Cell Character Facts

Cell is composed of cells from Vegeta, Piccolo, Goku, Frieza, King Cold, and according to the manga title page, a number of other lifeforms, it is also stated that he has cells from Krillin, Gohan, Nappa, and Tien Shinhan). He also possesses information on Nappa, Raditz, Gohan, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Krillin, Yamcha, and Future Trunks that is collected by Dr. Gero's remote tracking device and stocked in the Super Computer. Cell is therefore able to use their attacks (ex. Kamehameha, Regeneration etc.). His genetic composition is very much a part of his character. It is also implied that, when using these attacks, he often changes his genetic code so he can match the genetic source of his attacks, as when he is going to fire the Kamehameha at Piccolo, Gohan and Vegeta sense Goku in the distance, with the former being near Goku at the time. In his Imperfect Form, he is clever, calculating and single-minded about achieving his Perfect Form. In his Semi-Perfect Form, he is a little more arrogant. In his Perfect and Super Perfect forms, he is extremely arrogant; he becomes very smug and he believes that every other living creature is inferior to him, and is shown to be very polite unless he loses his temper. Upon meeting Piccolo for the first time in Gingertown, Cell tells Piccolo that the computer programmed some genetic traits to be more dominant than others. He bears a strong resemblance to Frieza in all of his forms, such as his tail and the talon-like feet of his first form, and his face while in his perfect form. He can also revert back a few stages at will if necessary, as evidenced when Cell reverts back from his Imperfect form to his Larval form in order to use Trunks' Time Machine.
Cell is designed to have the ability to absorb any biological mass by stabbing his victims with his tail. This process, called "bio-extraction," drains all the organic mass out of the target from the inside out. This attack increases Cell's power, the exact amount depending on the victim's power level. Cell is also designed to absorb Dr. Gero's other Androids (Android 17 and Android 18) whole, integrating them into his systems. Each time he absorbs an Android, he evolves into a more powerful being, however he cannot absorb completely mechanical Androids such as Android 16.
Upon assimilating both Android 17 and Android 18, he gains the ability to asexually reproduce, creating blue, child versions of himself, called "Cell Juniors".
He is also able to change his voice to one of his other forms at will, as Perfect Cell uses his Imperfect form's voice during his announcement of the Cell Games in "The Doomsday Broadcast" when explaining that he is the "creature from Nicky Town". He is also able to manipulate his voice, changing it to someone he absorbed. This is demonstrated when Semi-Perfect Cell changes his voice to 17's to try to convince 18 to merge with the Bio-Android.
Cell's original, larval form floats in Dr. Gero's basement laboratory. In the present timeline, the Present Cell is killed by Future Trunks and Krillin when they discover the basement (which included some blueprints). In Future Trunks' timeline, Future Cell is alive, searching for the Androids, when Future Trunks returns from the present timeline, but gets killed by Future Trunks' Heat Dome Attack. In another alternate timeline, Cell grows to full-size, cracks out of the machine, turns from a larva into its imperfect form, kills Future Trunks in order to steal his Time Machine, reverts to his larval form, and travels back to the present timeline in order to absorb Android 17 and Android 18.
This is Cell's second evolutionary stage. He burrows deep into the ground where he remains for four years, during which time he undergoes a slow, natural evolutionary process as he prepares to change into his imperfect form. Once ready, Cell emerges from the ground to shed his skin. This form's effectiveness in combat (if it has any) is never shown, although it is possible it has some level of defensive capabilities, as being a "perfect" being, it would have some way of defending itself.
Unlike his larval form, Cell walks fully upright on two legs. His facial features have not yet fully developed, and he still retains an orifice-like mouth (which generally obscures four teeth, as revealed in "Silent Warrior"), rather than traditional human-like features seen in later forms. The two sections of his head shoot off in different directions in a V-shape, rather than nearly straight up, as in the next two forms. Cell is later shown using the power he absorbed from his victims by having a golden aura with the appearance of wailing souls. Cell has orange color parts near his abdominal area, the back of his head, and even near his groin area. He has two wings which are both emerald green with black spots. He has a emerald green and lime green mix all over his exoskeleton (including head, arms and legs). He has three fingers in the manga, but five fingers and three toes (just as similar as Frieza and King Cold) in the anime. He has a tail like Frieza and King Cold, but also has a stinger included at the end of it. He has black sections as well near his abdominal area, in the middle between the two sections on his head, and even the black part of opposite side of his tail. He even has azure veins in both of his arms, legs, and even some in the upper body.
In this form, Cell's wings disappear, and he becomes much more humanoid, also becoming bulkier. While the nose is not yet fully formed (as it is in the next stage), he now has an actual mouth. The two off-shooting sections of his head now go straight into the air, as well. In this form, he is at his 2nd largest (because of Power Weighted Perfect Cell) with his height being more than double that of Vegeta. His tail is longer and slightly thicker than before, and protrudes from his back, as well as becoming orange and black. His voice is deeper than his previous form. The back of his head and the black section on his forehead are now formed together as a ball in between the two sections on his head. His lips are now the color pink, and the black sections above his lips look like a mustache (except it is part of his skin). He now has light blue eyes in this form. He even has boot-like feet in this form and metal-like plates all around both of his ankles. He has the same shape of ears as Frieza's, except that his have an orange line that goes down to the chin and to both sides of the ears.
After he achieves this form, Cell no longer cares about absorbing other creatures, and becomes obsessed with finding Android 18. Aside from his obsession, he also becomes slightly more arrogant because of his power increase, as well as being rash and impatient. His arrogance is short-lived though; he is easily outclassed by Vegeta's Ascended Super Saiyan form. After finding that his Semi-Perfect form is no match for his opponent, Cell convinces Vegeta to allow him to absorb Android 18 to attain the Perfect Form (which he is able to do as he appeals to Vegeta's ego and the natural Saiyan drive to fight stronger opponents, both of which Cell is aware of, as he possesses Vegeta's cells).
Cell becomes much more humanoid in this form, complete with both a fully-formed nose and mouth. His tail is retracted and now used for the creation of Cell Jrs, Jr.'s, although it is shown in various media that he can still extend it from his back and absorb other people (as seen in Dragon Ball GT) Along with his previous two forms, Cell can brandish an aura with the same color as a Super Saiyan. He is also smaller than in his previous form, being only about Piccolo's height. His wings have grown back and now are shaded black. His exoskeleton is colored light-green with black spots and has black plates located on his shoulders and chest, and the plates on his ankles as well as the previously orange section near his groin are now shaded black. His skin is now pale all in his face and hands, he now has purple lines in both sides of his cheeks, similar to Frieza in his first three forms, and the orange line across his ears and chin is now changed into a yellow color. His eyes are now pink, and his blue veins are now purple.
Cell becomes significantly more arrogant in this form due to his increase in speed and power, and now only wishes to test his own power and does not truly care for taking over the universe. In this form, Cell gains Frieza's polite mannerisms (though without the snide sarcasm), Piccolo's cunning, Vegeta's self-confidence, and Goku's laid back nature and love of fighting.
Super Cell is a transformation of Perfect Cell that is Cell's equivalent to the Ultra Super Saiyan form.
After Future Trunks in his Ultra Super Saiyan from was unable to hit Perfect Cell, Cell reveals that he is also able to increase his muscle size in the same manner as an Ultra Super Saiyan and briefly assumes this buffed state to demonstrate the mistake Future Trunks made increasing his muscle mass without balancing his speed. This otherwise unnamed form is again taken by Cell when he loses his temper with a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, increasing his muscle mass even more. Future Trunks notes this during the Cell Games, saying "it's making the same mistake he mocked me for!" Though his raw strength in this state dwarfs that of most of the Z Fighters, Gohan is still able to effortlessly cripple him in a single heavy kick to the stomach (a heavy hit to the head in the manga), causing him to regurgitate Android 18 and revert to his Semi-Perfect form. Afterwards, Cell realizes that he can never win at this rate, and blows himself up in an effort to take Gohan and the Earth down with him, but Goku sacrifices himself to stop this from happening. Cell survives the explosion and returns safely to Earth using Goku's own Instant Transmission technique, stronger than ever. This form is never seen afterwards.
In this state Cell is stronger than he was in his Perfect form, but his speed decreases drastically. Despite rarely accessing this form due to its obvious impairments, his buff stage is considered second only to Cell's Super Perfect form. It is uncertain if Cell is capable of using any techniques unseen in previous transformations, as he only appears buffed for brief periods of time. Nonetheless, Power Weighted Perfect Cell is still markedly outclassed by Gohan in his Super Saiyan 2 transformation. While Future Trunks implies that Power Weighted Cell was stronger than Super Saiyan 2 Gohan in terms of brute strength in the anime dub, the manga content demonstrates that Power Weighted Cell has a significant decrease in stamina, as Gohan crippled Cell with a single kick to the stomach and made him regurgitate Android 18.
Super Perfect Cell is a version of Cell's perfect form after he receives a Zenkai from his recovery after a botched self-destruction that takes the lives of Goku, King Kai, Bubbles and Gregory. Despite Cell's loss of Android 18 (and after he self-destructs, Android 17), his cells retain the memory of his Perfect Form, which makes it possible for him to regenerate back into that form.
In his most powerful state, Cell's appearance remains the same. Nonetheless, his power increases exponentially. His aura crackles with surges of blue electricity, much like a Super Saiyan 2. This huge influx of power causes his already inflated ego to increase dramatically. He becomes notably more deranged, frequently shouting and exhibiting bizarre facial ticks at random intervals (although this may be largely due to his rage over being humiliated by Gohan). In addition, the intro narration for Cell Returns has the narrator referring to Cell as a "demented demon", implying that Cell had become insane when he returned.
In Dragon Ball GT, while Cell and Frieza are fighting Vegeta in Hell, Cell actually absorbs Vegeta for a brief while, gaining all of his power (even the power of his Super Saiyan 4 state). His appearance actually does change, becoming much more muscular and being surrounded by electricity, before Vegeta crawls out of Cell.