Krillin

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Krillin (克林)
Alias(es)	“Strongest Earthling”; “Noseless Star Man”; “noseless alien” 7 58 196
Species/Race	Earthling 196
Gender	Male 7
Affiliation	Dragon Ball Z fighters; Turtle School; Universe 7 tournament teams 9 12 196 229
Occupation/Role	Martial artist and defender of Earth 58 108
Status	Alive in later appearances. Killed by Cooler, but subsequently returns to active participation; the supplied passages do not describe his revival 64 83 233.
First Appearance	Chapter 7, arriving by helicopter with Master Roshi, Bulma, and Yamcha 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Battle power: 1,770	9 10 11	Reached after a year of training on Kame Island with Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu. His initial scouter reading is around 1,000; fighting a Vegetable Man reveals his actual strength.
Battle power: around 2,000	23 27	His stated strength immediately before the Grand Elder’s potential unlocking. He trains during the journey to Namek, although no exact increase is assigned to that training.
Battle power: 10,000	27	The Grand Elder unlocks his hidden potential, increasing his strength fivefold without exhausting his capacity for future growth.
Battle power: tens of thousands	58 64	After further training, Cooler describes his power in this range. No exact figure is given; he remains vastly weaker than Cooler.

Background / History

Turtle School and the Saiyan Invasion

Krillin and Goku became Master Roshi’s disciples as children, when their strength was relatively close. Krillin also formed a longstanding bond with fellow disciple Yamcha through years of shared battles 12 109.

After Raditz’s defeat, Krillin arrives with Master Roshi, Bulma, and Yamcha. He initially struggles to believe that Wu Fei defeated the Saiyan, but witnessing Wu Fei nearly kill Yamcha with one punch convinces him. He strongly objects to Goku entrusting Gohan to Piccolo, whom he still considers a dangerous Demon King 7 8.

Krillin returns to Kame Island to prepare for the next Saiyan invasion. Wu Fei’s promise to return reassures him, though he doubts whether one year of training will let Goku overcome the incoming enemies 8 9.

When Vegeta and Nappa arrive, Krillin confronts them alongside Earth’s other fighters and kills his assigned Vegetable Man. He rushes to Yamcha after another Vegetable Man’s self-destruction kills him. During Wu Fei’s subsequent battle with Vegeta, Krillin acknowledges that the fight is beyond his ability to intervene 10 11 12 14.

Journey to Namek

Krillin joins the expedition partly to see Piccolo’s homeland. During spaceship training, he and Gohan reach their limits at seven times normal gravity and withdraw to the rest area. Wu Fei’s effortless handling of 100-times gravity highlights the enormous gap between them 22 23.

On Namek, Wu Fei selects Krillin to receive the Grand Elder’s potential unlocking first. The resulting fivefold increase briefly makes Krillin stronger than Piccolo before Piccolo receives the same treatment. Krillin is especially relieved to learn that the process will not hinder his future development 27.

Krillin remains a spectator during Wu Fei’s battle with Frieza. Goku catches him when the fight’s shockwaves blow him away. Frieza’s eventual death brings him considerable relief after the fear the tyrant has caused him 47 53.

Cooler’s Invasion and Death

With Wu Fei and the strongest fighters absent, Krillin initially favors concealment against King Cold and Cooler. When Salza targets a passenger plane, he believes intervention is hopeless and thinks of reviving the passengers with the Dragon Balls instead; Gohan acts to save them 58 59.

Krillin then fights King Cold’s forces, but Dore defeats him. Later, he uses Solar Flare to blind Cooler and rescue the badly injured Goku. Cooler retaliates with a beam that pierces Krillin’s chest and heart, killing him 59 63 64.

Goku’s grief and self-blame over Krillin’s death trigger his first Super Saiyan transformation. Gohan questions why Wu Fei did not prevent the killing, and Wu Fei openly states that he could have saved Krillin but chose not to 64.

Android Crisis and World Martial Arts Tournament

Krillin appears alive again during the Android crisis. He joins the search for Dr. Gero and identifies the central difficulty: androids lack detectable energy signatures. He later learns Future Trunks’s parentage and accompanies the pursuit toward Gero’s laboratory 83 85 86.

At the World Martial Arts Tournament, Krillin defeats a giant opponent with one punch, then overcomes Yamcha in the quarterfinals. His continued training has widened the gap between them while Yamcha’s strength has stagnated. Krillin reaches the semifinals, where he is paired with Goku, and welcomes the three-million prize as help toward buying an engagement ring and a car 108 109.

After the Majin Buu crisis, Krillin decides to retire from the martial world, believing further training would still leave him a spectator in the strongest battles. He turns his attention toward his girlfriend and their approaching wedding 133 134.

Return to Battle

When Frieza and Cooler return, Krillin is frightened by the memory of his death and knows he cannot defeat Cooler. Nevertheless, he overcomes his fear and attacks the Frieza Force, cutting through numerous soldiers with Destructo Disc 173.

He also watches over the younger fighters, expressing concern when Goten and Trunks are defeated and when Piccolo brings back a critically injured Gohan 181 183.

Universe 6 and Universe 7 Tournament

Krillin serves as Universe 7’s opening contestant. His punches, ki blasts, and Destructo Disc cannot damage Botamo. Following Wu Fei’s advice to change tactics, he exploits the ring-out rule, grabs Botamo’s leg, and throws him out of the arena 196 197.

Despite fatigue from that match, Krillin initially fights evenly with Frost and cuts off one of his horns with Destructo Disc. Frost transforms, overwhelms him, and eliminates him 198.

Tournament of Power

Wu Fei recruits Krillin for Universe 7’s ten-person team. During the tournament, Krillin protects Master Roshi from an incoming blast and cooperates with Yamcha against Jium and Shosa. He later eliminates Majora, bringing his credited total to four contestants and earning praise from Beerus 229 233.

Frost ambushes and eliminates Krillin, followed by Yamcha. Both are satisfied that they contributed despite expecting to be outclassed. Wu Fei subsequently eliminates Frost in retaliation 233.

Appearance

• Short, small build — opponents frequently underestimate him because of his size 196.
• No nose — repeatedly emphasized through his “noseless” nicknames 7 58 229.
• Bald head in later appearances — explicitly described during the Tournament of Power 233.
• Slick, gleaming hair at his introduction — his Chapter 7 appearance differs from later descriptions of him as bald 7.

Personality

Krillin is loyal and protective toward his companions. He protests Gohan’s placement under Piccolo, grieves deeply for Yamcha, and risks his life to rescue Goku from Cooler. His friendship with Goku is grounded in years of mutual assistance rather than rivalry alone 8 12 64.

He is also cautious about overwhelming enemies. Against Cooler’s forces, he initially prioritizes staying hidden even when civilians are threatened. His later return to battle against the revived Cooler shows him overcoming fear without pretending the power gap has disappeared 58 59 173.

Krillin adapts when strength alone fails. His victory over Botamo comes from exploiting tournament rules rather than damaging an invulnerable opponent. He also takes satisfaction in achievable results: semifinal prize money, successful teamwork, and recognition for his Tournament of Power performance 109 197 233.

Abilities & Skills

Destructo Disc

• Krillin’s self-created trump card, developed during preparations for the Saiyans; it uses relatively little energy but has formidable cutting power 17.
• Cuts through Frieza Force soldiers and severs one of Frost’s horns 173 198.
• Is stated to have previously severed Cooler’s tail, though that incident is not shown in the supplied passages 196.
• Fails completely against Botamo, dispersing into light on contact 196.
• Wu Fei uses the technique before Krillin can formally unveil it, surprising its creator 17.

Solar Flare

• Temporarily blinds Cooler, creating an opening to rescue Goku 63 64.
• Provides a tactical escape opportunity even against an opponent far stronger than Krillin 64.

Kamehameha

• Fires a Kamehameha to intercept an attack aimed at Master Roshi during the Tournament of Power 233.
• Uses it directly against Jium, whose own energy blast counters the attack 233.

Ki Control and Flight

• Conceals his battle power until combat, causing Saiyan scouters to underestimate him 10 11.
• Detects approaching enemies through their ki and flies toward their predicted landing site 58.
• Fires rapid ki-blast barrages, including more than a hundred blasts against Botamo 196.
• Cannot locate androids through ki sensing because they lack detectable energy signatures 85.

Martial Arts and Tactical Adaptation

• Defeats a Vegetable Man and later a much larger tournament opponent 12 108.
• Overcomes Botamo through grappling and a ring-out after conventional attacks fail 196 197.
• Coordinates effectively with Yamcha to eliminate Tournament of Power opponents 233.

Relationships

• Son Goku / Sun Wukong — Best friend and fellow Turtle School disciple. Krillin’s rescue and death at Cooler’s hands become the catalyst for Goku’s first Super Saiyan transformation 7 64 109.
• Master Roshi — Teacher. Krillin protects him during the Tournament of Power, and Roshi praises his cooperation with Yamcha 109 233.
• Yamcha — Fellow disciple and longtime battle partner. Krillin grieves his Saiyan-invasion death, later defeats him in a tournament, and teams up with him in the Tournament of Power 12 108 233.
• Gohan — Protective family friend, addressed as “Uncle Krillin.” Gohan mourns his death and challenges Wu Fei’s refusal to save him 10 64.
• Piccolo — Initially distrusted as a Demon King. Krillin later recognizes his change after seeing him risk his life for Gohan, though he remains wary of Piccolo’s temper 8 43.
• Wu Fei — Powerful ally whose support repeatedly reassures him. Wu Fei guides his strategy against Botamo and avenges his tournament elimination, but deliberately declines to prevent Cooler from killing him 9 64 197 233.
• Grand Elder — Unlocks Krillin’s hidden potential, earning his sincere gratitude 27.
• Cooler — Killer and a lasting source of fear. Krillin later confronts Cooler’s forces despite remembering the experience of being killed 64 173.
• Frost — Tournament opponent who eliminates Krillin in both the Universe 6–7 tournament and the Tournament of Power 198 233.
• Unnamed girlfriend — Krillin plans a proposal around his tournament winnings; their wedding date is approaching after the Majin Buu crisis 109 134.

Notable Quotes

“We've been comrades and good partners for years! And you've saved me so many times. Now it's my turn to save you!” 64