Dragon Ball: Will Yamcha Ever Find Love?

Yamcha has been Dragon Ball's punching bag since the start, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a chance to find that special someone.

Yamcha has been a punching bag throughout the Dragon Ball franchise. He may have been like this since the original series, but the problem has compounded. Before, he was a respectable fighter (even though he always lost), a love interest for Bulma, and a trusted friend. Now, he's a single loser who cheats on women and is left out of big fights. His misfortune in the romance department was especially undeserved. It started with him being popular with other girls and Bulma growing jealous, but this misunderstanding was eventually retconned into precisely what Bulma expected. However, Yamcha began as an honest and loyal soul. He deserves to find the same romantic fulfillment as the rest of his friends.

As for whether Yamcha can still find love, there is hope. He should have the skills, power, and resolve to overcome his losing streak and find his significant other. Even the Dragon Ball franchise recently teased that Yamcha still has what it takes to win over the affection of others, even if the results were ultimately inconclusive. That said, his past experiences with women should improve his game and help him in the future. If Goku, Krillin, and Bulma can find love, so can Yamcha.

RELATED: The Original Dragon Ball Desperately Needs A Modern Redub

Yamcha's first chance at love came at the start of the series in the form of Bulma. At the time, Bulma wanted to use the Dragon Balls to find a man, while Yamcha hoped they could remove his fear of girls. They eventually found what they were looking for in each other.

Yamcha's relationship with Bulma was developed up to Dragon Ball Z's midway point. He often did things that annoyed her, but she loved him all the same. It was clear when they had moments to themselves or when Bulma had such moments to think about Yamcha. Nothing should have been enough to separate these two.

Unfortunately for Yamcha, Vegeta eventually took over as Bulma's love interest. The two hit it off surprisingly well and had Trunks together within two years. As for Yamcha, Future Trunks claimed that Bulma left him for good because she was fed up with him "playing the field." This change in the story might have also been made to capitalize on the popularity of Vegeta and the Super Saiyans; if Trunks were Yamcha's son, he couldn't use this transformation.

This change makes sense in light of Yamcha's then-waning relevance, but it was still an undeserved way for things to end for him. The logic for breaking off such a well-developed romance (hundreds of chapters worth) is relatively shallow. Yamcha playing the field may have been a problem or a comedic misunderstanding on Bulma's part; either way, it was portrayed as something they could work through. Having it reach a breaking point was all too convenient of an excuse to allow Bulma to move on to the new Saiyan hotness.

At the very least, Yamcha and Bulma remain on good terms. They still meet up and hang out as friends, even if it's not as often as before. Their future as a couple may be over, but they can always enjoy each other's company.

RELATED: How The Dragon Ball Super Manga is Leaving Dragon Ball GT Behind

With all the new content for Dragon Ball that's come out in the last ten years, Yamcha's chances for finding love should have been revitalized. Unfortunately, the expansion of the franchise hasn't done much to affect his position as its butt monkey. Any bone thrown at him has often come with a string attached.

Yamcha's latest chance of finding a significant other came in Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission. He met a character exclusive to this ONA series during the Super Space-Time Tournament — a Glass Person named Vidro. She was technically an opponent in this battle royale, but when he protected her from Hit, the Female Warrior in Black quickly fell for him. It also helped that he was her type in the looks department.

The rest of the Supreme Kai of Time Saga saw Yamcha and Vidro get along nicely. Vidro even started calling Yamcha "darling" and talking about marriage. She may have moved things rather quickly, but Yamcha was content with his new flame.

Unfortunately. this relationship proved to be highly impractical. Vidro revealed that she was underage at the end of the arc; she wouldn't reach her race's age of consent for another 1,200 years. This new information makes it a good thing the most intimate thing she did with Yamcha was combine an attack.

As for Yamcha, he'll likely have to look elsewhere for love. The only ways this relationship can work are if the Dragon Balls are used to extend Yamcha's human lifespan to that of a Glass Person or age up Vidro, and even those solutions are morally questionable. These two would be better off looking for people with whom their age or life expectancy won't be an issue.

That said, it's still a shame this relationship couldn't work. The non-canon nature of Super Dragon Ball Heroes may have doomed things from the start, but it still would have been nice to see Yamcha finally get someone. The only thing this interaction did was tease that Yamcha still has what it takes to earn a girl's affection.

RELATED: Dragon Ball: Who is the Strongest Super Saiyan of All Time??

Yamcha isn't the helpless case the Dragon Ball franchise would have fans believe. His looks have earned him the attention of plenty of cute girls; this is part of what leads to the constant misunderstandings with Bulma. Even in his 40s, he still looks as studly as he did in his 20s.

Yamcha is also strong, at least by Earth's standards. There's even a scene of him destroying a gym machine that was too weak for him; the scene is depicted as a blunder on his part, but it also emphasizes how above everyone else he is. He's often joked about for how weak he is compared to the other Z-Fighters, but he's as in shape as a girl could ask for.

RELATED: Is Dragon Ball GT Actually Good or Has Dragon Ball Super Lowered Our Standards?

Yamcha also has a good personality. Spending time with the other Z-Fighters changed him from a ruthless desert bandit into a kindhearted, outgoing, and amicable soul. These traits, coupled with his natural charm, make him a great guy to be around.

If Yamcha doesn't impress women on the battlefield or at the gym, there's also the baseball diamond. Yamcha has been a star athlete since his Dragon Ball Z days; he also gets a thrill whenever a brawl breaks out on the field.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Super Saiyan Forms, Explained

The only potential flaw in Yamcha is his cheating. Since Bulma left Yamcha for playing the field, the franchise has run with the idea that he's a two-timer. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot even showed him getting caught with more than one girl. If Yamcha continues to have this scandalous side to him, he can't be rewarded with a significant other. However, since this was always a shallow retcon, he might grow out of it.

All that's left for Yamcha to do is put himself on the market. If he stays positive and tries his best, he'll always have a viable shot with the ladies. If being a decent, confident, and handsome guy with a successful baseball and martial arts career isn't good enough, nothing is. Dragon Ball GT may have ended with him alone in the desert with Puar, but with Dragon Ball Super slowly reworking the canon, this doesn't have to mean the end for his love life.

Marc York is a writer for CBR. He possesses an understanding of comics, video games, and movies, and his true expertise comes forth when it comes to the topics of anime and manga. His knowledge spreads to the past, present, and future of both the anime and manga industry, especially when it pertains to titles under the Shonen Jump banner. Marc also likes to write about the movies he's watched in theaters; these aren't officially published articles, but they may be seen on his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/marc.york.7