Dragon Ball 5 Anime Villains Who Could Beat Cell In A Fight (& 5 Who Cant)

Cell was a tough foe to take down, but some of these anime villains would put up a pretty good fight.

There are a lot of exciting shonen anime out there, but Dragon Ball remains a franchise that’s never disappeared from the public consciousness. Dragon Ball figures out how to push its characters along in challenging ways. A lot of the time that comes down to the new villain that they’re up against. Everyone in Dragon Ball Z is powerful, but Cell is someone who often doesn’t get his due.

Cell marks unprecedented power and he also has access to many of the heroes’ attacks. Accordingly, here are 5 anime villains who could beat Cell in a fight and 5 who can’t.

10 Can Beat: Knives Millions (Trigun)

Trigun is an anime series from the ‘90s that mixes together motifs of the western genre with sci-fi, action, and morality plays into a very unique product. Vash the Stampede is a terribly nuanced and tortured protagonist, but his brother, Knives Millions, makes for a fascinating foil.

Knives is unsuccessful against Vash, but the advanced weaponry that’s stowed away in his body allow him to take out the planet if he sees fit. Admittedly, Cell’s regenerative skills are grand, but Knives’ weapons would take him out and leave nothing behind.

9 Can’t Beat: Hiro Shishigami (Inuyashiki)

Inuyashiki is an absolute gut punch of an anime series that sees two ordinary individuals, an old man and a disaffected teen (Hiro Shishigami), turn into superpowered cyborgs. The old man uses his powers for good, but immediately Hiro is drawn towards darker impulses and abuses his insane skills to put the nation in panic.

As strong as Hiro is, he’s still basically a robot, which Cell has tons of experience taking out. A lot of fancy bullets and explosions won’t do much to Cell, especially with his regenerative abilities, too.

8 Can Beat: Raizen (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Yu Yu Hakusho is a wonderfully fun shonen anime that features all sorts of demon fighters that are locked in competitive tournaments with each other. Raizen is depicted as the most powerful of these evil forces and he's nearly rabid and beyond all reason. Raizen has the ability to possess individuals and ostensibly temporarily turn them into demons and use his abilities through them. Cell may be strong, but Raizen's skills go beyond his comprehension and he could possibly even make Cell do his bidding for him.

7 Can’t Beat: Hideo Shimada (Parasyte –The Maxim-)

Parasyte –the maxim- looks at something like an alien invasion in an incredibly unique way, whether it’s in terms of the alien threat or the unlikely relationship that the protagonist finds himself roped into. Parasyte is full of surprises and brutal action and while the main antagonistic alien that resides in Hideo Shimada is deadly to humans, it doesn’t seem like it would worry Cell much. A lot of fancy blades won’t do much to Cell and he can dish out much more pain that Hideo has experienced anywhere in the universe.

6 Can Beat: Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer: Kimersu No Yaiba)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of the more recent anime phenomena to take over, but it’s a smart show that’s full of lots of action and powerful demons. The one demon who sits above all of the rest and even controls their strength based off of his blood, is the notorious Muzan Kibutsuji. The full limits of Kibutsuji’s strength have yet to be seen, which is why he may have the advantage here. Cell has access to plenty of tricks, but Demon Slayer continues to treat Muzan Kibutsuji’s powers as if they’re on apocalyptic levels.

5 Can’t Beat: Shishio Makoto (Rurouni Kenshin)

Rurouni Kenshin still holds up as one of the most satisfying Samurai anime of all time. It’s a stunning look at action and morals, but the series also contains many ferocious villains that push Kenshin to his limit. Shishio Makoto is one of the more outrageous villains in the series since he’s able to make flames out of his blade through the use of his victim’s life force. Despite the flashy parlor trick, Cell has access to the abilities of some of the greatest fighters in the universe. A little fire and steel wouldn’t even make Imperfect Cell flinch.

4 Can Beat: Meruem (Hunter X Hunter)

Hunter X Hunter is a serious threat on Hunter x Hunter that frequently feels overpowered and beyond the limits of what Gon and company are capable of doing. Meruem is the King Ant of the Chimera Ant Arc and he’s an individual that’s so resilient that even the strongest human in the series is barely able to move him. Meruem feels like Hunter x Hunter’s take on Cell in many ways, which makes this an interesting battle and while it may be close in the end, Meruem’s balanced stats could push him to victory.

3 Can’t Beat: Blackbeard (One Piece)

One Piece is typically a more chipper and uplifting example of a shonen anime, but the Devil Fruit provide incredible power and that strength has been able to corrupt some individuals into very deadly pirates. Blackbeard is the major antagonist through the earlier run of One Piece and he holds the rare privilege of having the abilities of two separate Devil Fruit. This may impress pirates, but Cell has literally dozen of distinct abilities at his disposal. He’s not going to be taken out by a pirate.

2 Can Beat: Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is such an ambitious anime series and every season mixes up the story in major ways. As the anime has gone on, the characters have grown to progressively powerful levels. Dio Brando may be the series’ first villain, but his Stand ability still makes him one of the anime’s biggest threats. Dio’s Stand allows him to freeze time for up to 10 seconds, with the opponent often not even realizing what’s gone on. In a physical sense, Cell could absolutely blow up Dio, but this Stand allows him to take him out whenever he wants.

1 Can’t Beat: Orochimaru (Naruto)

Naruto is an anime that’s full of dangerous ninja warriors, but the series has established that the Sannin are especially skilled. This trio of ninja are all exceptional in different ways, but it’s Orochimaru who has the most tragic history and impressive skills. Orochimaru’s corruption by snake magic helps him max out his abilities, but the upgrade wouldn’t be enough to get Cell’s attention. Ninjas that can manipulate spirit energy have a nice trick at their disposal, but Cell’s faced a lot worse. Honestly, Cell could probably take on the entire Sannin at once and still come out on top.