Dragon Ball’sroster is massive, with every saga addingmore and more to its ever-expanding list of characters. With Goku serving as the main character, it gets harder and harder to give everyone else their time in the sun as the series soldiers on. Plenty of fan favorites with tons of potential have been sidelined as a result, with their roles diminished once they‘re no longer relevant to the narrative.
Android 17 played a key role in the events leading up to the Cell Saga, but wasn’t seen for the majority of the originalDragon Ballseries following his defeat at the hands of the evil bio-android. 17’s resurgence inSuperhas shown that the former antagonist is still as formidable as ever, so where was he during the events of the Buu Saga?
RELATED:Dragon Ball: Was Goku Really A Bad Dad?
Where Was 17 During the Buu Saga?
In the years following the events of the Cell Games, all of the Dragon Team went off in different directions. Though Android 18 would stay in the fold, Android 17 wasn’t as involved in the narrative. In fact, the series did very little to address 17’s whereabouts once the Buu Saga began.
With Krillin’s wish to Shenron giving him a fresh start, Android 17 decided to isolate himself from humanity rather than stay behind andinteract with the rest of the Dragon Teamas his sister did. After briefly traveling the world in search of something to occupy his time, 17 eventually discovered Monster Island. There he befriended a local ranger and staved off a group of poachers, eventually marrying the ranger and becoming a ranger himself.
RELATED:Dragon Ball: Just How Strong Is The Frieza Family?
The isolation of the island seemed to be a perfect fit for 17, as it allowed for him to hone his fighting skills and do some good at the same time. The indifference 17 showed Goku when he was first approached about joining Team Universe 7 inSuperexplains why he wasn’t involved during the events of the Buu Saga. Though one would think that 17 would have gotten involved at some point during Buu’s attack on Earth, it seems as though he was much more preoccupied with his responsibilities than what was happening outside of the island.
When Super Buu used his Human Extinction Attack, Android 17 was killed alongside everyone else on Earth. Considering how much stronger 17 was inSupercompared to the original series, it’d be fair to assume that he was already a more polished fighter by the timethe Buu Saga rolled around. But it seems that it wasn’t enough to save him and his family from the devastating attack. 17 is brought back to life alongside the rest of Earth’s denizens and makes a brief cameo when Goku is gathering energy for the Spirit Bomb.
Potential Impact on the Story
Superrevealed a considerable amount of progression in 17’s strength and fighting technique. Though he was easily defeated by Imperfect Cell in the original series, 17’s time spent protecting wildlife and fending off poachers allowed him to stay relevant down the line.
Even with the benefit of havingmore experienceand being stronger post-Cell, it’s hard to imagine Android 17 making that big of an impact during the events of the Buu Saga. Android 18 herself played nothing more than a supporting role during the ordeal, as Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan were set to be the most prominent characters from the beginning.
Though it would have been interesting to see 17 come back and contribute during the Buu conflict, it’s likely that the stoic Android would have eventually taken a backseat to Goku and company regardless. Android 17’s reintroduction inSuperbrought the characterback in a meaningful way, allowing him to make a difference in the immediate narrative while not appearing overmatched by the series ever-growing power gaps.
