Some Dragon Ball GT villains might make better heroes.

Akira Toriyama’s ongoing Dragon Ball franchise has been a leading name in the shonen genre for more than three decades and it continues to push storytelling and action forward in exciting ways. Most Dragon Ball efforts have been successful with audiences, but one of the more contentious changes in the franchise is the anime-only sequel series, Dragon Ball GT.

RELATED: 10 Characters That Deserve A Better Storyline In Dragon Ball GT

Dragon Ball GT takes some brave risks for the series, some of which are more successful than others. There is a healthy heaping of angry antagonists who enter the picture in Dragon Ball GT, but it’s interesting to consider if some of these powerful individuals would make a greater impact and fit in better as heroes.

Ledgic is a striking alien who's the head bodyguard for Don Kee, handy with a weapon, and the first one-on-one fight that Goku engages in during Dragon Ball GT. Ledgic isn't that impressive when it comes to his strength and he struggles to keep up with child Goku's first Super Saiyan level.

Ledgic comes across as a warm-up for Goku, but he doesn't perish at the end of their encounter. He and Goku even leave on respectful, amicable terms. It feels as if Dragon Ball GT is setting up Ledgic's eventual return, but he never transforms into a permanent part of the cast.

Dragon Ball has a healthy amount of evil scientists who all do commendable jobs with the disruption of society. Dr. Myuu rises to power in Dragon Ball GT and makes serious headway in his plan after he aligns with Dr. Gero in hell. Dr. Myuu and Dr. Gero collectively contribute to the creation of Super 17, but both of these raging egos meet similarly destructive defeats.

Dr. Myuu ultimately feels reductive of Gero and that both of these characters aren’t necessary. A much more interesting direction for Dr. Myuu is if he helps the heroes overpower and outsmart Dr. Gero.

The introductory episodes of Dragon Ball GT spends a lot of time on Machine Mutants as a viable threat to Goku, Pan, and Trunks. A lot of these mechanical menaces feel derivative of each other, but General Rilldo, one of the top Machine Mutant generals, feels like a cut above the rest.

RELATED: Dragon Ball GT: 10 Strongest Characters Who Aren’t Saiyans, Ranked

Rilldo pales in comparison to Baby and the bigger Dragon Ball GT villains, but there'd be a lot of value in a Machine Mutant joining up with the heroes. Rilldo's powers are unlike any other hero, including Android 18, and he'd bring so much to the table. Future fights against Super 17 or the Shadow Dragons would be so much more interesting if Rilldo contributes.

Baby is the first villain in Dragon Ball GT that feels like a significant threat and it’s a strong narrative decision to have him be an embodiment of the Saiyan race’s past sins. Baby’s damage is devastating in the sense that he possesses most of Earth’s population, turns Vegeta into his weapon of destruction, and nearly creates a successful new home world for his people.

There are such unique powers and motivations behind this character, all of which only become stronger if he ultimately becomes an ally. It’s unclear if Granolah the Cerealian from Dragon Ball Super will end up surviving the combined battle against Gas, but if he does then he will likely operate similarly to how a redeemed Baby would function.

The initial Black Star Dragon Ball story arc that kicks off Dragon Ball GT is considerably lighter in tone than the rest of the series. This energy is present in many of the villains who threaten the heroes during their early exploits, but is perhaps best represented through the Para Para Brothers, a trio of highly unconventional siblings.

The Para Para Brothers know a mysterious dance that can turn its targets into mindless minions. It’d be a lot of fun to keep them around as comic relief, like the roles that Pilaf, Mai, and Shu fulfill in Dragon Ball Super. They could possibly even introduce a superior fusion dance to the heroes.

Dragon Ball GT really starts to find its rhythm during Super 17’s reign of terror. Audiences were excited to see Android 17 return in a significant capacity, a decision that would be adopted much later in Dragon Ball Super. Android 17 is co-opted into a volatile villain through the combined efforts of Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu.

RELATED: Dragon Ball GT: 10 Things Everyone Forgets About Super Saiyan 4

This is a successful arc, but there’s so much weight in Super 17 surviving the experience instead of getting turned into scrap metal. There’s a lot of blood on Super 17’s hands, including the death of Krillin, which is fascinating material to explore as this android tries to redeem himself.

It’s become an unusually common event in the Dragon Ball universe that the barrier between Other World and the land of the living dissolves and plenty of hellbound villains return to cause chaos on Earth. Dr. Myuu and Dr. Gero’s elaborate Super 17 scheme also gives many fallen foes the opportunity to break out of hell.

This leads to a brief interaction between Vegeta and Nappa, where the Saiyan Prince is once again able to execute his former friend. This is a cathartic callback, but it’s also the perfect excuse to keep Nappa around, have him work alongside Vegeta, and turn him into a permanent ally instead of a fleeting gag.

The Shadow Dragons are one of the more fascinating concepts that get introduced in Dragon Ball GT and there’s a lot of potential in humanity needing to atone for their previous Dragon Ball abuses. Goku and company have to face seven deadly dragons who have some of the most creative designs for any of the characters in Dragon Ball GT.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Dragons have a shoddy, repetitive execution and the series ends shortly after their defeat. There’s arguably a lot more value in these Shadow Dragons becoming allies after their respective defeats to add further layers to humanity’s relationship to the Dragon Balls. Even the addition of a few Shadow Dragons as heroes who help Goku out against Omega Shenron would be a rewarding change of pace.

Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, who lives in the cultural mosaic that is Brooklyn, New York. Daniel’s work can be read on ScreenRant, Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, and across the Internet. Daniel recently completed work on a noir anthology graphic novel titled, "Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Noir: A Rag of Bizarre Noir and Hard Boiled Tales" and he’s currently toiling away on his first novel. Daniel's extra musings can be found @DanielKurlansky on Twitter.