Let’s be real for a second. If you grew up watching Toonami, you probably have a love-hate relationship with Dragon Ball GT. It’s messy. It’s weird. But nothing—and I mean nothing—is quite as polarizing as the arrival of Super Android 17. He’s this tall, lanky, Fabio-haired powerhouse that basically broke the logic of the series for a solid five episodes. Some people think he’s the coolest design in the franchise. Others think he’s the exact moment the writers just gave up and started throwing darts at a board of old characters.
The whole concept of the Super 17 saga is a fever dream. You’ve got Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu literally teaming up in Hell to build a "New 17." Why? Because apparently, Hell has state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and a limitless supply of mechanical parts. It’s ridiculous. But that’s the charm. When the two 17s finally merge, you get this ultimate machine that can absorb energy through its palms and make even Super Saiyan 4 Goku look like he’s punching a brick wall.
The Absurd Science of the Two 17s
How does a guy who was struggling with Cell-era power levels suddenly become a multiversal threat? That’s the question that keeps DBZ powerscalers up at night. The "New 17" created in Hell was designed to be a psychic bridge. He wasn't just a clone; he was a catalyst. When he linked up with the original Lapis (the 17 we know and love), they didn't just add their power levels together. They multiplied.
It's actually kind of fascinating if you ignore the plot holes. In the original Dragon Ball Z, Android 17 was an "infinite energy" model. He never got tired. But Super Android 17 took that a step further by becoming an energy sponge. Every time Goku fired a 10x Kamehameha, he wasn't hurting the guy; he was literally feeding him. It turned the fight into a tactical nightmare. Goku, who usually solves everything by hitting it harder, was suddenly the one providing the ammo for his own defeat.
Most fans forget that this wasn't just about raw strength. It was about the synchronization of two different types of technology: Dr. Gero’s Earth-based cybernetics and Dr. Myuu’s Machine Mutant tech from space. It’s the ultimate crossover of the two biggest mad scientists in the Dragon Ball mythos. Honestly, it’s a miracle they didn't kill each other five minutes into the project. Oh wait, they actually did. Super 17 murdered Gero almost immediately after being born, proving that even a "perfect" machine has zero loyalty to a creator who talks too much.
Why Super 17 Feels So Different from DBZ Villains
In Dragon Ball Z, villains usually had clear arcs. Frieza was a space tyrant. Cell was a biological experiment. Buu was an ancient force of chaos. But Super 17? He’s a tragic puppet. There’s a specific moment in the fight where 18—the twin sister—shows up. She starts taunting him about his humanity. She mentions their shared past. And for a split second, you see the internal struggle.
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He’s not just a killing machine. He’s a guy trapped inside his own body, being jerked around by the "New 17" programming. That’s a level of psychological depth we didn't get much of in GT. Usually, it was just "Pan gets kidnapped" or "Goku turns into a kid." But here, you have a hero-turned-villain-turned-hero who is literally fighting his own hands.
The aesthetic is another thing entirely. Super 17 looks like he walked off a heavy metal album cover. He’s got the long hair, the trench coat vibes, and that weirdly stoic face. He doesn't gloat like Vegeta or scream like Broly. He just stares. It’s unsettling. Compared to the bulky, muscular designs of Dragon Ball Z, Super 17 is lean. He’s built like a swimmer or a runner, which makes his overwhelming physical strength feel even more unnatural.
The Dragon Ball Super Comparison
It is impossible to talk about Super Android 17 without mentioning what happened later in Dragon Ball Super. When 17 returned for the Tournament of Power, he was a park ranger. He was a family man. He was strong enough to trade blows with Super Saiyan Blue.
The fandom is still split on which version is better.
- The GT version is a dark, "what if" scenario where 17's potential is stolen and weaponized.
- The Super version is a redemptive arc where he reaches that same power level through hard work and protecting nature.
Interestingly, both versions utilize the "barrier" technique as their primary defense. Whether he’s a villain or a hero, 17’s greatest strength has always been his ability to survive. In GT, he uses his body to absorb attacks. In Super, he uses green energy shields to outlast opponents. It’s a consistent character trait across two completely different timelines.
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The irony is that GT gave us a 17 that was too powerful for the plot to handle, so they had to give him a glaring weakness: he can't move while absorbing energy. If he didn't have that one specific "glitch," Goku and the others would have been finished. There was no Spirit Bomb coming to save them this time.
Fixing the Legacy of the Android Saga
A lot of people think the Super 17 arc was too short. It’s only about seven episodes. Think about that. The Frieza fight took roughly half a lifetime to finish, but the ultimate android threat was handled in a week. This brevity is why a lot of the cool lore gets overlooked.
For instance, did you know that Super 17 is technically the first villain to ever "kill" Dr. Gero twice? He’s also one of the few characters who actually managed to put Super Saiyan 4 on the ropes without needing a giant transformation of his own. He stayed in his base form the whole time. No golden hair, no bulked-up muscles. Just raw, artificial power.
The battle ended when 18 and Goku teamed up. It’s a poetic finish, really. 18 fires a barrage of Ki blasts to keep 17 busy absorbing them—which, remember, leaves him wide open—and Goku finishes it with the Dragon Fist. It’s one of the few times in the series where a villain is defeated by a clever exploit rather than just a bigger laser beam.
What You Can Do Now
If you want to dive deeper into this specific corner of the Dragon Ball universe, there are a few ways to experience Super Android 17 beyond just rewatching those few episodes of GT.
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First, check out the Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 or Dragon Ball FighterZ rosters. These games actually flesh out his moveset—like the Flash Bomber and the Electro Eclipse Bomb—in ways the anime never had time to. They treat him like the top-tier threat he was supposed to be.
Second, look into the Dragon Ball Heroes manga. It goes absolutely off the rails. It introduces versions of Super 17 that have absorbed 16, 18, and even Cell. It’s non-canon fanservice at its peak, but if you like the "what if" nature of the character, it’s a goldmine.
Finally, compare the fight choreography. Watch the Super 17 vs. Goku fight back-to-back with the 17 vs. Jiren fight from Super. You’ll notice how the animators repurposed 17's "unflappable" personality. He goes from being a cold-blooded killer to a calculated strategist, but the core of the character—that silent, deadly efficiency—remains exactly the same.
Super 17 might be a product of a flawed series, but he represents a unique era of creativity where the rules didn't matter and the designs were unapologetically bold. Whether he's your favorite or a character you love to roast, he's a permanent part of the legend.