Piccolo (Dragon Ball)
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is a
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in the ''
Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' media franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He is first seen in chapter #161 "Son Goku Wins!!", published in ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
'' magazine on February 9, 1988, as the reincarnation of the evil
Piccolo Daimaō '' Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the c ...
, who was positioned as a demonic antagonist of the series. However, it is later revealed that he is in fact a member of an extraterrestrial
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and ''-oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. The earliest recorded use of the term, in 1870, referred to indigenous peoples in areas colonized by Europeans. By the 20t ...
species called Namekians, those able to create the series' eponymous wish-granting Dragon Balls. After losing to Son Goku, Piccolo decides to team up with him and his friends in order to defeat newer, more dangerous threats, such as
Vegeta ( ), also referred as is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Vegeta first appears in chapter #204 "Sayonara, Son Goku", published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine on November 7, 1988, seeking t ...
,
Frieza , also known and spelled as Freeza in Funimation's English subtitles and Viz Media's release of the manga, is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He makes his debut in Chapter #247: "Dark Clouds ...
,
Cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery ...
,
Majin Buu , generally spelled Majin Boo in subtitles of the Japanese anime, and rendered as Djinn-Boo in the Viz Media manga, is the final antagonist in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama, before the release of ''Dragon Ball Super' ...
,
Beerus is a fictional character in the '' Dragon Ball'' franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Beerus made his first appearance in the 2013 feature film '' Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods'' as the main antagonist and returned as a supporting character in ' ...
,
Zamasu , spelled Zamas in Viz Media's English localization of the ''Dragon Ball Super'' manga, is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' series. He is introduced as in the forty-seventh episode of Toei Animation's ''Dragon Ball Super'' anime s ...
, Jiren,
Broly is a fictional character in the '' Dragon Ball'' media franchise. Two different versions of the character exist: the original Broly, a major villain created by anime screenwriter Takao Koyama who appeared in a trilogy of 1990s '' Dragon Ball Z'' ...
, and Moro. He also trains Goku's eldest son,
Gohan is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series, created by Akira Toriyama. Gohan is introduced as the first son of the protagonist Goku, and his wife Chi-Chi, in chapter #196 "Kakarrot", published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magaz ...
, in martial arts, with the two forming a strong bond. Piccolo is one of the most popular and recognizable characters of the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise. The character has been consistently well received by fans and video game publications, with high placements in multiple "top" character lists and popularity polls. The character has also inspired ''
Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' manga author Masashi Kishimoto, as well as an
internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
which became popular in Japan in 2013.


Creation and development

Piccolo, more specifically his parent Piccolo Daimaō, was created by Toriyama as he wanted to have a villain who would be a true "bad guy." Prior to his creation, nearly all the previous villains in the series were considered too likable. His editor,
Kazuhiko Torishima is a Japanese publishing executive and former manga magazine editor, who is currently serving as an advisor to Hakusensha. He formerly worked at Shueisha, where he began as an editor in 1976, before becoming a senior managing director (CEO), a ...
, stated he introduced Toriyama to evil historical figures for inspiration. Piccolo Daimaō was created after he told the author how Roman Emperor
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...
enjoyed watching people suffer. However, the ''Shenlong Times'' issue #2, a bonus pamphlet given to some buyers of the '' Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide'' guidebook, says that the character was modeled after Torishima himself. After creating Piccolo Daimaō, Toriyama noted that it was one of the most interesting parts of the series and that he became one of his favorite characters. Although Piccolo's transformation from a villain to a hero was considered by Toriyama to be cliché, he still felt excited when drawing him, noting that despite having a scary face, he still looks appealing. Piccolo is initially assumed to, like his parent, be a member of the , however, midway through the series it is learned that they are actually members of the alien race called . Toriyama stated that he never thought of making Piccolo an alien until
Kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
was introduced. But afterwards he did try to make it consistent, such as by drawing the Namekian architecture similar to the throne Piccolo Daimaō had. For the film ''Super Hero'', Toriyama said that he wanted the plot to focus on the dynamic between Gohan and Piccolo due to how their close relationship motivates the former even more than his father, Goku, in order to be determined to fight. , which Toriyama considers Piccolo's first transformation, was made orange and extremely muscled to distinguish him from Piccolo's regular form. The buffed body was done since, unlike other characters, Piccolo does not have hair to change in a transformation. The artist wondered that while he should have been more over-the-top with Piccolo, he is glad he finaly gave him a chance to make him as strong as Goku. Toriyama said that, while Piccolo is a stoic character, he wanted to make him act different in the movie.


Voice actors

In the original Japanese version of the anime and all other media, Piccolo is voiced by
Toshio Furukawa is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actor Shino Kakinuma. Career He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Keroro Gunso''), Kai Shiden ('' Mobile Suit ...
, with the only exception being his initial newborn child form which was voiced by
Hiromi Tsuru was a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. During her life, she was attached to the Himawari Theatre Group as a child and then to Aoni Production at the time of her death. She was most known for voicing the character of Bulma (''Dragon B ...
. Furukawa, who up to that point had mostly played happy lighter-voiced characters, said he got the role because he stated in interviews at the time that he wanted to play a villain. He said it was difficult to constantly perform with a low voice because his normal lighter voice would break through if he broke concentration. When asked if
Takeshi Aono was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō. He was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. He graduated from Hokkaidō Asahikawa Higashi High School. Career Aono was most known for the roles of Shiro ...
's work as Piccolo Daimaō influenced his portrayal of Piccolo, Furukawa replied that because Piccolo Daimaō was impulsive, he initially played his own role as an energetic person around eighteen-years-old and later imagined him as close to thirty-years old in ''Dragon Ball Z''. Furukawa, as well as Gohan's voice actress
Masako Nozawa is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. Throughout her life, she has been affiliated with Production Baobab, 81 Produce and self-owned Office Nozawa; she is also affiliated with Aoni Production. Her late husband, Masaaki Tsukada, was ...
, said the episodes where Piccolo trains Gohan left an impression on them. He said the fans really enjoyed those episodes as well. Furukawa also cited Piccolo making a pun for
Kaiō-sama '' Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the c ...
as memorable because it was so out of character for him. By the time he reprised the voice in ''Dragon Ball Super'', Piccolo had become Furukawa's favorite character of all his roles. In English, several different voice actors have voiced Piccolo, including
Scott McNeil Scott McNeil is an Australian-born Canadian actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the best-known Canadian voice actors of all time, McNeil has provided voices to many characters in animated shows, most notabl ...
in episodes 1-53 (1-67 unedited) in
Funimation Entertainment Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
's initial dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' in association with
Saban Entertainment Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International; currently operating under the legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by Haim Saban and ...
and
Ocean Productions Ocean Productions, Inc., is a Canadian media production and voice acting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is part of the Ocean Group of businesses. Ocean Group is involved in intellectual property acquisition and development, ...
as well as
Geneon (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distributi ...
's dub of the first three ''Dragon Ball Z'' films, and episodes 108-291 of Westwood Media's dub of the franchise (in association with Ocean Productions); by Ethan Cole in Chinook Animation's dub of ''Dragon Ball GT'' (produced in association with Blue Water Studios);''Dragon Ball GT'' Chinook dub's credits by
Dan Woren Dan Woren is an American voice actor who is known for providing voice work for anime, television, and video games. His role was voicing Roy Fokker in the ''Robotech'' series in the 1980s. Other major voice roles include Jagi in ''Fist of the No ...
in Bandai's English release of the video game '' Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout'';''Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout'' credits by British-born French actor Paul Bandey in the infamous English dubs of the movies released exclusively in the UK and the Netherlands by
AB Groupe Mediawan Thematics (formerly known as AB Groupe) is a French business group in the field of broadcasting. It was founded in 1977 by Jean-Luc Azoulay and Claude Berda as a music production company, and in 1987 went into the world of television ...
(wherein the character was referred to as "Big Green"), by
David Gasman David Gasman is an American television, film and voice actor. He has appeared in many cartoons and video games, such as '' Rayman'', ''Code Lyoko'', and ''Dragon Ball'' films. In his acting career, he acted in '' Jefferson in Paris'', '' The Bou ...
(who also voiced Goku in this dub) in the European dub of '' Dead Zone'' (there called ''In Pursuit of Garlic''), vocal grunts by Ed Marcus in ''
The History of Trunks ''Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks'', known in Japan as is a TV special anime based on Akira Toriyama's '' Dragon Ball'' manga series. Originally airing in Japan on February 24, 1993, between episodes 175 and 176, the special is based ...
'' (or ''Gohan and Trunks'') and consistently by
Christopher Sabat Christopher Robin Sabat is an American voice actor, voice director, ADR engineer, and line producer working for Funimation, and OkraTron 5000. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include Vegeta and Piccolo in ''Dragon Ball'', Ro ...
in Funimation's in-house dub of all ''Dragon Ball'' media.''Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Z Kai'' Funimation dub's credits Ray Chase voices Piccolo in the Toonami Asia broadcast of ''
Dragon Ball Super is a Japanese manga series written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. A sequel to Toriyama's original Dragon Ball (manga), ''Dragon Ball'' manga, it follows the adventures of Goku and friends during the ten-year timeskip after ...
'' produced by
Bang Zoom! Entertainment Bang Zoom! Entertainment is an audio post-production studio with its headquarters in Burbank, California, in Greater Los Angeles. It has worked on anime, video games, television series, feature films, and original animation projects. Their work ...
.


Abilities

Piccolo has shown many unique abilities throughout the series. Due to his Namekian physiology, Piccolo can expand his arms, move fast enough to not be seen, regenerate lost limbs of his body so long as his head is still intact, and possesses superhuman hearing and strength. Piccolo's allows him to become gigantic to the point where he is capable of reaching mountain-like heights. He also has the ability to
conjure Conjure may be: * a verb with a range of common meanings; see its Wiktionary entry and Conjuration (disambiguation) * a noun used regionally in the United States for Hoodoo * the name of a 2000 poetry collection by Michael Donaghy See also * ...
objects such as garments and a blade, including his cape and turban outfit. Among Piccolo's known
psionic In American science fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as telepathy and psycho ...
skills, he is able to communicate
telepathically Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...
with select individuals. Thus, this enables him to read minds and mentally contact others nearby. In one instance, he alerts Trunks and Goten of Buu's proximity to the dimension where the two were training. Like many other characters in ''Dragon Ball'', Piccolo has the ability of
flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
through the technique called . He also possesses an attack called the , which is fired with one hand being supported by the other. One of Piccolo's most powerful attacks is the an attack that is expelled from Piccolo's index and middle fingers. Unlike most energy-based attacks in ''Dragon Ball'', the potent ''Makankōsappō'' pierces its targets like a drill rather than enveloping them or exploding on contact. Another attack of Piccolo's is the , which involves firing off many orbs of energy that float around the opponent. Piccolo then squeezes his hand to make all the orbs converge onto the opponent, exploding on contact. The is another of his signature attacks, being one that he teaches to his pupil Gohan. Another move Piccolo is seen to have is the which is conjured by putting his hands on his chest, gathering energy and then releasing it outwards. One of Piccolo's less frequently used techniques is the ability to fire energy rays from his eyes, which he first uses against Krillin's energy attack during their match in the 23rd Tenka'ichi Budōkai, then later against Goku in the finals, and again when he trains Gohan. It is also revealed that he is capable of performing the , invented by Master Mutaito to seal his evil parent in a rice cooker. Piccolo can also perform a type of fusion, which he does with Nail on planet Namek to confront Frieza and with Kami to confront the Androids, each time greatly increasing his power; the first time enough to clash toe-to-toe with Frieza's second form, and in the latter, he becomes much more powerful than an unmastered Super Saiyan.


Appearances


In ''Dragon Ball''

Introduced as the offspring and reincarnate of the demon Piccolo Daimaō, Piccolo Jr. plans to continue his parent's mission of world domination and avenge his death at the hands of Goku. Piccolo enters the 23rd Tenka'ichi Budōkai under the alias . Piccolo defeats both
Krillin (known as Kuririn in Funimation's English subtitles and Viz Media's release of the manga, and Kulilin in Japanese merchandise English translations) is a fictional character in the '' Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is in ...
, who gives up,''Dragon Ball'' manga, volume 15, chapter 173 and seals Kami in the container of the ''Evil Containment Wave''.''Dragon Ball'' manga, volume 16, chapter 181 He then fights Goku in the final round, who tricks Piccolo into enlarging himself so he can retrieve Kami,''Dragon Ball'' manga, volume 16, chapter 187 from there causing many of Piccolo's techniques to backfire on him. Though crippling both Goku's arms and legs, Piccolo is defeated when Goku headbutts him out of the ring, though recovers thanks to receiving a Senzu Bean from Goku, who he promises to defeat as he departs. Five years later, Piccolo teams up with Goku to defeat his older brother
Raditz ''Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the cha ...
. Piccolo is able to defeat Raditz, but at the cost of Goku's life, as Piccolo's move ''Makankōsappō'' cuts through both Saiyans. Piccolo's subsequent conversation with the dying Raditz, in which he reveals that the Dragon Balls can resurrect, is broadcast. Piccolo remains amazed with the powers from Gohan and trains him in preparation to fight against the two Saiyans who will invade Earth. As the year goes by, Piccolo starts to change as he spends time training Gohan, slowly beginning to bond with him. When the Saiyans arrive a year later, Piccolo discovers his heritage from the planet Namek. In the fight against Nappa, Piccolo sacrifices himself to protect Gohan from the attack, resulting in the deaths of both himself and Kami. After the Saiyans are defeated, Gohan and the survivors travel to Piccolo's homeworld, Namek, to revive those who died against the Saiyans with the Namekian Dragon Balls. In the meantime, Piccolo trains in the afterlife with
Kaiō-sama '' Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the c ...
. Piccolo is resurrected on planet Namek to help Goku and others defeat the evil
Frieza , also known and spelled as Freeza in Funimation's English subtitles and Viz Media's release of the manga, is a fictional character in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He makes his debut in Chapter #247: "Dark Clouds ...
. He takes this time to merge with the beaten Namekian called Nail, giving Piccolo a power increase.''Dragon Ball Z'' manga, volume 9, chapter 101 Despite his massive power increase and going head-to-head with Frieza's second transformation, However, the plan fails as Frieza reveals the full extent of his powers. In Frieza's following fight with Goku, who tries charging a ''Genki-dama'' to defeat him, Piccolo assists him alongside Gohan and Krillin. Once Frieza emerges from the impact of the ''Genki-dama'' unscathed, Piccolo is severely injured by Frieza with a shot to the chest. Piccolo is later teleported off the planet to safety on Earth and, after regaining consciousness, declines to return to a new version of Namek as he wishes to protect Gohan and become stronger while remaining on Earth. After Frieza's death, Piccolo trains with Goku and Gohan for three years to prepare for a battle against two powerful Androids created by the
Red Ribbon Army The is a fictional group of characters featured in Akira Toriyama's '' Dragon Ball'' anime and manga series. The many operatives of the Red Ribbon Army, led by , serve as opponents for series protagonist Goku during his second quest for the Dra ...
's
Dr. Gero The is a fictional group of characters featured in Akira Toriyama's ''Dragon Ball'' anime and manga series. The many operatives of the Red Ribbon Army, led by , serve as opponents for series protagonist Goku during his second quest for the Drago ...
to kill Goku. Though he manages to best Dr. Gero in battle, he is unable to prevent him from activating the other Androids. After being defeated by
Android 17 ''Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, ''Dr. Slump''. While many of the cha ...
, Piccolo seeks to unite with Kami, and gain another massive increase in power. Piccolo becomes aware of a more dangerous threat named
Cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery ...
, who seeks to absorb 17 and 18. After Cell escapes, Piccolo once again battles the Androids, except this time he battles #17 one on one. After a somewhat even match, Cell arrives on the battle scene; Cell needs to absorb the Androids to complete his power. While trying to prevent this, Piccolo is nearly killed by Cell, surviving the encounter thanks to his regenerative abilities and following some training in the Room of Spirit and Time, he is forced to participate in a tournament created by Cell called the Cell Games, where he fights one of the seven Cell Juniors that are created by Cell, who are later destroyed by Gohan. Seven years later, Piccolo is poised to fight Kaiō-shin at the 25th Tenkaichi Budōkai, forfeiting the match after finding himself reluctant to fight and journeying with him to confront Babidi, being turned into stone by Dabura. After being freed upon Dabura's death,''Dragon Ball Z'' manga, volume 23, chapter 270 he attempts to kill Babidi. Piccolo discovers Babidi survived. Babidi later demands Piccolo be brought forward or humans will die in the meantime. Piccolo then acts as a trainer to
Goten ''Dragon Ball'' is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The franchise features an ensemble cast of characters and takes place in the same fictional universe as Toriyama's other work, '' Dr. Slump''. While many of the ch ...
and Trunks and their fused form Gotenks. Piccolo trains the boys in fighting the evil creature
Majin Buu , generally spelled Majin Boo in subtitles of the Japanese anime, and rendered as Djinn-Boo in the Viz Media manga, is the final antagonist in the ''Dragon Ball'' manga series created by Akira Toriyama, before the release of ''Dragon Ball Super' ...
, who finds them and the other heroes. After more unsuccessful attempts to kill Buu, he is later absorbed by Buu along with Gotenks and Gohan and dies when Buu destroy Earth He is then revived through the Dragon Balls and aids Goku's ''Genki-Dama'' attack, which Goku uses to defeat Buu once and for all.


In ''Dragon Ball Super''

In '' Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods'', Piccolo combats Beerus alongside Android 18 and Tenshinhan, only to be bested; and, in '' Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F''', Piccolo narrowly escapes death once Frieza destroys the Earth. After the events of the latter two films, Piccolo is resurrected after being killed by Frieza in the ''Dragon Ball Super'' retelling of ''Resurrection 'F and agrees to train Gohan again. Piccolo then accepts a request to participate in a tournament against Universe 6 fighters, where his loss to Frost is retracted after cheating on Frost's part is discovered, though he still declines being allowed to fight more as Vegeta wants to takes his place. After this, Piccolo reunites with Trunks and teaches him a technique to defeat his enemy. In the final arc of the anime, Piccolo participates into a fighting tournament after training Gohan once again. After these events, in '' Dragon Ball Super: Broly'', Piccolo, standing by an unknown location, telepathically senses Goku having trouble fighting the titular character, and after he and Vegeta transport themselves to Piccolo via ''Shunkan Idō'', later assists them into performing the ''Fusion'' technique successfully after two failed, hilarious attempts. The newly-christened Gogeta then leaves to stop Broly. In '' Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero'', Piccolo, after training Pan and visiting Gohan, is ambushed by android Gamma 2, and is defeated, evading death and detection afterwards. He then discovers the resurrected Red Ribbon Army and its ulterior motives while disguised. Through a wish from the Dragon Balls, Shenlong unlocks Piccolo's potential, taking on an empowered state similar to that of his pupil's form, and has Pan play along with a plan to sabotage the army's ploy and put Gohan back to fighting spirit. He then ascends to his first true transformation as a "little extra" from the dragon, referred to as . He battles the monstrous Cell Max giant-to-giant, but is severely outmatched and injured, causing Gohan to awaken his power through fury. He then restrains the monster for Gohan to pierce his forehead with a ''Makankōsappō.''


in other media

Piccolo appears in nine non-canonical ''Dragon Ball Z'' films; in the first movie, Piccolo aids in stopping Garlic Jr.'s plot after having been attacked by his minions, wanting revenge; in the
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
, Piccolo is brainwashed by Dr. Wheelo and made to combat the others until Gohan frees him by destroying the machinery associated with his brainwashing; in the
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...
, Piccolo comes to save Gohan from Turles and succeeds by taking a blast for him; in the fourth, Piccolo combats Lord Slug and discovers that Namekians are weak to whistling, allowing for his defeat; in the fifth, Piccolo is able to defeat most of Cooler's squadron, only to be defeated by Cooler himself; in the sixth, Piccolo fights Cooler's minions on Namek and saves the others after they are captured; in the
seventh Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season e ...
, Piccolo saves Gohan from being attacked by Android 13 and battles the android in both his forms; in the eighth, Piccolo travels to New Planet Vegeta and fights Broly, giving his energy to Goku which leads to the foe's defeat; in the
ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...
, Piccolo comes to help the others fight Bojack and his crew.


In other media

In filler episodes of ''Dragon Ball Z'', during the Saiyan arc, Piccolo strands Gohan on an island, losing his location in the process, and appears to Gohan after he turns down returning home, taking him back to his training. After the Namek arc, Piccolo appears to help Gohan and Krillin when they are attacked by their friends who are under the effects of the Black Water Mist. In battling the group, Piccolo seemingly falls victim and appears on Kami's Lookout, where Gohan and Krillin travel to stop Garlic Jr., to halt the pair. After appearing to infect Krillin too and he and Piccolo overwhelm Gohan, Piccolo reveals to Gohan that he had been pretending the entire time and battles Garlic Jr. until his defeat. Piccolo and Goku are later made to get driver's licenses by Chi-Chi. Following the Buu arc, Piccolo attends a gathering. Piccolo has appeared in other ''Dragon Ball'' animations barring the series and films; in '' Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans'', Piccolo defeats Lord Slug and Hatchiyak and in '' Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!'', Piccolo prevents Aka's ''Wahaha no Ha'' from destroying Satan Hotel. In the anime-only sequel ''
Dragon Ball GT is a 1996–1997 Japanese anime television series based on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball (manga), ''Dragon Ball'' manga. Produced by Toei Animation, the series premiered in Japan on Fuji TV and ran for 64 episodes from February 1996 to Novem ...
'', Piccolo arrives to recover Goten after Baby ceases possessing him and moves to Gohan. Piccolo confronts the Baby-possessed Gohan and is injured. After Baby is defeated, Piccolo sacrifices himself to put the Black Star Dragon Balls to rest and bring peace to the world. He goes to Heaven but then requests to be sent to Hell in order to free Goku when he is imprisoned there. He can be seen putting Hell in order and protecting the rulers there. Goku later stops in Hell to see Piccolo. He tells Piccolo that he will be leaving and that they are glad they met and teamed up. Goku also tells Piccolo that he had become a good friend and promised to get him out of Hell someday. They shake hands and Goku leaves while Piccolo stays behind. Piccolo has made multiple appearances in music. "I Lo~ve Mr. Piccolo" appears on the 1990 album ''Dragon Ball Z Hit Song Collection III: Space Dancing'', Gohan singing about his admiration for Piccolo and wondering what his species is. In the 1991 album ''Dragon Ball Z Hit Song Collection 8: Character Special 2'', the song "The Feeling of Whistling Piccolo Edit" features Piccolo complaining and begging for a whistler to stop exploiting his weakness before he departs. Piccolo is also mentioned in the song "Goku" by
Soulja Boy DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence, after his self published debut single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" peake ...
, who brags about feeling like Piccolo and multiple other ''Dragon Ball'' characters, and in the song "Break Bread" by
Bryson Tiller Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follow ...
, with the verse "Got green like Piccolo". In the 2006 ''Dragon Ball'' and ''
One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...
'' crossover manga ''Cross Epoch'', Piccolo appears as a swordsman alongside
Roronoa Zoro , also known as , is a Character (arts), fictional character in the ''One Piece'' franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. In the story, Zoro is the first crewmate to join Monkey D. Luffy's crew after he is saved (by Luffy and Koby (One Piece), Koby ...
. In the 2013 special , Piccolo cheers on Goku in his match against
Monkey D. Luffy , also known as , is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''One Piece'' manga series, created by Eiichiro Oda. Luffy made his debut as a young boy who acquires the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the devil f ...
and
Toriko is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro. It follows the adventures of Toriko, a Gourmet Hunter, as he searches for rare, diverse foods to complete a full-course meal. On his journey, he is accompanied b ...
. In an episode of '' Mad'' parodying the film ''
Moneyball ''Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game'' is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's analytical, evidence-based, sabermetric approa ...
'', Piccolo and other ''Dragon Ball'' characters are drafted by
Billy Beane William Lamar Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and current front office executive. He is the executive vice president of baseball operations and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics of Majo ...
into the Oakland A baseball team.


Video games

Piccolo has been in many ''Dragon Ball''-related video games such as '' Super Butōden'', the '' Budokai'' and '' Budokai Tenkaichi'' series of games, as well as '' Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World'' and '' Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit''. In several games, Piccolo has exclusive forms such as Majin or fusions with Maima, Tsumuri, Dende, Dr. Mashirito, and Piccolo Daimaō, which drastically increase his power. Piccolo appears in multiple story modes in the 2006 game ' robert e lee'Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2''. In Gohan's story, Piccolo is turned evil by a blast from Babidi, and becomes the leader of Buu and Dabura. After fighting Gohan, he flees and absorbs Buu, increasing his power. Piccolo then announces via television his intent to take over the world, and partners with Cell and Frieza before being defeated by Gohan. In the 2011 game '' Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi'', Piccolo is defeated by Baby, encountering and battling the player while training, causing the player's Super Saiyan transformation and their subsequent overpowering of him. After he is defeated, Piccolo resolves to train the player. In the 2015 game '' Dragon Ball: Xenoverse'', Piccolo appears as a mentor. Within the story mode, Piccolo fights the player while under the control of Demigra, and in the final battle against Demigra, Piccolo gives the player his energy. In the 2016 game ''
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is an action role-playing fighting game developed by Dimps and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment based on the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise, and is the sequel to the 2015 game ''Dragon Ball Xenoverse''. It was released on October 25, 2016, fo ...
'', Piccolo and Android 16 are defeated by Villainous Mode Imperfect Cell, allowing him to absorb #17 and #18 at the same time. The player then comes to assist Piccolo in his fight against Cell. In the 2018 game ''
Dragon Ball FighterZ ''Dragon Ball FighterZ'' (pronounced "fighters") is a 2.5D fighting game, developed by Arc System Works and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Based on the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise, it was released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Micr ...
'', Piccolo is found unconscious by Goku and Krillin, and agrees to help them fight off clones and discover their origins upon waking up. Piccolo joins the two in finding Gohan and Vegeta, and uses his ''Makankōsappō'' to participate in destroying Android 21. He is a
playable character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
in some crossover games such as ''
Jump Super Stars ''Jump Super Stars'' is a 2D crossover fighting game for the Nintendo DS, based on ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' characters. It was developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo. The game was released on August 8, 2005, in Japan and accompanied th ...
'', ''
Jump Ultimate Stars Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jump or Jumping also may refer to: Places * Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...
'', and ''
Jump Force ''Jump Force'' is a Japanese crossover fighting game developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment featuring characters from various manga series featured in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' anthology in celebration o ...
''.


Cultural impact

The character has influenced ''
Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' manga author Masashi Kishimoto; in order to give
Sasuke Uchiha () is a fictional character in the ''Naruto'' manga and anime franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. Sasuke belongs to the Uchiha clan, a notorious ninja family, and one of the most powerful, allied with . Most of its members were massacred ...
a central role in the film '' Boruto: Naruto the Movie'', Kishimoto made him the teacher of the protagonist
Boruto Uzumaki is a fictional character created by Masashi Kishimoto who first appears in the finale of the manga series ''Naruto'' as the son of the protagonist Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Uzumaki. He later appears as the main protagonist in the 2015 anim ...
as his father,
Naruto Uzumaki () is the titular protagonist of the manga ''Naruto'', created by Masashi Kishimoto. As the series progresses, he is a young ninja from the fictional village of Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village). The villagers ridicule and ostracize Naruto on ...
, was busy. This was inspired by how Piccolo starts training Gohan when Goku dies in ''Dragon Ball''. Piccolo's attack ''Special Beam Cannon'' / ''Makankōsappō'' became a meme which started with Japanese schoolgirls photographing themselves apparently using, and being affected by, this attack in 2013. According to gaming blog ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'', the trend took off after photos were posted on Japan's largest bulletin board
2channel , also known as 2ch, Channel 2, and sometimes retrospectively as 2ch.net, was an anonymous Japanese textboard founded in 1999 by Hiroyuki Nishimura. Described in 2007 as "Japan's most popular online community", the site had a level of influe ...
, with photographs typically showing one person striking the ground or making a mystical gesture while others around them are photographically captured in mid-air.


Reception

Piccolo is a popular character in the series. He placed fifth in both the 1993 and 1995 ''Dragon Ball'' character popularity polls voted on by ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' readers. In 2004, fans of the series voted him the fifth most popular character for a poll in the book ''Dragon Ball Forever''. Piccolo has appeared in various
Anime Grand Prix The is an annual Japanese anime awards giving to recognize the best in anime of the previous year, decided by the votes of readers of entertainment magazine ''Animage'', published by Tokuma Shoten since July 1978. The Anime Grand Prix started i ...
polls, taking high places in the category "best male character" in 1990, 1991 and 1992 polls. Piccolo's character has received praise and criticism by publications for various media. DVDTalk enjoyed Piccolo's malicious characterization which, in retrospect, makes a major contrast with his more mature portrayal from ''Dragon Ball Z''. During a review of the ''Dragon Ball'' anime, Chris Beveridge from Mania Entertainment noted Piccolo to be able to perform a large number of abilities in contrast to other characters such as Goku, making the fight between both of them unbalanced. However, he found the said battle to be very entertaining despite it lasting several episodes. Tim Jones from THEM Anime Reviews found Piccolo's differences from ''Dragon Ball'' to ''Dragon Ball Z'' as one of the reasons the former show is recommendable to viewers over the later anime. While reviewing the fourth ''Dragon Ball Z'' film,
Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
writer Allen Drivers found Piccolo's initial scenes peacefully enough to entertain viewers. In a later film, John Sinnott from
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
criticized Piccolo's involvement saying he appears "from out of no where" in order to fight alongside his friends giving the film little reasoning. Chris Homer from The Fandom Post believed Piccolo's sacrifice in ''Dragon Ball GT'' "was a genuine touching moment" for fans of ''Dragon Ball Z'', but also viewed the death as relying "too much on previous ideas" in order for it to get sorted. Beveridge praised Piccolo's growth in ''Dragon Ball Z'' as one of the most important parts of the series, noting how he decides to train Gohan to fight Vegeta. Although Katherine Luther from
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
noted Piccolo to be one of the strongest warriors from his planet, she mentioned he has several weaknesses that make him weaker than other characters from the series, with his most notable one being his affection for Gohan. Sam Leach from Anime News Network noted that some fans of the series tend to joke that Piccolo is a better paternal figure to Gohan than his actual father, Goku, and felt that ''
Dragon Ball Super is a Japanese manga series written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. A sequel to Toriyama's original Dragon Ball (manga), ''Dragon Ball'' manga, it follows the adventures of Goku and friends during the ten-year timeskip after ...
'' emphasized it more when Piccolo started training him again. Piccolo's return in ''Super Hero'' earned similar comments from ''Polygon'' due to how he continues his role as Gohan's guardian and takes a more civilized way of living to stay close to him and train. As a result of these events in the movie, ''Polygon'' claimed that he was the best father in the entire franchise and that Gohan honors him during the film, most notably in the climax. Anime News Network praised Piccolo's characterization from ''Super Hero'' as he comes across as a more appealing character. IGN also enjoyed the handling of Piccolo and his dynamic with Gohan as the duo are as entertaining as the previous protagonist they are replacing, Goku and Vegeta, and praise Piccolo's patnernal figure to Gohan as he works to make his disciple stronger and was also found charming. However, the fact that the new androids are able to rival Piccolo and Gohan so easily came across as forced and at the same time as common in the franchise due to how power levels are often exaggerated. Piccolo's relationship with Pan as he trains her well as his new Orange power up were praised by HobbyConsolas with the latter being linked with Western superheroes. In regards to the film's presentation,
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
claimed that Piccolo and Gohan are the best CGI designed characters contrasting with poor models used for Goku and Vegeta and also found charming the awkward way Piccolo interacts with the rest of the characters such as when he uses a cellphone in a strange position and noted that the film made him more attached with the rest of the cast.


References

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