Why Dragon Ball’s Background Characters Matter More Than We Admit
A personal look at the unsung heroes who shaped my love for the series
The Characters We Forget but Never Truly Lose
Whenever I talk about Dragon Ball, people immediately jump to Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, or the big villains like Frieza and Cell. But the older I get and the deeper I go back into this franchise, the more I realize something. My love for Dragon Ball wasn’t just built on planetary explosions and transformations. It was built on the weird, random, sometimes irrelevant but always memorable characters who filled the world with personality. And honestly, I think these background characters matter way more than we give them credit for.
Today I want to talk about them. The faces we forget, the names we barely remember, and the moments that quietly shaped the heart of this series for me.
The World Feels Bigger Because of Them
When I think about OG Dragon Ball, I think about the way Toriyama let the world breathe. We didn’t just jump from boss battle to boss battle. Instead, we met randoms like Colonel Silver, Bacterian, Suno, and even that old man who gave Goku his first meal after his tail got grabbed off. These characters didn’t come with world-ending power levels, but they made the world feel lived in.
I remember rewatching the Muscle Tower arc and realizing how much Suno contributed to Goku’s growth. She didn’t fight. She didn’t train. But she was one of the first humans who treated Goku with real kindness. That stuck with me. Without those moments, Goku wouldn’t have become the warmhearted protector we know today.
These characters aren’t filler, they’re texture.
Comedy Hits Harder Because of the Side Characters
Dragon Ball’s humor lands because the random characters around Goku are absolutely ridiculous in the best way. The Pilaf Gang basically carried half of OG Dragon Ball with pure comedy. Devilman in the Baba saga? Iconic. Even characters like Nam, Bora, and Oopa brought a level of genuine emotion that grounded everything.
These characters were the bridging point between chaos and heart.
And let me tell you something. Watching Dragon Ball Super recently reminded me how good Toriyama is at pulling energy out of characters who barely even fight. Look at Jaco. Look at the Galactic Patrol Prisoners. Look at the random aliens in Universe 6 who had absolutely no business being that funny.
The entire vibe of the series gets brighter when these characters show up.
They Represent Eras We Don’t Want to Lose
Whenever I talk about Dragon Ball nostalgia, it’s never just Goku going Super Saiyan or Vegeta screaming at the sky. It’s Launch sneezing into a whole different personality. It’s Android 8 hugging Goku. It’s Fortuneteller Baba rolling up with the most chaotic crew of fighters you’ve ever seen.
These characters represent the parts of Dragon Ball that don’t need ki blasts or transformations to hit. They represent vibes.
Sometimes I wonder what Dragon Ball would look like today if characters like Launch weren’t forgotten. If the series still embraced the quirky, wacky, almost Looney Tunes energy that filled the early arcs. That personality is why so many of us got attached in the first place.
They Make the Main Cast Shine Brighter
Here’s something I realized recently while watching Daima and rereading parts of the manga. The greatness of the main cast is defined in contrast to the characters around them.
Goku looks more selfless when you see how the Red Ribbon Army operates. Vegeta’s growth becomes clearer when you compare where he started to the regular Saiyans who stayed loyal to Frieza. Piccolo looks even more noble when you remember how the Demon Clan was originally introduced.
Background characters give our favorites depth. They give them something to stand apart from.
Even when the series shifts into god-tier power levels, the presence of normal characters helps ground the entire narrative. I’ll always believe the Tournament of Power wouldn’t have hit the same without Universe 6’s goofy cast balancing out Jiren’s intensity.
The Small Names With a Big Impact
At the end of the day, Dragon Ball is a world. A real world. A world filled with tiny towns, forgotten villages, oddball fighters, scientists, crooks, weirdos, and quiet heroes who show up for one episode and never return but still leave an impression.
These characters are the foundation that holds everything up.
When I go back and rewatch the series, I’m not just looking for transformations or big fights. I’m looking for the small moments. The background faces. The little interactions that made the world feel alive. These characters remind me why Dragon Ball will always be more than just a battle anime.
They’re the heartbeat of the story.
And honestly, I think it’s time more people appreciated that.
