Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Piccolo (短笛) |
| Alias(es) | Super Namekian, after merging with Kami 1200 |
| Species/Race | Namekian 1043 |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Goku and his allies in battles against Frieza, the Androids, and Cell 1109 1203 |
| Occupation/Role | Martial artist and fighter 1042 1214 |
| Status | Alive as of his discussion with Son Goten before the Cell Games 1251 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intensively trained Namekian | 995 | Life-or-death training increased his Combat Power; his Namekian vitality let him recover from severe injuries. |
| Assimilated Nail | 1104 | Accepted the dying Nail's offer to merge while retaining his own personality, gaining a major increase in power. |
| Super Namekian | 1200 | Merged with Kami and revealed enough power to overwhelm the creature later identified as Cell. |
Background / History
Piccolo is the successor to King Piccolo, the evil being split from Kami. Kami describes King Piccolo as Piccolo's father and says that the two had once been one Namekian 1071 1191. Piccolo later learns of his Namekian origins from Son Goten 1043.
After being revived, Piccolo has himself transported to Planet Namek to confront Frieza, despite King Kai's objections. There he finds Nail dying from injuries inflicted by Frieza. Piccolo initially resists Nail's offer of assimilation because he fears losing his identity, but agrees when Nail assures him that his personality will remain intact 1102 1104.
Appearance
Piccolo resembles other Namekians, including Nail and Kami 949 1104.
- Wears a white cape and heavy outer clothing with a turban; he removes the weighted garments when taking his fight with Frieza seriously 1104 1111.
- Retains a recognizable resemblance to King Piccolo even after merging with Kami 1203.
Personality
Piccolo is proud of his strength and protective of his independence: he refuses to merge with Kami on Namek and hesitates to assimilate Nail until assured that he will remain himself 1104. He can be blunt with allies, but warns Dende to take cover before fighting Frieza and helps protect Krillin during the Cell Games 1109 1270.
He responds aggressively to major threats. During the Android crisis, Kami's wish to observe the Androids before merging frustrates Piccolo, who believes Earth needs a fighter immediately 1191. He is also visibly angered by Cell's killings and by Cell's use of regeneration like his own 1211 1262.
Abilities & Skills
Namekian physiology and regeneration
- Recovers rapidly from punishing training and can survive severe injuries 995.
- Can regenerate; Cell possesses a comparable ability through Piccolo's cells 1262.
- Can heal others, saving the badly injured Son Gohan 1014.
Ki techniques
- Uses flight, Ki sensing, and powerful energy attacks in battle 1104 1110.
- Fires the Special Beam Cannon, though it proves ineffective against the monster that interrupts his fight with Goku 1042.
- Uses Magic Light Wave against Cell and Android No. 17 1200 1212.
Assimilation
- Assimilates Nail to increase his power without surrendering his personality 1104.
- Later merges with Kami, becoming a Super Namekian; the merger cannot be reversed, and Earth's Dragon Balls disappear with Kami's separate existence 1200 1251.
Combat tactics
- Uses a dangerous method involving the detonation of energy from a severed arm during training with Goku 1041.
- Feigns the loss of an arm to draw information from Cell, crediting Kami's wisdom for the tactic 1203.
Relationships
- Kami — His father's original counterpart; Piccolo eventually merges with him to oppose the Android threat 1191 1200.
- Nail — A Namekian warrior who offers Piccolo his power while dying on Planet Namek 1104.
- Son Goku — Training rival and ally; Goku supports Piccolo's revival and intervenes when Android No. 20 drains Piccolo's energy 1042 1102 1175.
- Son Goten — Ally who tells Piccolo about his Namekian origins and later consults him about restoring Earth's Dragon Balls 1043 1251.
- Frieza — Enemy Piccolo travels to Namek to fight; their battle forces Frieza to reveal greater power 1102 1109 1111.
- Android No. 17 — Opponent Piccolo fights after merging with Kami; they battle at close range with neither quickly gaining the upper hand 1212 1214.
- Cell — Enemy Piccolo confronts over the disappearance of townspeople and the threat to the Androids 1201 1203 1211.
Story Role / Major Arcs
- Planet Namek: Piccolo is revived and sent to Namek, assimilates Nail, and challenges Frieza. He initially fights Frieza on roughly equal terms before Frieza transforms again 1102 1104 1109 1111.
- Android crisis: After Android No. 20 nearly drains him, Piccolo presses Kami to merge so he can face the stronger Androids 1175 1191.
- Cell conflict: As a Super Namekian, he investigates Cell, fights Android No. 17, and later helps defend the others against Cell's offspring 1200 1203 1214 1270.