The Dragon Ball anime series has been around since the 1980’s and is still going strong, believe it or not! Among the vast universe with some amazing stories and fascinating characters, Dragon Ball has introduced a number of feline characters over the years. While some are more memorable than others, each one will hold a special place in any cat lover’s heart if they are a fan of the series. Let’s take a look at the most notable cat characters of the Dragon Ball anime series.
Puar
The creator of the Dragon Ball anime series, Toriyama, has stated that Puar is a combination of a cat and rabbit. Puar is considered to be a shape-shifter and not technically a cat but because of his appearance, he makes our list. In the series, Puar is Yamcha’s best friend and lifelong companion. In the English version of the anime, Puar is a female in dialog but Toriyama has stated in the original work thathe is indeed a male. FUNimation has also labeled Puar to be a female even though this is incorrect but through translation and voice acting in the west, he got labeled female.
Korin
Toriyama took direct inspiration from his own cat in the making of Korin. In the anime he is shown to have white hair while in the manga, his hair is blue. He lives in a tower that overlooks the earth. Korin’s tower sits high above the Sacred Land of Korin and he is considered to be the God of Martial Arts. He is over 800 years old and considered a deity in the series. While it is said to grant both strength and wisdom to those able to climb his tower, we find out the journey is what makes this come about. Only Goku and Master Roshi have been able to climb the tower successfully. He also provides healing means known as Senzu Beans which allow fighters to recover instantly but are only obtained from Korin. He provides them throughout the series for Goku and his friends.
Commander Red’s Cat
Commander Red is one of the main villains in the Dragon Ball series that kid Goku and friends encounter. Similar to other cartoon depictions of villains, Commander Red has an evil cat he strokes in his lap. This unnamed cat of his is used primarily to test Commander Red’s Red Ribbon Army members when they enter his office. If they fail the reflex test, they are promptly executed. While his appearance is “alien-like” he is indeed a feline companion of this villain and is shown a handful of times throughout the episodes.
Scratch
Bulma’s father Dr. Briefs is the owner of this all black cat named Scratch. Similar to Puar, Scratch is too a male but this is lost in translation and is considered a female in the English version of the anime series. While he does not make many appearances, when he does he is often seen on Dr. Briefs’ shoulder. It is said that Scratch has four years of experience with capsule technology as a joke that he is employed in the lab.
Mr. Popo’s Cat
This unnamed kitty is featured in just one episode of the series titled Quicker Than Lightning. In this episode, Goku continues training with Mr. Popo and he is asked to catch the cat without using his eyes. He is only able to hear the bell attached to the cat’s tail. While this is happening, Mr. Popo proceeds to use bells to distract him. This kitty is far from a main character but his appearance is a fun watch and a reminder of how far Goku has come in the series.
Beerus
Toriyama once again took inspiration from one of his cats for the creation of Beerus. His inspiration comes from his cat, Debo, who was once very sick. His vet declared he will die and he ended up miraculously healed on his own. The vet later told Toriyama that Debo may be a demon. Beerus makes his first appearance in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. We learn of his origin and that he is Universe 7’s God of Destruction. His very serious nature coupled with an obsession for food makes for a funny feline concept that is entertaining to watch. He claims that the only reason he has not destroyed earth is because he enjoyed the food too much. He is the most popular and prominent cat characters in the series as of Dragon Ball Super. His name, like many other characters in the series, is food inspired. Yup. Beer.
Champa
Like Beerus, Champa is another God of Destruction but for a different universe and happens to be Beerus’ twin brother. He is the God of Destruction for Universe 6 in the series. Just like his brother, Champa is completely obsessed with food. His shorter and much more plump stature heavily implies he is the lazier of the two brothers. There are jokes about this during his appearances. These two can’t stand each other for the most part making their interactions hilarious. His name was inspired from the sparkling wine, champagne. Classy!
Future Scratch
Dragon Ball Super not only introduced Beerus and Champa, but also introduced Future Scratch! During the Future Trunks Saga, we see Future Trunks and Future Mai in an old, rundown apartment building. Mai is seen sharing a can of food with both Trunks and Scratch. It is hard to believe that Scratch was able to survive the amount of destruction that took place in the future but I guess all those years working with Dr. Briefs came in handy. His age is not known but he is speculated to be around 40 years old. In the manga, he returns to earth with Future Trunks via time travel and lives with present Scratch at Capsule Corp.
