piccolo did for the whole damn saga. Lo and behold, Babidi’s actually alive and then Buu heals him. Thankfully, Buu gets fed up with his shit and with one punch, sends Babidi to oblivion. I always feel somewhat sick for feeling satisfied when a character dies, but oh well. I fucking hated Babidi.

4. Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)

Come on, it’s Jar Jar Binks. What more do I need to say?

3. Roseanne

I never actually watched Roseanne. Why? Because I fucking hated Roseanne. Why? Her fucking voice. Enough said.

2. Navi (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

I know I’ve included three Zelda characters on this list, but don’t get me wrong. I fucking love Zelda. I think that it’s the shit. It’s my favorite video game series of all time, with Metroid a very close second. But, man, they kind of have a knack for inviting annoying characters. Zelda games seem to have a lot of sidekicks and whatnot. Majora’s Mask had Tatl, who was like Navi only far less annoying. Wind Waker had the King of Red Lions, who wasn’t really annoying at all. And Twilight Princess had Midna, who was really more a partner than a sidekick and I actually really, really liked her character. But Navi is just fucking annoying. She will not leave you alone. She will just keep saying “Hey!” or “Listen!” over and over and over again in a high pitched voice until you eventually give in and just see what useless fucking information she has for you. What’s that Navi, Sheik said something about a Fire Temple in a volcano? Yes, Navi, I know. Why the fuck else would I be in a fucking volcano on my way to the temple as you’re telling me I should go in a volcano? I’m already there! Navi isn’t that bad on a first play through and she does give you somewhat useful information about enemies, but any further playthroughs and you will ignore her as much as possible. But, then again, Navi was basically the impetus for  Majora’s Mask and I’m glad for that because Majora’s Mask is my personal favorite Zelda game. Anyway, it’s now time. Number one, here we go!

1. Skids and Mudflap (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

In every form of media that I have ever come across, for every character that I have ever encountered, I have never found two so annoying as these two. I fucking hated them more than I can possibly express. Both Transformers films had annoying characters. But these two just took it to a whole other level, which I had never dared to even imagine. Every time they fucking spoke, I literally wanted to block my fucking ears. I couldn’t stand. They were such obvious stereotypes and they would not shut the hell up. Why the fuck were they the two that went along with Sam and Mikaela and every one for the majority of the film. Why not fucking someone cooler or more interesting? Why not Arcee or something and then they could actually explain how autobots have different genders, something they kind of just completely skipped. Now, we had to have these two annoying as all hell fucking piece of shit walking stereotype annoying fucking assholes. Nothing they said was funny. Nothing they said or did made me want to like them. Toward the end of the movie when Devastator forms and starts fucking shit up, he sucks in one of these guys into his mouth. And I’m sitting there in the  movie theatre thinking, “Yes! Yes! Thank you Michael Bay, thank you! Yes, he’s killing them off! There is a god!” Next thing you know, they somehow miraculously survive and start actually damaging Devastator. I’d never been so pissed off that a good guy survived in my entire life. That should not happen. A movie should never, ever make you hate a character so much that you are actually rejoicing when said character dies. I was rooting for the villain for Christ’s sake! And it’s not even like Devastator was particularly awesomely badass or anything. Sure, he was pretty cool and all, but he had hardly any screen time and we really didn’t so much of him. Even still, I was like, “Fuck yeah, Devastator! Fuck their shit up! Hell yes!” I hate these two. I hate them so fucking much. I will still get Transformers on DVD when it comes out. But I will do that for the action scenes and the awesomeness that is Optimus Prime. I will literally fast forward through every part with these two in it. I wish so ardently that Devastator had eaten these two and then shit them back out in a million fucking pieces. Whatever, man. I guess that’s it. Twelve (well, technically thirteen) characters that I have found extremely annoying. Just know, though, that Skids and Mudflap stand in a league completely their own.