As one of the most popular anime franchises of all time, Dragon Ball has introduced some of the most iconic characters, and though Goku might be the series' most recognizable hero, he isn't Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's favorite. The franchise has been going strong for decades and the characters have become icons. Characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza are among the most recognizable fictional heroes and villains ever.
When the fanbase is polled for their favorite Dragon Ball character, Goku is consistently the most popular character, with an occasional dark horse victory by Vegeta. Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has gone on record regarding his personal favorite character in the franchise though. Shockingly, it's not Goku or any other Saiyan for that matter. However, Toriyama's personal favorite character has been a major part of the franchise since as far back as the original Dragon Ball.
Akira Toriyama's Favorite Character
In an interview published in a 1995 guidebook to Dragon Ball called Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide, Akira Toriyama was asked questions about his writing process. An English translation of the original interview is now available online courtesy of Dragon Ball fansite Kanzenshuu. When asked which of his characters is his personal favorite, he answers that rather than Goku or Vegeta, his favorite Dragon Ball character is, in fact, Piccolo. As explained by Toriyama himself:
Yeah, I guess I like Piccolo the most after all. Out of all the enemies, Demon King Piccolo is the one I like most, and even after that I like Piccolo the most... With Vegeta, well, I don’t like him all that much, but he was extremely helpful to have around.
Although Piccolo has never been quite as popular with the fanbase as Goku and Vegeta, he is still one of the most important characters in the franchise and has a devoted group of followers. Piccolo's growth from the last and most powerful enemy faced by Goku in the original Dragon Ball series to one of Goku's most steadfast allies as well as Gohan's teacher is one of the most significant overarching storylines in the franchise. He has remained prominent throughout the franchise, receiving impressive new powers and abilities such as the recently unveiled Orange Piccolo to keep him from being completely outclassed by the new forms the Saiyan characters are constantly achieving. The fact that Toriyama its to liking Piccolo as much as Goku is high praise indeed, given that Goku is not only the entire Dragon Ball franchise's main character, but also one of the most popular anime characters of all time.
In addition to the revelation that his personal favorite character is Piccolo, the interview contained in Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide offers other interesting revelations about Akira Toriyama's writing process and thoughts on his character. Given how popular Vegeta is with the fanbase, the revelation that Toriyama dislikes Vegeta and mostly sees him as a plot device is particularly surprising. The fact Toriyama has so much fun writing the comedic aspects of Mr. Satan, the character called Hercule in English, also goes far in explaining why the character has continued to regularly appear throughout the series, despite being virtually powerless and useless compared to the main characters and the series' increasingly powerful villains.
Goku is consistently the fanbase's most popular character, along with being one of the most iconic anime characters of all time. However, Akira Toriyama has named Piccolo as his own personal favorite character. Whether it be his character development, his design, or his evil past, there's just something about Piccolo that remains so enduring both to Toriyama and to fans of Dragon Ball in general.
Source: Translations | Daizenshuu 2 - Akira Toriyama Super Interview
