Best moments from the Android cell saga in Dragon Ball Z

Almost every child of the 90s is familiar with the Dragon Ball universe and almost everyone would agree that the Android cell saga in Dragon Ball Z was the highlight of the show. From the moment Trunks appeared from the future, we knew Toria had a great saga in store for us.

And yes, of course, we all expect the infamous Gohan Super Saiyan 2 transformation here, but did you know he almost did it in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber as well? If you are a superfan of Cell Saga, you will also know that Dr. Gero, was the main antagonist.

Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Z Cell Saga

8 Trunks come from the future

Episode 119: The Mysterious Youth

We all remember the time when Vegeta went to fight Frieza. We were all glued to our chairs, wondering how on earth Earth was going to take care of Frieza, let alone his father, King Cold. With Goku still not back from space, things looked grim, to say the least.

But look, Trunks, who appears in the aptly named episode The Mysterious Youth. Out of nowhere, this teenager comes wearing a Capsule Corporation jacket and surprises us all. Without further ado, Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan and defeats Frieza, King Cold, and the ship on his own. Talk about an incredible entry.

7 Vegeta Goes Super Saiyan

Episode 129: Upgrade to Super Saiyan

In Upgrade to Super Saiyan, with Goku almost on the brink of death due to a heart virus, it looked like our hero wasn't going to make it. And with Android 20 in front of them, none of the Z Warriors can interfere.

Then, out of nowhere, Vegeta shows up to save Kakarot and goes Super Saiyan! Another thing is the definition of humiliation, as Vegeta literally breaks both of the android's arms, making it run for its life. If you've watched DBZ even once, we can bet that you respect Vegeta, because of this scene alone.

6 Vegeta Vs Android 18

Episode 135: Fatal Beauty

Dr. Androids. After getting rid of Gero, Vegeta lets his ego get to his head (as always) and goes head-to-head with Android 18 in Deadly Beauty. To be fair to the androids, they just wanted to fight Goku. Vegeta couldn't do anything, and they were probably going on a five day trip to Goku's house. But he just had to test his new power.

Vegeta knows he's no match for Android 18 as she gives him the beating of her life, but most of all, she breaks his pride. The rest of the Z Warriors aren't left alone either, as everyone is quickly taken out, showing that the androids are too powerful. Guess Krillin was the only one who was happy that day.

5 Another time machine

Episode 140: Possessed with Fear

There's a popular myth that Dragon Ball Z is all about fighting and power scaling, and it couldn't be more wrong. Possession with fear is a classic example of this. This episode introduced Cell, and sent shivers down our spines without a fight.

Bulma tells Trunks about another time machine that looks like it's broken, so Trunks and Gohan go to check it out. The audience is as shocked as the young Saiyans when they find the word “Hope” written on a time machine, which is the exact same time machine that Trunks owns, but indicates a different time. And if that wasn't enough to thicken the plot, they also find a mysterious egg and a cocoon that looks like a giant worm around it.

It was actually one of the best horror performances we've seen in Cell Saga, especially because of the music and the mystery.

4 Tien takes on a semi-perfect cell

Episode 153: Sacrifice

Even though Team Four Stars ignored Tien's tribute in the parody, this scene of sacrifice still holds its place in the hearts of fans. Tien is just a human, long forgotten by the world of Dragon Ball, and now nothing more than a side character shown every once in a while for extra screen time. So when a character like Tien, a behemoth from the original Dragon Ball series, gets such a dedicated scene, we just have to pay our respects.

With Piccolo out of the fight, and Android 16 left with about half a brain, it seems nothing can stop Cell from becoming whole. But that's where our old-time villain comes in and takes it home with his ultimate trick, the tri-beam.

Cell realizes that he has underestimated Tien, buried 10 feet underground, unable to come back up as Tien continues to fire intense waves of Neo Tri-Beams, risking his life. This gives the androids enough time to escape. Safe to say, this was the best thing Tien did before Toriyama sidelined him.

3 Vegeta reclaims his lost pride

Episode 156: Bow to the Prince

If there's one thing you need in life, it's willpower like a vegetable. In Bow to the Prince, when everything seems to be going wrong, Cell begins to destroy the islands in search of Android 18 to complete his transformation. And there comes our anti-hero with bigger muscles and an even bigger ego.

If we ignore Piccolo from Lookout at Vegeta to play with Cell instead of finishing him off, it really doesn't get any better. Sabzi has spent a year in a hyperbolic time chamber and, to everyone's surprise, he has indeed “ascended”. Vegeta literally begs Cell to allow him to absorb Android 18.

2 Goku gives up

Episode 181: Faith in a Boy

What's better than our hero defeating a monster that could destroy the world? giving up

No, we're not kidding. The moment Goku gives up on Faith in a Boy, everyone is shocked. This is where Toriyama gives us the best work of his entire life, when Goku starts talking mysteriously about a warrior even stronger than him that he believes is more than enough to take care of Cell. Let's assume Vegeta was the only one who figured it out.

And if that's not enough, once he asks Gohan to fight, Goku also throws a Senju Bean at Cell. If you ever need to hype someone up, take Goku to task.

1 Gohan Goes Super Saiyan 2

Episode 185: The Awakening

We all knew this was coming. How could it not be? We've all cried here, and we're sure you have too. In Awakening, once Cell discovers that Gohan has hidden powers within him, Vegeta's cells within him begin to do their work, and, therefore, Cell pushes Gohan to his limits.

Cell punishes Gohan by releasing Cell Juniors to destroy them and all Gohan can do is watch in horror. This is when Mr. Devil throws Android 16's head close to Gohan and 16 gives Gohan some words of wisdom before being crushed by Cell. Fortunately, that's all our young warrior needs as he rages and finally goes through a well-awaited transformation while covered in tears: Super Saiyan 2. Full of goosebumps.