# The Origins of Android 17 and 18: The Tragic Tale of Lapis and Lazuli - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/what-is-android-17-and-18-real-name/ - Published: 2023-10-28 - Author: Nelson Ayers - Categories: [Basic knowledge & Meaning](https://33rdsquare.com/category/games/meaning/) --- In Akira Toriyama‘s legendary anime Dragon Ball Z, few villains made as dramatic an entrance or left as lasting an impression as the deadly Android 17 and his twin sister, Android 18. With their cold, calculating personalities and incredible power, they proved to be some of the greatest threats ever faced by Goku and his fellow Z-Fighters. However, their origins begin not as terrifying killing machines, but as two ordinary human teenagers named Lapis and Lazuli. ## The Mad Scientist Dr. Gero To understand 17 and 18, we must first look at the man responsible for their dark transformation – the brilliant but deranged scientist Dr. Gero. Once a leading researcher for the evil Red Ribbon Army, Gero long harbored vengeful obsessions against Goku for taking down the army as a child years prior. He became consumed with creating the ultimate artificial beings that could exact retribution against Goku for him. After the Red Ribbon Army‘s collapse, Gero retreated to his secret base in the mountains to conduct his demented experiments. His creations included the massive supercomputer designated Android 20, built within his own cyborg body. This allowed him to directly oversee his ongoing research into advanced cybernetics and artificial intelligence. ## Origins as Humans It was during this period that Dr. Gero discovered two teenage twin siblings, a boy named Lapis and his sister Lazuli. Seeing potential human guinea pigs, Gero ambushed and kidnapped them to horrificly transform into his personal weapons. Lapis and Lazuli lived ordinary, happy lives prior to their abduction. Though the details of their past are sparse, we know they were once carefree youths with dreams and hopes for the future. Tragically, Dr. Gero would rob them not just of their humanity, but their very identities. We can safely infer neither Lapis nor Lazuli volunteered for Gero‘s nightmarish experiments. They were likely tormented physically and psychologically as the mad doctor surgically dissected and reassembled them into monstrously powerful killing machines. Their modifications included: - Complete body reconstructions on a cellular level using bio-mechanical fusion and grafts - Installation of perpetual energy reactors giving them limitless stamina - Enhancements to strength, speed, durability far beyond human limits - Built-in weaponry like energy blasters and forcefields This excruciating process stripped away their former lives. By the time he finished, Lapis and Lazuli as they knew themselves ceased to exist. In their place stood Android 17 and 18. ## The Androids‘ Reign of Terror Gero‘s work was a sinister success. 17 and 18 collectively possessed enough power to rival Goku and Vegeta, the strongest pure-blooded Saiyans alive. Unlike Goku and the Z-Fighters though, their android bodies gave them effectively infinite energy and no need to train. After being activated, 17 and 18 rebelled and killed Dr. Gero. Though now free of their creator, they continued following their core programming – to destroy Goku. When they were finally unleashed, the androids proved to be remorseless killing machines. Together with Android 16, another creation they awakened, they embarked on a quest to find and eliminate Goku. This led them to clash with the heroes across various timelines and futures. 17 in particular stood out for his sadistic, sociopathic personality. Some key moments include: - 17 killing Dr. Gero after being activated - Absorbing energy blasts and breaking Vegeta‘s arm - Brutally beating the Z-fighters and leaving them for dead - Merging with 18 to become an unstoppable Super Android For a long period, the androids appeared completely unstoppable. Their design made them tireless and immune to improving their strength through training like the Saiyans. Only with later transformations were the heroes finally able to overpower them. ## Their Humanity Emerges However, traces of 17 and 18‘s humanity still remained buried under their programming. This first showed in Android 16, created by Gero to be a pure killing machine. 16 unexpectedly demonstrated nobility and empathy, seeing birds and nature as beautiful creations rather than things to destroy. 18 herself, after being activated and breaking her base directives, shows signs of more than just mechanical cruelty. She spares Krillin‘s life on a whim, demonstrating empathy and affection. In time, 17 and 18 also begin showing human behavior independent of their original programming. 17 goes on to live an isolated life in a wildlife preserve, protecting animals rather than harming humans. 18 develops genuine human emotions and relationships, ultimately marrying Krillin and having a daughter. These glimpses of empathy and compassion suggest fragments of Lapis and Lazuli endured inside them after all. The two desperate youths absorbed and subsumed by Gero‘s experiments had perhaps not vanished completely. ## Reflections on 17, 18, and the Nature of Humanity Looking at Androids 17 and 18, we see a truly thought-provoking story about the essence of humanity. As living beings artificially created by science, are they still people at their core? Can machines evolve souls? The transition of 17 and 18 from cold killing machines to emotional individuals debunks the idea they were ever just programmable robots. Their interactions and bonds show us persons as complex as any human in a struggle between their origins and cybernetic modifications. In the journey of 17, 18, Krillin, and Android 16, we see deeper themes of empathy, compassion, and our shared inner humanity. It suggests that past origins matter less than our present choices and who we strive to become. Perhaps that is the lasting lesson of Lapis and Lazuli – though technology can destroy individuals, it cannot erase their humanity if even the faintest sliver survives. Through this lens, 17 and 18 represent an optimistic belief in redemption and finding one‘s humanity again. --- Source: [The Origins of Android 17 and 18: The Tragic Tale of Lapis and Lazuli](https://33rdsquare.com/what-is-android-17-and-18-real-name/)