Android 17

"What?! You're looking at it, I am the ultimate Android!"

- Android 17

Android 17 is a secondary antagonist turned on-and-off protagonist in Dragon Ball Z. He is an android created by Dr. Gero. He has long dark hair and wears a red scarf on his neck. Unlike Androids 1, 2, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 19, 17 and his twin sister 18 were originally humans turned into androids by Dr. Gero. It was later revealed by Akira Toriyama that his true name is Lapis.

Although his future counterpart is the main villain of the history of Trunks special and his GT self is Super 17 the main villain of the saga of the same name.

He is voiced by Shigeru Nakahara in the Japanese version of the anime and Chuck Huber in the English version, the latter of whom also voices Hiei.

Dragon Ball Z
Android 17 did not like being controlled by Dr. Gero, so when he awakened 17 and 18 to fight the Z Fighters, 17 took Dr. Gero's remote and crushed it. As Dr. Gero tried to stop 17 and 18 from activating Android 16, 17 impaled Dr. Gero with his hand. He then kicked his head off and crushed it. After awakening 16, 17 and 18 left with him. Vegeta followed them and challenged them to a battle. 18 fought him and soon gained the advantage, so Trunks jumped into the battle. 17 also entered the battle, beating up Tien and Piccolo. However, 17 and 18 had no interest in killing the Z Fighters, only Goku (as it is like a game to them), so they headed off in search of Goku.

17, who wanted to have some fun, drove a food truck they stole, though 18 thought driving was a waste of time and flying would be quicker. They did not find Goku at his house or at Kame House, where Piccolo challenged 17 to a battle and gained a slight advantage over him, before Cell arrived with the intent of absorbing 17 and 18. Piccolo saved 17 from being absorbed by Cell, and together they fought him, but powered up from absorbing several humans, he easily gained the advantage. After supposedly killing Piccolo, Cell beat up 17 before opening his tail up to absorb him. However, 16 punched Cell off 17 and fought him. When 17 believed that 16 had defeated Cell, Cell snuck up on 17, opened his tail up, and absorbed him, sucking him in and transforming to his semi-perfect form.

17 was killed when Cell self destructed, however Cell survived and returned in his perfect form despite losing 17, and 18, whom he had lost during his fight with Gohan. He was wished back along with the rest of Cell's victims using the Dragonballs. From here, he lived a peaceful life on Earth until his death at the hands of Kid Buu, who blew up the earth during the Kid Buu Saga. Toriyama revealed he has since married and is the protector of a game reserve, and he has two children. He was wished back along with the rest of Earth's inhabitants, and gave up energy for Goku's Spirit Bomb. He also aimed a gun at people to make them raise their hands (to give up energy for the Spirit Bomb), thinking he was trying to rob them.

In the alternate timeline, Android 17 and 18 are complete monsters and ruthlessly murdered several innocent people with no remorse including all of the Z fighters. When Gohan and Trunks were the last remaining fighters, they tried to fight the Androids but they end up destroying Gohan with multiple blasts. After he died, Trunks completely lost it and was able to turn Super Saiyan for the first time. It's one of the main reasons he chose to go back in time via the time machine to warn Goku and the Z Fighters about the possible future outcomes. After returning from the fight with Cell, Trunks was easily able to defeat 17 of his timeline, destroying him with an energy wave.

Dragon Ball GT
Android 17 appears as an antagonist on the Super 17 Saga, where he was brainwashed by Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu, who created another 17, Hell Fighter 17, whom 17 fused with to become Super 17. He was destroyed by Goku's Dragon Fist. It is said that the real 17's influence caused him to turn on Dr. Myuu, and help Goku destroy him. He was wished back along with all the other victims with Shenron's final wish.

Powers
Android 17 has many of the abilities of the other fighters in the franchise. He is superhuman, can fly, and can manipulate Ki Energy. As an Android, he has limitless stamina and thus never tires no longer how long he fights for.

Super 17
Main Article: Super 17

Super 17 is the Super Android form of 17, he transforms into this state when he merges with his copy - Hell Fighter 17, the form greatly increases his power to be equal to or stronger than Super Saiyan 4 Goku and gives him the ability to absorb energy attacks by taking a T-stance.

Android Barrier
Like all RR Androids, #17 can use a seemingly impenetrable Energy Barrier.

Delta Combination
Android #17 rushes towards his opponent, and punches them into the air when approaching. He then starts "juggling" with the opponent with barrages of punches and kicks, creating a triangle shaped pattern; the user moves quickly enough to appear before the opponent to create the triangle shaped pattern. He ends the attack by striking the opponent with a punch or kick that sends them far away. This attack is not unique to #17. Other users of this brutal attack are: Gohan, Garlic Jr., Broly, and Videl.

Endgame
A counter rush where he palm strikes the opponent's stomach before roundhouse kicking the opponent away, inflicting a great deal of damage.

Flip Cyclone
Used by both his Future counterpart and Present Android #17. Android 17 backflips away while dodging the opponent's attacks, and then delivers a powerful forward kick back to the opponent.

Electric Shot
Android 17 puts his two hands together in front of him, after he charges his pink energy sphere which irradiates electricity, he finally fires the attack at the target.

Crazy Rush
Android #17 right palm strikes the opponent's face. Then, he uses a Heavy Finish and elbows them on the back. Finally, Android 17 reverse sweep kicks the opponent off the ground before kicking them away, inflicting a high amount of damage.

Photon Flash
Android #17's signature attack. Android 17 puts his hand forward and charges a golden-yellow Energy Sphere. Then, he fires the energy sphere in the form of an energy wave against the opponent, inflicting a large amount of damage.

Accel Shot
Android 17 puts his hands together and then he fires multiple yellow energy waves that cause a considerable amount of damage.

Trivia

 * Both times 17 of the main timeline is killed (not counting GT), his death is relatively off screen and at the hands of a main villain (Cell, when he self destructs, and Kid Buu, when he blows up the earth), is destroyed along with a planet, and is revived. Also of note, both Cell and Buu are nearly destroyed in the explosion that kills him, but regenerate.