Despite his cannonball connotation, Yamcha is an important character in the story of Dragon Ball Z. He represents many iconic scenes for Akira Toriyama's series and his role will be known by fans throughout the story.
Yamcha was Goku 's first true equal in combat and would also be his first rival in martial arts. When Yamcha was defeated, he eventually became Goku's friend and loyal ally, before finally being left completely behind in terms of physical strength. Many characters who succeeded Yamcha, such as Krillin, Ten Shin Han, Piccolo and Vegeta, all follow in his footsteps and train during intensive training. But at least they have been renewed and improved over time... 😅
So yes, Yamcha is a Victim because of his low power level and his near 0 luck with women , but you won't be able to deny his importance in the Dragonball series. That’s why we put together this article for you! Quickly find out why Yamcha is a Victim! 😝
10. YAMCHA IN HIS OWN SERIES
Yamcha has remained a popular character among fans of the Dragon Ball Z series, despite being relegated to a supporting role after the original Dragon Ball series ended. The reason for this popularity is unclear, although it may have something to do with the overabundance of the Saiyan form. As the DBZ series progressed, everything revolved around the Saiyans, which meant the human characters were left in the dust. It therefore became easy to tire of the Saiyans and start encouraging outsiders such as Yamcha, Bulma or even Ten Shin Han. 🥋
In 2016, Yamcha starred in his own spin-off manga series Dragon Ball . This series was called Dragon Ball Extra: How I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha and it was published in Shonen Jump's online digital magazine. The manga featured a young Dragon Ball Z fan from our world, who is reincarnated as Yamcha at the start of the saga. Thanks to his knowledge of how the series played out, the boy made Yamcha the strongest human in the world and made him the star of the series, but that only happened in this side series! 🤣
9. THE FAMOUS YAMCHA POSE
The DBZ saga was much darker and focused on violence than its predecessor. Indeed, Dragon Ball managed to mix light adventure and comedy with martial arts action, which is a large part of why the saga has become so popular. After Raditz arrived on Earth, the animated series took a pretty dark turn. Yamcha's death is the most obvious proof of this. He is killed quite easily by a Saibaman who blew himself up, leaving Yamcha's corpse in a crater. Followed by the gruesome deaths of Chiaotzu, Ten Shin Han and Piccolo, who tried to stop the Saiyans in vain. ☠
Yamcha's death has since become a source of comedy for some. In Japan, the image "Yamcha Death Pose" has become a well-known visual meme which clearly poses the character in his victim status. This image became so popular that it was referenced in other anime and manga series! Even players of the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch have copied the design of this famous pose right here !
Even the Dragon Ball Super series has referenced it. During the Future Trunks saga, there is an episode where teams from Universes 6 and 7 compete in a baseball match. Yamcha is (for once) the most important character here, as he is the only professional player on either team.
When the two gods of destruction start fighting, they end up destroying the field. The only character remaining is Yamcha, who is lying in his familiar death pose, inside a crater. Fortunately for Yamcha, he not only survived the attack, but allowed his team to win by remaining on the field. 😏
8. INCREASED TIME ON SCREEN
When a manga becomes popular, it is likely to be adapted into an anime. This usually happens when the manga is still being created, meaning the anime will eventually catch up to the comic . In order to prevent this from happening, the creators of the anime usually create filler episodes.
Filler episodes are generally not very good quality, as they cannot impose permanent changes, in case they end up contradicting future stories of the manga and this will be the case for Yamcha who mainly appears in this type of episodes. 📚
The one about Yamcha happened after the Cell Games . When Boo wiped out almost all life on Earth, the anime showed what some of the characters were up to in the afterlife. Yamcha is shown fighting and defeating Olibu in combat, putting him at a power level close to or even higher than perfect Cell. 💪
7. YAMCHA SONG
The Dragon Ball franchise has many songs associated with it. In Japan, the most famous Dragon Ball opening theme is called Cha-La Head-Cha-La . It has been referenced in many other anime, manga and Dragon Ball games. The American opening of the song is called Rock the Dragon and it is also loved by US fans, although it is a bit silly and repetitive. 🎼
In Japan, it is not uncommon for a popular anime series to receive audio created by singing fans. These are sometimes also songs performed by the actors themselves (if they think they are singers) .
Yamcha is one of those characters who got a theme song. It's called Wolf Hurricane and was voiced by Tōru Furuya , who is the voice actor for Yamcha. The song is a mix of Yamcha boasting about his (meager) fighting prowess, but complaining about his fear of being near a woman, and how lonely it makes him feel. 🙄
6. YAMCHA IN VIDEO GAMES
There was a long gap between the end of Dragon Ball GT and the start of Dragon Ball Super. During this period, the only new Dragon Ball support was the releases of the DBZ video games . Dragon Ball Z had also become a major presence on the Internet, with the show's initial success coinciding with the arrival of home computers in homes around the world. 💻
Fans of the flagship cartoon quickly began releasing their own jokes and memes (like the Yamcha Death Pose mentioned above) . One of these jokes was about Yamcha's uselessness . He was portrayed as a weak character who lost every fight he participated in. This attitude mainly spread because Dragonball Z became popular before Dragon Ball, which was the period when Yamcha was the most important, unfortunately for him... 😅
The uselessness of Yamcha's memory eventually spilled over into the Dragon Ball Z video games . Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 featured an unlockable tournament, called the Yamcha Game . It was a tournament where you fought against a selection of characters, before facing Yamcha in the final. The Yamcha Game was a parody of the Cell Games of Dragon Ball Z, except that in the final, the opponent and the ultimate threat was much weaker... Thanks to Toei Animation and Bandai for this lack of promotion of the character. once again ! 😄
5. THE WOLF’S FANGS
The franchise is known for its many special attacks that have become as recognizable as the series itself. Son Goku's Kamehameha and Spirit Bomb attacks are the most notable, as they have been referenced outside of Dragon Ball on numerous occasions. 📺
Yamcha has the distinction of using the very first special attack in the series. During his first fight against Goku, Yamcha uses his Wolf Fang technique. It is a series of punches and kicks that are enhanced by Ki energy. 🐺
The creators of Dragon Ball are sadists though and they can't even let Yamcha have his own special move without a Saiyan stealing it. In the movie Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and his friends return!! , Gotenks will use a much more powerful version of Yamcha's Wolf Fangs against Aka, which will obviously make the attack a bit obsolete compared to all the other overpowered techniques in the saga... 🙄
4. YAMCHA STOLE GOGETA
In the movie Dragon Ball Z: Fusions , Goku and Vegeta perform the fusion dance and transform into Gogeta . This combined version of the two Saiyans was necessary to defeat the demon Janemba. Gogeta wins the battle through the use of the Stardust Breaker attack.
This Ultra Technique is a movement starting with a series of punches and kicks, in order to weaken the enemy. Gogeta will then create a rainbow-colored ball of energy, which can banish all evil from whoever it hits and which will make the evil Janemba breathe his last. 🌠
What does this have to do with Yamcha? There is a very popular Dragon Ball Z mobile game called Dokkan Battle , which combines board game and puzzle elements into one. Thanks to a flaw in the game, it is possible for Yamcha to perform the Stardust Breaker attack. Those pesky Saibamans better watch out! ✨
3. THE DEATH OF YAMCHA
Yamcha's death at the hands of the Saibaman was an important moment in the Dragon Ball Z franchise. This was despite the fact that he had been fatally injured on other occasions (like when he encountered the cyborgs) and that he died again during the Boo saga. For some reason, it was Yamcha's death that stuck in the minds of fans, which is why she is still remembered today. 😥
His death was considered a big moment in the story of Dragon Ball Extra: How I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha when he crushed all the Saibamans at once. In the Dragon Ball SD comic series, Yamcha was about to defeat Gohan's father. Oolong tries to stop him, transforming into something Yamcha should be afraid of. He then transforms into Saibaman, causing Yamcha to collapse into his famous death pose. One of the most recent references to the Yamcha/Saibaman feud can be found in Dragon Ball Fusions on Nintendo 3DS, where Yamcha must face the Saibaking, who is a fusion of five different Saibamen. 🕹️
2. YAMCHA NEVER REALLY EVOLVED
When Yamcha was first introduced, he was living like a bandit in the desert. We don't know anything about his life before the time he first met Goku. It is unknown whether Yamcha had any family or friends (aside from Puar ) , and why he turned to banditry. 🏴☠️ Despite his constant victimization, he played an important role in saving the world on numerous occasions. Yamcha always showed up to big fights with a winning instinct, even if he knew he was overwhelmed by events. Of all the Z-Fighters , he had the most normal life and even managed to land a well-paying job. 💰
In the latest episode of Dragon Ball GT , Yamcha is seen in the desert with Puar once again, as his car broke down. Goku sees him one last time, before disappearing with the legendary dragon Shenron . Of all the final moments between Goku and the other characters in the series, the one with Yamcha most resembles their first meeting. We realize that the character has not really evolved, which is surprising compared to the others in the series. 🙃
1. THE TOURNAMENT OF POWER
And to end this article in style, let's now talk about his victimization in the Super saga. Certainly, it is not surprising that he is not very present in the plot of the new sagas, given that he is significantly weaker than Goku, Vegeta and Gohan. But he's on the same level as fighters like Krillin and Ten , both of whom get plenty of opportunities to shine. ☀
It only gets worse from here. When the Universal Survival Saga arrived, it was revealed that Son Gohan's father was going to be able to choose ten fighters to participate in a tournament that would encompass eight universes. Unfortunately, Yamcha is waiting for an invitation that never comes. A Japanese magazine confirmed that Yamcha wasn't on the team for a simple reason: Goku simply forgot to ask him... 😂
Yamcha has existed since the first edition of Dragon Ball. Of all the main characters, none have been more ignored or mocked from the story than Yamcha. He was humiliated by the directors in the episodes by belittling his power compared to the other fighters . We should also not forget that Yamcha also took a lot of heat because his technique of flirting and caring for women was not really established (see our article on the Most Unlikely Couples in Dragon Ball ) ...
It should also be noted that the way the new Dragon Ball Super series treated him (or rather the lack of treatment) was also unacceptable to fans of the character. We can therefore easily understand why Yamcha became a Victim in Dragon Ball! 👊
More effective than him in terms of flirting techniques with ladies? Illustrate all your most famous techniques through this magnificent Yamcha figurine !
