Cell

Japanese Names: Seru (セル)Name Pun: CellFUNimation Name: CellSilver Shenron Name: CellOther Names: #21; Jinzoningen #21, Cyborg #21; Artificial Human #21; The Ultimate Fighter; Mr. Cell; The Perfect Being Race: Bio-AndroidHeight: N/AWeight: N/ABirth Year: Age 786 (though traveled back to Age 763)Death Year: Age 767Hobbies: N/AFavorite Food: N/AFavorite Vehicle: N/AFirst Appears: Chapter 361 [Manga], Episode 141 [Anime, DBZ]Appearances: DBZ, DBGTSeiyuu: Norio WakamotoVoice Actor: Dameon Clarke (Dartanian Nickleback, Credited in Budokai Tenkaichi/Sparking series), Travis Willingham (Raging Blast)One of the deadliest artificial beings to ever create and face the universe that was part of Dr. Gero's RR Army Series. Cell, Dr. Gero's ultimate creation was created in his lab as a genetic experiment. He comes complete with a self-destruct feature, a scorpion-like tail that opens up to absorb the energy of his opponents, and instructions to wreak revenge on the Androids which caused Dr. Gero's downfall (as well to kill Goku). Cell contains the DNA of the mightiest warriors of the universe including Goku, Piccolo and Vegeta. Possessing the DNA of these great warriors, Cell is able to fight with their attacks. Cell's personality changes drastically throughout the saga. He is unique among most villains of the series, being that he is quite sophisticated. As his evolution proceeds, he can be observed as having a more patient and calculative approach towards his goals. Because of his genetic composition from other warriors, he is able to psychologically manipulate those warriors and exploit their weaknesses to his advantage.

At first, Cell's desire to complete his evolution and reach perfection was what fueled him. After he reached perfection, the curiosity of the limits of his own "Perfect" power was the major trait of his character. It was his curiosity of the limits of his own power when compared to SSJ2 Gohan's that eventually lead to his defeat.

With each change of form Cell went through, his personality changed as well. Initially, Cell is single-minded, cautious, and sneaky. Upon reaching his first transformation, he becomes brash, impatient, and loses much (though not all) of his strategic tendencies. Upon reaching perfection, Cell displays a number of traits shared by those whose cells he possesses; Piccolo's cool intelligence and cunning, Vegeta's self-confidence, Goku's laid-back disposition, Frieza's conceitedness, and the Saiyan desire for battling strong opponents. Cell is also unique among Dragon Ball villains in that he has absolutely no desire for conquest or immortality. Another interesting characteristic possessed by Cell is the fact that he is very genuinely polite to his opponents (especially in the manga), complimenting them on their abilities and power when appropriate. Believing he is perfect, he merely desires entertainment, to enjoy his perfection, and after realizing his "true purpose": the annihilation of anything he considers imperfect, a category in which he places everyone and everything but himself.

In the English manga, Cell is always referred to as an "it" (Piccolo once says: "we may have to defeat Cell itself"), while in the anime (and the Japanese versions of both) he is referred to as "he." He is likely described that way in the English manga to emphasize the fact that he is an artificial being. In the English dub of the anime, Cell's voice changes from a buzzy monotone in Imperfect Form to gruff brutish in Semi-Perfect Form. This then changes to a more arrogant calmer voice in Perfect and Super Perfect Forms.

With these great forces combined Cell is an almost invincible being.  One of his greatest advantages is being able to regenerate himself at any given time from even the smallest component of himself. We discover this in Dragon Ball Z when the good guys believe Cell is destroyed, only to find out that a brain cell has survived. From this cell, Cell regenerates himself and appears out of nowhere once again threatening Earth. One of Cell's only weak points is that his energy is finite. He gains power by draining the energy of his enemies using his scorpion-like tail to do so.

Cell was designed to have the ability to absorb any biological mass by stabbing his victims with his tail. This process, called "bio-extraction," drains all the organic mass out of the target from the inside out. This attack increases Cell's power, the exact amount depending on the victim's power level. Cell was designed to absorb Dr. Gero's other cyborgs (#17 and #18) whole, integrating them into his systems. Each time he absorbs an android, he evolves into a more powerful being, however he cannot absorb a complete Artificial Human such as Jinzoningen #16.

Upon assimilating both Jizoningen #17 and #18, he gains the ability to asexually reproduce, creating blue, child versions of himself, dubbed "Cell Jr."

Apparently, he may also be able to change his voice to one of his other forms at will, as Perfect Cell used his Imperfect form's voice during his announcement of the Cell Games in The Doomsday Broadcast when explaining that he was the "creature from Nicky Town".

Cell has four forms respectively: the Imperfect Cell form in which we first see him, the second stage of (or Semi-Perfect) Cell, Perfect Cell,  and the final or Super Perfect Cell. He reaches his Semi-Perfect form after absorbing #17. When #18 is consumed, Cell changes into his third and most powerful form: Perfect Cell. Cell can and does create smaller versions of himself. After #18 was removed and blew himself up, he transforms into his deadly form via regeneration, Super Perfect. Cell eventually dies from a one handed Kamehameha done by a very injured Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, and a little help from Vegeta.  

After his death, Super Perfect Cell falls into Hell by Enma-daio. There, he gains Freeza and his father as subordinates (as well as the Ginyu Special-Squad), but is defeated with one blow by Paikkuhan Together with Freeza and the others, he used a giant crystal ball in Hell to watch Super Saiyan 3 Goku's battle with Buu in the Kaio-shin Realm.

In the Super 17 Saga of Dragon Ball GT, he and Freeza team up to try and kill Goku, but Goku is far too strong for them, eventually defeating them and escaping. He was last seen frozen by the coldest ice from Hell, broken in pieces by Goku and arrested by the ogres. An interesting note is that for a short time, Cell becomes very powerful after absorbing Goku, although Goku manages to escape shortly after, similarly to how Jinzoningen #18 pushed out of his body. Combining his own power with the maximum power of Goku's Super Saiyan 4 form would prove him to be one of the most powerful villains in the entirety of the Dragon Ball series.

Note to that Cell comes from an alternate timeline, he is not referred to - even unofficially - as "Future Cell (Mirai Cell)," due to the fact that the main timeline's Cell never made a significant appearance, only one brief appearance in his larval state before getting blown up by Kuririn and Mirai Trunks.

Like each of the primary antagonists in Dragon Ball Z (with the exception of Vegeta), Cell was originally intended to be the final villain of the Dragon Ball manga due to fan responses.