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Is Cell a Boy or a Girl?

Published in No Gender 2 mins read

Cell, from the Dragon Ball Z series, does not have a gender. While Cell possesses a masculine physique and voice, his anatomy doesn't inherently define him as male or female. This is explicitly stated in various sources.

Understanding Cell's Genderlessness

  • Biological Sex vs. Gender: It's crucial to distinguish between biological sex (determined by chromosomes and anatomy) and gender (a social construct). Some sources incorrectly claim Cell is male based on his appearance, confusing these two concepts. However, as noted, there is no biological basis to assign Cell a male or female sex.

  • Cell's Artificial Creation: Cell's artificial creation further complicates gender assignment. He wasn't born through traditional biological processes, eliminating the typical XX or XY chromosome determination of sex.

  • Narrative Representation: While Cell is predominantly referred to as "he" in the narrative, this is a stylistic choice rather than a definitive statement of his gender.

  • Lack of Reproductive Organs: A critical aspect of biological sex is the presence of reproductive organs. Cell lacks any such organs.

Contrasting Views

Some discussions online debate whether "he" or "it" is the appropriate pronoun, highlighting the complexity of applying human gender constructs to a non-human, artificially created being. The lack of definitive biological sex in Cell makes assigning a gender inherently problematic.