Cell

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Cell (沙鲁)
Alias(es)	“Lord Cell”; self-proclaimed ultimate warrior
Species/Race	Artificial life-form created from the cells of multiple powerful fighters
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Dr. Gero’s evolving ultimate warrior; later celebrated as the savior of a future Earth
Status	Active; awaiting the recharge of a Time Machine while planning to return to another timeline 43
First Appearance	Chapter 16 (physical appearance) 16

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Human-absorbing insect form	31	After absorbing hundreds of thousands of humans, his combat power becomes comparable to Piccolo’s. 31
Enhanced insect form	39	Continued absorption raises his combat power to 800 million, double the combined 400 million of the future Androids 17 and 18. 39
Semi-perfect form	40	Absorbs Android 17 through his expanded tail; his combat power rises tenfold to 8 billion and his body becomes more humanoid. 40
Perfect form	40	Absorbs Android 18 shortly afterward, releasing a worldwide destructive aura and gaining a refined, handsome appearance. 40

Background / History

Cell was created through Dr. Gero’s research as an evolving life-form built from the cells of powerful fighters. His intended evolution depended on absorbing Androids 17 and 18, and he sought to become Dr. Gero’s “ultimate warrior.” 16 32 40

While still in his insect-like form, Cell confronted Piccolo after Piccolo merged with Kami. Piccolo deceived him into disclosing information about his origins, but Cell escaped the ensuing battle by using Solar Flare to blind Piccolo, Trunks, and Krillin. 16

Cell later attacked Krillin and pursued him onto an airplane, severely injuring him before Piccolo and Tien Shinhan arrived. Unable to finish Krillin while Piccolo was present, he withdrew. 22

After absorbing large numbers of humans, Cell tried to absorb Lazuli in the main timeline. Lazuli easily overpowered him, burned off his tail, and dismissed his stolen strength as inferior to power gained through cultivation. Cell escaped with Solar Flare once more. 32 33

Appearance

Cell initially appears as a tall, green, insect-like humanoid with an unsettling mixture of organic and insectile traits. His appearance changes drastically after each Android absorption. 39 40

• Green skin covered in dense black spots. 39
• Insect-like wings on his back. 39
• A needle-like tail in his initial form, used to absorb human life energy. 22
• An enlarged, bell-shaped tail after pursuing the Androids, capable of swallowing them whole. 40
• A more robust, humanoid body in semi-perfect form. 40
• A refined and conventionally handsome appearance in perfect form. 40

Personality

Cell is predatory, vain, and theatrical. He openly treats Androids 17 and 18 as food, laughs at their fear, and considers human lives primarily as material for his evolution. 33 39 40

Despite his arrogance, he is pragmatic when outmatched. He retreats from Piccolo, escapes Lazuli rather than continuing a losing battle, and abandons the main timeline after realizing its Androids are much stronger than expected. 16 33 35

Cell is also manipulative. In the future timeline, he falsely claims to Bulma that Trunks sent him to defeat the Androids, concealing his intention to absorb them until he has secured her help recharging the Time Machine. 39 40

Abilities & Skills

Cellular Absorption and Evolution

Cell increases his strength by absorbing humans and evolves by consuming Androids 17 and 18.

• Absorbs human life energy through his needle-like tail to raise his combat power. 22 31 39
• Leaves marks on Androids 17 and 18, allowing him to locate them after they flee. 40
• Swallows Android 17 and Android 18 with an enlarged tail, triggering semi-perfect and perfect transformations. 40
• His reliance on absorption is regarded by Lazuli as a flawed shortcut compared with self-cultivation. 33

Regeneration

Cell can regenerate severe bodily damage through the abilities inherited from his composite biology.

• Severed his lower body to fit inside a Time Machine, then regrew it after reaching the future timeline. 35
• Can restore lost body parts rapidly enough to recover from self-inflicted dismemberment. 35

Solar Flare

Cell uses Solar Flare as a reliable escape technique.

• Blinded Piccolo, Trunks, and Krillin to escape a disadvantageous confrontation. 16
• Blinded Lazuli after she had overwhelmed him and burned off his tail. 33
• The technique creates an opening rather than guaranteeing victory; Cell uses it chiefly to flee stronger opponents. 16 33

Ki Control and Combat

Cell possesses high-level combat capability, flight, energy attacks, and defensive ki control.

• Reinforces his body with ki, allowing him to withstand Android 17’s full-force kick without injury. 39
• Deflects Android 17’s energy beam with a casual hand motion. 40
• Suppresses his energy signature to conceal his escape route after using Solar Flare. 33
• At 800 million combat power, defeats future Androids 17 and 18 despite their combined 400 million power. 39

Equipment / Items

• Trunks’ Time Machine — Used to flee the main timeline and reach a future timeline; its energy is later depleted. 35 40
• Hoi-Poi Capsule — Used to deploy the Time Machine. 35
• Small storage box — Carries the capsule and is later used to hand the Time Machine to Bulma. 35 40

Relationships

• Dr. Gero — Creator whose ultimate-warrior project Cell embodies; Cell pursues the evolution Gero designed. 32 40
• Mo Yuan — A separate, mutated creation of Dr. Gero. Mo Yuan recognizes Cell as a threat to Lazuli and Lapis and arrives too late to stop his escape to the future. 35 47
• Lazuli / Android 18 — Primary target for Cell’s evolution in the main timeline; she humiliates him and destroys his tail before he escapes. 32 33
• Lapis / Android 17 — Another intended absorption target, though Cell leaves the main timeline before confronting him directly. 32 35
• Future Android 17 and Android 18 — Cell defeats, tracks, and absorbs them to obtain his semi-perfect and perfect forms. 39 40
• Piccolo — Opponent who tricks Cell into revealing information and forces him to retreat. 16
• Krillin — Target of a one-sided pursuit; Cell nearly absorbs him before Piccolo and Tien intervene. 22
• Bulma — Initially deceived into believing Cell is Trunks’ ally; she is tasked with recharging his Time Machine after he eliminates the future Androids. 39 40 43
• Trunks — Cell claims to be Trunks’ friend in order to gain Bulma’s trust, though he had killed a version of Trunks in his own timeline. 35 39

Story Role / Major Arcs

Main-Timeline Hunt

Cell emerges as an unknown threat while Mo Yuan, Lazuli, and Lapis train. He escapes Piccolo, hunts humans to grow stronger, and repeatedly seeks the Androids needed for his evolution. 16 22 31 33

Flight to the Future

After Lazuli’s overwhelming strength reveals that the altered main timeline is too dangerous, Cell uses Trunks’ Time Machine to travel to a future timeline with weaker Androids. He amputates his lower body to fit inside the machine and regenerates after arrival. 35

Hero of the Future Timeline

Cell saves Bulma from Android 17, defeats both future Androids, and becomes a public hero after absorbing them. Humanity erects a statue in his likeness and names its new capital “Cell City.” 39 40 43

Planned Return

Cell intends to return to the main timeline once Bulma recharges the Time Machine. While waiting, he considers absorbing his past self to gain additional power. 43

Notable Quotes

“Become my nourishment!” 40

“Android 17, Android 18, I will come for you soon.” 35

Trivia

• Cell’s original insect-like appearance is explicitly distinguished from Mo Yuan’s more human-looking mutated body. 16 47
• He briefly becomes a celebrity and is treated as Earth’s savior in the future timeline, despite having absorbed the Androids he “saved” humanity from. 40 43
• Cell considers absorbing ordinary humans beneath him after reaching perfect form, since the remaining future population would provide little additional power. 43