Dragon Ball: Why does Android 21 look like Buu? Explained

Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball's Android 21 and her connection with Majin Buu. (Image via Dragon Ball)

Dragon Ball has had a lot of spin-offs, movies, and even video games where there have been some interesting villains who haven't been canon, and Android 21, from the Dragon Ball Fighterz game, is a prime example of that tendency. She was created by Dr. Gero in his quest to destroy Goku and was modeled after his deceased wife, although she is also quite different from all the androids who were shown in the series.

It is also worth pointing out that Android 21 has a duality of a good and bad side, with the latter looking a lot like Majin Buu, which has led non-players of the video game to wonder why she looks like that. Well, the answer to this question lies deep in the character's lore and how she was created, which is a good example of how non-canon franchises can come up with some interesting concepts.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Dragon Ball series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.


Explaining why Android 21 looks like Majin Buu in the Dragon Ball Fighterz game

One thing that allowed Android 21 to make a strong first impression was the look of her evil side, which was very similar to that of Majin Buu. Of course, there are a lot of fans of the franchise who haven't played Dragon Ball Fighterz, so they weren't aware of why she looked that way, although the explanation for that look is fairly simple.

Android 21 has Majin Buu cells, although she is not the same type of creation as Cell but rather a mix of that and the traditional concept of androids the series has always used. In that regard, due to Buu being a magical entity, his cells had a very unique effect on Android 21, becoming not only more evil when she switches to that form but also loving sweets and the ability to turn people into candy.

Of course, this doesn't mean that she is a complete copy of Buu since she can't regenerate, can't blow steam, and can't change the shape of her body like the original did. In many ways, this makes her a less dangerous foe than Buu, but she is still strong enough and a tough challenge to the player in the game, which is always worth pointing out.


Could Android 21 have a major role in the manga or anime?

Android 21 in her original form in the video game. (Image via Dragon Ball)
Android 21 in her original form in the video game. (Image via Dragon Ball)

An interesting fact about Android 21 is that it was designed and created by the Dragon Ball author Akira Toriyama, so that gives her some validity as perhaps having a future in the coming years. She was one of the brightest spots of the Fighterz game, so there are a lot of fans of the series who would love to see her as part of the story's official canon and have a role to play.

However, it is difficult to see Android 21 being included since the Super Hero storyline featured a lot of Dr. Gero's creations, and she wasn't a part of that arc. It was a very Android-focused story, so it is even harder to picture her appearing in a future arc, considering that her concept has been somewhat over-utilized in recent arcs.


Final thoughts

Android 21 looks like Majin Buu in the Dragon Ball Fighterz because she has some of his cells in her organism, which is why she looks like a Majin when turning into her bad side. While she is not exactly like Buu because she can't regenerate and her body isn't flexible, she can turn people into candy and has the same sweet tooth as the original character.

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