If you're a fan of androids and technology, then you're in luck today! Our new ultimate guide will today address the story of Dr. Gero, a connoisseur of robotic sciences in the Dragon Ball Z series.
Dr. Gero (ドクター・ゲ Dokutā Gero, pronounced "Doctor Gero"), also known as Android 20, is a secondary antagonist in the Dragon Ball franchise, appearing in the Dragon Ball manga and the Dragon Ball Z and Dragon animes BallGT.
This genius scientist is widely known for being the mastermind behind the creation of the Red Ribbon Androids, chief among them being the famous bio-organic being Cell . Dr. Gero is the main antagonist of the android saga. 🤖
In this guide you will discover in detail:
- The full story of the character
- Details of his appearances in the Z sagas and others
- Dr. Gero's craziest techniques
- Crispy anecdotes about the android
Are you ready to read our new ultimate guide? In any case, we are sure of it! Here we go ! 💥
APPEARANCE OF DR. GERO
Dr. Gero's appearance is quite funny. He has light tan skin, blue eyes, a large bushy white mustache, and long bushy hair. We could even go so far as to say that it was inspired by Mr Satan ! He also has a Red Ribbon Army logo located on the hat that hides his brain, visible after transforming into an android. 🧠
Dr. Gero's mechanical body also lacks the eyebrows he had in his old organic form. His clothing is black, with orange sections at the upper arms, accompanied by light yellow sleeves down to the lower arms. His pants are dark brown and his shoes are black and white. 🥋
PERSONALITY OF DR GERO
Dr. Gero is very cold, ready to never back down from his plans to achieve his goals. He doesn't let people get in his way and even kidnaps people to use in his experiments . He also has a strong hatred towards Goku due to the hero defeating the entire Red Ribbon Army. He has the utmost confidence in his technological skills and intellect, as he believes, even when the odds are stacked against him, that he or his creations will succeed in defeating all, one way or another. 🤖
He also trusts his creations at the expense of his life, firmly believing that since he "improved" them, they will respect him as their master. Despite this, he states "it seems I have no other choice" just before releasing Android 17 and 18, implying that he was aware of the serious risks to himself of enabling them due to their hatred towards him. 👀
BIOGRAPHY OF DR GERO
Dr. Gero is the chief scientist of the Red Ribbon Army. he was a founding member of the Army in its early days and was also in charge of it. He designed all of its weaponry and created the first androids to serve the Red Ribbon Army. He built androids because mechas could be captured and used by the enemy while androids could, among other things, think for themselves. 🧠
Another scientist, Dr. Flappe , is named as the creator of Android 8. Daizenshuu 7 (the Dragon Ball Encyclopedia) addresses this inconsistency by stating that Dr. Flappe and Dr. Gero were colleagues responsible for the Android development program of the Red Ribbon Army. The Red Ribbon Army is not the main reason for Dr. Gero's desire to create androids and cyborgs, as he reveals in DBGT, he has always dreamed of replacing the entire human race with artificial beings even before Goku cannot defeat the Red Ribbon Army. 👊🏻
Dr. Gero's son was a high-ranking Red Ribbon soldier, but he died when he was hit by an enemy bullet. Gero then modeled the powerful Android 16 after his dead son. At one point, Dr. Gero brought home a doll decorating the command center of an enemy base as a trophy, which he then used as a model to design Android 19. He fathered this child with the human who was the basis of Android 21 . 👶🏻
After Son Goku defeats the Red Ribbon Army, Dr. Gero hides in his laboratory located in a mountainous area north of North City . In this laboratory, he strives to create the ultimate fighting machine.
Using an extremely intelligent tracking device disguised as a ladybug , he studies Goku and the Z-Fighters for years, observing the fights Goku has with Tien Shinhan, King Piccolo, Piccolo and the Saiyans Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta.
Dr. Gero stops studying Goku's power when the Saiyan leaves for Namek, believing he had already compiled enough information about him. So he simply adjusts the power levels of the androids to accommodate Goku's expected power increase, without taking into account the power level of the fighter's Super Saiyan form.
Believing he has created the ultimate fighting machines, he finalizes his plans and builds a series of Androids. Android 16 was modeled after the dead son of Gero, a high-ranking Red Ribbon soldier felled by an enemy bullet long ago. In his affection, Gero will make him powerful but didn't want him to be destroyed in battle, so he also made him gentle and kind. 👨🏻🦰
While searching for fresh material for his experiments, Dr. Gero comes across two notorious delinquents, two siblings, a boy and a girl. He then kidnaps them and restructures them into Android 17 and Android 18. However, the two will rebel as they retain their human free will, so he deactivates them accordingly. According to Android 18, Dr. Gero will destroy all other androids until Android 15. 1-7 and 9-12 were completely artificial, but Gero couldn't control their personalities: too dark, too stupid, too nice, etc. .👧🏻🧒🏻👩🏻🦲👳🏻♂️
Android 19 was modeled after a doll decorating the command center of an enemy base, which Gero took home as a trophy. To become immortal, Dr. Gero therefore used this specific android to transform it into C-20 . The only human part of him as an android to this day remains his brain, which was transplanted into his android body by Android 19. 🧠Dr. Gero has his brain transferred into a rather energy-absorbing android model than a model with infinite power, which would have allowed it a much greater power reserve.
By building the androids, Dr. Gero discovers a way to merge the cells of the most powerful warriors (Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Frieza and King Cold) and will therefore attempt to create a supreme fighting entity. After realizing that his project would take too long to complete, he decides to turn his attention to other matters and leave his laboratory's supercomputer to complete the ultimate being, which he names Cell . Cell would later speculate that Dr. Gero had created him to wipe out Earth and later to destroy the entire universe. 🌍
DR GERO IN DRAGON BALL Z
ANDROID SAGA
Two years after the destruction of Namek, after having easily massacred Frieza, his soldiers and his father, Future Trunks informs the Z Fighters that two extremely powerful androids created by Gero will appear in exactly three years. Three years later, on May 12 in the age of 767, at 10:00 a.m., two androids appeared on an island 15 km southwest of South City: C-19 and C-20 . 🤖🤖
They attack Yajirobe in his hovercraft, shortly after the latter gives the Z Fighters a bag of Senzu Beans, and then descend into the city. Together, they go on a killing spree and show no mercy or regret. C-20 then grabs a man from his car and crushes his skull like a grape, never changing his stoic, emotionless expression . The Z Fighters have difficulty finding them, because the androids have no ki, but Yamcha succeeds, attracted by the cry of a woman. 🔊
They then ambushed him, with Yamcha initially thinking they were two civilians and trying to tell them to evacuate. Until he noticed the red ribbon army logo on Android 20's logo, with Android 20 smugly confirming that these were the androids he was indeed referring to. 😵
Before Yamcha can act, Android 20 demonstrates deadly power: Dr. Gero's latest design for androids, an energy absorption feature.
Using a small red jewel embedded in his hand, he grabs Yamcha by the jaw in one go, punches a hole in his chest and removes all of his life force. Goku, Piccolo, Krillin and Ten Shin Han detect Yamcha's diminishing energy and find him mortally wounded by C-20. Krillin brings Yamcha back to life with a Senzu Bean and drops him off at Bulma . Android 20 is surprised that the Z Fighters knew that he and C-19 were androids even though they gave no indication. He also says that the Z Fighters also seemed to know where he and Android 19 would be and gathered there in anticipation. 💨
Android 20 predicts all of the Z-Warriors' movements. However, Goku suggests his teammates move to another location because there are too many innocent people around. Goku will then come face to face with Android 20. A short fight will follow which will cause his hat to fall off, revealing that a seemingly organic brain was revealed underneath. 🧠
Android 20 detects that Goku is unhappy with his solution to finding an uninhabited place to fight. C-19 will add that the Z Fighters will be unable to defeat them no matter where they fight. But at this announcement, Android 20 will retort to Goku to choose his place of death by provoking him. Piccolo then wonders how C-20 knows Goku's name, and Android 20 says he knows them all, naming Piccolo and Ten as well. 🏰
As all the fighters fly over a deserted plain, Android 20 chooses that they will fight there because it is suitable terrain. Goku doesn't object and the group lands. Piccolo realizes that the plain is surrounded by rocky mountains, and that the androids might consider hiding there if necessary. C-20 begins to explain to Goku that they have been analyzing his battles with miniature surveillance drones since the time he defeated the Red Ribbon Army, looking for his weakness. 💥
Goku then asks if they had observed his battles on Planet Namek, and Android 20 replies that they had enough data at that time, so it was useless, as the androids' power levels were adjusted to adapting to Goku's increase in power. Goku then tells Android 20 that he missed something. Android 20 and Android 19 are surprised to hear this, and Piccolo says that it is a fatal mistake not to know the Super Saiyan form. Goku then powers up and transforms, and the ki burst alerts Gohan , Krillin and Yamcha from the battle site.
After a few minutes of fighting, C-20 admits that Goku has far exceeded his previously calculated limits, however, he says that C-19 could still handle Goku, but Goku retorts that he will find out for himself. At the start of the fight, Goku completely crushes C-19:
Android 20 fears that Android 19 will run out of energy before he can absorb the saiyan's power. However, Son Goku's heart virus manifests at this very moment and hinders his performance. Goku, visibly exhausted, decides to try to finish it off with a Kamehameha . Seeing the explosion, C-19 and C-20 are delighted. C -19 simply absorbs the explosion with his right hand. C- 20 notes that his companion's power has increased while Goku's has decreased significantly. Krillin gives Goku a Senzu Bean, hoping it will help him. 🌱
Android 20 realizes that the bean is indeed the legendary Senzu, and Yamcha is once again optimistic about Goku's chances. However, the Senzu Bean was unable to cure Goku's illness and the Saiyan can no longer maintain his Super Saiyan form. 🔥
C- 19 continues his attacks, landing on Goku's chest and grabbing him by the neck to absorb his energy. The rest of the Z Fighters fly towards him to help the out of breath saiyan, however, they are intercepted by Android 20, who tells them that they will not intervene in the battle and warns them to try at their own risk . 🥋
Piccolo says no one will stop him from saving his friend and kicks C- 20, who dodges and retaliates with his powerful eye lasers. Piccolo falls to the ground, and 20 says his actions were bold, but stupid. Before Goku can be killed, Vegeta saves him by kicking C-19 in the face, declaring that he will be the one to kill Goku. Both the Z Fighters and the androids are stunned by Vegeta 's sudden appearance. Piccolo, lying on the ground, suddenly gets up. 😲
He reveals that he was simply faking defeat to get the android to let his guard down, telling Gohan that it would take more than one explosion to beat him. Vegeta says he saw everything and tells Goku that he is a fool for transforming into a Super Saiyan even though he had noticed the anomaly in his body and then kicks him into the air. Piccolo catches him and Vegeta says that someone should take Goku home and give him the medicine for his heart. 🩺
Yamcha says he'll take care of it, since he seems to be the least useful in combat ( which isn't entirely wrong 😅 ). Piccolo tells Yamcha to take some of the medicine as well, as the virus could be contagious. As Yamcha flies off with Goku, Android 19 observes him and prepares to chase after him, but Android 20 tells him not to, as it might be fun to save the best (Goku) for last. C-20 says that they can deal with the rest of the Z Fighters now, and that things are going to get more interesting since Vegeta joined them. C-19 asks if he can kill Vegeta, and C-20 agrees and saying that in exchange he will take care of the other four. 💀
The Saiyan Prince says that based on his observations, androids are not as strong as people said. He tells C-19 that he knows about their energy absorption through their palms, but C-19 replies that he already knows Vegeta's abilities. He will firmly respond that Saiyans cannot be reduced in numbers and wonder if androids could feel fear, then transforms into SSJ. Both the Z Fighters and the androids are surprised at this development, and Krillin says that he thought that a Super Saiyan had to have a pure heart. Vegeta says his heart is pure, but purely evil. He recounts how he endured his brutal training regime before reaching his own limits and becoming a Super Saiyan due to his rage at himself. 💥
Android 20 tells Vegeta that he is still not up to the task, and C-19 charges against him. C- 20 can only watch in amazement as the prince of saiyans' fighting force rushes to surpass C-19. Terrified, the android emerges from the crater and begins to run away . Vegeta rises into the air and prepares to destroy C- 19 when C- 20 verbally intercedes, demanding that he stop. Vegeta tells him that he will take care of him afterwards. After being sufficiently powered up, Vegeta unleashes a Big Bang attack on the fleeing android, which creates a massive explosion, stunning the onlookers. When the smoke clears, only Android 19's head remains. 😲
Vegeta lands near Android 20 and returns to his base form, and tells C-20 that he has lost a lot of energy and that this is his chance to defeat him. Android 20 wonders what kind of trick Vegeta is trying to pull from him. Vegeta asks why Android 20 said he had no hope, and Android 20 tells Vegeta that even though he had exceeded their calculations, he is more powerful. Vegeta asks C-20 to show him. Intimidated , Android 20 then fled , heading towards the nearby rocks as Piccolo had feared earlier. 💨
Android 20 quickly hides while observing a rejuvenated Super Saiyan Vegeta, who is watching him from afar. Tired of searching, Vegeta decides to go find him by destroying part of the area. He flies into the air and launches a photon bomber. Krillin yells at him to stop, because resting the team could get caught in the explosion. Seeing his chance pass, C-20 walked past the explosion and absorbed it through his palms. Seeing this, Vegeta immediately flies in his direction, and C-20 quickly disappears. Vegeta pursues him, but is upset to discover that the android had managed to escape from him and leave his field of vision. 👀
Android 20, looking down at Vegeta from above, says that he became too reliant on ki tracking and lost his eye for movement, however, he admits that he didn't count on that much ki power. Vegeta's part. Although he thinks the most logical option is to return to his laboratory , he wants to avoid this if possible. He then spots that Gohan, Ten, Piccolo and Krillin were looking for him and decides to steal their energy in order to become powerful enough to defeat Vegeta. 🌌
C-20 decides to attack Piccolo first, since he is the strongest after Vegeta. He ambushes Piccolo from behind to absorb his energy and covers his mouth so he can't call for help. Piccolo telepathically calls out to Gohan, who detects his steadily diminishing ki and flies to help him. As Android 20 tells Piccolo that he is almost out of energy, Gohan arrives and punches Android 20 from behind, causing him to fall (this also causes the android's hat to fall) . Krillin, Tien Shin Han and Vegeta sense Gohan's ki and surround Android 20 when they reach the area. 💫
Android 20 is surprised by the other fighters' arrival, but decides to buy time and absorb even more energy from the others before fighting Vegeta. Gohan told Krillin to give Piccolo a Senzu Bean, which he did on the spot. Piccolo will then face C-20 again , removing his weighted clothing. He tells Vegeta not to interfere as he wants to face Android 20 personally.
Vegeta replies that he doesn't care if Piccolo is killed, but adds that he won't give any more energy to Android 20. The androidized scientist thinks this is another chance for him to absorb more energy from Piccolo, but the Namekian quickly disappears from his sight only to return again. He tries to fight Piccolo head-on, but Piccolo is far superior as a result of three years of intense training with Goku (and also his fusion with Nail).
Piccolo mercilessly cuts off the android's right arm and prepares to destroy it, but is distracted by the arrival of Future Trunks . Believing he had miscalculated too much, Android 20 decides to retreat to his laboratory, in order to activate Android 17 and Android 18 , although he laments not being able to fly away without being spotted and decides to flee on foot. Suddenly, Bulma arrives on a plane with Yajirobe and the current child version of Trunks. Seeing an opportunity to escape, C-20 declares that C-17 and 18 will come to avenge his defeat, before firing a large wave of Ki at Bulma's plane. With a cloud of smoke and dust covering his tracks, Android 20 fled into the rocky mountains. 🏔
Having recognized him as Dr. Gero, Bulma notified the Z Warriors of the approximate area of his laboratory and they set off for the mountains near North City. Vegeta, more confident than usual thanks to his new Super Saiyan power, leaves alone to challenge the androids, so the rest of the group prefers to find Gero or his laboratory before Vegeta. 🔬
Meanwhile, while hiding among the rocks, Dr. Gero sees Vegeta and then Future Trunks flying above him towards his laboratory. He initially thinks that it must be a coincidence, and that they cannot know its location because only a handful of scientists know of its existence. Looking back, he recognizes Goku's close friend Bulma as the heir to the Capsule Corporation and believes she may have learned of his identity about him through her father, Dr. Brief . 👨🏻🔬
Suddenly, he sees Piccolo, Krillin and Tien flying in the same direction and realizes that they are indeed heading towards his laboratory to destroy his two androids before he can activate them. In the anime, as he approaches his laboratory, Gero senses Krillin nearby and ambushes him. Before he can kill Krillin, Gero detects Piccolo nearby and decides to spare him in his haste to activate his androids. Dr. Gero quickly reaches his laboratory and jumps into the cave that houses it. As he is about to enter, however, his sensors detect something and he turns to see Krillin looking at him. Gero thinks that Krillin won't be able to do anything more and opens the door to his laboratory. He then tells Krillin that even if he calls the others, they will be too late. 📍
Gero rambles that he would have preferred not to activate C-17 and 18, but that he had no choice now, and hopes that he has made them obedient. It then activates Android 17, while holding its shutdown remote. After waking up, Android 17 says hello to Dr. Gero. When Gero comments on his politeness, Android 17 says that Gero is his creator . Although he looks at the remote. Relieved that Android 17 appears to be working properly (in Dragon Ball Z Kai , Gero believes he has successfully reprogrammed 17's personality), Gero then activates Android 18. Android 18 is also polite to Gero, although she also looks at the remote. She comments on Gero becoming an android, and Gero adds that he wants eternal life. 🤖
He also says that he previously spent too much time on their Infinite Energy Reactor (in DBZ Kai , Dr. Gero explains that in order for their Infinite Energy Reactors to work, he had to disable the behavioral limiters hardwired into their firmware), and that they would not obey him. He then says that the Z fighters are on their way and tells the twin androids to kill them all, which they agree to do. 🥋
The Z Fighters soon arrive and begin attempting to break into the lab. This distracts Gero momentarily, and C-17 takes the opportunity to steal the remote control. Much to Gero's horror, he then crushes the remote and tells Gero that he won't put them to sleep again. 😴
Suddenly, Vegeta blows up the door and the androids find themselves surrounded by the Z Fighters. Dr. Gero tells Android 18 and Android 17 to kill the Z Fighters, mentioning that they destroyed Android 19 and had almost killed him. C-17 asks if C-19 was an energy absorption model and the one who converted him into an android, and Gero replied that he was. C-18 then asked if Gero reverted to the old energy absorption pattern on a newer Android, as infinite energy patterns like her and Android 17 were too powerful to control. 👀
Dr. Gero explains that it doesn't matter now, and orders the pair to kill the Z Fighters, but C-17 explains that they will only fight when they want to. Gero is even more upset when C-18 begins to inspect a room labeled "16". 🚪
Android 18 notices that C-16 is also a model of infinite energy and asks how the android inside is different from them, but Gero asks him to stay away from Room No. 16. Android 17 tells Android 18 to activate Android 16, but Gero tells them not to, because " C-16 was a failure and would put the entire world in danger". Android 18 asks why he kept it then, and Gero replied that he planned to repair it later. Android 17 says it has a much higher power rating than Android 16 and asked Android 18 to enable it. Gero says he will deactivate them all for good. Android 17 reminds him that the remote is destroyed, but Gero says he could build another one. 📱
Once again, he shouts at Android 18 not to activate Android 16, but suddenly C-17 brutally assassinates Dr. Gero, impaling him from behind with his arm, decapitating him with a swift kick, then walking on his head still alive. His remains are later destroyed along with what appears to be the rest of his laboratory at the hands of Future Trunks when he fired a Buster Cannon with the intention of destroying Android 17 and Android 18. 💥
SAGA BOO
In this saga, Dr. Gero is allowed by King Enma to keep his android body upon entering Hell, but the reason is unknown. Along with Cell, Frieza, King Cold, and Ginyu Commando, Dr. Gero watches the final battle between Goku and Kid Boo, being one of the very few people to cheer for Kid Boo. 👏🏻
DR GERO IN DRAGON BALL GT
SAGA SUPER 17
Dr. Gero is first seen in Dragon Ball GT in Hell, greeting Dr. Myuu after Myuu is destroyed by Baby. There, the two scientists work on a plan to create the ultimate android that could destroy Goku .
They came up with a plan to combine their two technologies and obtain the perfect Android by merging Hell Fighter 17 with C-17 to create Super 17. Then, they created a dimensional hole to place the two androids in the same place, on Earth. 🌍
DR GERO IN DBZ FILMS
SUPER ANDROID 13! / THE CYBORG OFFENSIVE
Dr. Gero's death at the hands of Androids 17 and 18 is shown early in the film. After his death, his hatred was transferred to his computer, which completed Androids 14, 15 and 13. Additionally, he also received several mentions in the film, mainly in relation to Androids 13, 14 and 15 and their vendetta against Goku. 😲
In the FUNimation dub, Dr. Gero's supercomputer speaks with his voice while the Japanese version simply implies that the supercomputer acts on Gero's behalf. 💻
TECHNIQUES OF DR GERO
Aside from his incredible intelligence, one of the best in the world, impressing even Capsule Corporation President Dr. Brief , Dr. Gero gained combat abilities by placing his own brain into an energy-absorbing android model. Here are his most powerful techniques:
- Energy Absorption - also known as Life Drain 20. Android 20 has special pads on his palms that allow him to absorb life energy from his victims by grabbing them.
- Merciless Blow - After or during the absorption of Yamcha's energy, Dr. Gero pierces his chest with his hand.
- Eye Laser - A synthetic form of eye laser powerful enough to pierce someone.
- Bionic Punisher - A powerful beam fired from both eyes that is powerful enough to devastate an entire city.
ANECDOTES FROM DR GERO
- According to Akira Toriyama, Android 20 and Android 19 were originally intended to be androids whose creation Future Trunks had already predicted. However, its former editor Kazuhiko Torishima said they seemed outdated and ridiculous. So, rather than making them the definitive androids, Toriyama chose to continue the saga in favor of Android 17 and Android 18 (and we are relieved!). 😅
- Although he created the advanced technology of androids with eternal energy, it is unknown why he did not rebuild himself into this model, as according to Bulma, he had the desire to live forever. However, C-18 tauntingly implied that this was because such technology was too difficult for him to control.
- It is still unclear why he chose to keep his original appearance as an older man instead of choosing a younger body. 👴🏻
- Unlike other members of the Red Ribbon Army, Gero's name is not based on a color. 🎗
- In a flashback sequence in the episode "Double Trouble for Goku", Master Roshi refers to Dr. Gero as the "current leader" of the Red Ribbon Army. This is technically true because, aside from his latest creations, he is its current highest-ranking member.
- In the FUNimation dub of the same episode, Kamé Senin also states that Dr. Gero was the leader of the Red Ribbon Army during the times Goku destroyed it, and it is also implied that all of Commander Red 's appearances in the flashbacks were actually young Dr. Gero.
- In the movie Dragon Ball Z: Cyborg Offensive and in a brief flashback during Dragon Ball GT, the dialogue when C-17 kills him is different from that in the Dragon Ball Z anime. 📺
- In "Laboratory Basement", according to the plans he finds in Gero's laboratory, Future Trunks says that Gero was also working on a gas toaster oven. 🥧
- Like Frieza , Dr. Gero was sent to Hell with his android body instead of his human body. 👿
JOIN THE ANDROID CLAN WITH DR GERO!
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