Android 17

Jinzōningen #17 (FUNimation's dub: Android #17, also known as Cyborg #17 or Artificial Human #17) is a fictional character from the Japanese manga Dragon Ball (US only: Dragon Ball Z) and anime Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT. He is a black-haired cyborg created by Dr. Gero.

He is referred to in the original Japanese as an artificial human (Jinzōningen), which is translated as 'cyborg'/'android'/'robot'; he is not a robot nor an android, and it is implied in the manga he and his sister were originally runaways heavily fitted with cybernetics. As such, he is, in English, correctly a cyborg.

No. 17 is a notable character in the Dragon Ball series due to his very back-and-forth moral standing. He starts out appearing to be a powerful villain, but is revealed to be little else besides a rebel without a cause. When he is wished back to life, he lives a life of peace on his own. However, he is brought back in GT as a super villain when people in Hell take control of his mind, and is killed for his heinous crimes. Yet even when the villains take control of his mind, he still maintains some of the love in his heart, especially for his twin sister. This is in contrast to his alternate self from Trunks' future, where he is a sociopathic killer who cares for no one but himself and sister.

No. 17's strongest trait is most certainly his sense of self. He refuses to bow down to the will of his evil creator Dr. Gero (or later, Dr. Myū), and fights a futile battle with Cell to assert his identity and his pride. He has guns, but rarely uses them, due to the fact that firearms would be useless in combat against opponents such as saiyans or Cell. He is seen with a holstered gun in Dragon Ball Z: Budōkai 3.

His seiyū is Shigeru Nakahara. In the FUNimation dub, he is voiced by Chuck Huber.

Dragon Ball Z

#17 at left with #16 and his twin sister #18.

Jinzōningen Arc

#17 and his twin sister Cyborg #18 (FUNimation's dub: Android #18) are awakened by their creator, Dr. Gero, when he is pressed into a corner by the Z Fighters, who he discovers to be much stronger than expected. It is revealed that this is not the first time Dr. Gero has attempted to utilize the twin cyborgs his fear of them quickly becomes obvious, and fully realized when #17 impales and then decapitates him. Abandoning Gero's plans for them, #17 and #18 awaken Android #16 and decide to find Son Gokū and fight him just for fun. They are confronted by Vegeta, Mirai Trunks, and Piccolo, and defeat all three with extreme ease. However, the twins let them live, one of many examples that set them apart from their future timeline counterparts.

Second Form Cell Arc

Later, #17 fought Piccolo after he had fused with Kami, giving him extraordinary powers. They were equal in power, except for the fact that #17 would never run out of energy and Piccolo could become drained of his. The match was interrupted by Cell, who was looking to absorb #17 and #18 to reach his perfect form. While Piccolo tried to aid in the battle against Cell, he was quickly tossed aside and #17 struggled in vain to defend himself from being absorbed. All seemed lost until #16 stepped in to fight Cell. #16 was able to hold off Cell for a time, repeatedly surprising it with intensely powerful attacks such as the "Hell's Flash" beam cannons. However, this sudden turning of tables created an overconfidence in #17, who lingered at the battle site, where Cell surprised him and quickly absorbed him.

Cell Games Arc

No. 17 was killed along with Cell during Cell's self-destruction, but was revived after the Z Warriors used the Dragon Balls to bring back the people killed by Cell. He also had the self-destruct device in his body removed by Kuririn in another wish made true with the Dragon Balls. He never assimilates into the main cast of characters after this point, content to live life on his own.

Future Timeline

In a dark future timeline of Dragon Ball Z, #17 and #18 have ravaged the planet Earth within an inch of its life, and much of human civilization is destroyed. Following their release, they killed Dr. Gero (as in the "fixed" timeline that Dragon Ball Z follows) and then proceeded to kill anything they encountered, including all of the Z Fighters except Gohan. As the years pass, it becomes painfully obvious that Gohan and Trunks are the only martial artists left capable of fighting the twins. However, no conceivable advantage arises for them and Gohan is eventually killed. In one timeline, Trunks shuts them down with a remote control, and is killed by Cell, who travels to a similar past timeline to seek out the twins; and in another, he destroys them through pure power, then destroys Cell as well.

Kid Buu Saga

No. 17 is later seen in the uncut DBZ episode where Gokū gathers energy to defeat . He raises his rifle to trick two hunters passing by into raising their hands into the air (they think that he's trying to rob them) and giving energy to Gokū's Genki Dama. He smiles and says, "You beat me to it," raising his hand up with them to give energy to Gokū. Also since he appears in the mountains it might mean that he became a wanderer.

Considering the fact that he is alive at this time serves as a testament to his good soul: the wish that revived him was one that Vegeta made asking for only the good people on Earth to be revived when it was restored ( had previously obliterated the planet in a single attack).

Dragon Ball GT

In Dragon Ball GT, he is telepathically brainwashed and merges with a completely artificial #17, created by Doctor Gero and Dr. Myū in Hell. Before he merges, he decides to ask #18 to join him, but the incident only leads to the death of Kuririn when he contradict's the voice in #17's head (the voice of the artificial #17). #18 is horrified and attempts to fight #17, but he incapacitates her. He then finds his artificial self to become Super Jinzōningen #17. The super jinzōningen then battles most of the Z Fighters, but defeats them all, including Majuub and Vegeta. Super #17 is later killed by Son Gokū with the help of #18, though it is revealed that the real #17 had gave them the chance they needed to finish him and his evil copy off. It is widely believed that the wish that Gokū gave himself for at the end of GT, which had brought back to life all the good people that died in the battles from the Super #17 saga on through to the Evil Dragon Saga (FUNimation's dub: Shadow Dragon Saga), revived both Kuririn and the real #17 (and NOT those that came from Hell or any of the Evil Dragons). This means Andriod 17# Minus any fusions of characters, is the sole surviving character still classed by most as a villian.

Dragon Ball Movies & TV Specials

(#17 appears in the following Dragon Ball Movies and TV Specials:)
*Movie 7: Extreme Battle