The world of Dragon Ball is full of warriors. These warriors can defeat their foes, conquer worlds and decimate whole planets with their sheer unbridled strength. However, the most powerful fighter in the multiverse isn't who you would expect. In fact, the series' "Ultimate Ruler" is quite possibly the strongest and most unexpected warrior in the entire series.
Akira, or "Tori-Bot" looks like a short grey robot with a face that resembles a gas mask. This character is the author stand-in for Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump creator Akira Toriyama, and he is modeled on Toriyama's other author-surrogate character, Robotoriyama. Robotoriyama often appears in magazines that Toriyama has a hand in, acting almost like an author signature.
Akira first appeared in the original Dragon Ball manga, walking around in the background several times. In the Japanese anime versions of these cameos, Akira can be heard complaining that he isn't in Penguin Village, the setting of Dr. Slump, another place where this character has frequent and exceptionally meta cameos. He's also seen on a series of wanted posters, where he has the lowest bounty of any of the criminals, a self-deprecating trend that quickly became the trademark of this character. In fact, in chapter 480 of the manga, Akira pops up to apologize to his editor when Krillin breaks the fourth wall to point out the fusion dance between Trunks and Goten uses repeated panels. Akira then asks his editor to dock his pay for the page to apologize for the reuse.
In Dragon Ball Z, Akira is in the crowd when Goku fights Pikkon. He also makes quick cameos in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, as well as ones in Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball GT, where he appears on random objects and background items, showing that he is always watching, no matter the situation. Akira also frequently appears in the franchises' many videogames, acting as an audience member in the first two Budokai games, and in Dragon Ball Online he makes random cameos. In Dragon Ball Heroes, Akira is upgraded to a supporting character who can help the player boost their power.
Akira's profile in the Daizenshuu guide books gives us a hint at his godly powers. According to this profile, Akira is the ultimate ruler, outclassing even Kaioshin. However, despite this, most of his time is spent fighting his editor, Mr. Torishima. Akira has the power to draw up anything he wants, using a pen and paper to create items that instantly become real. However, this can be stopped by his editor Mr. Torishima, and Akira is often seen cursing him or trying to get revenge for his many rejections. But life as a god isn't easy as, despite his immense power, Akira is always the butt of the joke. He often gets mocked by the other characters, and his low bounty shows that no one in the universe takes him or his godly powers seriously. This also carries through to Dr. Slump, where Akira is shown as a manga writer who is often behind on work and is frequently mocked by the other characters.
While Akira may be mocked by the other characters and is often the butt of jokes, he is a fan-favorite character and an utterly charming detail, his regular appearances being fun Easter eggs for long-time fans. Having the author be the god of the setting is delightfully meta and also a lot of fun. And having this god wander around the world adds a whole new dimension to the joke. We don't know when Akira will next appear in the series. But whenever he does, we can be sure that no one will show him the respect he deserves.
