TV-Series
Description
In the anime Dragon Ball GT, the character C.17, the twin brother of C.18, returns as a central figure in the Super C.17 saga. Originally a human named Lapis who was abducted and remodeled into a cybernetic being by the Red Ribbon Army's Dr. Gero, C.17 possesses a perpetual energy engine that grants him unlimited stamina and eliminates the need to eat or sleep, while also masking his life force from being sensed as traditional ki.
By the time of Dragon Ball GT, C.17 has largely abandoned his violent past. Following his revival after the Cell Games, he chose a life of peace and seclusion, working as a park ranger on a remote island and starting a family of his own, which includes a wife and three children. This motivation for a quiet, harmonious life stands in stark contrast to his initial programmed purpose of killing Son Goku. His personality in this era is one of a reformed individual who values his newfound tranquility. However, the narrative of GT forcibly pulls him back into conflict when he becomes the target of a scheme devised in Hell.
The primary driver of C.17's role in the story is his involuntary transformation into the arc's main antagonist, Super C.17. The villains Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu, collaborating in Hell, create a fully artificial and obedient duplicate called Hell Fighter C.17. This Machine Mutant copy is designed to manipulate and merge with the original C.17. Through telepathic brainwashing, the Hell Fighter compels the real C.17 to leave his island life behind and confront his allies. When the two C.17s physically fuse, they become Super C.17, a being of immense and brutal power whose primary motivation is to terrorize Earth and exact revenge on Goku and his allies on behalf of his creators.
Key relationships are crucial to C.17's development and eventual defeat. His bond with his sister, C.18, is the most significant. During the conflict, C.18 desperately tries to reach the real C.17 buried inside the dominant, brainwashed fusion. In a moment of tragic violence, Super C.17 kills C.18's husband, Krillin, which devastates her but ultimately helps the heroes identify a weakness. It is suggested that C.18's emotional pleas momentarily break through the brainwashing, causing the original C.17 to hesitate or leave an opening at a critical juncture. This allows Goku to exploit Super C.17's vulnerability: he can absorb any energy-based attack, but his defenses lower while doing so, making him susceptible to powerful physical strikes like the Dragon Fist technique.
C.17's development in GT is tragic rather than progressive. His peaceful, redeemed life is violently stripped away as he is transformed into a puppet for evil scientists. His character arc concludes with his original self seemingly sacrificing the chance to survive by giving the heroes an opportunity to destroy the fused body, freeing him from control.
As a cyborg, C.17 possesses several notable abilities. He can fly without expending ki and generate a powerful Android Barrier for protection. As Super C.17, his abilities are greatly augmented. His signature technique is the Absorption Field, which allows him to absorb any ki-based attack, such as the Kamehameha, and convert it into his own power, making him virtually invincible against energy fighters. He can also launch devastating attacks like the Electro Eclipse Bomb, a massive dark energy sphere, and the Flash Bomber, a barrage of rapid-fire energy shots. However, his over-reliance on energy absorption becomes his critical flaw, leading to his downfall once the heroes shift to close-quarters combat.
By the time of Dragon Ball GT, C.17 has largely abandoned his violent past. Following his revival after the Cell Games, he chose a life of peace and seclusion, working as a park ranger on a remote island and starting a family of his own, which includes a wife and three children. This motivation for a quiet, harmonious life stands in stark contrast to his initial programmed purpose of killing Son Goku. His personality in this era is one of a reformed individual who values his newfound tranquility. However, the narrative of GT forcibly pulls him back into conflict when he becomes the target of a scheme devised in Hell.
The primary driver of C.17's role in the story is his involuntary transformation into the arc's main antagonist, Super C.17. The villains Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu, collaborating in Hell, create a fully artificial and obedient duplicate called Hell Fighter C.17. This Machine Mutant copy is designed to manipulate and merge with the original C.17. Through telepathic brainwashing, the Hell Fighter compels the real C.17 to leave his island life behind and confront his allies. When the two C.17s physically fuse, they become Super C.17, a being of immense and brutal power whose primary motivation is to terrorize Earth and exact revenge on Goku and his allies on behalf of his creators.
Key relationships are crucial to C.17's development and eventual defeat. His bond with his sister, C.18, is the most significant. During the conflict, C.18 desperately tries to reach the real C.17 buried inside the dominant, brainwashed fusion. In a moment of tragic violence, Super C.17 kills C.18's husband, Krillin, which devastates her but ultimately helps the heroes identify a weakness. It is suggested that C.18's emotional pleas momentarily break through the brainwashing, causing the original C.17 to hesitate or leave an opening at a critical juncture. This allows Goku to exploit Super C.17's vulnerability: he can absorb any energy-based attack, but his defenses lower while doing so, making him susceptible to powerful physical strikes like the Dragon Fist technique.
C.17's development in GT is tragic rather than progressive. His peaceful, redeemed life is violently stripped away as he is transformed into a puppet for evil scientists. His character arc concludes with his original self seemingly sacrificing the chance to survive by giving the heroes an opportunity to destroy the fused body, freeing him from control.
As a cyborg, C.17 possesses several notable abilities. He can fly without expending ki and generate a powerful Android Barrier for protection. As Super C.17, his abilities are greatly augmented. His signature technique is the Absorption Field, which allows him to absorb any ki-based attack, such as the Kamehameha, and convert it into his own power, making him virtually invincible against energy fighters. He can also launch devastating attacks like the Electro Eclipse Bomb, a massive dark energy sphere, and the Flash Bomber, a barrage of rapid-fire energy shots. However, his over-reliance on energy absorption becomes his critical flaw, leading to his downfall once the heroes shift to close-quarters combat.