Raditz

Biodata

Name	Raditz (拉蒂兹) 39
Species/Race	Saiyan 39
Gender	Male 39
Affiliation	Formerly the Frieza Force; later the Z Fighters / Galaxy Z Fighters 40 96
Occupation/Role	Saiyan warrior; Galaxy Z Fighters operative 96
Status	Active 97
First Appearance	Chapter 39

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Combat Power: 1,500	39	Arrives on Earth as a Frieza Force Saiyan; initially relies on his Scouter’s numerical reading and is defeated by Piccolo’s superior ki control and technique. 39
Combat Power: 15,000	43, 45	Reaches this level after a year of gravity-chamber training with the Earth fighters, surpassing Nappa’s estimated 4,000. 43 45
Double Kaio-ken	58	Demonstrates the technique during the team’s pre-Namek evaluation; the exact resulting combat-power reading is not stated. 58
Combat Power: 100,000	59	The Grand Elder unlocks his potential, raising his power roughly four to five times. 59
Combat Power: 150,000	96	Gains further strength after consuming a Tree of Might fruit, which also repairs hidden Kaio-ken damage. 96

Background / History

Raditz arrives on Earth in a spherical spacecraft as a Frieza Force Saiyan, intending to confront Kakarot over his failure to exterminate the planet. He dismisses Earthlings as worthless and attempts to kill a farmer and destroy a village, but Son Goku deflects his attack and identifies himself as Raditz’s younger brother. 39

Confident in his combat power of 1,500, Raditz challenges Piccolo and mocks him for his supposedly lower reading. Piccolo gradually recognizes Raditz’s poor ki control and lack of refined technique, then defeats him with a hand-blade strike. Goku subsequently reveals power far beyond Raditz’s expectations and gives him a choice: death, or life on Earth under supervision and training. Raditz submits. 39 40

Piccolo initially treats Raditz as a captive, forcing him to haul water over a hundred kilometers under the rule of “no work, no food.” The punishment humiliates him, but the absence of Frieza Force surveillance and death orders also gives him an unfamiliar sense of peace. At Capsule Corporation, Chi-Chi’s welcome and her question about his preferred dinner leave him stunned; nobody in the Frieza Force had treated his needs as important. 41

Over the following year, Raditz trains alongside the Earth fighters in the Large Gravity Chamber. He comes to see strength as more than a combat-power number, reflecting that Earth taught him both shame and dignity. By Vegeta’s arrival, he has reached 15,000 combat power and confronts his former prince despite instinctive fear. 42 43 44 45

Raditz defeats Nappa in one punch, reversing the abuse Nappa had once inflicted on him aboard the Frieza Force mothership. After Vegeta abandons Nappa as “useless trash,” Raditz accepts responsibility for teaching him Earth’s rules. 46 49

He later joins the Namek expedition to witness Frieza’s downfall and avenge the destruction of Planet Vegeta. The Grand Elder unlocks his potential to 100,000 combat power. On Namek, Raditz and Nappa confront former Frieza Force personnel, expose their new strength to Vegeta, and fight alongside the Z Fighters against Frieza’s forces. 57 59 65 66 79

During Frieza’s assault, Raditz joins Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Nappa in a synchronized Kaio-ken defense that blocks Frieza’s Death Beams. Though the group collapses from the strain, their combined defense demonstrates Raditz’s full integration into the team. 82 83

After the Tree of Might incident, Raditz gains further power from its fruit and becomes part of the officially assigned Galaxy Z Fighters. He and Nappa are later noted for their brutal efficiency against space pirates during the team’s early galactic missions. 96 97

Appearance

Raditz is a tall, muscular Saiyan with long black hair extending to his waist, fierce slit pupils, and a tail usually wrapped around his waist. 39 41 65

• Initially wears brown Frieza Force battle armor; it is left muddy and damaged during his forced labor under Piccolo. 41
• Later retains Frieza Force-style armor but wears an Earth “Turtle” symbol on his chest. 65
• His gray tail is visible trailing behind him during his confrontation with Zarbon. 65

Personality

At first, Raditz is cruel, elitist, and fixated on Saiyan hierarchy. He calls low-power opponents “trash,” treats civilians as disposable, and believes higher combat power alone determines a warrior’s worth. His loss to Piccolo shatters this worldview because Piccolo defeats him despite a lower Scouter reading. 39 40

Life on Earth gradually replaces his humiliation and fear with discipline, pride, and a desire to protect others. He trains obsessively to close the gap with Goku, values the bonds formed through shared hardship, and no longer accepts Vegeta’s authority without question. 42 44 67

Raditz retains a blunt, combative Saiyan manner and enjoys humiliating former tormentors such as Nappa and Frieza Force soldiers. However, he also develops compassion: he is troubled by Vegeta’s abandonment of Nappa, takes charge of Nappa’s adjustment to Earth, and encourages him to face Frieza rather than surrender to fear. 46 49 57

Abilities & Skills

Ki Manipulation and Combat

Raditz’s original fighting style is broad and power-focused, but training with Piccolo and the Z Fighters improves his ki control, speed, and combat judgment. 39 43

• Uses flight and ki-based attacks, including Energy Wave techniques during his sparring with Piccolo. 39 43
• Easily evades Nappa’s attacks, deflects Nappa’s energy sphere, and knocks him unconscious with a single punch. 46
• Moves quickly enough to kill Guldo before Guldo can effectively use his psychic powers. 79
• Can sense extraordinary ki signatures, including Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation. 52

Kaio-ken

Raditz learns the Kaio-ken through the group’s training and can activate Double Kaio-ken. 55 58

• Uses the technique as a temporary combat-power multiplier. 58
• Participates in the Z Fighters’ coordinated 10× Kaio-ken defense against Frieza’s Death Beams. 83
• Overuse leaves him severely weakened even after Senzu Beans heal his physical injuries. 83

Potential Unleashing

The Grand Elder unlocks Raditz’s dormant potential on Namek. 59

• Raises his combat power to 100,000, a four-to-fivefold increase. 59
• Makes his ki more solid and greatly improves his ability to contribute in the conflict with Frieza’s forces. 59

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Scouter — Initially used to measure combat power and communicate with the Frieza Force; his first Scouter is damaged during his defeat by Piccolo. 39
• Backup Scouter — Used by Goku to provoke Vegeta; Bulma later removes its Frieza Force monitoring system. 40 41
• Frieza Force battle armor — His original combat gear. 39 41
• Turtle symbol — An Earth insignia attached to his later armor. 65
• Tree of Might fruit — Raises his combat power to 150,000 and repairs hidden injuries caused by Kaio-ken use. 96

Relationships

• Son Goku / Kakarot — Younger brother and the central force behind Raditz’s reform. Goku spares him, supervises him, trains him, and gradually becomes the brother Raditz admires most. 39 40 53
• Piccolo — Initially defeats and supervises Raditz, including assigning his forced labor. They later become training partners and Z Fighter comrades. 39 41 43
• Nappa — Formerly one of Raditz’s tormentors; Raditz defeats him after training, then takes responsibility for him after Vegeta abandons him. The two later fight together as comrades. 46 49 79
• Vegeta — Former prince and source of Raditz’s long-standing fear. Raditz eventually rejects Vegeta’s hierarchy, challenges his worldview, and shows him the strength Earth’s fighters gained through training and bonds. 44 66 67
• Chi-Chi — Welcomes Raditz into Goku’s home and asks about his food preferences, an act of kindness that deeply affects him. 41
• Bulma — Removes the Frieza Force monitoring system from Raditz’s Scouter and upgrades its technology. 41
• Grand Elder — Unlocks Raditz’s hidden potential on Namek. 59

Notable Quotes

“We are Saiyan warriors! Dying in battle is ten thousand times better than being paralyzed by fear! Get up!” 57