Dragon Ball 10 Times Yamcha Was More Than A Meme

Yamcha suffered one of the most iconic deaths in Dragon Ball & became a meme. But there were many times where he was more than that.

All one has to do is drop Yamcha's name into a conversation with Dragon Ball or anime fans to elicit a chuckle. Though the character was once perceived as a threat to both heroes and villains, he has fallen so far into meme culture that it would take a miracle for him to return to his glory days.

As much as Yamcha fans would love it if the human Z Fighter was cut a bit of slack, the Dragon Ball franchise has garnished too much international attention to avoid the meme heavy social media landscape that anime fans live in today. So, in order to recognize Yamcha's successes as a character this list takes the time to recognize 10 different times that Yamcha was more than just a meme.

10 Yamcha Sacrificed Himself Against The Saibamen To Save Krillin

In order to get past Yamcha's stereotype as a meme fans have to recognize the heroism in the scene that originally pushed Yamcha into meme territory. This honor belongs to the 17th episode of the Vegeta Saga when Yamcha is killed by one of Vegeta's minions.

When referencing this fight, anime and Dragon Ball fans both seem to forget just how well Yamcha was doing in his battle with the Saibamen before he was defeated. In fact, in order for the Saibamen to defeat Yamcha, it was forced to commit suicide. Furthermore, the only reason Yamcha was in this position at all was that he didn't want Krillin to put his life in danger. The end result of this battle may be meme-worthy, but Yamcha was much more than a meme during his battle with the Saibamen.

9 Yamcha Beat Goku In The Original Dragon Ball Series

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment on Yamcha's belt is the day he sent one of the most powerful beings in the universe flying through solid stone as if it were paper. Yamcha haters will argue that when Goku was defeated by the desert bandit, he was hungry, but the fact remains that Yamcha has a win over Dragon Ball's protagonist.

Few other characters can say that they have defeated Goku in battle and only a handful of humans have been able to put a notch in the win column when facing the over-powered Saiyan.

8 Yamcha Mastered The Kamehameha Before Krillin

Before Yamcha launched his first Kamehameha, the only other characters who had managed to master the technique were Master Roshi and Goku. Though fans didn't know it at the time, Goku had the advantage of the powerful Saiyan blood coursing through his veins, and Master Roshi had been studying the martial arts for over 300 years.

Though a basic Kamehameha may not seem impressive in the current Dragon Ball canon, at one point, this was one of the strongest abilities in the franchise. It is a shame that Yamcha wasn't able to keep setting the bar for humanity's martial artists in future iterations of Dragon Ball.

7 Yamcha & Puar Defeated Great Ape Goku

The great ape transformation is known to be capable of destroying entire civilizations in a matter of days. Though Goku has learned of different paths that allow him to access this immense amount of strength, for a long while, the great ape transformation was the strongest form in all of Dragon Ball.

Still, when Goku turns into a great ape in the original Dragon Ball series, Yamcha manages to defeat him by cutting off his tail. There was no way for Yamcha to know that removing Goku's tail would return him to consciousness, but he commits to the mission and saves all of humanity with the help of Puar

6 Yamcha Defeats Recoome After Training With King Kai

After Recoome mops the floor with Vegeta before being defeated by Goku, Yamcha runs into the flamboyant member of the Ginyu force and demonstrates just how much more powerful he has become since training with King Kai.

Up to this point, viewers were under the assumption that Yamcha was still far outmatched by the other Z-Fighters. The way he handled Recoome during their battle is proof of the fact that when Yamcha is given the opportunity he can demonstrate a strength that rivals Vegeta and Goku.

5 Yamcha Saved Universe 7 During A Game Of Baseball

Some of the best filler episodes in Dragon Ball Super show Universe 7 facing off against Universe 6 in a game of baseball. These episodes give Yamcha the chance to shine by taking advantage of his baseball prowess.

When Chappa and Beerus interrupt the game with their incredible powers, Yamcha manages to score the winning run while two gods of destruction are hurling destructive orbs all over the place. Though his efforts place him back in the meme-worthy position that fans mock him for, he demonstrates a willingness to sacrifice himself in order to ensure his friends victory.

4 Yamcha's Strength As A Character In Dragon Ball Fighterz

Back when Dragon Ball FighterZ was in its infancy Yamcha was much more than just a meme. During the Grand Finals of the first tournament held for the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour, a Japanese gamer who goes by the name Kozunoko proved to fans that Yamcha is no joke.

At the time, Dragon Ball FighterZ was dominated by SonicFox's relentless offense in the United States and Go1's unbreakable defense in Japan. Still, Kozunoko managed to win the first tournament with his team of Adult Gohan, Kid Buu, and Yamcha by taking down Go1 in the finals. His victory came in large part thanks to Yamcha. The power of Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist left Go1's team of Cell, Vegeta, and Bardock in a loop of mix-ups that forced the defensive minded fighter into second place and guaranteed Kazunoko's victory.

3 Yamcha & Bulma Had A Happy Relationship Prior To Vegeta

One of the things Yamcha is mocked for the most is his failed relationship with Bulma. Yamcha's relationship with Bulma was not as bad as fans can sometimes make it sound though.

It is true that Vegeta won over Bulma, but it has little to do with Yamcha's failure as a character. In fact, Yamcha grew a lot as a character between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. So much so that he overcame his fears and moved on from the spiteful and angry attitude he had embraced during his time as a bandit.

2 Yamcha's Epic Introduction in "Dragon Ball: Curse Of The Blood Rubies"

Yamcha's appearance in the Dragon Ball movie "Curse of The Blood Rubies" is one of the characters strongest moments in all of Dragon Ball. Though the film itself isn't technically canon, the battle between him and Goku is an expansion on their battle in the first season of the anime.

As portrayed in the film, Yamcha is a serious threat to Goku and his friends. His use of the wolf fang fist technique is also terrifying and powerful. In fact, fans of Dragon Ball rarely give Yamcha credit for having one of the most original signature moves in all of Dragon Ball. While the kamehameha has entered meme territory like Yamcha, few can deny how unique and cool the Wolf Fang Fist technique really is.

1 Yamcha, Tien, Krillen, & Gohan Stall Perfect Cell Until Goku Arrives

When Cell reaches his final form, Goku and Vegeta are nowhere to be found. This leaves the human Z-Fighters alone with Gohan to stop the strongest version of cell that viewers had seen to date.

The collective strength of Gohan, Yamcha, Tien, and Krillen gave Dragon Ball fans one of the most epic battles in the entire series. Even if the combined might of these heroes couldn't stop Perfect Cell, each risked their life to stop the android. Without Yamcha's willingness to sacrifice himself alongside his allies, Goku wouldn't have been able to show up just in time to save the world.