This is a list of factions which exist in the entire Dragon Ball universe. They are listed in alphabetical order. Certain factions have not been assigned official names, thus sections for these groups are titled after the character who is their dominant leader.
Cooler's Armored Squadron[]
Cooler's Armored Squadron (クウラ機甲戦隊 Kūra Kikō Sentai, Lit. Coola Mechanism Corps) is a mercenary platoon who works closely with Cooler, the brother of Frieza. They make their debut in the film Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, where they are first shown presiding over Planet Vegeta on the day it is destroyed by Frieza. Here, they notice an Attack Ball containing a Saiyan infant eject from the planet, which Cooler condones. Decades later, Cooler discovers that his brother has been killed by a Saiyan, and vowing only to reestablish his family pride, Cooler departs for Earth with Cooler's Armored Squadron, hoping to ambush Goku, the Saiyan responsible for Frieza's death. The ambush is successful and Gohan is forced to obtain Senzu Beans to heal his father's condition, but upon return he is attacked by Salza, the leader of the platoon. Piccolo saves the boy and proceeds to kill the other two members of Cooler's Armored Squadron, Dore and Neiz, but has trouble combating Salza. A battle between Cooler and a fully healed Goku ensues, but results in Cooler being plummeted into the Sun. As the group celebrates, Salza reappears and prepares to unleash and attack that may overpower the Z Fighters in their state, but he is suddenly countered by Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon. Thus, Cooler's Armored Squadron's three members, Salza, Dore and Neiz, are each killed by Piccolo.
Core Area Warriors[]
The Core Area Warriors are a collection of individuals whose goal is to destroy Zeno. They come from different eras and universes, and were gathered by Fu with the intention to eventually release them to increase the excitement on the Prison Planet. The leader of the group is Hearts, serving beneath him are Fused Zamasu seemingly having been restored with cybernetic implants, the Evil Saiyan Cumber, the Neo Machine Mutant twins Oren and Kamin and Lagss a member of the Glass People. They all are eventually defeated after the Dragon Team, with help from powerful allies from other Universes such as Hit and Jiren, confront them.
Dark Empire[]
The Dark Empire is an army of demons commanded by Mechikabura and his subordinate Towa. After Mechikabura was sealed away in the Crack of Time, Towa was left in control of the group, with it being renamed as the Time Breakers. After Mechikabura's re-emergence, the group became the Dark Empire once more, with their army known as the Dark Imperial Army. Chronoa leads the Time Patrol in defeating them once and for all with assistance from the Demigra Army when Xeno Trunks uses the Key Sword to seal Mechikabura away permanently.
The Time Breakers are the primary antagonistic force in Dragon Ball Online and the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series and are also minor antagonists in Dragon Ball Fusions. The Dark Demon Realm Army are the primary antagonistic force in the Dark Demon Realm Saga and the Dark Empire are the primary antagonists of the Dark Empire and Dark King Mechikabura Sagas.
Dragon Team[]
The Dragon Team (ドラゴンチーム Doragon Chīmu) a group of Earth's mightiest warriors. First formed during Goku and Bulma's search for the Dragon Balls, they have since fought many battles in order to test their skills and reach other goals, and in turn have become the unofficial defenders of Earth. Due to them just being a group of martial artists who group up from time to time, they have no official leader or particular positions. Members will act of their own accord at times, though most if not all have some sort of sense of justice (or eventually developed one) and will make drastic decisions to defend their home. Throughout the years, the group consistently bolstered its ranks through the addition of former enemies and new heroes, and routinely overcame seemingly insurmountable opponents; always emerging victorious against progressively more powerful foes.
Frieza Force[]
Frieza is the self-proclaimed "Lord of the universe," who spends hundreds of years controlling an interplanetary empire and dominating the planet broker trade. His forces make their debut with Raditz, who is sent to Earth in "The New Threat" ("The Arrival of Raditz" in the edited anime) to investigate the planet's status and recover his brother Kakarot (now known as Goku). However, Raditz makes no mention of Frieza, instead simply citing that the Saiyans are responsible for planet broking. It is not until the episode "Held Captive" that the universal threat Frieza poses is first described. Frieza's most esteemed henchmen and possibly those who he has collaborated with the longest are Dodoria and Zarbon, who each act as his closest advisers and military commanders. Both oversaw the destruction of the Saiyan race, with Zarbon suggesting the Saiyans be eliminated before they form a rebellion, and Dodoria participating in the extermination of the most powerful Saiyan platoon. Decades later, Vegeta executes both Dodoria and Zarbon on Planet Namek, although initially a transformation used by the latter gets the best of the Saiyan. In addition to the Saiyan race in general, other known followers of Frieza include Appule, Blueberry, Cui, Raspberry and Namole; Abo and Kado are also shown to be former mercenaries of Frieza's empire in The Return of Son Goku and Friends!. Malaka can also be seen presiding over Frieza's conversion into a machine. The Ginyu Force are also among the soldiers employed by Frieza, although unlike most mercenaries who do Frieza's bidding, the Ginyu Force are simply freelancers who are favored by the tyrant. In addition to these known followers, countless other unnamed soldiers in Frieza's empire also appear in the series, mostly during the climax of Bardock - The Father of Goku; in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, the playable character Frieza Soldier is representative of these countless tertiary followers.
Galaxy Soldiers[]
The Galaxy Soldiers are a mercenary platoon who work closely with Bojack, a ruthless alien formerly locked inside of a star by the Kais of the universe. They make their debut in the film Bojack Unbound. With King Kai's death following the destruction of his planet during the Cell Games, the link holding Bojack trapped is shattered, leaving him to make his escape. Tracking the energy coming from the Cell Games to Earth, Bojack travels to the planet accompanied by the Galaxy Soldiers, Bido, Bujin, Kogu and Zangya. Infiltrating a World Martial Arts Tournament funded by X.S. Cash for his son's birthday, Bojack seeks to eliminate every single fighter on Earth in order to be rid of any obstacles in the way of universal conquest. While the Galaxy Soldiers frequent the arenas, Bojack waits calmly in a ruined city where the final challenge of the tournament is meant to take place. Eventually, the mercenaries gather the bodies of Future Trunks (who was successful in slaying Kogu), Krillin, Yamcha and Tien Shinhan. Gohan, the only fighter still standing, lashes at Bojack but is interrupted by the Galaxy Soldiers whilst Bojack watches on. Eventually Gohan ascends to Super Saiyan 2 and effortlessly wipes out both Bujin and Bido. Becoming desperate despite insisting that Gohan cannot stop him, Bojack sacrifices his fearful, remaining underling, Zangya, when he pushes her towards Gohan and fires an energy wave straight through her. Gohan evades this, prompting the delirious Bojack to attack head-on, only for Gohan to land a punch straight through the tyrant's stomach. Bojack launches his ultimate attack, the Galactic Buster, which Gohan counters with a Super Kamehameha. The two energies clash and result in an explosion through which both Gohan and Bojack rush through to attack each other, however one final punch into the flash of light ultimately kills Bojack.
Ghost Warriors[]
The Ghost Warriors are a group of fighters "revived" by Dr. Lychee's Supercomputer, Hatchiyack. They are Dr. Lychee, Frieza, Cooler, Lord Slug, and Turles.
Ginyu Force[]
The Ginyu Force is an elite mercenary platoon who works closely with Captain Ginyu, a mutant with the dangerous ability to exchange bodies with his unsuspecting foes. They make their debut in the episode "Unknown Enemies", where Frieza sends for them to discipline Vegeta and recover the Dragon Balls stolen by the Saiyan. In spite of being some of the most prime fighters of their time, the arrogant members of the Ginyu Force delight in coming up with strange poses, betting on fights using candy and playing rock-paper-scissors to decide the order in which they should fight. The overall surprise Frieza displays when they arrive on Namek seems to imply that has never grown accustomed to their goofy attitude. The strongest member of the team is Captain Ginyu himself, who for the majority of his appearances in the series, occupies the body a horned, purple-skinned mutant, though he is capable of exchanging bodies at will. Recoome is a large brute with orange hair who uses numerous barbaric techniques which he prefers to title after himself. Burter is a tall, blue reptilian humanoid who fancies himself the fastest being in the universe next to Frieza, and combines many of his energy attacks with Jeice, a handsome soldier with red-pigmented skin and long white hair. The fifth member is Guldo, a short and stubby amphibious humanoid with four eyes and an assortment of telepathic abilities. Sans their leader, the Ginyu Force's Recoome, Burter, Jeice and Guldo are each killed by Vegeta.
Heeter Force[]
Illusion Saiyans[]
The Phantom Saiyans are a group of two Saiyans from the past who appear in a Dragon Ball Z filler and in the video game Dragon Ball Z: Kyōshū! Saiyan. In Kyōshū! Saiyan, they are named Brock and Onion (the two Saiyans whom Funimation dubbed "Shorty" and "Scarface", respectively). Onion is the only one of the Illusion Saiyans who can transform into a Great Ape in the video game.
King Vegeta's Elite[]
King Vegeta is the king of Planet Vegeta, although he is not its ultimate ruler as, during this time, the Saiyan race is under Frieza's segregation. His forces make their debut in "The Secret of the Dragon Balls" with Goku, who is sent to Earth 12 years prior to prepare the planet for Frieza's planet trade, but loses sight of this after an accident leaves him permanently amnesiac. King Vegeta's strict mannerisms have also resulted in the exile of his own son Tarble. While most of the known Saiyans have proudly served King Vegeta, Paragus and his son Broly are among the Saiyans who disagree with the king's naïve ways after the two were exiled because the king feared that Broly would one day grow up to surpass him and his son. They later plot to take their revenge through the Saiyan prince Vegeta for this. Eventually, King Vegeta stages an invasion of Frieza's spaceship in an attempt to rescue his son (who at this time is nowhere near the ship, as he is carrying out orders on another planet), to which Frieza retaliates by killing King Vegeta and his royal guard and launching a Supernova through Planet Vegeta, exterminating all but a handful of Saiyans. Significant followers of King Vegeta include Bardock, Borgos, Fasha, Nappa, Raditz, Shugesh, Tora, Vegeta, Zorn, and initially Paragus; Malaka and Planthorr are also presiding doctors at a Saiyan hospital.
Lord Slug's Demon Clan[]
Lord Slug is a Super Namek who, after being exiled from the Namek homeworld, began traveling across outer space, organizing an army to assist in the conquering of further planets. His forces make their debut in the film Lord Slug, when they visit Earth, attempting to transform it into a pseudo-spacecraft by freezing its atmosphere and using it to carry them to new planets. The henchmen who work closest with Lord Slug are Commander Zeeun, Angila, Wings, Medamatcha, Kakuja and Gyoshu. Countless other soldiers who appear to be of the same race as one member of Team Dodoria also serve as grunts in Slug's army, however these soldiers have a relatively low power level, as Chi-Chi demonstrates by besting several of them to protect Gohan. Aside from Gyoshu, Commander Zeeun, Kajuya and a number of grunts, who Slug himself kills at various points of the film, Lord Slug's henchmen are slain by Piccolo and Goku. Wings is killed by an energy wave to the face, Medamatcha is pummeled to death and Angila swallows a deflected Mouth Energy Wave. In the final battle with the Super Namek, Piccolo, Gohan and Goku plot together to defeat Lord Slug.
Luud Cult[]
The Luud Cult are the worshippers of "Lord" Luud, a huge Machine Mutant. The cult is led by Cardinal Mutchy Mutchy, who is under the command of Dolltaki (himself acting on behalf of Dr. Myuu).
Moro Corps[]
The Moro Corps are a horde of vile criminals formerly imprisoned by the Galactic Patrol in the Galactic Prison who serve under Moro. After Moro broke free from Galactic Prison he made his way to New Namek in order to use the Dragon Balls. His third wish was for all those imprisoned to be set free and the convicts soon serve under Moro in an act of loyalty. The most notable members of the Moro Corps are the members that make up Saganbo's Galactic Bandit Brigade a group of criminals who once rampaged throughout one of Universe 7's galaxies.
Organization of Babidi[]
The doppelganger of the powerful wizard Bibidi, Babidi uses his Ayatsuri no Majyutsu spells to take control of a number of prime fighters. His forces make their debut with Yamu and Spopovich, who are sent to the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament in "Who Will Fight Who?" to steal energy from other contestants so that Babidi may resurrect his father's ultimate creation, Majin Buu. Upon receiving the energy, Babidi betrays and murders Yamu and Spopovich with help from another minion, Pui Pui. Babidi also has control over the king of demons (not to be confused with King Piccolo, alternatively known as "Demon King Piccolo"), Dabura, whose spit is enough to overpower Krillin, Piccolo and Kibito. At his base of operations, Babidi unleashes Pui Pui and yet another minion, Yakon, on Goku, Gohan, Vegeta and Shin. It is during these battles that Dabura learns Vegeta is vulnerable to Babidi's spell, and after reporting this to the wizard, Babidi casts his magic on Vegeta, turning him into a Majin. Later when Majin Buu is hatched from his Magical Ball, Babidi takes some degree of control over the creature, mostly through bribery, but with Goku's persuasion, Majin Buu kills Babidi and defects to the Dragon Team's side. With Babidi and his subordinates either dead or free from his possession, the wizard's influence crumbles and becomes a thing of the past. Although Majin Buu inadvertently creates his Evil, Super and Kid Buu counterparts, they have no association with Babidi, and on the contrary, Babidi is one of the few villains in Hell to cheer on Goku to defeat Kid Buu because the grudge he holds against the creature.
Pilaf Gang[]
Emperor Pilaf is a short imp who desires to take over the world using the Dragon Balls. His two most significant henchmen are Shu and Mai. It is implied a couple of times early in the series that he has other minions as well but they are unseen. One notable thing of Pilaf is that he has a disposable amount of resources. The original base for his forces was his castle in the Diablo Desert. When Goku turned into a great ape and destroyed it he got a new base which was a flying fortress which was later shot down by Colonel Silver's troops. One significant thing they later acquire is the Pilaf Machines which are giant battle robots they use to fight Goku making them a bit closer to Goku's strength in battle. King Piccolo was released by Pilaf which ultimately backfired when he took over and made his own forces. The Pilaf forces return to interrupt Goku and Chi-Chi a couple times on their quest for the Bansho Fan. In video games it is implied that Pilaf's Castle was rebuilt sometime after the Piccolo Jr. Saga. Pilaf and the rest are shown still together in Dragon Ball GT and accidentally use the Black Star Dragon Balls to turn Goku into a kid.
Red Ribbon Army[]
Officially led by a diminutive Commander Red the goal of the Red Ribbon Army was to use any means necessary to obtain the Dragon Balls and wish for world takeover; yet Commander Red secretly planned his wish for him to be a taller person. Since he was a very short person, he despised being around those who were taller than him.
When Staff Officer Black found out about Red's plan, he killed the Commander and took control of the Red Ribbon Army and, in the anime, renamed the organization the Black Ribbon Army. The entire army was defeated when a young boy named Goku sought to stop the army's evil ways by infiltrating the fortress, killing Black in the midst.
It is noted that every single officer in the Red Ribbon Army is intentionally named after a certain color (with the exception of Dr. Gero, who was actually named after a number/mechanical part.).
Sigma Force[]
Sigma Force is General Rilldo's top mercenary force and are made up of Commander Nezi, Natt, Ribet, and Bizu. The Sigma Force are first encountered in the 16th and final episode of the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga, entitled "Giru's Checkered Past". Then in the episode "Pan's Gambit" General Rilldo realizes Pan is in the base, he sends Natt to deal with her. The robot seems to be winning with ease, but then Pan figures out he can only predict moves she has done before. She combines some of her moves with Goku's, and then destroys the robot. Later when the Sigma Force battle with Goku in the episode "Unexpected Power" the Sigma Force (With the exception of Natt) fuse together to create one mighty robot, the Super Mega Cannon Sigma.
Spice Boys[]
The Spice Boys are four Makyo-seijins replacing the Garlic Jr.'s original crew which consisted of Ginger, Nicky, and Sansho. They are under the command of Garlic Jr. during the Garlic Jr. Saga. They are strong, brave, evil, and totally devoted to Garlic Junior. Their names are derived from condiments: Mustard, Salt, Spice, and Vinegar. The leader is Spice, a white-haired, blue skinned warrior and the most handsome of the four. Salt is a short and stubby red skinned warrior with a Mongolian-type hat. Both Mustard and Vinegar are large, brawny, muscled brutes. Salt nearly kills Krillin with an energy blast, forcing Gohan to unleash his hidden powers, killing both Salt and Mustard with a Masenko blast. After Spice and Vinegar charge up their power from the Makyo star and pump up their bodies, they begin pounding Gohan and Krillin. Vinegar nearly kills Krillin sending Gohan off the edge once more, which results in another angry eruption from the young Saiyan, obliterating both Spice and Vinegar simultaneously in midair.
Team Bardock[]
Team Bardock is a crew of low-class Saiyan soldiers led by Bardock, best known as the father of Goku. They make their debut in the special Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku. The platoon is comprised of Bardock, as well as four other soldiers: Tora, Fasha, Shugesh and Borgos. Together, the five make a living by traveling to various planets where they decimate the defenses of these civilizations and prepare them for Frieza's planetary market. After clearing a society on the Planet Kanassa, a weakened survivor emerges, catching Bardock off-guard, and instils in the Saiyan the ability of precognitive foresight. Bardock is still out of commission when the other capable four soldiers are instructed to clear the civilization of Planet Meat. Before long during their visit to the planet, the group encounters one of Frieza's most esteemed minions, Dodoria, and his elite who, by Frieza's orders, betray and make short work of the Saiyans. Bardock is later informed that his team has accepted an offer on Meat. Pursuing them, he discovers his ravaged comrades, and to some fortune finds that Tora is alive but in critical condition. Vowing to avenge the four, Bardock is suddenly assaulted by Dodoria's Elite, although for a low-class Saiyan, he is able to dominate over the elite-class fighters until Dodoria launches a Super Mouth Blast, overpowering Bardock and leaving him for dead. Bardock barely survives this attack and struggles to return to Planet Vegeta where he immediately begins spreading the word of danger, but his panic only leads bystanders to believe Bardock is overreacting after having finally met his match during a typical mission. Terrified, Bardock takes to the skies where Frieza's Spaceship is orbiting, in a last resort effort to throttle Frieza's plan to eradicate the Saiyans. Frieza steps out into the orbit of Planet Vegeta where he encounters Bardock, who insists that the Saiyans refuse to be continue being oppressed and commanded by the tyrant. When Bardock attempts to kill Frieza using a Final Spirit Cannon energy sphere, which Frieza retaliates with by laughing manically as he expands a charging Supernova. Within moments, the Supernova is set free from Frieza's fingertip and careens through numerous bystanding soldiers en route toward the Planet Vegeta; Bardock is among the first to be consumed by the ball of energy.
Team Dodoria[]
Team Dodoria is an elite platoon who works closely with Dodoria, one of Frieza's most esteemed underlings. They make their debut in the special Bardock - The Father of Goku. All four members of the squad (excluding their leader) are nameless characters. Their captain's (credited on various film websites as the "Horned Gang Leader") skin is colored orange and he has horns and long brown hair. Another elite is clearly of the same race as Appule, and has amethyst-colored skin with gold specs. The other members include a frog-like creature with a red headcrest, and a green fish-like humanoid who appears to be of the same race as the grunts in Slug's army. These four accompany Dodoria to Planet Meat where, under Frieza's orders, they execute Team Bardock (sans Bardock, who during this time is resting in a Saiyan infirmary). When Bardock discovers his ravaged comrades he is assaulted by Team Dodoria, but manages to dominate the elite-class fighters. The Appule-like soldier fires several energy waves at Bardock, only to have his skull caved in, and Bardock uses the fish-humanoid soldier as a shield to defend from an oncoming energy wave. The frog-like soldier takes hold of Bardock, who is briefly distracted by his foresight, while the captain rapidly punches the Saiyan. When Bardock recovers, he spins the frog-like soldier around and the captain accidentally punches a hole through his back. Bardock then launches a large energy wave at the elites, killing both. Dodoria soon after arrives to overpower Bardock, however, leaving him for dead.
Turles Crusher Corps.[]
Turles Crusher Corps. are a mercenary platoon who work closely with Turles, a low-class Saiyan who bears an exact resemblance to Goku. They make their debut in the film The Tree of Might, where the group sends a device to Earth, which catapults into a forest and causes a fire that completely destroys the area. Later, the team arrives on Earth and plant a seed which grows the Tree of Might, a plant that sucks the life of the planet on which it was planted and leaves it a desert. Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu's attempts to destroy the tree are unsuccessful, and it isn't long before they are confronted by the mercenaries Daiz, Cacao, Rasin, Lakasei and Amond; their leader, Turles, watches the encounter from inside his spaceship. Gohan arrives and joins the battle after rescuing Chiaotzu from Rasin, and is personally invited by Turles to join his men. Gohan refuses and is saved in time thanks to the arrival of Piccolo. Using a Power Ball, Turles forces Gohan to transform into a Great Ape and sets him on Goku, who eventually manages to cut his son's tail off and restore him to normal. They then attack Goku, who retaliates and kills them using the Kaio-ken technique. A showdown ensues between Goku and Turles, with Goku having the upper hand until Turles pushes his power further by eating a fruit of the Tree of Might. Slowly recovering while Turles is distracted by the rest of the Z Fighters, Goku decides to use the Spirit Bomb. Unable to gather energy from living beings, Goku decides to use the stolen energy inside the Tree of Might itself. Eventually successful in creating the Spirit Bomb, Goku sees his opportunity, and fires it straight into Turles, who is carried up the trunk of the Tree of Might and destroyed along with the tree when the Spirit Bomb explodes.
Universe Creation Planners[]
The Universe Creation Planners are a set of warriors gathered by Fu to help with his plan to use the Universe Tree to create a new Universe. The other members making up the group consist of Towa, Mira, Meta-Cooler, Turles, Bojack, Dr. W, Super 17 and Janemba.