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Dragon Ball fans often ask the question "Is Android 17 a villain or hero?" because of the many roles he plays throughout the franchise. He sometimes works as an antagonist, as shown during the Cell saga, while there are moments where he has proven to be a valuable ally to Goku and his friends, as seen during the Tournament of Power arc in Super.
It's safe to say that Android 17 had a very clear evolution in Dragon Ball, going from an antagonist to a hero throughout the story. It's also worth pointing out that the present-day Android 17, compared to the version of Future Trunks' timeline, was always a bit less willing to hurt others, which is something even Kami mentioned during the Cell saga.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.
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Is Android 17 a hero or villain?
Android 17 started as a villain in the series and became a hero as the story progressed, as shown during his exploits during the Tournament of Power arc in Super. However, when he was first introduced during the Cell saga, he was a clear-cut villain, although there were a bit more nuances about him as fans began to know more about him.
He's one of the androids Dr. Gero built as a way to get even against Goku because of the latter's destruction of the Red Ribbon Army earlier in the story. Android 17 was the one who killed Gero because he was tired of serving and mostly went after Goku out of boredom rather than a desire to take his life.
This character was eventually absorbed by Cell to reach his Imperfect state and was brought back to life after Gohan defeated Cell. He eventually became a ranger and had a peaceful life, contributing to Goku's Genkidama against Kid Buu at the end of the original manga.
He also served as one of Universe 7's fighters for the Tournament of Power in Super, fulfilling his transition from villain to hero.
Android 17's villainous role in Dragon Ball Z, explained
The main reason a lot of people consider Android 17 a villain rather than an antagonist is because of his actions in Future Trunks' timeline.
There, he's seen, along with his sister Android 18, destroying the entire planet and taking the lives of most of the Z fighters, with only an adult Gohan and Trunks the sole survivors capable of battling them for a long time.
However, his actions in the Cell saga in the present day could be a bit more debatable, according to Kami himself when talking to Piccolo. He mentions how 17 and 18 fought Vegeta and the remaining Z Fighters in self-defense.
They didn't engage in the destruction of innocent lives throughout the manga, with the former even going as far as agreeing a one-on-one fight with the fused Namekian later on.
So, it can be argued that Android 17 is more of an antagonist in the Cell saga rather than a villain.
Android 17's heroic role in Super, explained
Goku recruits Android 17 for the Tournament of Power arc in Dragon Ball Super, which turns out to be the character's return to the franchise since his cameo for the Genkidama in the Buu arc.
He proves to have a pivotal role in the tournament, particularly in the anime, as he ends up winning the competition and wishing for every universe to be brought back to life.
Furthermore, he's seen as a support for other members of Universe 7 and overall won over a lot of new fans in the process, which is why there is the question of "Is Android 17 a hero or a villain?".
He's also confirmed to be a family man and taking of nature on an island, which goes to show the more heroic nature he has adopted in the story.
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