The essentials in 30 seconds
C-17 and C-18 are twin brothers and sisters, originally human and then modified by Doctor Gero. C-17 is the black-haired man who favors independence and becomes protector of a nature reserve; C-18 is the blonde woman who builds a family with Krillin. Both possess lasting energy, but their choices, techniques and paths diverge.
C-17 and C-18 are similar in their origin, their apparent youth and the experience imposed on them by Doctor Gero. However, they are neither two versions of the same character, nor identical robots. Their relationship as twins, their temperaments and their evolution after Cell explain why they occupy very different places in Dragon Ball.
Warning, spoilers: this guide reveals events from the Cyborgs and Cell arcs in the manga Dragon Ball, the Majin Buu arc and the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super. Differences from Trunks' future are noted separately.
In French, their names are generally written C-17 and C-18, the “C” referring to “cyborg”. The Japanese term jinzoningen covers artificial beings more broadly. This nuance is useful: unlike C-16, which is entirely artificial, C-17 and C-18 were human before their modifications. Their names were Lapis and Lazuli before Gero's intervention.
Who is C-17 and who is C-18?
C-17 is the brother with black hair, an orange scarf and a cheerfully playful attitude when he wakes up. C-18 is his blonde sister, more direct and often more pragmatic. The numbers correspond neither to their age nor to a power ranking: they belong to the series of creations and modifications of Doctor Gero, former scientist of the Red Ribbon army.
Their human names are Lapis for C-17 and Lazuli for C-18. They are twins. C-18 is therefore not the companion of C-17, a confusion that Krillin himself makes briefly at the end of the Cell arc before she explains their family bond to him.
Their human appearance is intentional. They wear ordinary clothes, talk about what they want and drive around when they could be flying. This contrast with C-16, more massive and explicitly artificial, maintains the heroes' uncertainty: C-17 and C-18 have overwhelming power, but they also act like two young adults freed from abusive control.
The visual difference is easily read in the scenes, but a collection of characters must remain based on the exact title of the cards. The general collection of Dragon Ball figurines allows you to compare designs without assuming an outfit comes from the original arc, Super, or Trunks' future.
They were human before being modified by Gero
Doctor Gero doesn't build C-17 and C-18 from scratch: he kidnaps a human brother and sister, then transforms them. Their bodies remain human-based, unlike some other mechanical models. Talking about cyborgs is therefore more precise in French than describing them as simple robots.
Gero installs perpetual energy reactors in them. The manga emphasizes the endurance this gives them: they do not exhaust themselves like a fighter whose ki decreases during a confrontation. “Infinite energy,” however, does not mean “limitless power.” They can be overwhelmed, immobilized, absorbed or defeated; their advantage is to maintain their effort without the usual fatigue.
Their energy signatures are not perceived like those of Goku or Vegeta. So heroes can't just locate them by tracking their ki. This tactical difference reinforces the arc's sense of urgency: the enemy can get closer without being spotted in the usual way. It does not prove that C-17 and C-18 do not use any energy attacks, since they do project salvos and set up barriers.
The scholar keeps them asleep because they refuse to obey him. When he reactivates them, C-17 seizes the remote control capable of stopping them and then eliminates their creator. Their first major joint decision is therefore a break with Gero’s authority. To understand why the scientist wanted to reach Goku, the article on the techniques copied by Cell looks back at the work of the supercomputer and the data collected after the fall of the Red Ribbon.
The Son Goku collection visually recalls the target imposed on the cyborgs. However, in the main timeline, their journey to find Goku quickly becomes more of a challenge and a walk than obedience to a mission. C-17 even insists on taking the road instead of flying.
C-17 and C-18 do not have the same character
C-17: independent, playful and attracted by the challenge
C-17 often takes the initiative after waking up. He destroys the remote, frees C-16, and turns the search for Goku into a journey. He appreciates the newfound freedom and chooses the rhythm of the group. During the fight against Piccolo merged with God, he shows enthusiasm in the face of an opponent capable of answering him and uses his barrier to stop a rain of attacks.
This assurance does not exactly make him the leader of C-18. The twins talk back, make fun of each other and each make their own decisions. C-17 wants to maintain the fun aspect of their trip; C-18 thinks more about immediate consequences and concrete benefits. Their disagreement remains that of a brother and a sister accustomed to knowing each other, not that of a master and his performer.
C-18: lucid, ironic and pragmatic
C-18 talks less to impress. She chooses new clothes, judges her brother's ideas bluntly and confronts Vegeta when he provokes her. Her victory shows her power and her endurance, but also her composure: she leaves the fighters alive, which astonishes Krillin and already distinguishes this version of the cyborgs of the future.
Later, his relationship with money becomes a source of humor, notably in the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai. This trait, however, does not sum up the character. She worries about Krillin, protects her family and participates in fights when the stakes require it. The article on the marriage of C-18 and Krillin traces this evolution without reducing their relationship to the kiss of their first meeting.
| Landmark | C-17 | C-18 |
|---|---|---|
| Human identity | Lapis | Lazuli |
| Family connection | Twin brother | Twin sister |
| Trending in the Cell arc | Seeks the challenge and leads the journey | More pragmatic and biting |
| Striking technique | Energy barrier | Close combat and later Kienzan |
| Later life | Protector of a nature reserve | Wife of Krillin and mother of Marron |
Faced with Cell, they do not occupy the same stage
Cell needs to absorb C-17 then C-18 to achieve its next transformations. C-17 is the first to fall after his balanced fight against Piccolo. Its absorption allows Cell to reach his second form. C-18 then becomes the final target; C-16 and Tenshinhan try to protect her, then Krillin destroys the remote control that could have stopped her.
C-18 is finally absorbed and Cell reaches his perfect form. She reappears when Super Saiyan 2 Gohan hits Cell with such violence that he throws her aside. To follow this succession without confusing the forms, the guide about Cell's perfect transformation clearly distinguishes the two absorptions.
The Injured Super Saiyan 2 Gohan model refers to the outcome of this arc. The sheet offers several variations: use their wording and the dimensions displayed rather than attributing to the product an unconfirmed scale or material.
The difference in roles does not establish a simple classification between twins. C-17 meets Cell in a situation where he has just confronted Piccolo; C-18 spends part of the chase avoiding absorption. The scenario uses them as two stages of Cell's project, then refocuses the confrontation on Gohan. The article on Gohan's choice over Cell explains this handover, while the one on Goku's sacrifice replaces the conclusion of the fight.
After Cell, their lives take opposite but peaceful directions
After Cell's destruction, the Dragon Balls bring the victims back to life. Krillin then asks Shenron to make C-17 and C-18 fully human, but the dragon cannot accomplish this transformation. He therefore had the explosive devices installed in them removed. The gesture helps bring Krillin and C-18 closer together.
A few years later, C-18 lives with Krillin and their daughter Marron at Tortue Géniale. She participates in the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai, where she negotiates with Mr. Satan to let him win in exchange for a large sum of money. This sequence maintains its dry humor while showing that she is protective of her family. The portrait of Marron, daughter of Krillin and C-18 avoid confusing her with Maron, a filler character from the anime.
C-17 remains off-screen for a long time in the original manga. An ending shows him as a protector of nature and his life is further developed in Dragon Ball Super. He also starts a family, but it remains much less present on screen than Krillin and Marron. This choice maintains a degree of independence and discretion in him.
The collection Piccolo Dragon Ball recalls the duel which reveals the endurance of C-17, while the Vegeta collection returns to the fight where C-18 breaks the Saiyan prince's trust. These visual parallels do not allow one of the twins to be declared superior to the other: their scenes respond to different adversaries and intentions.
The C-17 and C-18 of the future are not exactly the same
In Trunks' future, C-17 and C-18 devastate Earth and kill the warriors who defend it. Trunks grew up in this ruined world before traveling to the past. The twins he discovers in the main timeline seem different to him: they are more powerful than the ones he describes, but also less deadly. They defeat Vegeta, Trunks, Piccolo and Tenshinhan without finishing them off.
This is not a contradiction to be erased. Time travel produces narrative branches where events diverge. The article on the cyborgs of the future develops these differences, and the one who explains how Trunks knows Goku places his information in Bulma's timeline.
The television film and the anime develop certain scenes from the future, while the manga goes more directly to the point. To compare behavior, we must therefore specify whether we are talking about the manga, its animated adaptation or the temporal branch. A phrase like "C-18 spares Krillin" is true for the main timeline; it does not automatically describe its future counterpart.
The visual of a Black Goku Rosé figurine with scythe belongs to another time conflict of Dragon Ball Super. It can complete a theme dedicated to Trunks' future, but does not represent C-17 or C-18 and should not be used as evidence on their arc.
In Dragon Ball Super, C-17 receives the greatest warrior development
Dragon Ball Super reunites the twins as Team Universe 7 for the Tournament of Power. C-18 fights alongside Krillin and then his brother. C-17, who has become protector of a nature reserve, impresses with his barriers, his reading of the fight and his endurance. He ultimately remains the last participant in the arena and formulates the wish that restores the erased universes.
The article on C-17's victory in the Tournament of Power explains that surviving until the end is the result of collective work. Saying he “wins” doesn’t prove he’s the strongest fighter in the event. Goku and Frieza eliminate Jiren with him, then C-17 remains on the platform.
C-18 plays a less central role at the conclusion, but it is not erased. She protects allies, combines her actions with C-17 and represents Universe 7. An official presentation of her figurine linked to the Universe Survival arc explicitly describes her fighting with her brother. Depending on the passages, the anime and manga of Super organize eliminations and certain confrontations differently; the general function of the duo remains comparable.
The question “which one is stronger?” » therefore requires a narrative date. During the cyborg arc, their levels seem close and their fights do not provide a decisive direct duel. In Super, C-17 benefits from years of training and a much larger role in the tournament. This allows us to say that he then presents the most striking performances, not to establish an eternal hierarchy for all continuities.
The characters of the broly collection offer a contrast to this methodical endurance, while the selection Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu brings together adversaries linked to several periods. Do not transform this commercial proximity into a timeline: Broly, Cell and the twins do not automatically share the same events depending on the film, anime or manga concerned.
The Kienzan used by C-18 at the martial arts tournament finally recalls her husband's techniques. The guide on the Kienzan of Krillin explains its principle without claiming that a shared technique places all its users at the same level.
Frequently asked questions
Are C-17 and C-18 brother and sister?
Yes, they are twins. Before Doctor Gero's modifications, they were called Lapis and Lazuli. C-17 is the brother and C-18 the sister.
Are they robots?
Not in the strict sense. They are of human origin and have been transformed. The word "cyborgs" is therefore more precise for them, while C-16 is an entirely artificial creation.
Why do they hardly get tired?
Gero installed perpetual energy reactors in their bodies. Their endurance is exceptional, but it does not make them invincible or infinitely powerful.
Is C-17 stronger than C-18?
In the cyborg arc, the manga does not give a direct duel allowing a definitive answer. In Dragon Ball Super, C-17 shows superior progress and performance in the Tournament of Power. The answer therefore depends on the period observed.
Why are versions of the future crueler?
They belong to a different temporal branch. The manga notes this divergence without providing a single and complete psychological cause. It is more accurate to speak of alternative versions than to try to make their actions perfectly identical.
In summary
C-17 and C-18 share a human origin, a twin bond, and modifications imposed by Gero. C-17 is defined by its independence, its barriers and its subsequent role as protector of nature; C-18 by his pragmatism, his marriage to Krillin and his place in their family. Their versions of the future are alternate, and their performances in Super should not be automatically projected onto the Cell arc.