The Buu Saga in Dragon Ball Z is a divisive topic for fans of the martial arts based anime series. Some enjoy the callbacks to the earlier and sillier days of Dragon Ball, while those raised on the more self-serious Dragon Ball Z struggle with the saga’s bizarre humour.
A large part of that humour is derived from the titular villain Buu. For those unaware, Buu is quite difficult to describe. He’s sort of like genocidal pink chewing gum moulded into the vague shape of a man. Oh, and like most Dragon Ball Z villains, he comes in a variety of forms, and each of their forms has a distinct personality.
The first is Fat Buu, a rather rotund being this version is extremely strong but rather childlike. Then there’s Evil Buu, a skinny grey version of the character who’s full of malice. Super Buu comes next, he’s a fusion of Fat and Evil Buu, but this is where things get even more confusing. Super Buu has a habit of absorbing members of the Z-Fighters and has other alternate forms. Finally, there’s Kid Buu, a rampaging monster who’s all instinct and no intellect.
Most Dragon Ball Z fans have a favourite version of the character (I’ve always preferred Super Buu), including one of the series writers. Takao Koyama, who worked on the anime for a number of years, was recently asked by a fan who the strongest Buu was, and in response, he told them which form was his favourite incarnation.
“Majin Buu who absorbed Ultimate Gohan is perhaps the strongest of all,” he explained, via Twitter user DBSChronicles. “My favourite Buu is the first one, the fat Buu. He is very charming.”
#DragonBallZ screenwriter Takao Koyama answers a fan's question "Which Buu do you think is the strongest?" in a recent tweet.
He said, "Majin Buu who absorbed Ultimate Gohan is perhaps the strongest."
Please be respectful if you plan to debate on this with him 🙇♂️🙏 pic.twitter.com/UshRyIB1o0
— SUPER クロニクル (@DBSChronicles) November 28, 2021
The Buu who absorbed Gohan is one of the alternate Super Buus I mentioned earlier. Fans of the series have known for years now that this version was the strongest Buu. Ultimate Gohan was the most powerful non-fused member of the Z-fighters at the end of Dragon Ball Z, so combining his power with Buu’s was always going to be a deadly mix.
If you love all things anime, check out our list of the best anime movies or our guide on where to watch Dragon Ball. If you prefer your series to be a bit stealthier, you may be interested in our Naruto characters ranking.