Bandai Namco has promised that its upcoming action-adventure RPG,Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, will be the most faithful retelling of theDragon Ball Zstory to date. This means that players will have the chance to face down the most fearsome of foes, fromRadditz to Buu, and everyone in between. One such foe is Cell, unique from the rest because he is strangely calm about everything. While Frieza is somewhat over the top and Buu tends towards the psychotic, Cell’s brand of evil is something different. He also has fewer forms than most other villains, another way he differs from the rest.
For those unaware, Cell is an Android created by the Dr. Gero of a future timeline. In this timeline, Dr. Gero (the same scientist that created Android 17, Android 18, and all the others) extracted cells from powerful warriors such as Goku, Vegeta, Frieza, Piccolo, and King Cold, merging them all together to create this power house of an Android. Cell will be the final boss of the third arc inDragon Ball Z: Kakarot, and players will face him with the prodigal son, Gohan. Though Cell begins in his imperfect form, he powers up and takes on many different forms as he absorbs other Androids. All of these forms will make an appearance in one way or another inDragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
Imperfect Cell
Imperfect Cell is the form Cell takes when he first arrives to the present timeline. This form is not yet fully developed, a fact shown by his incomplete face and rough features. He is relatively weak in this form, unable to stand up against Piccolo or any of the Androids, and instead of facing them head on opts to bide his time to gain more power. Cell goes from city to city, absorbing humans and only fighting Z Fighters if he can get them one on one. Eventually, he gains enough power through these methods to take on the Androids. Cell finds Android 17 embroiled in battle with Piccolo and absorbs him, transforming him intoSemi-Perfect Cell.
Although it is uncertain to what degreeImperfect Cellwill play a part inDragon Ball Z: Kakarot, his most notable fight is his brawl with Piccolo, and players will most likely face him here for the first time. Piccolo and Cell were mostly evenly matched during this battle, so it would make for an interesting challenge. Beyond that, it is possible that players will fight Cell again with Piccolo, this time perhaps with Android 16 and Android 17 on their side, in the moments leading up to Cell’s absorption of Android 17.
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Semi-Perfect Cell
After absorbing Android 17, Cell takes on the form of Semi-Perfect Cell. In this form, his features are much more defined and human-like than before, but still looks a bit silly. The massive power boost Cell gains from absorbing Android 17 is displayed as he effortlessly takes on Android 16 and Android 18, proving far too fast and powerful to escape or be defeated. Although he is hindered by the likes of Tien,Goku, and Vegeta, Cell eventually tracks down and absorbs Android 18, reaching his perfect form.
Semi-Perfect Cell gets quite a bit more action than his previous form, partaking in many great, albeit one-sided, fights. Cell’s battles with Android 16 and Android 18 may potentially not be playable, as neither of these characters have been shown to be playable, and his encounter with Goku is brief and does not involve any combat. That said, there’s still time to confirm either/both Androids as playable, and players will likely to take control of Vegeta after his training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when he confronts Cell. In his Super Vegeta form (Super Saiyan Grade 2),Cell is no match for Vegeta. This raises an interesting question of how this will be portrayed inDragon Ball Z: Kakarot:will Semi-Perfect Cell be a weak, easily disposable enemy for Vegeta? Or will he still take on the uphill battle characteristics of other boss battles in the game?
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Perfect Cell
After Vegeta allows Cell to absorb Android 18, Cell reaches his Perfect Form. Cell swiftly incapacitates an emboldened Krillin before resuming his battle with Vegeta. If their last fight was one-sided, this one is too, but ten-fold. This time, Perfect Cell toys with Vegeta, absolutely dominating the fight. Cell is able to defeat all of the Z Warriors untilGohan reaches Super Saiyan 2. At this point, Gohan defeats Cell, forcing him into a desperate move.
Players should face Perfect Cell several times: first as Vegeta, then as Future Trunks,Goku, and finally Gohan. After several difficult battles, a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan knocks Perfect Cell down a peg, returning him to his Semi-Perfect Form. Seeing no other option, Cell begins to self-destruct, killing Goku in the process. Due to his regeneration abilities and Zenkai boost (the trait that provides Saiyans with a huge power boost when nearly killed), Cell returns as Super Perfect Cell
Super Perfect Cell
The full battle between Super Perfect Cell and Super Saiyan 2 Gohan can be watched in footage from the gameplay demo linked above, and will be the final challenge the player must overcome in the Cell Saga. Though no different visually in this form, Super Perfect Cell is much more powerful, able to face Super Saiyan 2 Gohan much more easily than before. This fight is by far one ofthe most iconic in all of theDragon Ball Zanime, and will put players' skills to the test.
Cell is a very interesting villain, as he had to work very hard to get as strong as he is. Other villains like Vegeta, Frieza, andBuustart their respective story arcs leagues above the heroes' power, forcing the hero to work to grow stronger and overcome. By contrast, Cell is incredibly weak in his initial state, but over time becomes a fearsome foe and grows beyond the capabilities of the other Z Fighters. That combined with his snarky attitude means players have much to look forward to forDragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarotwill be available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 22, 2025.
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