Dragon Ball is one of the biggest anime franchises ever, and its characters remain staples in the cosplay scene. Goku and Vegeta are two of the most famous faces overall, but the series has also yielded some of the most iconic villains ever. Sure, the heroes are always going to be fan favorites, but the bad guys deserve some appreciation every now and then.
Anime is known for ridiculous hairstyles and intricate attire designs (among other things), but these talented fans effortlessly replicated them for our viewing pleasure. Here are 10 Dragon Ball villain cosplays that look exactly like the characters on the show.
10 Android 16
Danny is a talented cosplayer with quite a diverse Instagram feed. He has portrayed everyone from Sonic the Hedgehog to My Hero Academia's All Might, but his Android 16 rendition is a stunning feat. Information regarding the wig, makeup, and paint job can be found in the caption above, but there's one subtle element that helps this cosplay pop.
While Danny looks just like the Android 16 from the show, he also included two (fake) birds, which the Dragon Ball character is fond of. It's a minor but brilliant detail that adds to the overall personality of the cosplay.
9 Mecha Frieza
A quick scroll through Kobra's feed reveals how passionate the cosplayer is about all things Dragon Ball. She has shared her versions of numerous characters, but there's something utterly intimidating and impressive about this Mecha Frieza makeup test.
This cosplay is a complicated one to actualize for obvious reasons. There's a lot going on with Mecha Frieza's character design, but Kobra managed to bring it to life while also recreating the villain's signature smirk. If there's one thing you need to perfect before cosplaying Frieza, it's that sly smile.
8 Beerus
Adam Koot-Bascomb is a master of all things monsters. He illustrates, designs, and physically creates strange characters and odd beings, which you can explore via his portfolio. His dedication to unique creature designs and props explains why he makes this Beerus cosplay look so effortless.
Not only is Adam's cosplay noteworthy, but it also looks more frightening that the Beerus in the anime. Maybe it's the eyes, or perhaps it's the fact that the ears are about the size of his torso. Either way, it's an admirable tribute to the Dragon Ball villain.
7 King Cold
Blue Delirium Cosplay is composed of two talented cosplayers, Meg and Tasha. Their outfits/characters usually correlate, which means they've tackled several of our favorite anime duos throughout the years. This includes two classic Dragon Ball villains: Frieza (cosplayed by Meg, who also makes an appearance on this list) and King Cold, courtesy of Tasha who is pictured above.
Tasha's armor is expertly crafted and the helmet definitely means business, but the effort put into the lower half of the costume is also notable. Leg day is essential for a bad guy, after all.
6 Fused Zamasu
Brazilian Dragon Ball fan Ricardo Silva wasn't content with bringing regular ole' Zamasu to life. He went ahead and recreated the series' response to DC's Two-Face: Fused Zamasu. Using a singular body paint color is overrated, anyway.
The green and purple get-up is paired with the freakish right arm that increases the character's power despite its ghastly appearance. The wig, conceived by the gifted Diego (@shiondih_cosplay), is surprisingly precise, especially since Dragon Ball hairstyles are usually complex and borderline impossible to replicate in real life.
5 Frieza
We previously mentioned Blue Delirium Cosplay, which is composed of cosplay duo Tasha and Meg, but, this time, we're highlighting the latter's Dragon Ball villain portrayal. While Tasha tackled an awesome King Cold ensemble, Meg coordinated accordingly with an incredible Frieza cosplay.
As was the case with Tasha's outfit, Meg's Frieza bears armor that accurately resembles the gear in the show. All that's left for the duo to accomplish is the destruction of a planet... as long as it's not ours, of course.
4 Perfect Cell
Australian anime fan Ashleigh Brombal isn't just a great cosplayer; she's also a professional tattoo artist. Therefore, it shouldn't come as a shock that she's brilliant when it comes to designing costumes. The road to the Perfect Cell is even documented on her Instagram feed.
Ashleigh went above and beyond for this cosplay—the armor is actually far more intricate than the anime version. Smaller details like the red contact lenses and the nail polish fully complete the look. After all, cosplay is more than just wigs and clothes.
3 Goku Black
Hawaiian-based cosplayer Matt Kido specializes in a particular type of Dragon Ball depiction, as is made obvious by his Instagram handle, @GokuFlex. Goku tends to appear shirtless more often than not, so it's suitable for the fitness enthusiast to concentrate on said cosplays.
While Goku is a popular anime hero that we all know and love, there's an alternate version of him that's actually a villain. Matt's interpretation of Goku Black looks like it's ready to teleport into the world of Dragon Ball Super and ruin someone's day.
2 Majin Buu
Sosenka's cosplay skills are so mind-blowing that it was a struggle to narrow down our absolute favorite. All of her looks are phenomenal and her Instagram feed is worth diving into. Though her terrifyingly realistic Cell rendition came in at a close second, this Majin Buu cosplay takes the cake as our favorite Dragon Ball villain ensemble.
Crafting such an accurate Majin Buu should be impossible, but Sosenka's talent knows no bounds. We'll be utterly disappointed if Netflix doesn't contact her for that live-action Dragon Ball they're bound to attempt in the near future.
1 Beerus
All of the humans on this list did a noteworthy job with their cosplays, but we're rounding things out with this incredibly good kitty that makes for an adorable villain. Though the aforementioned Sosenka reposted this photo, the credit actually goes to Aynsley Catriona Sinclair (and the cat, of course).
This sweet cat has an unfair advantage over most Beerus cosplayers: It naturally looks like the character. Bodypaint isn't necessary when you're born with such extraordinary ears.