Arlian

Arlians are large, insectoid creatures with exoskeletons, multiple limbs, and mandible-like mouth structures. They stand taller than the average Saiyan, with some individuals growing considerably larger. Their homeworld, Arlia, supported a civilization complete with a monarchy, military hierarchy, prisons, and gladiatorial arenas. Guards could fire laser beams from their mouths and wielded swords, often riding giant worms into battle. Despite their fearsome appearance and martial capabilities, the Arlians were not particularly powerful by Dragon Ball standards, with estimated power levels ranging from 100 to 250.

The Arlians appear exclusively in the filler episode "Terror on Arlia," where Vegeta and Nappa stop on the planet during their journey to Earth. At the time, Arlia was ruled by the tyrannical King Moai, who had imprisoned political dissidents and forced captured warriors to fight in his arena. Vegeta and Nappa were captured and thrown into the arena themselves, where they effortlessly annihilated Moai's champion and his guards. After killing Moai, they inadvertently became heroes to the oppressed Arlian population.

The celebration was short-lived. Vegeta, unimpressed by the planet and deeming it worthless for resale, destroyed Arlia entirely as he and Nappa departed. The Arlians went from liberation to extinction in the span of minutes. It is one of the earliest demonstrations of Vegeta's casual cruelty and the Saiyan approach to planets that serve no purpose. An Arlian does appear in the Resurrection 'F' manga among Frieza's 1,000 soldiers, suggesting either survivors existed off-world or the species was wished back at some point.

Because the Arlia episode is anime filler, the Arlians occupy an unusual space in Dragon Ball canon. They do not exist in Toriyama's original manga, yet their brief story is one of the most memorable filler additions in the series. The episode accomplished something important for the narrative: it established Vegeta and Nappa as genuine threats before they even reached Earth. Watching two Saiyans casually dismantle an entire civilization and then blow up the planet gave viewers a visceral understanding of what was heading for Goku and his friends. The Arlians themselves, with their internal politics, their oppressed citizens, and their doomed gratitude, remain a poignant example of the collateral damage that defines life in the Dragon Ball universe.