The ''Dragon Ball'' manga and anime series features an extensive cast of characters created by Akira Toriyama. The series takes place in a fictional universe where vast numbers of fighters in the world compete in tournaments, using various superhuman and supernatural abilities. The series' storyline follows the adventures of a martial artist as he searches for the seven mystical objects known as the Dragon Balls, which are used to summon a wish-granting dragon.

The main character of the series is Son Goku, a martial artist who comes from an extraterrestrial race known as the Saiyans. Along the way, he undergoes training regiments and educational programs to fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament. During the course of the story, he encounters diverse villains such as Tien Shinhan, an assassin and martial artist with a third eye; Piccolo, the offspring of Piccolo Daimao; Vegeta, a Saiyan who eventually becomes Goku's ally; and Frieza, a galactic tyrant who was responsible for the extinction of the Saiyan race; and allies such as Trunks, Vegeta's son; Yamcha, a desert bandit; Yajirobe, a fat Samurai; Bulma, a scientist; and Krillin, Goku's rival who eventually becomes his best friend.

Creation and conception

Akira Toriyama initially based most of the characters from the Chinese novel ''Journey to the West''. He also redeveloped one of his earlier one-shot manga series, ''Dragon Boy''. To be creative with the character, Toriyama stated that he designed Goku not as a monkey like the ''Journey to the West'' character, but as a human-looking boy with a monkey tail.

During this period of the series, Toriyama placed less emphasis on the series art work, simplifying the lines and sometimes making things "too square". He found himself having problems determining the colors for characters and sometimes ended up changing them unintentionally mid-story. For the female characters, Toriyama felt it was not fun to draw "weak females" so he created women that he felt were not only "beautiful and sexy", but also "strong". Going against the normal convention that the strongest characters should be the largest in terms of physical size, he designed many of ''Dragon Ball'''s most powerful characters with small statures, including the protagonist, Goku.

After the first chapters were released, readers commented that Goku seemed rather plain, so his appearance was changed. More characters (such as Master Roshi and Krillin) and martial arts tournaments were added to give the manga a greater emphasis on fighting. Knowing readers would expect Goku to win the tournaments, Toriyama had him lose the first two while continuing his initial goal of having Goku be the champion and hero. When having fights in the manga, Toriyama had the characters go to a place where nobody lived to avoid difficulties in drawing destroyed buildings. In order to advance the story quickly, he also gave most fighters the ability to fly so they could travel to other parts of the world without inconvenience. This was also the reasoning behind Goku learning to teletransport (thus allowing characters to move to any planet in a second).

Main characters

Goku

Goku is the main protagonist of the ''Dragon Ball'' series. He is perhaps the most refined example of the ''shōnen manga'' hero. Goku is immensely strong, pure of heart, extremely competitive, but dedicated wholeheartedly to the cause of defending the Earth from evil.

Though he grew up on Earth and appears more or less human, Goku is descended from an alien warrior race known as the Saiyans, who originally sent him to the planet to prepare it for conquest. A coincidental knock on the head cleared his mind of his natural inclination towards global domination, though — instead, he ended up becoming the planet’s greatest champion.

His alien heritage gives him many advantages, including great physical strength, speed, resilience, and a leg up in focusing his ''chi'' energy to develop many unusual martial arts techniques. Those include his famous ''Kamehameha'' energy blast, which has become his signature technique over the years, and the ability to transform into progressively more impressive levels of “Super Saiyan” power.

Goku was originally conceived by creator Akira Toriyama as a riff on the main character from the Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' (just as the novel itself inspired the original ''Dragon Ball'' comics to some degree). In particular, the tail he sported in his younger days is a nod to the Chinese classic.

Bulma

is a character appearing early in the series in the first chapter first published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine on December 3, 1984. She was originally portrayed as a secondary main character, next to Goku. Her role is quickly downplayed as the series continues, though she does continue her role as a supporting character for the remainder of the series. Bulma is the daughter of Dr. Briefs; the founder of Capsule Corp., a fictional corporation that creates special capsules that are often used to store objects of various sizes. Being the daughter of a brilliant scientist, Bulma is also a scientist, as well as an inventor and engineer. She is most credited for inventing the Dragon Radar, a fictional device that is specifically designed to detect the energy signal emitted by a Dragon Ball. Bulma's role as an inventor becomes important at several points in the series. Several of her creations were major contributions to various plotlines, including a microband that could make her shrink, the time machine that brought her son Trunks to the past during ''Dragon Ball Z'' and the generator that allowed her husband Vegeta to achieve Super Saiyan 4 in ''Dragon Ball GT''.

Bulma is a direct parody of the character Xuanzang from the Chinese novel ''Journey to the West''. Even though Bulma's character parodies a monk, her Japanese name "Buruma" is a direct take on the word bloomers, which was a popular type of women's underwear in the early 20th century. As with most characters in the ''Dragon Ball'' series, Bulma's name is consistent with those of the rest of her family. All of Bulma's family members are named after underclothing of some sort. Her father's name is "Dr. Briefs", while her son and daughter are named "Trunks" and "Bra" respectively.

Bulma is voiced by Hiromi Tsuru in all of the Japanese media. In Funimation's dub, she would be voiced by Maggie Blue O'Hara in the first ''Dragon Ball'' film; Lalainia Lindbjerg in the first 13 episodes of ''Dragon Ball'' and the 64 episodes and first three movies of ''Dragon Ball Z''; Leslie Alexander in the film ''Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle''; Tiffany Vollmer in all other Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT dubs including re-dubs of previously dubbed works; and Monica Rial in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''. In Westwood Media's dub, Maggie Blue O'Hara returned to voice Bulma in ''Dragon Ball Z''; Leda Davies was cast for ''Dragon Ball''; and Kristin Nowosad in ''Dragon Ball GT''. In the Japanese dub of the live-action ''Dragonball Evolution'', she is voiced by Aya Hirano.

Bulma has a cameo in the ''Dragon Ball''/''One Piece'' crossover ''Cross Epoch''. In this segment, she is partnered up with the character Nami. The two act as a pair of space pirates. Bulma has been portrayed by Jeannie Tse in the unofficial live-action ''Dragon Ball'' movie ''The Magic Begins''. She was also featured in the 1990 unofficial Korean adaptation where she was played by Lee Ju Hee. Bulma appeared in the live-action film ''Dragonball Evolution'', portrayed by Emmy Rossum. Rossum describes her portrayal of Bulma as "She’s pretty bad-ass, but still quirky and fun, and kind of ridiculous in the way she is in the anime."

Yamcha

, known as Zedaki in the Harmony Gold dub, is introduced as an outlaw and starts out as an antagonist of Goku's in order to steal his Dragon Ball and wish not to feel nervous when being near to women. He eventually reforms, becoming an ally and Z Fighter. After participating in Baba's tournament, Yamcha requests to become the pupil of Master Roshi, to which Master Roshi obliges. As a result from such training, Yamcha becomes able to develop various energy techniques such as the Kamehameha and the ''Soukidan'', an energy sphere which he can control after throwing it. He soon becomes able to fly and is able to train with various gods from the ''Dragon Ball'' universe. After the attack from the Red Ribbon Army's androids, he quits fighting, noting that he is very weak in comparison to his friends. His constant companion is Puar. During the series, he holds a romantic relationship with Bulma, but they break up some time after Future Trunks' first appearance. He is voiced by Tōru Furuya in the Japanese version of the series. In the Ocean dub, he is voiced by Ted Cole, and in the Funimation dub, he is voiced by Christopher Sabat. In the 2009 ''Dragon Ball'' live-action film, he was portrayed by Joon Park, whose voice was dubbed over by Hisao Egawa in the Japanese dub of the film.

Krillin

Tien Shinhan

, known as Shinto in the Harmony Gold dub, is first introduced in chapter 113 of the manga series. Initially an enemy of Goku who was trained by Roshi's rival the Crane Hermit, Tien soon makes peace with Goku and becomes a Z Fighter. Accompanied by his friend Chiaotzu, Tien enters the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament and faces Goku, who proves to be a more than worthy opponent. Eventually, after Goku survives every attack thrown at him, Tien destroys the arena with his ''Kikohou'', but Goku jumps into the air and uses his ''Kamehameha'' to slam himself into Tien. Both fighters fall down to the ground, but Goku is hit by a passing car, causing him to land on the ground first, which makes Tien the winner. Afterwards, Tien and Chiaotzu become allies of Goku. He participated in the battle against the Saiyans in ''Dragon Ball Z'', in which he is killed by Nappa, along with Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Piccolo. The four of them are trained by King Kai and later revived by Porunga. Tien also participated in the battles against Cell and Majin Buu.

Tien is bald and has three eyes, the third placed on his forehead. He has a Third Eye because he is from an Alien Race of three eyed beings called the Triclops. When Toriyama began creating the ''Dragon Ball'' series, he used Wu Cheng'en's ''Journey to the West'' as a prototype for his own work. Tien's three eyed physical characteristic resembles the story character Erlang Shen, and both are warriors who were originally adversaries of the main character. His outfits change consistently as the series goes on, and he usually doesn't wear a shirt when fighting. In the Japanese version of the series, he was voiced by Hirotaka Suzuoki until his death in 2006; Kōichi Yamadera acted as a substitute for Suzuoki for episodes 82 and 84 of the series. He is voiced by Mitsuaki Madono in ''Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit'' and by Hikaru Midorikawa in ''Dragon Ball Kai''. In the Ocean dub, he was voiced by Matt Smith. In the Funimation dub of the series, he was voiced by Chris Cason in the third season and by John Burgmeier from the fourth season onwards and in the redub of the third season.

Piccolo

Son Gohan

Vegeta

Trunks

Frieza

Cell

is the ultimate creation of Doctor Gero. He is an artificial life form created using the cells of several characters from the series, including Goku, Piccolo and Frieza. As a result, Cell is able to perform techniques such as the ''Kamehameha'', a powerful energy blast which he gains from the cells of Goku. In creating the character of Cell, Toriyama tried many different designs before finally settling on the one used in the series. Cell evolves several times throughout his appearances. He originally evolves from a cocoon-like form into his first "Imperfect Form", which is insect-like in appearance. Both his first form and his second "Semi-Perfect Form" have a long tail that ends in a stinger-like appendage and allows it to absorb other organisms. The tail recedes under his wings in his final "Perfect Form", and he can use it to spawn , a minuscule child-like version of himself.

Requiring the androids #17 and #18 to evolve, he finds out that they are already dead in his timeline, so he kills the Trunks of his timeline and uses Trunks' time machine to travel back in time. He eventually absorbs both after many battles and ascends to his perfect form. He decides to hold the "Cell Games", a tournament in which he fights against the Earth's fighters until there are none left, resulting in Earth's destruction. Cell manages to defeat Goku, but he is eventually killed by Super Saiyan 2 Gohan. Cell appears in Hell in ''Dragon Ball Z'', and makes a few appearances in ''Dragon Ball GT''. Cell is voiced by Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese anime, Dale Wilson in the Ocean dub, Dameon Clarke in the Funimation dub, and by Travis Willingham in ''Dragon Ball: Raging Blast''. Cell's English dub actor for Dragon Ball Z Kai is Dartanian Nickelback.

Majin Buu

is a magical life form created by the wizard, Bibidi, eons before the events of ''Dragon Ball'' took place. He is eventually sealed by Bibidi after he becomes uncontrollable, and Bibidi's son, Babidi makes it his goal to revive Buu. After being released, Buu appears as an innocent looking pudgy pink genie-like creature. He is very naive and easily influenced, and he has a very volatile balance between his gentle and evil sides. After Buu kills Babidi, he becomes close friends with Hercule, which eventually causes him to expel his evil side. This evil manifests, and it manages to defeat and absorb the good side, resulting in a tall, slender form, who calls himself "Evil Buu (or Super Buu)." He is interested in a challenge, and later goes on to absorb Goten and Trunks as Gotenks, Piccolo, and Gohan. It is revealed by the surviving member of the Kaioshin that the fat form of Buu is actually the result of the original assimilation of their leader into his body. The original is a sleek, child-sized being who is obsessed with chaos and destruction. The original is restored after Goku and Vegeta remove the good side from Super Buu. The good side is later spit out by the original, and he goes on to live with Hercule on Earth, while the original is killed by Goku, who wishes for him to be reincarnated as a good person. King Yemma, hearing the wish, reincarnates him into a child named Uub, who becomes Goku's successor and goes on to participate in battles against foes such as Baby, Super #17 and Omega Shenron.

All forms of Buu have a rubbery body that is easily damaged. He can regenerate instantly from any wound, regrow any part of his body, and he can even restore himself from vapor. It is possible for him to become so worn down that his regeneration begins to fail. He can reconfigure body portions into weapons, including stretching his extremities. Buu also can heal damaged beings, shapeshift, and transfigure other objects and organisms. He can also absorb other organisms by enveloping them with his body, and can replicate fighting techniques, even after witnessing them once.

In the original Japanese Buu and all his forms are currently voiced by Kōzō Shioya in all media. In the Ocean dub Scott McNeil would voice Fat Buu, Brian Dobson would voice the Evil and Super Buus, and Ward Perry would voice Kid Buu. McNeil would voice the renamed Mr. Buu in the Blue Water dub. In the Funimation dub Josh Martin voices Fat and Kid Buus, and Justin Cook voices Evil and Super Buu. Martin and Cook voice Buu in all video games with exception of ''Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout'' where Buu, in kid form, was voiced by Dougary Grant. Buu was rated by ''Wizard'' magazine as the 40th greatest villain of all time. David F. Smith of IGN states that although he is tough, Majin Buu's pink complexion prevents anybody from taking him as a serious threat.

Secondary characters

Android #18

is a human forcefully turned into a cyborg along with her brother, #17. After being released by Dr. Gero, she travels with #16 and #17 in order to kill Goku, though they are interrupted by Cell and the Z Fighters several times. She and #17 are eventually absorbed by Cell, but later during the Cell Games, a hard blow from Gohan causes Cell to regurgitate her. Though Krillin is unable to wish for her to be turned into a human, he is able to have her self destruct device removed. Krillin later pursues #18 and, at some point, they marry and have a daughter named Marron. In Future Trunks' timeline, she is a mass murderer who is later killed by Trunks. She is voiced by Miki Itō in Japan, Enuka Okuma in the Ocean dub and Meredith McCoy in the Funimation dub. Colleen Clinkenbeard has provided her voice for the recent video games; she also voices 18 in the English dub of ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''.

Baby

is a parasitic alien supervillain that first appears in the 22nd episode of ''Dragon Ball GT''. Baby was created by combining the DNA of the king of the Tuffles with a cybernetic body. Baby desires to destroy all of the Saiyans to avenge his people. Baby is first reactivated from a sleep state by his creator, Doctor Myu. He attempts to fight Goku, Trunks, and Pan, but is easily defeated. To boost his power, Baby infects various people with his DNA and begins gathering energy from them. After a second defeat at the hands of the three Saiyans, Baby infects Trunks and then goes to Earth. On Earth he battles Son Goten and Son Gohan, infects them both, and is able to infect Vegeta and make him his primary host. Goku, Trunks, and Pan return to Earth to find the entire population is now under Baby's control. Baby is able to defeat Goku, then he begins using the Black Star Dragon Balls to restore the Planet Plant and transport the Earth population to it. During this time, Baby evolves into an even more powerful form and defeats Goku again. This causes Goku to transform into a Golden Great Ape and then into a Super Saiyan 4. In this new form, Goku is able to defeat Baby-Vegeta. He has Bulma, also under his control, fire a radiation beam at him from her Blutz Wave Generator which enables him to transform into a Golden Great Ape. After a lengthy battle, Baby separates from Vegeta and attempts to escape in a spaceship, vowing to return to destroy the Saiyans. Goku blasts the spaceship with a ''10x Kamehameha'' attack, sending it into the sun. The ship is destroyed and Baby is obliterated.

He is voiced by Yusuke Numata in the Japanese version and by Mike McFarland in the Funimation dub.

Chiaotzu

, spelled Chaozu in the English manga, is a small human that resembles a doll with white skin, red cheeks, and one hair under his hat. Though he is not physically strong, he is skilled with psychokinesis and telepathy. He first studies under the Crane Hermit with his close friend, Tien Shinhan. After Tien realizes that the Crane Hermit's teachings are wrong, the two leave him and join with Goku and his companions. He continues to support Tien throughout the series, even going as far as self-destructing on Nappa in order to attempt to save him. After the Saiyan Saga, Chiaotzu is generally no longer involved in battle. He is voiced by Hiroko Emori in Japan, Cathy Weseluck in the Ocean dub, and Monika Antonelli in ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Dragon Ball Z'' in the Funimation dub. Brina Palencia voices him in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''.

Chi Chi

, spelled Chi-Chi in the Viz manga and Chichi in Japanese versions, is the wife of Goku and the mother of Gohan and Goten. She is very protective over the well being of her family, and wishes to remove them from Goku's lifestyle of fighting and constant conflict. She attempts to have Gohan focus on studying during his childhood, but this is interrupted by the constant threats to Earth. She later relaxes with Goten, even training him herself. As the daughter of the Ox-King, she is very strong in her own right, having easily made it to the quarter-finals of the 23rd ''Tenkaichi Budokai''. She and Goku first meet as children, and Goku promises to marry her, thinking marriage is a kind of food. She later confronts him to have him fulfill the promise, despite the misunderstanding. She was voiced by Mayumi Shō in the Japanese version of the series until episode 88, from which point she was voiced by Naoko Watanabe. In the Funimation dub, she is voiced by Laura Bailey as a child and Cynthia Cranz as an adult. Chi Chi is played by Jamie Chung in the live-action film ''Dragonball Evolution''; her voice was dubbed over by Ami Koshimizu in the Japanese version of the film.

Mr. Satan

, known as Hercule in edited FUNimation releases and in some editions of Viz's manga translation, is a flamboyant martial artist that becomes a world renowned hero after the Cell Games. After Goku and his companions stop attending the World Tournaments, Hercule starts winning them and becomes the reigning champion for many years. During the Cell Games, he attempts to fight Cell, but even after being swatted away, he is given credit for Cell's death by the media. He is soon called a world hero, gaining great wealth and a city named after him. Though Goku and his companions find his inflated ego and arrogance very annoying, he becomes their trusted friend after befriending the good Majin Buu, helping defeat Kid Buu by using his appeal to get energy from all of the individuals on Earth for the ''Genki Dama'', and his daughter, Videl, marries Gohan. He was voiced by Daisuke Gōri in Japan until his death, with Unshou Ishizuka taking over the role afterward, while in English he is voiced by Don Brown in the Ocean dub, and Chris Rager in the Funimation dub.

Master Roshi

Master Roshi, known in the English manga and the Japanese versions as and , is an ancient and wise martial arts master and the first Earthling to wield the ''Kamehameha''. Though he seems frail, he is a mighty warrior, having trained Grandpa Gohan, Ox King, Son Goku, and others. He is a stock character, as he is both the archetypal wise old man and dirty old man, the latter being typical of ''shōnen manga''. Still, he is depicted to be a very wise and gentle person, who loves life and its simple pleasures, but is willing to die if necessary, such as when performing the ''Mafuba'' technique (''Evil Containment Wave'' in the English dub) against Piccolo Daimao. He sometimes gets cranky, which further provides comic relief. He is bald, with a thick van dyke beard and wears sunglasses. Roshi wears beach clothes or martial arts suits and, during the earlier stages of the series, a turtle shell on his back. He usually wields a walking stick. When wishing to act anonymously in the World Martial Arts Tournament, Roshi uses the name Jackie Chun.

Roshi's character design was inspired by the character of Kami-sama from Toriyama's previous manga ''Dr. Slump'' (who is unrelated to the Kami-sama from ''Dragon Ball''). Roshi was originally voiced by Kōhei Miyauchi, who also voiced Kami-sama in the original anime version of ''Dr. Slump''. Miyauchi's final acting session before he died was for episode 260 of ''Dragon Ball Z'', which he recorded only 3 months before his death. The episode aired on March 15, 1995. In his final line, he yells out ''"Kuririn!"'', and is turned into a bar of chocolate by Majin Buu shortly afterwards. Since episode 288 of ''Dragon Ball Z'', Roshi is voiced by Hiroshi Masuoka, who voices him throughout ''Dragon Ball GT'' and in the recent video games, such as ''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi''. He is voiced by Kinya Aikawa in the 10th anniversary special and by Masaharu Satō in movie 13 and ''Dragon Ball Kai''. In the Ocean dub, he was voiced by Ian James Corlett, Peter Kelamis, Dave Ward, Don Brown, and Terry Klassen at various points. In the Funimation dub, Roshi has been voiced consistently by Mike McFarland. He is portrayed by Chow Yun-fat in the live-action film ''Dragonball Evolution''; his voice was dubbed over by Tsutomu Isobe in the Japanese dub of the film.

Pan

is the granddaughter of Goku. Pan's ancestry comes from both humans, and the extraterrestrials called the Saiyans, which becomes the primary race throughout the ''Dragon Ball'' galaxies. Pan is the daughter of the first Saiyan Human hybrid to appear in the series, Gohan, and his human wife Videl. In the Japanese anime, she was voiced by Yūko Minaguchi. In the English versions of ''Dragon Ball Z'', she is voiced by Brenna O'Brien in the Ocean dub and Kate Bristol in the Funimation dub. In the English versions of ''Dragon Ball GT'', she is voiced by Elise Baughman in the Funimation dub and by Caitlynne Medrek in the Blue Water dub.

Piccolo Daimao

, known as King Piccolo in the English dubs and Demon King Piccolo in the Viz manga, is the evil half of the Namekian that removed his evil in order to become the guardian of the Earth; this negative energy took on a physical form, becoming a cast-off being. He and the good half, Kami, are linked, so if one dies, the other also will die. After being formed, he designates himself as the Great Demon King and begins to terrorize the world. He is eventually imprisoned by Mutaito, the master of Roshi, in a rice cooker for centuries by the suicidal Evil Containment Wave. After being released by Emperor Pilaf, he attempts to kill anyone that could possibly seal him again, uses the Dragon Balls to restore his youth, and takes over the Earth before being confronted by Goku, who, after a long battle, punches a large hole through his abdomen. Before dying, he regurgitates the egg containing his reincarnation, Piccolo Jr., in order to pursue his revenge. He is voiced by Takeshi Aono in Japan, Scott McNeil in the Ocean dub, and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub. He was played by James Marsters in the live-action film ''Dragonball Evolution''; his voice was dubbed over by Hōchū Ōtsuka in the Japanese dub of the film.

Besides Piccolo Jr., Piccolo Daimao creates several offspring in order to help him with his plans. His first offspring, Piano, helps Piccolo formulate his plan until his death. He also creates Tambourine to hunt down the contenders of the World Martial Arts Tournament to keep the sealing technique from resurfacing. Tambourine kills Krillin and beats a weakened Goku, but eventually Goku's ''Kamehameha'' vaporizes him. The third, Cymbal, is created to find Dragon Balls, but he is killed and eaten by Yajirobe. The fourth, Drum, is created to battle Tien, who he easily defeats until Goku appears and kills him in one blow. Tambourine is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao in Japan and Dameon Clarke in the Funimation dub; Piano is voiced by Masato Hirano in Japan and Brian Beacock in the Funimation dub; and Drum is voiced by Daisuke Gori in Japan and Paul LeBlanc in the Funimation dub.

Son Goten

is the second and final child of Goku, the series' protagonist. First introduced in the 230 chapter of the manga, Goten resembles his father in appearance, with the same hair-style and similar clothing. In chapter 324, Toriyama changes his appearance to avoid confusion with Goku to include a shirt bearing his name, and a longer, shaggier hairstyle. Goten is trained by his older brother Son Gohan in preparation for the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, which their father would be attending. During the training, Gohan discovered Goten could become a Super Saiyan. He also possesses the ''Kamehameha'', a technique that concentrates ''chi'' energy and is released into a powerful beam.

In order to save the world from the villain Majin Buu, Goku and Piccolo teach Goten and Trunks the "Fusion" technique, which allows them to transform into a single powerful warrior, Gotenks. Gotenks battles Buu multiple times but even when he transforms into a Super Saiyan 3 he is unable to defeat Buu. Buu temporarily absorbs Gotenks, increasing his own power, but Vegeta and Goku are able to retrieve them from Buu. When Buu destroys the Earth in the 312 chapter, Goten and Trunks are killed. The Dragon Balls later bring Goten back to life along with the rest of the Earth in order to give energy to Goku's Super ''Genki Dama'' attack, which defeats Buu. Goten then returns to a normal life on Earth.

Masako Nozawa voices Goten in Japanese, while he is voiced by Kara Edwards (as a child) and Robert McCollum (as a teen) in the Funimation dub.

Videl

is the daughter of Hercule. Like her father, she trains in martial arts, even surpassing him in strength. She uses her abilities to fight crime in the city, and after Gohan appears as the Great Saiyaman, she quickly figures out his identity. She uses that to blackmail him into showing her how to fly. After Buu is fully defeated, the two form a relationship, eventually become married, and have a child named Pan. When the two fight crime together afterwards, she takes on the role of the "Great Saiyaman 2 or Great Saiyawoman". She is voiced by Yuko Minaguchi in Japan, Moneca Stori in the Ocean dub, and Kara Edwards in the Funimation dub. Her name is an anagram of Devil, a play on words with her father's Japanese name (Mister Satan).

Yajirobe

is an overweight samurai that Goku meets in Dragon Ball. He is often considered to be rude, unmannered, timid, lazy, and cowardly. He helps Goku prepare for the battle against Piccolo Daimao, and continues to support Goku and his companions, though often from the sidelines. He trains under Kami with the others in order to prepare for the Saiyans, and helps in their victory by cutting off Vegeta's tail. During ''Dragon Ball'', he is a wanderer that lives off the land, but after meeting Korin and discovering the Senzu Beans, which provide the nutrients of ten days worth of meals, restore energy and heal wounds, he decides to live with Korin. He begins growing the beans with him, and often delivers them to Goku and his companions. He is voiced by Mayumi Tanaka in the Japanese version of the series, by Brian Drummond in the Ocean dub and by Mike McFarland in the Funimation dub.

Other characters

Android #16

is a large fully mechanical android developed by Dr. Gero. He is deemed a failure, and is deactivated until Android #18 reactivates and releases him. Despite the other Androids disobeying and killing Dr. Gero, #16 still follows his orders to search for and destroy Goku. Unlike the other two, #16 processes a sophisticated mechanism to sense and track power levels in real time. While trying to protect #17 and #18 from Cell, he is greatly damaged, though Bulma and her father Dr. Briefs repair him. After he is repaired, he ignores his old orders to kill Goku, and focuses on the fight against Cell. Like the other androids he had the ability to self destruct, but the device was removed during his repairs. This is made known only when #16 tried to self destruct and destroy Cell, which Cell retaliates by destroying most of #16. His head and consciousness survived, but later is destroyed by Cell, which pushes Gohan over the edge to Super Saiyan 2. In the anime he is voiced Hikaru Midorikawa in Japan, Scott McNeil in the Ocean dub, and Jeremy Inman in the Funimation dub.

Android #17

is a human forcefully turned into a cyborg by Dr. Gero along with his sister, #18. The two are released by Doctor Gero as a last resort, but they turn on their creator and quickly kill him instead. They begin to travel in order to find and kill Goku, coming into contact with the Z Fighters several times. In Future Trunks' timeline, he is a mass murderer who is later killed by Trunks. #17 returns one last time in ''Dragon Ball GT'', when he fuses with a new #17 created by Doctor Gero and Doctor Myu in order to become the Super Android #17, who is finally defeated by Goku and #18. He is voiced by Shigeru Nakahara in Japan, Ted Cole in the Ocean dub, and Chuck Huber in the Funimation dub.

Babidi

is the son of Bibidi, the creator of Majin Buu. After Buu is sealed and his father is killed, he sets out to resurrect Buu to help him conquer the universe. Babidi manages to take over the minds of many strong warriors in order to help him achieve his goal, including Demon King Dabura, alien warrior Pui Pui, light-devouring monster named Yakon, and two muscle-bound humans, Yamu and Spopovitch. Babidi uses them to collect energy for Buu's revival, and later enlists Vegeta to help him, though Vegeta is able to ignore his orders. After Buu is revived, Babidi manages to control him with the threat of resealing him, though after being manipulated by Goku, Buu turns on him and shatters his head with a single punch. He later appears in Hell, cheering Goku and Vegeta on during their fight with Kid Buu, and then in ''Dragon Ball GT'', when various villains escape from Hell. He is voiced by Jōji Yanami in Japan, Terry Klassen in the Ocean dub, and Duncan Brannan in the Funimation dub.

Dende

is a Namekian child saved from Dodoria by Gohan and Krillin. He later gains the power to heal after having his power unlocked, which he uses to aid the warriors fighting Frieza until he is killed by the tyrant. After being revived, he lives on New Namek until he is asked by Goku to replace Kami as Earth's guardian and revive the Dragon Balls. He accepts and continues to serve as the guardian throughout the rest of the series. He is very close to Piccolo, who fused with his brother Nail on Namek. As a child and teenager he is voiced by Tomiko Suzuki in the original Japanese series and by Aya Hirano in ''Dragon Ball Kai'', with Hiro Yuuki voicing him as an adult. In the Funimation dub of the series, he is voiced as a child by Ceyli Delgadillo in the original dub, Laura Bailey in the redub of the series, and by Maxey Whitehead in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai.'' Justin Cook voices him as an adult in the Funimation dub.

Doctor Gero

is the former chief scientist of the Red Ribbon Army. After the destruction of the organization, he begins using his development of androids to aid in destroying Goku for revenge. While creating a series of androids, he eventually implants his own brain into an exact replica of his body, becoming Android #20. Both he and Android #19, a round, pale android and the most loyal of Gero's creations, are able to absorb the energy of others using small devices on their hands. The two eventually attack Goku and his friends. #19, successfully draining Goku of his energy while Goku is affected by his heart virus, is killed by Vegeta afterwards. Doctor Gero flees, attempting to release #17 and #18 as a last resort, though #17 quickly kills him. Doctor Gero appears once more in ''Dragon Ball GT'', planning to return to Earth along with Doctor Myu by creating another Android #17. They succeed, though Doctor Myu betrays Doctor Gero and has the newly formed Super #17 kill him once again. He is voiced by Kōji Yada in Japan, Brian Dobson in the Ocean dub, Kent Williams in the Funimation dub.

Emperor Pilaf

is a small, impish man who dreams of ruling the world. Though he proclaims himself an emperor, he actually only has a crown and a castle. Along with his two minions, , a woman that wears a trench coat, and , a humanoid dog in a ninja outfit, he seeks out the Dragon Balls to wish for world domination. After obtaining the Dragon Balls once, he is foiled by Goku and his companions after another wish is granted just before he can speak his fully. He continues to antagonize Goku throughout the rest of ''Dragon Ball'', and while attempting to obtain the Dragon Balls, releases Piccolo Daimao from his confinement. They appear again in ''Dragon Ball GT'', where they obtain the Black Star Dragon Balls and accidentally wish Goku to be a child again. Pilaf is voiced by Shigeru Chiba in Japan and Chuck Huber in English dub. Shu is voiced by Tesshō Genda in Japan and Chris Cason in the English dub. Mai is voiced by Eiko Yamada in Japan and Julie Franklin in the Funimation dub. She was played by Eriko Tamura in the live-action film ''Dragonball Evolution''.

Evil Dragons

The Evil Dragons, known as the Shadow Dragons in the English versions, are a group of evil beings born from the evil energy caused by overuse of the Dragon Balls. When attempting to repair the damage caused by Super #17, the cigar-smoking Evil Shenron is summoned from the Dragon Balls instead of the regular Shenron. He splits into seven dragons, each containing a Dragon Ball. They are known as the One-Star through Seven-Star Dragons in Japan, and Syn Shenron, Haze Shenron, Eis Shenron, Nuova Shenron, Rage Shenron, Oceanus Shenron, and Naturon Shenron in the English versions.

Goku and Pan kill all of the dragons besides the One-Star, Four-Star, and Three-Star Dragons, and collect their Dragon Balls. Goku soon fights the Four-Star Dragon, voiced by Ken Yamaguchi in Japan and John Burgmeier in the English dub, who is fire-based and much more honorable than his siblings. The fight is soon interrupted by the Three-Star Dragon, who blinds Goku in an attempt to kill him. Goku eventually manages to kill the dragon, and when the Four-Star Dragon attempts to help Goku with his eyes, he is killed by One-Star Dragon, voiced by Hidekatsu Shibata in Japan, and Bob Carter and Christopher R. Sabat in the Funimation dub. The dragon absorbs the Dragon Balls, transforming into Omega Shenron. After a long battle, he is killed by Goku's Super ''Genki Dama'', and the Dragon Balls are purified.

Garlic Jr.

is the main antagonist in ''Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone'' and is one of the few original characters from the movies to appear in the TV series. His father was imprisoned by Kami in the realm of darkness, leaving Garlic Jr. with a deep feeling of resentment and desire for revenge. In the film, he manages to obtain the seven Dragon Balls, wish for immortality, and begin his quest for revenge. He is defeated when faced with an angry Gohan, who pushes Garlic Jr. into the Dead Zone, an alternate dimension he can freely open.

In the TV series, he breaks free using his power source, the Makyo Star, leading to the events of the Garlic Jr. arc. After attempting to brainwash the world with the Black Water Mist, he is once again trapped in the Dead Zone after the destruction of the Makyo Star. In the original Japanese version, Garlic Jr. is voiced by Akira Kamiya in ''Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone'' and Shigeru Chiba in the anime. He is voiced by Don Brown in the Ocean dub of the film and Dave Ward in the Ocean dub of the anime. Chuck Huber voices Garlic Jr. in the Funimation dub of the film and anime.

Ginyu Force

The is a team of five mercenaries who are hired by Frieza. Though physically some of the strongest individuals in the universe, the Ginyu Force's members delight in coming up with strange poses, betting candy on fights, and playing Janken. They are led by , who has a unique technique that allows him to switch bodies with his opponents. , a flamboyant and showy mutant, and , the self proclaimed fastest being in the universe, are two beings nicknamed the "Red Magma" and "Blue Hurricane" that utilise various combination attacks in battle. is a large humanoid that likes to toy with his opponents. , although physically the weakest, has various psychic abilities, including being able to freeze time when he holds his breath.

Frieza calls upon them to assist in the defeat of Vegeta and help obtain the Dragon Balls on Planet Namek. Vegeta kills Guldo and Jeice, along with Burter and Recoome after Goku defeats them first. Ginyu manages to steal Goku's body, but he is unable to utilise its full power. He decides to steal Vegeta's body after Goku's can no longer be used, but he inadvertently switches bodies with a frog instead. He is allowed to flee, and ends up on Earth after Namek explodes (though not before switching bodies with Bulma and trying to take over Piccolo's body in the process, before being returned to the frog's body).

In the anime, they (sans the surviving Ginyu) appear at King Kai's planet in the afterlife and battle Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu, who defeat and banish them to Hell. Tien defeats Jeice and Burter, Yamcha defeats Recoome, and Chiaotzu defeats Guldo. King Kai reveals that he actually invited the Ginyu Force there in order for Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu to test their new strength.

Grandpa Gohan

is the adoptive grandfather of Goku, whom he found in a crashed spaceship. He teaches Goku martial arts, having originally studied under Roshi, and he even knows Roshi's ''Kamehameha''. He is killed by Goku as a rampaging Oozaru on a night with a full moon, though Goku does not realize it for many years. He is allowed to return to life for one day by Baba in order to fight Goku and anticipate his growth, and he later appears as an assistant to Annin, the ruler of the "magical furnace". He is only shown in flashbacks afterwards. He is voiced by Osamu Saka in the Japanese version of the original series, by Kinpei Azusa in ''Bardock: The Father of Goku'' and by Shigeru Chiba in ''Dragon Ball Kai''. In the Funimation dub of the series, he is voiced by Christopher Sabat. He is portrayed by Randall Duk Kim in the live-action film ''Dragonball Evolution''; his voice was dubbed over by Hiroya Ishimaru in the Japanese dub of the film.

Kami

is the guardian residing over the Earth for much of the series. He is the good half of an unnamed Namekian (which is called child of Katatz by Namekian Elder (Guru)) that had to split himself in order to become guardian. The evil half, Piccolo Daimao, was later sealed away by humans. After Piccolo Daimao is unleashed and killed by Goku, he spawns a much stronger reincarnation, Piccolo. Seeing a threat, Kami decides to attempt to seal away the new Piccolo in the World Martial Arts Tournament, possessing a human named Shen (dubbed Hero in the English anime) as a guise, but the plan backfires on him. After Goku defeats Piccolo, he eventually reforms, and much later during the Cell saga, Kami agrees to merge and rejoin Piccolo to stand a chance against Cell and the Androids. He is voiced by Takeshi Aono in Japan, who would do so up until the Frieza saga in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''. After Aono suffered a stroke, Bin Shimada voiced the character for his final appearance during the Cell saga. In English he is voiced by Michael Dobson and Dale Wilson in the Ocean dub, and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub.

King Kai

The are upper-level gods of the ''Dragon Ball'' universe. There are five at a time that rule over the main galaxy of the universe, with one presiding over each of the four quadrants in a galaxy, and the last overseeing them all. The Kai are responsible for the lower-level gods, who rule over individual planets. The Kai reside in the heavens, with each having their own small planet. There is a sense of competition among the Kai over whose quadrant has the best fighters. King Kai, the Northern Kai, trains Goku after his self-sacrifice to defeat Raditz.

King Kai, also known as and , is the Kai of the northern quadrant of the galaxy. His companion is a pet monkey named Bubbles and in the anime he also has a flying cricket companion named Gregory. King Kai trains fighters allowed to keep their bodies if they manage to reach his small planet at the end of Snake Way. Before training any students, he forces them to appeal to his strange sense of humor, catch Bubbles, and hit Gregory with a mallet. He provides Goku with martial arts training and two of his own techniques, the ''Genki Dama'' and the ''Kaio-ken'', which King Kai was never able to master himself. He continues to help Goku and his friends throughout the series, lending his planet locating and telecommunicating abilities for their use. When Goku brings a self-destructing Cell to his planet, the explosion kills King Kai and destroys his planet. As he is already in the Other World, he only gains a halo and in the anime he appears to settle down on Grand Kai's planet. He is voiced by Jōji Yanami in Japan, Don Brown and Dave Ward in the Ocean dub and Sean Schemmel in the Funimation dub.

Launch

, also known as Lunch in the manga and Marilynn in the Harmony Gold dub is a woman who Goku and Krillin rescued and brought to Master Roshi in exchange for him to train them. She has a strange disorder which makes her personality change from a nice polite woman into a trigger happy blonde bad girl every time she sneezes. Since her bad form is a renown criminal, she decided to stay with Roshi at Kame Houses and become their maid. Launch's blonde persona develops an attraction towards Tien Shinhan. In the manga she is not seen after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament and is said to be chasing around Tien. She is seen in very few Dragon Ball Z anime filler during the Saiyan Saga and is seen again near the end helping contribute energy to Goku's Spirit Bomb to defeat Kid Buu. She was recently shown around the main cast once again in the special Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! and in the ending credits of Dragon Ball Kai. She is voiced by Mami Koyama in Japan, Edie Mirman in the Harmony Gold dub and Meredith McCoy in the Funimation dub.

Oolong

is a shapeshifting, anthropomorphic pig that uses his abilities for his own greedy desires. He was expelled from shapeshifting training for stealing the teacher's underwear, so he lacks the ability to change his form for more than five minutes at a time without a break. He joins Goku in the search for the Dragon Balls to eventually steal them, but abandons this plan. In ''Dragon Ball Z'', he is often in the company of Roshi. He is voiced by Naoki Tatsuta in Japan, Doug Parker and Alec Willows in the Ocean dub, Bradford Jackson in the Funimation dub, and Bryan Massey in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''.

Puar

, known as Pu'ar in the Viz manga and Pu-erh in Japanese versions, is a soft-spoken blue creature and the constant companion of Yamcha. Puar's abilities consist of transvection and shapeshifting. Puar travels with Yamcha and Goku during ''Dragon Ball'' and continues to live with Yamcha afterwards. The character's name is revealed to be a pun on pu-erh and was designed to slightly resemble a cat. When questioned about gender, Toriyama disclosed that he looked at the character as male during illustrations. Puar is voiced by Naoko Watanabe in the Japanese version of the series, by Kathy Morse and Cathy Weseluck in the Ocean dub and by Monika Antonelli in ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Dragon Ball Z'' in the Funimation dub. Brina Palencia voices the character in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''.

Red Ribbon Army

The is a paramilitary organization bent on total world domination. Originally a technological cooperation, they lost out to the Capsule Corporation, and focused their technology on military weapons. They plan on obtaining the Dragon Balls to help with their goal, using any means necessary including raiding towns, hiring the mercenary Tao to attack Goku, among others. Despite this, Goku is able to wipe out the entire army. The quest for world domination turns out to be a ruse by their leader Commander Red. He is a short man, who really plans on using them to become taller, even if the whole army has to be sacrificed. The second in command is , who loyally obeys Red until hearing of his plan, at which point, he kills Red and attempts to take over, only to be killed by Goku.

General Blue is a high-ranking official of the army. He comes into contact with Goku and his companions multiple times, often using a special psionic ability that allows him to paralyze other individuals. He manages to steal the Dragon Radar during their final encounter, but after returning, he is set to be executed for not obtaining any of the Dragon Balls after multiple failures. He is allowed to fight Tao to redeem himself, though Tao easily kills Blue only using his tongue. Blue wears a belt buckle with an eagle emblem similar to the Reichsadler, perhaps indicating similarities between the RRA and the Nazis. Blue appears in the Dr. Slump remake anime, where he assists the ninja Murasaki who is another operative of the Red Ribbon Army in trying to take the Dragon Balls from Goku and Arale. Blue is voiced by Toshio Furukawa in Japan and Sonny Strait in the Funimation dub.

Shenron

, also known as the Eternal Dragon in the Ocean and Funimation dubs, Shenlong in the Viz manga, Shen Long in Japanese versions, and the Dragon God in the Harmony Gold dub, is the wish granting dragon summoned when all of Earth's Dragon Balls are gathered. Shenron can bestow any wish as long as it does not exceed the power of his creator (who must be still alive) and has not been previously granted. This is why Shenron can only bring the same person back to life once. Shenron can originally only grant one wish, but after being revived by Dende, he is able to grant two at a time. Shenron often tries to hasten summoners to make their wishes. He will usually threaten to leave or kill the summoner if they do not quickly make their wish, but never follows through with it. He is voiced by Kenji Utsumi in the Japanese version of the series with the exclusion of episodes 192 and 193 in the series and the films, in which he is voiced by Masaharu Satō; he is voiced by Daisuke Gōri in ''Dragon Ball GT'' and by Kōji Yada in the ''Dr. Slump'' remake. In the English versions of the series, he is voiced by Don Brown in the Ocean dub and by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub.

His Namekian counterpart is . Unlike Shenron, Porunga has a large, muscular upper body and various Namekian traits; he initially can only bring a single person back to life at a time, but can bring that person back multiple times. He can grant three wishes, so long as they don't exceed his creator's power, his creator is still alive, and each request is delivered in the Namekian dialect. He is voiced by Junpei Takiguchi in the Japanese version of the series with the exclusion of episode 283, in which he is voiced by Daisuke Gōri; he is voiced by Masaharu Satō in the video games. In ''Dragon Ball Kai'' Daisuke Gōri originally performed the role; after his death, Ryūzaburō Ōtomo took over. He is voiced by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub of the series.

''Dragon Ball GT'' introduces the Black Star Shenron, a much larger red Shenron made by Kami when he and Piccolo Daimao were still one entity. He is summoned when the Black Star Dragon Balls are gathered, and can grant any single wish, regardless of any restrictions placed on the other dragons.

Uub

, known as Oob in the Viz manga and in Japanese versions, is the reincarnation of the evil Majin Buu. After Kid Buu is destroyed, Goku asks him to be reincarnated as a good person, so they may battle again. King Yemma overhears the request and complies with it. Goku eventually senses Uub's hidden power, and seeks him out when Uub attends the tournament to gain money for his village. Goku ends up deciding to train him to be Earth's new guardian and as an opponent that he can battle. In ''Dragon Ball GT'', Mr. Buu enters Uub's body, making him into "Majuub" to face threats such as Baby, Super #17, and Omega Shenron. He is voiced by Megumi Urawa (Kid Uub) and Atsushi Kisaichi (Uub) in Japan and Kara Edwards (Kid Uub) and Sean Teague (Uub) in the FUNimation dub.

Zarbon

is one of Frieza's top henchmen. He has the ability to transform into a powerful reptilian beast. Zarbon travels to Namek alongside Frieza and Dodoria to help collect the Dragon Balls. He eventually comes into contact with Vegeta, whom Zarbon manages to easily defeat and capture after transforming. After Zarbon retrieves Vegeta's battered body and brings him to Frieza's ship in order to heal him for interrogation, Vegeta manages to escape. Zarbon sets out to find him once again, but Vegeta, having become stronger after healing, kills Zarbon. Zarbon also appears in ''Bardock - The Father of Goku'', where he advises Frieza to destroy the Saiyan planet and briefly appears in ''Dragon Ball GT'' when he escapes from Hell with other villains. He is voiced by Shō Hayami in the original Japanese series and by Hiroaki Miura in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''. In the English versions of the series, he is voiced by Paul Dobson in the Ocean dub, by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub and by J. Michael Tatum in ''Dragon Ball Z Kai''.

In an issue of Beckett Anime, a Beckett magazine publication, Zarbon was voted as one of the top five greatest henchmen of all anime, and was the only character from ''Dragon Ball'' on the list.

Merchandise

Several pieces of merchandise were released based on the characters from the series. These include key chains, action-figures and plush. Other merchandise featuring characters include t-shirts, tumblers and trading card games. Characters are also featured in video games from the series. While initial games were role-playing games (RPG), the following became fighting games.

Reception

Anime News Network (ANN) praised the story and humor of the manga to be very good, and noted the well-portrayed personalities of the characters. They also remarked Viz's translation to be one of the best ones of all the English editions of the series, praising the lack of censorship. Theron Martin from ANN praised the way the characters could turn the battles into "art", praising the ways they react while fighting, although they sometimes can become very long with little plot development. He also praised the themes from the warriors saying "it speaks to basic yet powerful themes like faith, confidence, heroism, sacrifice, love, and understanding what is truly worth fighting for", as well as the way Vegeta overcomes his pride to help the other characters. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews considered the series characters are different from stereotypes characters and noted that they have much more development than those from the series' sequels.

References

See also

Dragon Ball

ca:Llista de personatges de Bola de Drac da:Personer i Dragon Ball es:Anexo:Personajes de Dragon Ball eu:Dragoi Bolako pertsonaiak fr:Personnages de Dragon Ball gl:Lista de personaxes de Dragon Ball ko:드래곤볼의 등장인물 목록 it:Personaggi di Dragon Ball nl:Bibidi new:गोकुले ja:ドラゴンボールの登場人物 pl:Lista postaci występujących w Dragon Ball pt:Anexo:Lista de personagens de Dragon Ball th:รายชื่อตัวละครในดราก้อนบอล vi:Danh sách nhân vật trong Bảy viên ngọc rồng zh:七龙珠角色及译名列表

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Katy Perry
background	solo_singer
birth name	Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
alias	Katy Hudson
birth date	October 25, 1984
birth place	Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
genre	Pop, rock, gospel
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
years active	2001–present
label	Red Hill, Island, Columbia, Capitol
website	}}

Katy Perry (born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson; October 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents. Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a career in music. As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001, which was unsuccessful. She later recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed the majority of a solo album from 2004–05, the later of which was never released. Perry is the first female artist to get five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in one year.

After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single "Ur So Gay" that November, which garnered public attention but failed to chart. She rose to fame with the release of her second single "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008, which went on to top international charts. Perry's first mainstream studio album ''One of the Boys'' followed later that year and subsequently became the 33rd-best selling album worldwide of 2008. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, while "I Kissed a Girl" and her second single "Hot n Cold" both received multi-platinum certifications.

Her second studio album ''Teenage Dream'' was released in August 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album included the Billboard chart-toppers "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", and "E.T." and most recently "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". The album produced five Hot 100 toppers, making ''Teenage Dream'' only the second album—after Michael Jackson's ''Bad''—to do so. With "E.T." at number one on the chart of May 12, 2011, Perry became the first artist in history to spend 52 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Perry was a guest judge on the seventh series of British television show ''The X Factor'', has released a fragrance called "Purr", and voices Smurfette in the 2011 film ''The Smurfs''. Perry had a long relationship with Travie McCoy; she married Russell Brand on October 23, 2010.

Early life and career

1984–2006: Early life and career beginnings

Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, California to Keith, a West Coast scenester in the 1960s, and Mary Hudson (née Perry), an evangelist who grew up in Southern California and had "a tempestuous first marriage in Zimbabwe". Perry has German, Portuguese, Irish, and English ancestry. She is the second child of two pastors. She has an older sister and younger brother. Perry's mother's aunt and uncle were screenwriter Eleanor Perry and director Frank Perry.

Perry was incorporated into her parents' ministry and sang in their church between the ages of nine and seventeen. She grew up listening to gospel music, was not allowed to listen to what her mother called "secular music", and attended Christian schools and camps. As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug. She took her GED after her freshman year at Dos Pueblos High School and decided to leave school in the pursuit of a career in music. Perry initially started singing "because [she] was at that point in [her] childhood where [she] was copycatting [her] sister and everything she [would do]." Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, while Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed them in front of her parents, who suggested she take vocal coaching. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at the age of nine and continued until she was sixteen. She later enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short period of time.

At the age of 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills. In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar. Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15. Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001. The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased operations at the end of 2001. She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson.

At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for record label Island. Growing up listening to mostly gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs. Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Alanis Morissette; Ballard produced Morissette's ''Jagged Little Pill'', which had had a "huge influence" on Perry. She expressed interest in working with Ballard to her initial collaborator, who arranged a meeting for her with Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented one her songs to Ballard, and received a call back a day later. Ballard then helped Perry develop her songwriting over the next few years. The album was due for release in 2005, but ''Billboard'' reported it also went nowhere. Perry was dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group. Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''.

Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat". Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved, she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by ''Blender'' magazine. With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her off the label. While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R; company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now". She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly". She also appeared in other videos like Timbaland's "If We Ever Meet Again" and more. There were other videos she was included in too.

2007–09: ''One of the Boys'' and ''MTV Unplugged''

While in the process of being dropped by Columbia in 2006, the company's publicity executive Angelica Cob-Baehler enthusiastically recommended Perry to Virgin Records chairman Jason Flom. At the time Flom was leading a complete revival in fortunes at the label and looking to crown recent achievements by breaking a global pop act. Despite mixed reactions from fellow Virgin executives, Flom became convinced that Perry could be that breakthrough star, and at the start of 2007 extended discussions with Columbia resulted in Katy Perry signing to the newly created Capitol Music Group, a merger between Virgin and Capitol. As part of the deal, the label secured the masters to the unfinished album, recorded while at Columbia, that would go on form a significant part of her official mainstream debut album, ''One of the Boys''. The Columbia recordings were seen by Flom as being "very strong but lacking an undeniable smash or two that would work both at U.S. pop radio and internationally" and so one of the executive's first actions after completing the signing was to set up a collaboration between Perry and the writer-producer Dr. Luke. The results were the songs "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold". Establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management. A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to "Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz and press story. This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Perry to the attention of Madonna, who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's ''JohnJay & Rich'' morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, ''Wildfire'', on the episode "Life's Too Short".

She went on the next step of promoting the album, undertaking a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, "I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. Perry's A&R;, Chris Anokute, told HitQuarters the song and its controversial theme met with strong resistance at the label, "People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How’s this going to be played in the bible belt?'" Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record otherwise Perry would have likely been dropped again. Capitol's SVP of Promotions Dennis Reese saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was The River in Nashville. After playing it for three days they were innundated with enthusiastic calls. With the song climbing atop the charts, Perry embarked on the annual Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to "establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder." The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', posing for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine ''Restless Style''. Perry also performed backing vocals on the song, "Another Night in the Hills" from Gavin Rossdale's 2008 solo album ''Wanderlust''.

''One of the Boys'' was released on June 17, 2008 to mixed critical reviews. The album has reached number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Perry released her second single, "Hot n Cold", which became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the Hello Katy Tour, in January 2009. "I Kissed a Girl" earned Perry a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Perry was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to Britney Spears. She won Best New Act at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she co-hosted, and Best International Female Artist at the 2009 BRIT Awards. On February 9, 2009, both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" were certified three-time platinum by Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Perry in its 2010 version as the "Best Start on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist," for having her first two singles sell over two million digital copies.

The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label, Let's Hear It, during Perry's solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, "I Kissed a Girl" had been charting well. Matrix member Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of ''One of the Boys'' had been dispatched. Despite their communication, ''The Matrix'' was released on January 27, 2009, via iTunes Store. thumb|left|upright|Perry performing in June 2009 In December 2008, Perry apologized to British singer Lily Allen for remarks in which she called herself a "skinnier version" of her, saying she meant it as a joke. Allen retaliated and told a British radio station that she "happen[ed] to know for a fact that she [Perry] was an American version" of her because their record company needed "to find something controversial and 'kooky'" like her.

On May 16, 2009, Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the annual Life Ball in Vienna, Austria. In June 2009, lawyers acting for Katy Perry opposed the recent trademark of Australian fashion designer Katie Perry who uses her own name to market loungewear. Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which Katy Perry has denied on her blog. Katie Perry the designer reports on her blog that at a hearing with IP Australia on July 10, 2009, the singer's lawyers withdrew their opposition to the trademark. During the summer of 2009 Perry filmed a cameo appearance for ''Get Him to the Greek''; her scene, in which she kisses her future fiancé Russell Brand was cut, and does not appear in the final film. Discussing the issue with MTV, Perry hypothesized there may have been some fear that seeing the two make out would have taken viewers out of the experience. In 2009, Perry was featured on two singles: a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3's song "Starstrukk" in August (the idea for the collaboration came after Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act). The song was released over iTunes on September 8, 2009; and "If We Ever Meet Again", the fourth single off Timbaland's album ''Shock Value II'' in December. In October 2009, ''MTV Unplugged'' revealed that Perry was one of the artists to perform for them, and that she would be releasing a live album of the performance, including two new tracks, "Brick by Brick" and Fountains of Wayne cover "Hackensack". The album was released on November 17, and includes both a CD and a DVD.

2010–present: ''Teenage Dream'' and Film debut

Perry appeared as a guest judge alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh during the Dublin audition stage of the seventh series of the British television show ''The X Factor'' on June 28, 2010 (later televised on August 28). She was one of the many celebrities chosen to fulfil the role of judge whilst Dannii Minogue was on maternity leave. She later returned to the show on October 17 to perform "Firework". Perry's second mainstream studio album was titled ''Teenage Dream'' and was released in August 2010. The first single from the album was titled "California Gurls". The single peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was the fastest rising single from a Capitol Records artist since Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" in 1967. The cover art for ''Teenage Dream'' is a painting by Will Cotton in which depicts Perry lying naked on clouds of cotton candy; resembling the shots of Perry in the video for "California Gurls". The booklet of the physical edition of the album, in keeping with the theme of cotton candy, has a cotton candy scent. The album's second single "Teenage Dream" was released in July 2010. "Firework" is the album's third single.

Perry appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. She was nominated for two awards, including the Best Female Video and Best Pop Video for "California Gurls", and presented the award of "Best Male Video" with Nicki Minaj to Eminem. On September 14, she returned to her old high school, Dos Pueblos High School, where she performed a short set for the school's students. Perry performed "Hot n Cold" with Elmo from ''Sesame Street'', which was originally to appear on the forty-first-season premiere of the educational children's program on September 27, 2010. However, four days before the scheduled airing, Sesame Workshop announced, "In light of the feedback we've received on the Katy Perry music video ... we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of ''Sesame Street'', which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on YouTube." The main reason was that parents complained about what appeared to be a great amount of cleavage shown by her dress. Perry shot the video for ''Firework'' in Budapest in September 2010. An open casting call drew an unprecedented 38,000 applicants. She proceeded to perform at a concert in Budapest on October 1, her first concert in Central and Eastern Europe. Perry released a perfume named "Purr" in November. It comes in a cat-shaped bottle, and is available through Nordstrom stores. ''Teenage Dream'' led Perry to nominations four awards at the 2011 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Teenage Dream", and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "California Gurls". Following the Grammys, Perry released "E.T." as the fourth single from the album. The single was a remixed version featuring Kanye West. The music video for "E.T." was directed by Floria Sigismondi and features Shaun Ross as the main love interest. In June 2011, Perry released the fifth single, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". A remixed version featuring American rapper Missy Elliot was released in early August. The single has topped U.S. download and radio charts. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on August 17, 2011, making Perry the first female artist ever to have five #1 singles from one album. Katy Perry appeared at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2011. She was nominated for ten awards, received the most nominations of the ceremony and was the only singer in history to have four different music videos shown on various categories, eventually winning three of those, including Video of the Year for "Firework", Best Collaboration and Best Special Effects for "E.T.".

On September 17, 2011, Perry hits the 69th consecutive weeks in the Top 10.

On September 23 she attended the opening day of the 2011 Rock in Rio festival, which was extended to October 2. During the show, produced one of the most striking scenes of the event, when he called to the scene ''Júlio César de Salvo'', a fan who was an anonymous until then. The man, who became known as "''Júlio de Sorocaba''", became an instant celebrity when he was "harassed" by the singer with a kiss, getting the opportunity to give back also one another. The fact made ​​headlines in most Brazilian television news programs, including the Fantástico and the Jornal Nacional, including therefore becoming a trend topic, not just in Twitter, but at Internet in general.

Artistry

Musical style and themes

Perry has a contralto vocal range. Perry's first album is of the gospel music genre. She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related. Her second album, ''One of the Boys'', is described as "secular" and "rock," and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots. Her next album ''Teenage Dream'' featured more pop songs in the vein of ''Boys''. Among Perry's musical influences are Alanis Morissette, pop rockers Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Shirley Manson, and Freddie Mercury, the late frontman of the British band Queen. In her tribute to Mercury on what would have been his 65th birthday, Perry stated; "Without you I wouldn't be making music or doing what I do because your lyrics inspired me as a 15 year old girl." She was especially inspired by the Queen song, "Killer Queen" to pursue a career in pop music after her first album. She also described Morissette's album, ''Jagged Little Pill'' as having influenced her music profoundly; even going on to work with Morissette's collaborator on the album, Glen Ballard because of that.

Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak. Most of the themes in ''One of the Boys'' deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets". Perry's mother reportedly told British tabloid ''Daily Mail'' that she dislikes her daughter's music, calling it "shameful and disgusting". Perry said her mother was misquoted and told MTV that it was false information. Her songs "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl" have received negative reactions from both religious and gay sectors. The songs have been respectively labeled as being homophobic and promoting homosexuality, as well as "lez ploitational". MTV mentioned criticism suggesting that Perry is using "bi-curiosity" as a way to sell records. Perry responded to the controversy surrounding "Ur So Gay": "It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever ... It wasn't stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends."

Public image

Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress. It is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, and she frequently used fruit-shaped accessories, mainly watermelon, as part of her outfits. Since the Teenage Dream era, Perry has included more glamorous and food-related outfits in her wardrobe. Having learned dancing at an early age, she fantasized about having her own style. Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress Dominique Swain's portrayal in 1997 film adaptation of the novel ''Lolita''. She defines her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things". Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist, described her style, upon meeting her for the first time, as "very colorful and vintage". Her fashion has caught the attention of designers. In June 2008, a publicity photo that showed Perry posing with a switchblade was criticized. The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a "sexy, harder edge". The criticism leveled at her was mocked by Perry who subsequently posed with a spoon instead. She has appeared in FHM Magazine's 100 Sexiest Women poll twice, ranking at No.23 in 2009 and No.37 in 2010.

She was ranked 7th in ''Rolling Stone'''s global Queen of Pop poll in July 2011.

Personal life

Perry has been generally associated with three men: Matt Thiessen, Travie McCoy, and Russell Brand. She dated Relient K frontman Matt Thiessen for a few years. Thiessen has worked on Teenage Dream. Perry dated Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York. They broke up in December 2008.

Perry first met British comedian Russell Brand in the summer of 2009 when Perry filmed a cameo appearance for Brand's film ''Get Him to the Greek''. Perry and Brand began dating after meeting again in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand, as host, remarked, "Katy Perry didn't win an award and she's staying at the same hotel as me, so she's gonna need a shoulder to cry on. So in a way, I'm the real winner tonight." The couple became engaged in December 2009 while vacationing in India. Perry stated that she plans to take dual British citizenship. "One of the first things I'll do is apply for dual citizenship. I'm not too sure if I have to take a test as I've not had time to look into it. But England is like my second home". Perry and Brand married on October 23, 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, where Brand had proposed.

In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'' she said, "I am sensitive to Russell taking the Lord's name in vain and to Lady Gaga putting a rosary in her mouth. I think when you put sex and spirituality in the same bottle and shake it up, bad things happen."

Discography

''Katy Hudson'' (2001)

''One of the Boys'' (2008)

''Teenage Dream'' (2010)

Tours

Warped Tour 2008 (2008)

Hello Katy Tour (2009)

California Dreams Tour (2011)

Filmography

Television

!Year	!Title	!Role	Notes
	''''	Herself	Episode 8914
	Herself
	''American Idol''	Guest judge
	Guest judge
''Sesame Street''	Herself	Online special (deleted from televised episode due to viewer controversy)
''The Simpsons''	Herself	1 episode, "The Fight Before Christmas"
2011	''How I Met Your Mother''	Honey	1 episode, "Oh Honey"
2011	''America's Got Talent''	Guest Judge	July 27 (Season 6, Qtr Finals 3 results)

Films

!Year	!Title	!Role	class="unsortable"	Notes
	''Get Him to the Greek''	Herself	Deleted sceneUncredited
''Out in the Desert''	Herself	Post-production
	2011		Smurfette	Voice

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from California Category:American bloggers Category:American Christians Category:American contraltos Category:American dance musicians Category:American female guitarists Category:American female pop singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Portuguese descent Category:American pop rock singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Brit Award winners Category:Capitol Records artists Category:English-language singers Category:Female rock singers Category:Musicians from California Category:People from Santa Barbara, California Category:Singers from California Category:The X Factor judges

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