Android 13 (人造人間１３号, Jinzōningen Jū San-Gō) is Dr. Gero's thirteenth Android creation. He is designed to continue Gero's vendetta against Goku, who overthrew the Red Ribbon Army as a child. He makes his debut as the main antagonist in the film Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!
Overview[]
Creation and concept[]
Android 13 and his comrades were designed by Akira Toriyama, the original manga author, for Toei's theatrical production.
Even though Android 13, Android 14, and Android 15 are not featured in the Dragon Ball manga, the "Androids A-B-C's" section mentions that Androids 13, 14, and 15 were very close to the Android concept. The movie shows that Dr. Gero is murdered by Android 17 prior to personally completing 13 through 15, leaving an underground super computer to finish the models posthumously.
Appearance[]
In his standard form, he appears as a muscular, white haired, mulleted man with grayish-blue eyes, similar to most of Dr. Gero's other Android models. He wears a yellow vest adorning the Red Ribbon Army logo on his left side, as well as tiny gray suspenders worn underneath his vest, green trousers, black boots with ribbed tips, brown gloves, as well as a gray and yellow baseball cap with the Red Ribbon Army logo on its front (he is the only one of Dr. Gero's Android models to wear a hat without having a glass domed cranium).
Personality[]
Android 13 is created for the sole purpose of destroying Goku. In the original version, he is deadset on this goal although he seems to be laid-back about approaching it, saying that anyone who gets in his way will die as well.
In the FUNimation dub, his attitude is essentially that of a stereotypical "redneck" (which his character design also appears to have been modeled after), with Future Trunks even referring to him as a Red Ribbon Redneck at one point. Android 13 makes references to Red Indians when noting that if Goku couldn't even handle the "Indians" (referring to Androids 14 and 15), there's no need to bring out the chief in reference to himself (who shared a rivalry with cowboys in the Old West) and even yells "Yeehah!" during battle. Also in the dub, he scarcely refers to Goku by name, preferring instead to call him by such titles as "city boy," "son" or "boy".
In addition, FUNimation's dub provides a further glimpse into Android 13's psyche and to a small extent, humanity, when he lectures Future Trunks about how people have misused their free-will to create more sufferings like war, segregation and hatred (even though he uses this lecture to justify his pursuit of his own morally questionable goal of killing Goku). In the uncut version of the dub, he is also shown to be somewhat coarse regarding his opponents, such as commenting upon arrival that Goku was "catching an ass-whoopin'" from Androids 14 and 15. Also in FUNimation's dub, Dr. Gero's computer directly relays information to him, which is something only subtly hinted at in the original Japanese dub of the film (the computer does not actually say anything in the original version).
In his Super form, he is shown to be a lot more assertive and maniacal (in the Japanese dub, he does not speak at all aside from yelling Goku's name upon his death). He is a much more frenzied and brutal character in this form also, as he punches Goku in the crotch, almost breaks Vegeta's back, grabs and blasts Trunks's skull and steps on Piccolo's face while charging his ki.
Biography[]
Background[]
Android 13 was developed by Dr. Gero at some point before the Android Saga. Along with Android 14 and Android 15, Android 13 was quite close to the final Android form, however like their predecessors they had one problem or another and as such were destroyed by Dr. Gero.
Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13![]
"Now, I can't believe that the great Goku is catching an ass whoopin' from those boys! If he can't even handle the Indians, why bring out the Chief?"
Android 13 is completed by Dr. Gero's self-aware supercomputer after Android 14 and Android 15, who by this time are already taking up arms against Goku and Future Trunks. Upon his arrival on the Glacier, 13 confronts Goku, leaving Future Trunks and Vegeta to fight against 14 and 15 respectively. During his fight with Goku, he has the utmost confidence he will surely win the battle and seems to have a slight edge over him. Goku then transforms into a Super Saiyan and seems to turn the tables, shortly after which Piccolo intervenes to assist Goku. Ultimately, 14 and 15 are defeated, following Future Trunks and Vegeta's transformations into Super Saiyans; their deaths are fail-safe however, as 13 absorbs components from both, resulting in his transformation into Super Android 13.
| "Free will. Pitiful humans! War, segregation, hatred! Is that what you've done with your free will, boy? Don't you lecture me with your thirty dollar haircut! Goku dies!" |
Vegeta is the first to attack the newly transformed 13, only to quickly be brought to his knees by his amazing new strength. Goku, Future Trunks and Piccolo's attempts are also foiled with little effort on 13's part. Becoming desperate to kill 13, Goku is forced to prepare his ultimate weapon, the Spirit Bomb, while Krillin, Vegeta, Gohan and Future Trunks distract 13. Super Android 13 easily dispatches them (in the FUNimation dub, he informs Goku that he knows about his Spirit Bomb technique). He begins charging up his S.S. Deadly Bomber when Piccolo charges at 13 and puts him in a Full Nelson. Super Android 13 quickly counters it and begins crushing Piccolo's head, but he stops short when he notices Goku's Spirit Bomb charging. When Goku transforms into his Super Saiyan form, his body absorbs the Spirit Bomb's immense energy and erases the surrounding ice until the land 13 is standing on is nothing more than a singular pillar. When 13 tries to attack Goku, his arms end up incinerated by the raw energy emitted from Goku and the Spirit Bomb. Afterwards, one punch from Goku disintegrates 13, with help from the ki Goku emits. 13 dies while yelling Goku's name (in FUNimation's dub, he curses that Goku must die). Consequentially at the same moment, Gero's supercomputer shuts down.
Forms and transformations[]
Super Android 13[]
Android 13 has the ability to transform into Super Android 13 upon absorbing Android 14 and Android 15's battle data, computer chips, and energy reactors, which go into the sides of his forehead and inside his chest respectively. This state is far more powerful then that of Android 13's base form, and in this state Android 13 possesses a body made out of the adamantine metal. Super Android 13 is alternatively known as Merged 13 or Fusion Android 13.
Destruction King[]
Destruction King Super Android 13 is a playable character in Dragon Ball Heroes, making his debut in Jaaku Mission 5.
Video games[]
Android 13 made his first playable appearance in a Dragon Ball video game spin-off in Budokai Tenkaichi 2. He also appears in the following installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi series. Each of these games allow the Android's fused "Super Android 13" transformation to be played. Android 13 says a number of things to his fellow androids before fighting them in those games, such as:
- When fighting Dr. Gero (Android 20), 13 will say "I won't allow anyone interfere, not even you", and Dr. Gero's response is "You're a defective unit, I should just destroy you!"
- When fighting Android 16, 16 will say "You are not cool", and Android 13 responds with "Then, fight me and we'll find who's best for the job."
- When fighting Android 17, 17 will say "You're a bit outdated, you're starting to collect dust", and Android 13's responds "Hey, you respect your elders, boy" (he also says this to Android 18, despite her being female). Super 17 also has a similar reaction like Android 17 by stating "Junk like YOU belongs in the dump.", while Android responds to him the same way he responds to Android 17.
- Depending on which form he fights Cell in Raging Blast 2, Cell will respond differently. In his regular form, he will say, "Hm, I wasn't aware there were any of you androids left." In his Super form, he will say, "So, you can absorb two androids and become your perfect form, too."
Android 13 appears alongside his comrades Android 14 and Android 15 in Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 and Dragon Ball Heroes, with both his base and Super forms. He also has a Majin #13 state in Dragon Ball Heroes.
In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Android 13's Hat appears as an accessory that can be obtained by the Future Warrior (Xenoverse 2). His hat comes complete with a wig based on 13's hair (it is classified as a wig as it does not change color when a Super Saiyan transformation is used). Android 13's original hairstyle also appears as Male Hair Option Type 18.
Voice actors[]
- Japanese: Kazuyuki Sogabe (movie), Moriya Endo (Budokai Tenkaichi series)
- AB Group dub: Doug Rand
- FUNimation dub: Chuck Huber
- Brazilian Portuguese dub: Bruno Rocha
- European Portuguese dub: Paulo Espirito Santo
- Polish dub: Bogusław Linda
- German dub: Sebastian Christoph Jacob
- Catalan dub: Eduard Farelo
- Spanish dub: José Manuel Seda
- Basque dub: Mañu Elizondo
- Italian dub: Maurizio Romano; Giorgio Bonino (2nd Edition)
- French dub: Éric Legrand
Trivia[]
- The number 13 is considered unlucky in many traditions, something Android 13 even referenced in the FUNimation dub.
- Android 13's way of dressing resembles that of an American truck driver.
- Android 13 is the only character to harbor two Red Ribbon insignias (one on his cap and another on his vest), as all other androids have only one.
- During his fight with Goku, there is a moment where Super Android 13 punches him in the crotch, rendering him unconscious. This was edited out with a flash of light in English dubs.
- In the Polish version dubs, Goku says that Super Android 13 has a hairdo similar to that of Super Saiyans.