Pterodactyls (プテラノドン Puteranodon), also called Pteranodons, are huge flying pterosaur reptiles. They live in Mount Paozu, as well as many other places of the Earth.
Appearances[]
One captured Bulma in the first episode of Dragon Ball but is knocked down by Goku's Power Pole. In a later episode, one is seen in the beginning hiding from Goku before his encounter with the Bear Thief (possibly being the same pterodactyl from the first episode). In another episode, Puar, Oolong, Bulma, and Yamcha meet a giant pterodactyl in a jungle after their airplane crashed there. In another episode, a pterodactyl attacks Nam, but is killed by Goku with a hit over its head by the Power Pole. In the Red Ribbon Army Saga, a pterodactyl eats a bird that was holding the Six-Star Dragon Ball. The Ox-King throws a rock at it and eats it for the "wedding" of Goku and Chi-Chi.
A pterodactyl confronts the second Sand Eagle who attacked Gohan in Break Wasteland. A Namekian Pterodactyl briefly appears in the Namek Saga, chasing Bulma on planet Namek until Krillin and Gohan shot it down. Another pterodactyl appears in Gohan's dream in Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest. In Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, a pterodactyl is briefly seen when it flies by Neiz, who thinks it was the one that set off his scouter, rather than Krillin's Ki Blast. During the Cell Games Saga, a pterodactyl tries to steal a fish Gohan caught while with Ox-King.
During the Great Saiyaman Saga, a baby pterodactyl named Chobi is stolen from his father Toh Toh and his mother by Mr. Musuka; he is eventually saved and returned to his parents by Gohan and Videl. At the end of the Kid Buu Saga, Goku arrives late to Bulma's party because he is watching over a pterosaur's eggs.
In Dragon Ball Super during the Universe Survival Saga, Pterodactyl are revealed to also be native to the Saiyan homeworld Sadala in Universe 6 as one can be seen flying through the skies around the time Cabba visits Renso. The Pterodactyl living on Planet Sadala are Erased along with the planet's Saiyan inhabitants and the rest of Universe 6. However thanks to Android 17's wish to revive the erased universes they were apparently restored along with Saiyans and Planet Sadala. It is unknown if they had existed on Planet Sadala in Universe 7.
Notable Pterodactyls[]
Video Game Appearances[]
Small pterodactyls are common enemies in Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku, Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, Dragon Ball GT: Transformation, Dragon Ball: Origins, Dragon Ball: Origins 2 (called Mini-Pteranodon), and Dragon Ball RPG: Shōnen-hen.
In The Legacy of Goku, a side quest involves the player searching for a pterodactyl mother's egg that has been stolen by another pterodactyl.
The pterodactyl seen in the manga is a boss in Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen, Dragon Ball: Origins, and Dragon Ball RPG: Shōnen-hen. In Dragon Ball: Origins 2, a Quetzalcoatlus-type pterosaur is the boss who found and brought the Four-Star Dragon Ball inside the pyramid in the Sacred Land of Korin. It is later revealed, in bonus level 5-6, that this Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur also attacked Launch in her bad form and took the Pirate Cave's diamond she stole from Bulma. The Quetzalcoatlus is defeated by Krillin in this bonus level after a tailor told him about the "fabulous treasure" protected by the Quetzalcoatlus, but when he defeats the pterosaur, Launch appears in the pyramid and steals the diamond once again.
Pterodactyls are also enemies in the computer game Dragon Ball Online.
Also, pterodactyls are seen in the background of the Rocky Area battle stage in Dragon Ball Z 2: Super Battle.
In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, two species of Pterosaur are native to Earth. Unlike Pterodactyls in the main series and birds, Pterosaurs developed wings separate from their arms which make them resemble European style dragons and dragons native to Earth such as Icarus. When Goku and Gohan ride the Flying Nimbus back home after collecting fish and Apples, a local Pterosaur casually flies by them. Like the large carnivorous dinosaurs that can be hunted, Pterosaurs can also be hunted for their meat and other materials such as their horns and fangs which can be sold for Zeni. To kill a Pterosaur, the character must simply hit it with a Ki Blast once as they lack the resilience of dinosaurs which take several to defeat. As Pterosaurs fly around, the ability to use Flight is somewhat necessary as hitting them from the ground is a matter of luck and distance. Pterosaurs are non-aggressive wildlife and relatively easy to hunt. Vermilion Pterosaurs are the most common species and can be found flying through various regions, while the Azure Pterosaurs is rare and leave behind a glittering trail as they fly which can be detected via Ki Sense. An Azure Pterosaur also can be seen flying through the sky on the game's title screen.
- Pterosaur Types
- Vermilion Pterosaur - A pterosaur found in all regions. Unlike birds, whose arms developed into wings, these creatures developed wings separate from their arms. Though not a bird, their meat tastes like poultry.
- Azure Pterosaur - Despite being found in all regions, this species is quite few in number and only rarely found. Its meat is much leaner than that of the vermilion pterosaur, making it a healthier option.
In Dragon Ball: The Breakers, one of the purchasable battle intros for the Survivor Avatar features an Azure Pterosaur from Kakarot carrying them into battle.
Voice Actors[]
- Japanese: Hiroshi Ōtake † (DB ep. 1), Kōzō Shioya (DB ep. 29), Keiji Hirai (Dragon Ball: Origins)
- English:
- Harmony Gold dub: Richard Epcar
- Ocean Group dubs: Doug Parker
- Funimation dub: Brad Jackson (DB ep. 1 and 29), Christopher Sabat (DB ep. 31), Brice Armstrong † (Father Pterodactyl; DBZ ep. 220), Laurie Steele (Mother Pterodactyl; DBZ ep. 220), Phil Parsons (Dragon Ball: Origins)
- Blue Water dub: Dave Pettitt
Trivia[]
- Unlike other saurians in the series, pterodactyls seem to have the ability to speak in full sentences, as seen in episodes such as "The Roaming Lake".
- In Akira Toriyama's 2010 one-shot Kintoki, the main hero Toki earns money by hunting and selling dangerous pterodactyls called "Thundra".