Dragon Ball Z: Android 17 & 18’s Origins Explained (Were They Human?)
How were Android 17 and Android 18 really created in Dragon Ball Z? Originally introduced as major villains, the characters are among the most powerful creations of the Red Ribbon Army and their chief scientist, Dr. Gero. Though they look and sometimes even act human, the two possess astounding strength and unique properties that none of the organic Z-Warriors share.
Built for the purpose of killing Goku, 17 and 18 started out as enemies of the heroes but eventually evolved into allies and ceased following their original programming. After Dragon Ball Super, both are counted as members of the Z-Warriors. But though they’re no longer committed to fulfilling their mission, their android natures have remained relevant to their stories. During Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power, their android powers made them a major asset to Goku’s Universe 7 team. As androids, 17 and 18 have unlimited energy. In other words, they can fight without fear of fatigue. That was how 17 was able to be the last fighter standing.
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The vast power shared by these characters and their continued popularity in the Dragon Ball franchise has led to a number of questions about their origin stories and how they were actually brought into existence. The primary difference between them and most of the other Red Ribbon Army androids is that they weren’t robots or genetically-engineered beings created in a lab. Unlike Android 8, Android 16, Android 19, and Cell, the brother-and-sister duo of 17 and 18 were once normal humans. Through comments made on the subject, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama expanded on what’s known about their pasts. According to him, 17 and 18 once lived as
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