Master Roshi

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Master Roshi (龟仙人)
Alias(es)	Master Mutaito; God of Martial Arts; Jackie Chan (tournament disguise) 5 9
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Turtle School; Turtle Hermit Island 21 26
Occupation/Role	Martial arts master and mentor
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Sun Wukong sought apprenticeship under Roshi after transmigrating into the Dragon Ball world. Because Wukong's grandfather had been Roshi's student, Roshi accepted him without difficulty; within a year, Wukong's combat power had nearly caught up to his master's. When Wukong left to train, Roshi asked him to return for the upcoming 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. 1

When Fried Bread Mountain was engulfed in fire, Roshi agreed to aid the Ox-King after Chi-Chi came to borrow his Banana Leaf Fan. The fan had been lost, so Roshi prepared to travel there personally; however, Wukong extinguished the blaze with a Kamehameha before Roshi could act. 6 7

Roshi later introduced his new disciple Krillin to Wukong, recognizing Wukong as Krillin's senior brother. 8 At the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, he entered under the identity Jackie Chan and reached the final against Wukong. Wukong ultimately defeated him in a Kamehameha clash, leading Roshi to acknowledge that his student had surpassed him. 9 10

After Wukong's extended training in space, Roshi was unable to sense the extent of his power. He nevertheless continued inviting Wukong to tournaments, hoping his presence would encourage Krillin. 14 15

Roshi's rivalry with Master Shen culminated in a wager over whether the Turtle School or Crane School would win the tournament championship. After Wukong won, Master Shen conceded that the Crane School was inferior. Roshi subsequently accepted the former Crane School disciples Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, then later Yamcha, into the Turtle School. 21 25 26 27

Appearance

Master Roshi is portrayed as an elderly, bald martial artist. He commonly carries a cane and has appeared in a blue suit at the World Martial Arts Tournament. 8 21 46

• Bald; Master Shen mocks both Roshi and Krillin for their lack of hair. 21
• Uses a cane while observing the World Martial Arts Tournament. 46
• Disguises himself as Jackie Chan when competing in tournaments. 9

Personality

Roshi is proud of his students' growth and treats their advancement as the success of his teaching. Even after losing to Wukong, he cautions him against complacency and remains concerned that greater martial artists exist beyond the tournament circuit. 10

He is also highly competitive, especially toward Master Shen. Their rivalry escalates from insults to a formal school-versus-school wager, and Roshi repeatedly throws stones at Shen during Krillin's match with Chiaotzu. 21 23

Despite his willingness to assist the Ox-King, Roshi is openly lecherous. Before offering to extinguish the fire at Fried Bread Mountain, he demands to see Bulma's underwear; Bulma consequently retains a hostile opinion of him. 7 8

Abilities & Skills

Martial Arts Mastery

Roshi is known throughout the martial arts world as the God of Martial Arts and leads the Turtle School. He can defeat tournament-level fighters with a single punch and was capable of reaching the final of the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. 5 9

• Trained Sun Wukong, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha. 1 8 26 27
• Fought Wukong at high speed in the 21st tournament final. 10
• His ability to gauge Wukong's strength has limits; after Wukong's training, Roshi could no longer sense his power. 14

Kamehameha

The Kamehameha is identified as Roshi's ultimate technique. He used it against Wukong during their tournament final, matching Wukong's own beam before being forced out of the ring. 7 10

• Fires an energy wave from both hands. 10
• Can be countered or overpowered by a stronger Kamehameha. 10

Equipment / Items

• Cane — carried during the World Martial Arts Tournament. 46
• Flying Turtle — a flying sea turtle Roshi rides to travel to Fried Bread Mountain. 6
• Banana Leaf Fan — formerly intended to extinguish the fire at Fried Bread Mountain; it was lost after being used as a hot-pot coaster and thrown away. 6

Relationships

• Sun Wukong — His first documented disciple in the story. Roshi accepted him due to Sun Gohan's prior connection to the Turtle School, then watched Wukong rapidly surpass him. 1 10
• Krillin — Disciple and Wukong's junior brother; Roshi introduces him to Wukong and continues to oversee his tournament career. 8 21
• Tien Shinhan — Former Crane School disciple accepted into the Turtle School after leaving Master Shen. 26
• Chiaotzu — Former Crane School disciple accepted alongside Tien Shinhan. 26
• Yamcha — Later disciple who seeks Roshi's guidance after repeated defeats by Wukong; he pays 500,000 zeni to apprentice under him. 26 27
• Master Shen — Mortal enemy and head of the Crane School; their rivalry includes public arguments and a wager over their disciples' tournament results. 21 23 25
• Bulma — Wukong's friend who dislikes Roshi because of his behavior at Fried Bread Mountain. 7 8
• Ox-King — An acquaintance who turns to Roshi for help when Fried Bread Mountain catches fire. 6 7
• Sea Turtle — His resident companion, who reveals the fate of the Banana Leaf Fan. 6

Notable Quotes

“However, Wukong, even though you won the championship this time, you must not become arrogant or complacent. There are many experts in this world, and not everyone chooses to participate in this tournament!” 10