Our Roster Picks for Dragon Ball FighterZ | ShonenGames

When it comes to any new fighting IP, one thing that fans tend to worry about is the roster. Games like Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and Naruto Storm 4 spoil us with large rosters, so when a new game comes along featuring a much smaller roster, fans are always on edge about who makes it in and who doesn’t.

This is no different with Bandai and Arc System Works‘ latest offering, Dragon Ball FighterZ. With hundreds of characters to choose from, we don’t envy the tough decisions that have to be made in the studio.

With 9 character reveals so far (and a 10th one likely coming before the beta), there seems to be a pattern that gives us a look into the criteria that Arcsys is using to pick characters. We’ve pieced this list together as a wishlist of sorts, however each character is based off of the idea that they’re iconic characters to the brand, and also have their own unique way to serve the game. We’re also assuming that the roster of the game will probably only have around 24 characters at launch, so here are our picks on who we feel would best fill out the rest of the roster!

Thanks to Shonen Staff Member Lester Sanchez for drawing and coloring each character for this article.

1. Tien Shinhan

We have the core unit of the Z fighters, however the humans definitely need more representation. As powerful as Krillin is, his playstyle seems to be more about range and zoning, so Tien should be the opposite! Tien is a character known for his speed, cool headed-ness, and his mean volleyball spike.

His play-style would probably allow for rush-downs on the opponent using his speed, and it would be great to see him have a lot of air to ground offensive capabilities using his notorious Tri-Beam! His kit could also allow a transformation where he grows a few extra arms, and that would allow for his attacks to hit multiple times, leading to some pretty devastating combos.

Tien Shinhan is a pretty overlooked character by most of the fandom, however in a technical fighter like Dragon Ball FighterZ, why not have someone as technical as Tien on your side?

2. Master Roshi

Master Roshi has been with fans since Dragon Ball, and even way back in the old days before things got so cosmic, Roshi was proving his strength. The immortal turtle hermit should join the roster as a slower, powerful martial arts user.

Roshi is known for his power, and his almost zen-like mind when fighting anyone who isn’t a woman. Hopefully his weakness to women is left out for balancing reasons, because Roshi has the potential to be a powerhouse! He may be old, but his mastery of the Kamehameha Wave and his ability to transform into his max power state gives him some interesting gameplay opportunities.

We’re hoping Master Roshi will make the cut, especially since he still has to school our next pick.

3. Kid Goku

You know him, you love him, Kid Goku! Kid Goku bursts onto the scene in the original Dragon Ball manga as a powerful, country bumpkin who was just trying to protect his grandfather’s crown jewel, the Four-Star Dragon Ball.

Through the story of Dragon Ball, Kid Goku takes on entire armies, mercenaries, magical rabbit men, and most importantly, his fair share of World Tournament combatants. Kid Goku has battled with the best of them, and his play-style could definitely be a versatile one. Whether he’s using his raw power or hitting you with a Rock, Scissors, Paper, or playing it safe from a distance with his Power Pole and Kamehameha technique, Kid Goku is one character that we’re sure every fan can get behind.

He’s a classic character and he offers some Dragon Ball representation. He also might just ride Nimbus all the way to the top tier!

Here’s an example of how he could fight below:

4. Launch

Oh this is a weird one. Launch (or Lunch as die hards will call her) is a character featured in the original Dragon Ball. She’s a harmless cute girl when she’s in her blue haired form, but once she sneezes… well..

The reason we chose Launch, other than really wanting her to finally make an appearance in a main-stage Dragon Ball fighting game, is the uniqueness that she can bring to the table. Launch can start off in her base form, and her moves could all consist of her sneezing back and forth between her alter-egos for attacks.

If it’s too much of a hassle, then she could always just transform in the beginning of her intro, and be the crazy blonde lunatic that we all know and love. We’d imagine Launch playing somewhat like Elphelt from Guilty Gear Xrd. She’d be able to run down on you with some quick combos, but she would also integrate the use of several weapons in her arsenal!

It would be amazing to see such a beloved character make it in, especially since Launch is the only character in the series to have a blonde hair color change into a more powerful state, that isn’t a Saiyan. That has to count for something!

5. Beerus

Let’s take a break from the Earth-based characters that original in Dragon Ball, and head to a character that has his origins in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods! Lord Beerus is Universe 7’s God of Destruction. He brings balance to the universe by destroying entire star systems to allow for the creation of new ones. He’s one of the most powerful fighters around, and his deadly abilities make him a fearsome opponent for anyone!

Beerus offers our first Dragon Ball Super representative, and he’d definitely make a big splash onto the roster. With his quick attacks, powerful Ki blasts, and devastating orbs of destruction, Beerus would likely be a major issue for players to deal with. It would be interesting if Beerus’ Hakai (Destruction) technique could be included somehow. We propose giving him the Hakai for a very high gauge cost (possibly 5 or 6), allowing him to negate any projectile super that comes his way.

This would make keep Beerus true to his character in the Manga and Anime. A character that you have to be cautious around, because you never know what he’ll delete next. Players would have to watch how they bust out their hard earned Ki attacks, and that offers a whole new layer of caution and technicality to the game!

With the inclusion of Golden Frieza, even if Dragon Ball FighterZ isn’t trying to represent Super much, Beerus is still likely to be a sure pick due to his iconic nature in the short term since Battle of the Gods!

6. Android 17

Android 17, which every super-weeb will remind you for the 17th time, is 1, technically a Cyborg, and 2, actually named Lapis, is one in the duo responsible for all of Future Trunks’ pain and anguish in the original series. He’s best known for his cold, brutal demeanor, and he sure has the power to back up his confidence.

17 has a number of tools at his disposal. He can hit enemies from a distance with barrages of Ki blasts, or get up close and personal with his amazing power and fluid fighting style. 17 is never afraid of going in for the kill, and he’s a very advantageous fighter, always looking to play on the disabilities and weaknesses of the ones he fights, and never shying away from taking an enemy out, even when they’re down. He also has an energy shield which can serve as a defense against enemy attacks.

He definitely has potential as a character that can jump into a fight, get some damage done, and then jump back out while he waits for another opening, and with the inclusion of Future Trunks, we’re hoping Android 17 is just as much of a sure inclusion as our next pick!

7. Android 18

I can give you the same speech about weebs, being a Cyborg, and her real name being Lazuli but i’ll spare you the details. Anyone who knows Android 17 also knows Android 18, his sister, and the other half of the duo that destroys Trunks’ future.

Most known for eviscerating Vegeta during the Android Saga, 18 is a ruthless fighter who puts her beauty aside to really lay down a beating. In Dragon Ball Z, she does fight very similarly to Android 17, however we’re hoping Arcsys will take aspects of her character from Super to make her different! Her play-style should find her zoning a bit more than Android 17, but she should also be powerful at close range with a variety of kicks at her disposal!

Whether she’s using her Double Buster, Krillin’s Destructo Disc, or the good old fashioned Finger Beam, she’s likely to be a danger in the arena, and we hope she makes it in!

8. Broly

I HEAR YOU. YES, KALE IS COOL. YES, I DID FIGHT FOR HER INCLUSION ON THIS LIST. THESE THINGS ARE ALL TRUE, however when you break down Kale, you find that she’s really just a copy of the original Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly, who is infinitely more iconic than Kale is so far in Dragon Ball Super.

Broly is a sadistic rage beast of a fighter, and he’s just crazy powerful. Once he’s gone berserk, he pretty much hates everything, but nothing gets Broly going more than his MOST hated enemy, Goku. Goku makes Broly very, very mad.

Think of Broly as The Hulk, with Super Saiyan. His moveset tends to center around completely dominating his enemies with his sheer size and power. Broly likes to grab his opponents by the head, slam them into all sorts of surfaces, and bounce them off of a devastating Green Ki Blast.

Broly would definitely be a character based around locking down your opponent, however his big size should offer plenty of openings. With hints that we’ll be seeing a character that serves more as a grappler type, we’re hoping Broly fits this archetype, because he’s one of the only characters we could imagine grabbing and rag-dolling our heroes! Let’s just hope he doesn’t have any super armor like he does in Xenoverse…. Please Arcsys… no Super Armor.

9. Yajirobe

Who better to cut down this foul beast than the all powerful ruler of worlds, Yajirobe.

Okay, yes, you’re thinking “Yajirobe? Really?”. Sure he’s a weird pick, however Yajirobe would definitely be a unique character in Dragon Ball FighterZ, but let’s be honest, these games tend to have joke characters, and he fulfills that role. He also fulfills the role of “Joke character that is actually top tier, omg why is he so good, Bandai why?”.

Yajirobe is best known for cutting Vegeta’s tail off during the Saiyan Arc of DBZ. He’s a fast moving sword user who should be a pick for players who love to turtle, using his sword and quick movements to throw his opponents for a loop. Yajirobe should also introduce a healing move, where he eats a Senzu bean and regains health.

This could fit, especially since the devs have been hinting that some characters are definitely more useful as supports, and we can’t think of anyone more useful than the courier of Senzu Beans himself, Yajirobe!

10. Mr. Satan

Dynamite kicking right onto the stage, is Hercule, otherwise known as Mr. Satan! Mr. Satan has been with us since the Cell Saga, and he’s definitely an interesting character.

Fighting game aficionados tend to compare him to Dan Hibiki from Street Fighter, however as much as he’s another potential joke character, Mr. Satan is actually a serviceable combatant.

With the speed to dodge bullets and some surprising strength, it really is no wonder that Mr. Satan rose to be the Martial Arts Champion during the absence of the Z fighters.

With all of that said, Mr. Satan is another character that should be used by people who love approach fights like boxing’s Mayweather. Let your opponent come to you, block what you can, and unleash enough hits through their open spaces to win the match! With his Dynamite Kick, pockets full of explosives, and his trusty jet-pack, Mr. Satan is sure to be an annoyance in any fight!

11. Videl

Videl is a great fighter, who has been trained by both Mr. Satan, and Buu Saga Gohan! She has a good understanding of Ki, can fly, and has amazing talent in the martial arts!

She goes to Gohan’s high school, and eventually forms a bond with him, enhancing her already impressive moveset with his teachings. Videl is likely to play it smart in battle, we’d expect her to be able to rushdown on opponents with her large variety of attacks like Falcon Rush, and Hawk Arrow! She doesn’t have very strong Ki blasts like Teen Gohan or Goku do, so Videl will likely be weak defensively!

Other than being pretty badass, Videl (much like our next pick) also adds some female representation to a game that’ll likely have a male dominated cast.

12. Caulifla

At this early point, it appears like Super won’t have much representation in Dragon Ball FighterZ, however if they are planning on picking characters from the series, we feel like Caulifla has to be one of their options.

Introduced to us during the Universal Survival Arc, Universe 6’s Caulifla is a Saiyan with a bit of a wild side. At first she doesn’t want to join up with Cabba and the others, but once she learns that she can get more powerful, her interest is too much for her to say no!

She has incredible potential, and her and Goku are actually very similar in many ways. In-game, she should use her Super Saiyan forms to blitz the opponent with her crazy speed, possibly using the After Image Technique. Her attacks should be based more on getting powerful hits in, so her attacks probably wouldn’t be that fast, but her movements should be!

We’ve seen some of what she can do, and she’s definitely coming into her own during the course of the Tournament of Power, let’s hope she makes it into FighterZ, giving us another powerful Saiyan to test out!

13. Merged Zamasu

Our other pick from Super, is the villian of the Goku Black Saga, Zamasu in his Ultimate Form; Merged Zamasu.

We wanted to have either Zamasu or Goku Black included, however we find that neither of those characters really stands out and offers the opportunities that Merged Zamasu does.

In his normal form, Merged Zamasu should play in a very snobby and regal manner. Always hitting opponents from afar with godly beams of energy and light, with an amazing defense.

Digging deeper though, it would be interesting if he could transform into his more rampaging form. In this form, he should be an awkward mid range fighter, using his purple half for power strikes, and long reach grabs and attacks.

Merged Zamasu may not be the most well received villain in the series, but he certainly offers some interesting gameplay opportunities, so if he makes it in, we’re hoping Arcsys makes his character feel as powerful and unique as he is in the anime!

14. Vegito

Vegito is probably the most requested character from anyone we’ve spoken to about the game thus far.

Vegito is a fusion between Goku and Vegeta that originally appears during the Buu Saga. He takes on Super Buu, and his cocky attitude, overwhelming power, and badass mixture of our two favorite Z fighters makes him a fan favorite.

Vegito should be a short-mid range fighter. Using a mixture of his martial arts and energy sword, he should be hard to pin down, and he should be a character that absolutely punishes people who take him lightly.

While it would be great if he had his Super Saiyan Blue transformation as well as the Final Kamehameha technique, we expect him to be the classic Vegito that we all know and love from Dragon Ball Z, and if he plays anything like we think he would, that’s absolutely fine by us.

What did you think of our list? Anyone missing? Everyone missing? Let us know below and thanks for reading! Make sure you’re ready for the Closed Beta Sign-ups for Dragon Ball FighterZ, we’re hoping to see all of you when it’s time to battle!