Every character in Dragon Ball has upgraded with time and adapted themselves to become an important part of the narrative, except for Yamcha. Yamcha might be the only major character from the beginning of the series who has been left behind in terms of strength, and Dragon Ball fans believe that he did not deserve this.
If Akira Toriyama wanted, he could have easily kept Yamcha relevant to the story as a secondary character like Krillin or Master Roshi, but he decided to take a different route and make him a comedic character who was only needed to introduce a joke in the story. Still, Yamcha had some achievements that made him a memorable character.
Dragon Ball fans might not know this, but Yamcha was once able to beat up a villain that even Goku couldn’t defeat. It was one of the rare moments where he was able to outshine the protagonist of Dragon Ball and keep his image as a strong character intact.
Yamcha Defeated a Villain Who Beat Goku
During the Emperor Pilaf Saga in Dragon Ball, Goku and his friends came across a gang of thugs called the Rabbit Mob. Two members of the Rabbit Mob were annoying Bulma, thus forcing Goku to fight them. Later on, they called their leader, Monster Carrot, who transformed Bulma into a carrot and threatened to eat her if Goku attacked them.
Goku could not do anything because Monster Carrot had Bulma in his possession, and his thugs started beating Goku. This was when Yamcha entered the fight and managed to not only beat the members of the Rabbit Mob but also retrieve Bulma from Monster Carrot. This aided Goku in fighting the monster rabbit, transporting them to the moon, and abandoning them there.
Although it was Goku who ultimately defeated Monster Carrot if Yamcha had not intervened and saved both Bulma and Goku, the gangsters would have beaten Goku in the end, and he couldn’t have done anything because of Bulma. Therefore, Yamcha was the one responsible for the defeat of Monster Carrot.
Yamcha’s Character was Done Dirty by Akira Toriyama
When Yamcha was first introduced in Dragon Ball, he was a villain who later joined the gang and became a crucial member of Goku’s allies. Yamcha is one of the most talented martial artists, and he could have very well become an important character in the later parts of Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece.
Although he still makes an occasional appearance in the series, he is nowhere near the strengths of other characters. Which is why he is generally used for introducing comedic elements in the story. Many Dragon Ball fans believe that Yamcha had a lot of potential and could have become a big help to Goku in his battles.
Yamcha’s journey in the Dragon Ball universe might be short-lived, but he certainly had an impact on the plot in the beginning. He has saved many characters in the series, and while it has not been shown explicitly in the series, Yamcha was an underrated character who deserved more than what he got in Dragon Ball.
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