Master Roshi

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Master Roshi (龟仙人) 7
Alias(es)	God of Martial Arts; Master Wutian; Jackie Chun 7 13 47
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Turtle School; Kame House 7 50
Occupation/Role	Martial-arts grandmaster; founder of the Turtle School 7
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
New understanding of the Kamehameha (unnamed)	13	Under Lin Xuan's guidance, Roshi changes his Kamehameha from a destructive technique into tranquil, yielding energy capable of extinguishing Flame Mountain without damaging the mountain or castle. 13

Background / History

Master Roshi is the founder of the Turtle School and the teacher of both Son Gohan and Ox-King. After Lin Xuan identifies Goku as Gohan's grandson, Roshi recognizes Goku as his own grand-disciple and mourns Gohan's death. 7

Before the events at Flame Mountain, Roshi possessed the Banana Fan, a treasure capable of extinguishing immense fires. He ultimately destroyed and discarded it through a series of careless accidents. 12

Appearance

Master Roshi is an elderly bald man who presents himself as a whimsical but recognizable martial-arts master. His frail-looking frame conceals explosive musculature when he gathers his strength. 7 12

• Bald head and white beard. 7
• Usually wears sunglasses, a floral or Hawaiian shirt, and a large turtle shell on his back. 7 12
• Carries a wooden staff when first meeting Bulma, Goku, and Lin Xuan. 7
• Uses a wig, sunglasses, and a fan while competing under the identity Jackie Chun. 47

Personality

Roshi takes pride in his reputation as the “God of Martial Arts” and initially introduces himself with the bearing of an enlightened master. He is generous toward those who aid his old turtle friend, rewarding Goku with the Flying Nimbus and Bulma with the Three-Star Ball. 7

He is also openly lecherous toward Bulma, immediately abandoning his dignified manner to flirt with her and laughing when she fails to ride the Flying Nimbus. 7 Despite this behavior, he responds seriously when Chi-Chi is endangered and is willing to expend his full power to save her, even at the risk of destroying Flame Mountain. 12

As a teacher, Roshi takes quiet pride in the progress of Goku and Krillin. He is perceptive enough to recognize that Lin Xuan’s seemingly ordinary presence conceals a martial realm beyond his own understanding. 44 50

Abilities & Skills

Kamehameha

Roshi can gather ki into the Kamehameha, a powerful energy wave whose conventional nature is overwhelmingly destructive. 12 13

• Can build enough power to destroy Flame Mountain and Ox-King’s castle alongside the flames. 12
• Under Lin Xuan’s instruction, successfully changes the technique into a cool, tranquil beam that dissolves the spiritual fire without harming the castle or mountain. 13
• His mastery of the technique is significant enough that Goku and Krillin’s use of it shocks observers. 50

Martial-Arts Mastery

Roshi is an experienced martial artist and the founder of the Turtle School. His decades of instinct and training allow him to perceive subtleties that younger fighters miss. 7 44

• Immediately recognizes Lin Xuan’s harmony with heaven and earth as profound strength rather than an absence of ki. 44
• Detects the extreme precision behind Lin Xuan’s nearly invisible movement against Huka. 45
• Understands that Lin Xuan’s evasion of Shadow Maru’s clone formation relies on perception beyond ordinary sight. 46
• Identifies Lin Xuan’s handling of Yamcha as the redirection and neutralization of an opponent’s own force. 49

Flying Nimbus

Roshi owns and can summon the Flying Nimbus, a divine cloud that only permits riders with pure, innocent, and kind hearts. 7

• Summons the cloud by name. 7
• Tests Bulma and Lin Xuan’s suitability before giving the Nimbus to Goku. 7
• Recognizes Goku’s ability to ride it as proof of his exceptionally pure heart. 7

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Flying Nimbus — Divine cloud given to Goku after he proves able to ride it. 7
• Three-Star Ball — A Dragon Ball Roshi had worn as a necklace after finding it on the sea floor; he gives it to Bulma. 7
• Banana Fan — Former fire-extinguishing treasure that Roshi accidentally destroyed and discarded. 12
• Turtle shell and wooden staff — His usual traveling accessories. 7
• Sunglasses, wig, and fan — Used for his Jackie Chun disguise at the World Martial Arts Tournament. 47

Relationships

• Son Goku — His grand-disciple through Gohan. Roshi gifts Goku the Flying Nimbus and later trains him as a Turtle School disciple. 7 50
• Son Gohan — Former disciple whose death Roshi mourns; Gohan raised Goku as his grandson. 7
• Krillin — Turtle School disciple. Roshi is proud of his growth and his friendly rivalry with Goku. 50
• Ox-King — Disciple who seeks Roshi’s help when Chi-Chi is trapped within Flame Mountain. 12
• Old Turtle — Longtime friend whose rescue brings Roshi to Bulma, Goku, and Lin Xuan. 6 7
• Lin Xuan — A mysterious martial artist who guides Roshi in changing the nature of his Kamehameha; Roshi later accords him the highest martial respect and unsuccessfully probes his background as Jackie Chun. 13 44 47
• Bulma — Recipient of the Three-Star Ball; Roshi repeatedly flirts with her, provoking her anger. 7

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dragon Ball Journey

Roshi arrives on Old Turtle’s back to thank the group for returning his friend to the sea. Lin Xuan’s mention of Son Gohan leads Roshi to recognize Goku’s lineage, after which he gives Goku the Flying Nimbus and gives Bulma the Three-Star Ball. 7

Flame Mountain

Summoned by Goku and Ox-King, Roshi admits that the Banana Fan is gone and prepares to extinguish Flame Mountain with a full-power Kamehameha. Lin Xuan redirects him toward a non-destructive approach, allowing Roshi to extinguish the spiritual fire and save Chi-Chi, the castle, and the mountain. 12 13

World Martial Arts Tournament

Roshi reaches Papaya Island alongside Goku and Krillin for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. He senses Lin Xuan’s godlike martial state despite Goku and Krillin being unable to detect any ki from him. 43 44

Competing as Jackie Chun, Roshi observes Lin Xuan’s preliminary matches, questions him about his martial background, and is repeatedly unsettled by the gulf between Lin Xuan’s Daoist principles and conventional martial arts. 45 46 47 49

Notable Quotes

“Only those with pure, innocent, and kind hearts can ride it.” 7

“It’s only a small fire. Even though the Banana Fan is gone, if this old man takes action personally, I can still handle it.” 12

Trivia

• Roshi originally found the Three-Star Ball at the bottom of the sea and wore it as a necklace because he thought it was pretty. 7
• He destroyed the Banana Fan after using it as a table leg, accidentally burning it while eating hot pot, and throwing it away. 12
• Although Goku and Krillin cannot sense Lin Xuan’s ki, Roshi recognizes that Lin Xuan’s apparent ordinariness reflects a higher martial state rather than weakness. 44