Krillin

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Krillin (克林)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Turtle School; Kame House 8 18
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; Master Roshi’s disciple; Lin Chen’s training partner 8 19 32
Residence	Kame House 18 24 43
First Appearance	His tournament victory is announced in Chapter 5 5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Afterimage Fist developed	10	Reports spending months training the technique to its demonstrated level; produces synchronized afterimages while attacking from changing directions.
Increased knife-hand power	32	Lin Chen observes that his knife-hand strike is heavier than before, but identifies brief arm stiffness after exertion.
Improved sudden stops and turns	43	Under Son Gohan’s guidance, corrects his torso angle when changing direction, successfully adjusting on his second attempt.
Refined sidestep direction changes	44	Continues practicing and improving his lateral changes of direction during mountain training.

Background / History

World Martial Arts Tournament

Krillin wins an early tournament match and advances to the semifinals alongside Goku, Lin Chen, and Joey. Before facing Lin Chen, he meets him in the rest area, where they discuss their fighting styles; his Turtle School background is also identified 5 8.

In the semifinal, Krillin initially pressures Lin Chen with fast combinations, sweeping kicks, knee strikes, and knife-hand attacks. He notices that Lin Chen becomes tougher and faster during their exchanges, then changes tactics to the Afterimage Fist. Lin Chen tracks his movement through vibrations in the ring and counters during the technique’s brief breathing gap. Krillin concedes, wishes him luck in the final, and warns Goku that brute strength alone will not defeat him 9 10.

Training at Kame House

When Lin Chen arrives at Kame House, Krillin finishes his handstand push-up set before greeting him and directing him to Master Roshi and his prepared room. He subsequently helps Lin Chen refine the Afterimage Fist and introduces him to the household’s training and daily routines 18 19 20 24.

Krillin regularly leads coastal runs, reef swims, and routes across uneven stone steps. He also participates in rock-carrying exercises and helps with woodcutting. After Lin Chen has lived at Kame House for two weeks, Krillin joins a three-way free-for-all with him and Goku; no participant is knocked out of the yard before Krillin ends the session at the forty-minute mark 25 29 31 32.

Outpost and Ancient Artifacts

Krillin leads Lin Chen along an abandoned northern road to an old outpost, initially intending to find another training route. After examining a stone slab, he suggests that it may predate the outpost and proposes excavating the wall foundation. He uncovers a clay jar containing an animal-hide map, carefully restores the excavation site, and brings the map to Master Roshi, who associates its marked location with the western desert 35 36.

The pair later dig deeper and discover a dark slab and pottery remains. Krillin continues assisting the investigation: he arranges a visit to West City’s old goods market to examine Lin Chen’s stone fragment, then obtains a more detailed ruins map from Fortuneteller Baba whose possible locations include one matching the fragment’s indicated direction 37 47 52.

Baba’s Arena and Further Instruction

Krillin accompanies Lin Chen to Fortuneteller Baba’s arena and volunteers to test Number Three’s ability first. The ability, which acts on an opponent’s inner state, does not affect either of them because they lack malicious intent. He is also present when Son Gohan appears as the fifth opponent and reunites with Goku 38 40 42.

Krillin later receives instruction from Son Gohan on stopping and turning during sidesteps. As a reward for the group’s five consecutive arena victories, he receives an old martial arts book and begins studying it immediately; he is practicing material from its middle by Chapter 47. When Lin Chen prepares to leave for Kami’s Lookout, Krillin supplies information about the destination and supports his departure 43 44 45 47 53.

Appearance

Krillin is described as a short, bald boy with an even, deep-brown tan from prolonged exposure to sunlight and sea winds 18 23.

• Tournament clothing: Dark-blue, short-sleeved training uniform with tightly bound cuffs and no belt 9.
• Swimming clothing: Dark shorts, worn without a shirt; a thin rope is tied around his ankle during the black-reef training session 23.

Personality

Krillin is disciplined and methodical. He completes an exercise set before greeting a visitor, practices strikes at a steady rhythm, and schedules trips around training rather than abandoning the routine. His organization also extends to household work and neatly stacking felled logs 18 19 31 38.

Although somewhat reserved, he readily teaches Lin Chen practical skills and praises his improvement. He accepts his tournament defeat without hostility, gives Goku useful advice afterward, and remains willing to learn from both Son Gohan’s corrections and Lin Chen’s observations. His curiosity is tempered by care: during the outpost excavation, he handles the map cautiously and restores the disturbed ground 10 24 25 32 36 43.

Abilities & Skills

Afterimage Fist

Uses rapid movement and coordinated breathing to create misleading images of his position 10 11.

• Produces two nearly identical, synchronized outlines and shifts between attack positions 10.
• Combines the deception with attacks from alternating directions and unexpected angles 10.
• Demonstrates that appearing and disappearing should occur simultaneously when helping Lin Chen correct his execution 19.
• Limits: Tires him afterward and leaves a brief pause between attacks. Lin Chen exploits that pause to disrupt the afterimages 10.

Close-Quarters Combat

Fights with compact combinations and changes his approach when an opponent adapts 9 32.

• Chains punches, knees, sweeping kicks, elbows, and knife-hand strikes 9 32.
• Alters punch angles late in their approach and shortens the gaps between attacks to maintain pressure 9.
• Recognizes changes in an opponent’s toughness, speed, and reactions during combat 9 32.
• Limits: Lin Chen identifies temporary stiffness in the outside of his arm after a forceful knife-hand strike 32.

Footwork and Swimming

Combines Turtle School agile footwork with practical knowledge of the terrain and waters around Kame House 9 29 33.

• Selects exposed, rough sections of mossy stone steps to improve traction 29.
• Leads runs across rocky slopes and proposes new routes through the northern outpost 33 35 41.
• Sets swimming targets, including a black reef approximately 800 meters offshore and a white reef roughly 300 meters farther away with more complicated currents 23 25.
• Knows a calmer eastern bay without reefs and makes swimming plans conditional on the weather 33.

Everyday Skills

Contributes to Kame House’s chores and teaches Lin Chen techniques outside formal combat 21 24 31.

• Fishing: Checks bait and gives a hooked fish slack before gradually reeling it in 21.
• Cooking: Prepares fish with shredded ginger and soy sauce; Master Roshi specifically praises his fish-cooking ability 21.
• Knife sharpening: Explains maintaining a consistent blade angle until a burr forms, then sharpening the other side 24.
• Household work: Washes dishes, organizes logs, clears rainwater and loose roof tiles, and puts away tools 21 31 49 51.

Equipment / Items

• Old martial arts book — Reward from Fortuneteller Baba for the group’s five consecutive arena victories; Krillin studies and practices its contents 45 47.
• Fishing tackle — Uses a line, hook, shrimp bait, and spool during fishing trips near Kame House 21 29.
• Kitchen knife and whetstone — Used for kitchen maintenance and teaching Lin Chen sharpening technique 24.
• Short-handled shovel — Carried during the outpost excavation 36.
• Maps — Uses an old local map to locate the abandoned road, safeguards the excavated animal-hide map, and later brings back Baba’s more detailed ruins map 35 36 52.
• Borrowed aircraft — Borrows a small aircraft from Bulma for the trip to West City’s old goods market; it is not identified as his property 47.

Relationships

• Master Roshi — Teacher and household mentor. Directs Krillin’s training, approves his explorations, and advises him to study his reward book 8 29 35 45.
• Lin Chen — Tournament opponent turned training partner and friend. Krillin teaches him techniques and everyday skills, leads shared exercises, and helps investigate ancient artifacts 10 19 24 35 47 52.
• Goku — Fellow Kame House trainee and sparring companion. Krillin warns him about Lin Chen before the tournament final and later joins him in swimming and three-way sparring 10 25 32.
• Son Gohan — Additional martial arts instructor. Corrects Krillin’s torso angle during sudden stops and sidestep turns 43 44.
• Fortuneteller Baba — Arena host and source of rewards and information. Gives Krillin a martial arts book and supplies records useful to the ruins investigation 40 45 52.
• Bulma — Technical ally of the Kame House group. Krillin discusses her equipment visits and obtains her permission to borrow an aircraft 28 47.