The recent Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie once again reminded fans of the complexity and depth of the characters from Dragon Ball. While the series is well known for its fighting, the characters all have their own distinct personalities that give deeper context and meaning to the battle-heavy anime.
Using the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator®, fans can divide the cast into different psychological profiles. These profiles can help people gain insight into themselves and their tastes and matching them with Dragon Ball characters can even show which one’s fans relate to the most.
ISTJ – Piccolo
ISTJ is known for its dependability and practical approaches. This type is known for being quiet and soft-spoken but also quite thorough and ingenious, making it a good type for the tactician of the Dragon Team, Piccolo.
Piccolo often goes about solving problems logically, which is best shown in the new movie, where he does his best to resolve the Red Ribbon Threat stealthily and quickly. This is a great match with ISTJ’s methodical approach to problem-solving.
ISFJ – Pan
Gohan’s daughter Pan has gotten a bit of the short end of the stick. She debuted right at the end of Z before appearing in GT, which sadly wasted her potential. Thankfully Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero used her character much better.
It’s a shame she was so poorly utilized because she’s a delightful ISFJ. She’s a really kind character who does her best to promote harmony in her family, which is exemplified when she plays along with Piccolo’s plan to help out Gohan in the new movie.
INFJ – Master Roshi
INFJ are true visionaries who have firm values and discipline and do their best to implement them in order to make the world better. They seek to inspire others and motivate them to improve; which is a great asset for a martial arts master.
Goku’s first teacher, Roshi, fits the mold well. Despite his eccentricities, he earnestly believes in self-improvement and secretly delights in helping his students. Even his lecherous nature actually works well with INFJ’s love of material pleasures.
INTJ – Vegeta
Vegeta is the most arrogant character in Dragon Ball. This isn’t just because of his upbringing, but also because of his incredibly high standards for himself and others; a core trait of the INTJ type.
INTJ’s other traits, like pattern recognition, are also strong Vegeta. He’s a fighting prodigy who expertly understands battle strategy. He might not always win, but he has the power and force of a INTJ.
ISTP – Bulma
Logical solutions are the name of the game for ISTP. They’re methodical problem solvers who quickly solve issues. They don’t get hung up on mystical issues and are fully committed to using science.
It calls to mind the chief invention of Bulma Briefs: the Dragon Radar. Bulma is a great scientist who still manages to succeed in a world full of martial arts magic. She’s a flexible and great problem-solver who really embodies ISTP in the weird world of DB.
ISFP – Future Trunks
The main timeline’s Trunks isn’t an ISFP, being a mischievous prankster but the first time audiences meet him, it’s as a polite young man known as Future Trunks. Future Trunks comes from a post-apocalyptic future and is very kind as an ISFP should be.
ISFP are very loyal, as is Trunks, who wears the memorials of his allies on his person. He also has ISFP’s same focus on using time management to solve problems; although admittedly his is perhaps quite literal.
INFP – Son Gohan
INFP is an idealistic designation that prefers to avoid conflict. They are actually quite adaptable, being able to solve problems in many ways and can be defined by their loyalty to those they hold dear.
Despite fitting the pacifistic nature of INFP, Dragon Ball’s Gohan has many great fights. That being said, he leaves combat behind to solve problems in other ways, showing he’s an adaptable character who has taken on many roles throughout the franchise’s history.
INTP – Cell
Cell is a villain with an analytical mind. which is fitting, given his backstory as a laboratory creation. From birth, he was constrained by the problem of being imperfect, leading him to later use cunning plans to achieve his goal, and attain a perfect form.
It’s rather like an INTP to be interested in problems like this. He used analysis to identify his prey, the Androids, and get what he wanted, and then his chilling cunning to execute a plan; unlike most other villains in Dragon Ball.
ESTP – Android 18
ESTP’s are the type of people to get right to the point. They go in with incredible force and a direct approach to problems. They’re also rather loyal and have a tendency to work well in a team.
Android 18 often worked with her brother in a team in the Cell saga and in other arcs with her husband, Krillin. More often than not, though, she crushed problems with overwhelming force.
ESFP – Yamcha
Yamcha is in many ways the anime’s straight man. In his youth, he was a bandit, and now he doesn’t always want to train, instead spending his time focusing on life’s material pleasures. This doesn’t make him weak or ignoble, though.
In fact, Yamcha exhibits a lot of the traits of a ESFP. He is energetic and kind, maybe not always succeeding but always caring. The personality type is called “the entertainer,” which Yamcha qualifies as through his baseball player job.
ENFP – Son Goku
ENFP’s are even more enthusiastic about life than ESFP’s. They’re spontaneous and often learn quickly and excel; a fitting personality type for anime’s poster boy protagonist and hero, Son Goku.
ENFP’s tendency to learn quickly is shown through Goku’s quick mastery of Ki. While he isn’t known for his intelligence, in battle he’s a savant and his combat adaptability, as well as enthusiastic drive, makes him a great protagonist and ENFP.
ENTP – Beerus
Beerus is a God of Destruction, and commands all the power that the title implies. He’s among the strongest beings in the series, yet he often acts flippant; and while he possesses an analytical mind he gets bored easily and hates routine.
This marks him as an ENTP, excepting his sleepiness. ENTP’s are known for being alert, although Beerus might still qualify through his vigilant combat style. The resourcefulness of an ENTP is also accounted for through his many techniques and powers.
ESTJ – Frieza
ESTJ is another type characterized by being quick to action. They’re a no-nonsense type that forcefully executes plans with little time taken to explain themselves; and they’re quick to establish themselves as dominant in any situation.
As perhaps the best villain in Dragon Ball, Frieza fits all of these traits. Being a totalitarian emperor, he quickly makes short work of dissent and keeps himself composed as he executes brutal plans. This is best seen in his subjugation of Namek in his debut.
ESFJ – Broly
When Broly first debuted, one wouldn’t have thought to call him warm-hearted. While a lot of his anger and actions were a result of being abused; he was nevertheless, a relentless killing machine. When he was reinvented, however, he became a gentle giant.
This Super version of Broly fits well into the archetype of the ESFJ. He’s extremely loyal and compassionate despite his power. His friend group from his movie keeps him grounded, just as friends of real ESFJs do.
ENFJ – Krillin
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ENFJ is the perfect training partner. People who fall into this type are especially attuned to others; they’re loyal, but also respond well to criticism. They also enjoy helping others unleash their potential.
Krillin is Goku’s first rival, training partner, and ENFJ. The two learned martial arts together, coming up in the same school, and ultimately bring out each other’s best, with Krillin triggering Goku’s Super Saiyan form.
ENTJ – Chi-Chi
It’s a disservice to Chi-Chi that she’s often thought of as just Goku’s wife. She’s the strongest woman in the world, and got there through a harsh regimen of training. She’s also quite quick to arrive at solutions.
She’s most infamous for forcing Gohan to study, but it does show what an ENTJ she is. It shows her predilection for long-term planning and goal setting. Altogether, these traits make the Ox princess Dragon Ball‘s best ENTJ.
