Dragon Ball Z is an extremely popular anime series, with almost 300 episodes. Often credited for bringing anime to the masses, it was broadcast in over 80 countries worldwide.
And it is packed with powerful bald characters. The main hero Goku isn’t bald, but so many of his rivals, enemies and sidekicks are bald.
Let’s take a look at the bald characters in Dragon Ball Z.
Who is the bald guy in Dragon Ball Z?
There is no single ‘bald guy’ in Dragon Ball Z since so many of the characters are bald, but the most prominent are Krillin, Piccolo, Master Roshi, and Frieza. Krillin is the main ‘sidekick’ of Goku, while Frieza is the main villain.
But while the main hero Goku has long hair, and so do some of the other characters, there are many that are bald too – both humans and aliens of various species. Even those based on animals are usually given a hairless appearance.
Why are so many characters bald in Dragon Ball Z?
There is no canonical reason why many characters are bald in Dragon Ball Z. Krillin and Tien Shinhan shave their heads to better tap into their ki. In reality, the reason is likely that bald characters are easier to draw, hence why so many are hairless.
There’s a lot of action in Dragon Ball Z, both in the Dragon Ball manga and the anime. Whether it’s the static images of the manga or the fluid animation of the anime, it’s important that characters are easy to tell apart and that the fighting is easy to understand visually.
When some of the main characters have such long hair, it makes sense that many others are bald.
List of bald characters in Dragon Ball Z
Here’s a look at all the bald characters in Dragon Ball Z and its spin-offs, including the coolest bald Dragon Ball characters like Piccolo, and others who are a little more unusual, such as Oolong.
Frieza
The primary villain of Dragon Ball Z, although whether you could argue he was bald is potentially up for debate. He has no hair, but nor does anyone in his mutant race.
Krillin
One of the closest allies of Goku, and considered to be one of the main comic relief characters in the world of Dragon Ball Z, Krillin is a human monk who has shaved his head, as according to him “all who aspire to master the martial arts shave their heads in order to unfetter their ki”.
Piccolo
Piccolo is a Namekian, and one of the most popular characters in Dragon Ball Z, often appearing near the top of ‘best character’ lists. Like all Namekians, he is bald.
Master Roshi
An oddly controversial character, Master Roshi is an elderly martial arts master who is at times wise, but at other times lecherous and cantankerous, resulting in mixed popularity with fans of the series.
Master Roshi costumes are available online, which makes him one of the most ideal bald Halloween characters if you’re looking for inspiration!
Tien Shinhan
One of the strongest human characters in Dragon Ball Z, Tien Shinhan starts as a villain seeking to kill Goku but later becomes an ally. He is the first character to fly, and similar to Krillin he shaves his head as part of his upbringing as a monk.
Chiaotzu
The best friend of Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu is not technically bald – when he finally removes his hat we see that he has a single wiry hair.
Beerus
Beerus is a god that is based on a Sphynx cat, and is therefore completely bald all over. He’s a great example of a bald and powerful character since he could literally destroy the universe if he wanted to.
King Piccolo
King Piccolo is a Demonic Namekian, and like other Namekian is completely bald. He once drove Earth into complete mayhem with his demonic offspring.
Kami
The former Guardian of the Earth, Kami was the good counterpart of King Piccolo. He was once one being alongside King Piccolo and Piccolo.
Garlic Jr
The primary antagonist in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, Garlic Jr is a turquoise Makyan that is immortal. When in his transformed state, he changes from a diminutive alien into a hulking fighter.
Dodoria
A ruthless fighter, Dodoria was one of the two right-hand men of Frieza. A massive pink warrior, he has no hair but does have spikes protruding from his scalp.
Nappa
Considered a secondary antagonist, Nappa was a mid-class Saiyan warrior from the Planet Vegeta, and once served in the army as an aid to Vegeta himself. He then worked as a soldier under Vegeta. His younger self is shown with thick black hair, though he is bald for most of his appearances in DBZ.
Cooler
The main villain of Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge, Cooler is of the Frieza race and shares a similar appearance. Some of his forms have armored headwear but we do know that, like Frieza, he is bald.
Cell
Another major villain, Cell is a bio-android that has an insect-like appearance, but with a bald head between his antennae. He is a creation of Dr Gero, manufactured from the genetic makeup of the strongest fighters to have visited Earth.
Majin Buu
Majin Buu has many different forms, all with their own personalities, including Kidd Buss, Innocent Buu, and Super Buu. They all look different but they do share a pink bald head with a long antenna.
Oolong
It’s hard to tell whether Oolong is actually bald, but it seems so – Oolong is a humanoid pig that does appear to be hairless. He’s also another controversial character – his favorite hobby is collecting women’s underwear.
Dende
Another Namekian, Dende has a completely bald green head with two small antennae. He is the Guardian of the Earth, having taken Kami’s place, and he can heal others.
Pikkon
The race of Pikkon is unknown although he has a similar appearance to Namekians in Dragon Ball Z. A strong warrior, he has a bald green head with black spots.
Jaco
A member of the Galactic Patrol, Jaco has a light blue head with a purple bald scalp. He has appeared in his own manga, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, along with appearances in Dragon Ball Super.
Botamo
One of the strongest warriors from Universe 6 and with a prominent role in that saga, Botamo is a large shiny humanoid bear. He’s presumed hairless due to the glossy skin and the lack of any fur detail though it isn’t confirmed.
Champa
Champa is the rival and twin brother of Beerus – while Beerus is the God of Destruction of Universe 7, Champa has the same role in Universe 6. He looks similar to his brother, but is more plump – and still bald.
Frost
A founding member of the Frieza race, Frost is the Universe 6 equivalent to Frieza. Frieza betrayed him in the Tournament of Power, wiping him out although he was later revived.
Hit
An extremely powerful fighter from Universe 6, Hit is a legendary assassin and is responsible for one of the hardest fights that Goku has to face in all of DBZ. He has a bald purple head.
Belmod
Belmod is the God of Destruction for Universe 11. While he wears Egyptian-style robes just like Champa and Beerus, he looks very different – he is not a Sphynx cat but is instead a humanoid clown, bald on top with a bushy orange horseshoe of hair around the back and sides.
Jiren
Also known as Jiren The Gray, he is the most powerful fighter in the Pride Troopers, wearing their signature uniform. He has a smooth bald head, and he always fights for justice.
Toppo
The leader of the Pride Troopers, Toppo (sometimes just called Top) is an alien with tan-colored skin and a bald head that features two prominent veins. His head is quite small compared to his massive hands.
Dyspo
Another member of the Pride Troopers, Dyspo shares a similar appearance with Beerus and Champa, though his ears are much longer. Again he has a hairless purple body and a bald head.
Zeno
Sometimes referred to as Grand Zeno or the Omni King, Zeno is the supreme ruler of all the Multiverse – which may surprise you when you see this cute small bald alien’s appearance.
Summary
That’s 28 notable bald characters in the Dragon Ball series that are bald – including some of the most powerful in the whole saga. That’s an impressive amount of bald representation, even if most of them aren’t actually human.
There are, of course, many bald cartoon characters in other shows, but none of them are as jam-packed with baldies as DBZ.
