First AppearanceDragon Ball Z Chapter 350 / Dragon Ball Z Episode 134 (1992)
Power Level~3e14 (estimated, greater than Android 17 and 18). Fully mechanical. Killed by Cell. Irreparable.
Signature MovesHell's Flash (chest cannons, arm removal), Rocket Punch (removable fists), Scouter (built-in ki sensor), Bird Watching
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Android 16 is the towering, gentle green-haired android whose love of nature, birds, and peace stood in stark contrast to his design as Dr. Gero's most powerful purely mechanical creation.Android 16 is the towering, gentle green-haired android whose love of nature, birds, and peace stood in stark contrast to his design as Dr. Gero's most powerful purely mechanical creation. Unlike Androids 17 and 18, who were human-based cyborgs, 16 was built entirely from scratch, modeled physically after Gero's deceased son Gevo — a fact that gave his existence a poignant tragedy: a father's desperate attempt to resurrect his son through machinery, producing a being who wanted only to protect life rather than destroy it. 16's programming targeted Goku for termination, but his personality was so fundamentally gentle that 17 and 18, upon activating him, were surprised by his calm, nature-loving demeanor. He spent his limited screen time observing birds, commenting on the beauty of clouds, and declining to fight unless absolutely necessary. His power was immense: physically stronger than 17 and 18, he was the android that Imperfect Cell feared facing before absorbing enough humans. During the Cell Games, 16's role transcended mere combat. After Cell crushed his body, his severed head, retrieved by Krillin, became the vessel for the series' most important speech. As Cell tormented Gohan and the Z-Fighters despaired, 16's dying voice urged Gohan to let go of his fear: it was not a sin to fight to protect those you love, and the gentle creatures of the world — the birds, the animals, the innocent — depended on someone willing to rage against evil. These final words, spoken moments before Cell crushed his head into dust, triggered Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 transformation and changed the course of history. 16's legacy is that of the pacifist who understood that true compassion sometimes requires righteous violence. He was never repaired or revived — his mechanical nature prevented Dragon Ball resurrection — making his sacrifice permanent and all the more meaningful. In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Dr. Hedo's design for the Gamma androids paid subtle homage to 16's aesthetic, an acknowledgment that even among Dr. Gero's creations, the gentlest was the most powerful in the ways that truly mattered.... Read more
