15 Interesting Things You Might Not Know About Piccolo
- 164 VOTES
Piccolo Is One Of Toriyama’s Favorite Characters
Photo: Toei AnimationWhen asked about his favorite Dragon Ball character, Toriyama did mention his legendary protagonist Goku. But he also said that one of his favorites was Piccolo! He said:
“I guess I like Piccolo the most after all. Out of all the enemies, Piccolo Daimaō is the one I like most, and even after that I like Piccolo the most. I like Piccolo about the same as I like Goku.”
- 290 VOTES
He’s Been The Strongest Z-Fighter Twice
Photo: Toei AnimationWhile few would argue that Piccolo is the strongest Z-Fighter overall, there have been two instances where he temporarily came out on top. Both times involved fusion - the first with Nail, and the second with Kami. This caused his power levels to exceed that of Goku and Vegeta’s current forms.
- 345 VOTES
Toriyama Didn’t Plan For Him To Be An Alien
Photo: Toei AnimationWhen Toriyama first created Piccolo, he intended for him to be member of the Demon Clan. But after creating Kami, Toriyama decided that both Piccolo and Piccolo Daimao would be members of the alien race, the Namekians. Despite introducing this concept late, Toriyama still made efforts at consistency - for example, he based Namekian architecture off of the throne he’d already designed for Daimao.
- 453 VOTES
Piccolo’s Father Is Inspired By A Figure From Roman History
Photo: Toei AnimationWhen attempting to design the villain who would ultimately become Piccolo’s father Piccolo Daimao, Toriyama was tired of creating villains who ultimately proved to be good guys. To help him create a truly evil character, Toriyama’s editor Kazuhiko Torishima gave him information about evil figures from history. After Toriyama learned that Emperor Nero reveled in others’ suffering, he was inspired to create Piccolo Daimao.
But there’s a little bit more to the story - the Shenlong Times issue #2 claims that Piccolo Daimao was actually based on Kazuhiko Torishima himself! We’re not sure what that says about their professional relationship.
- 570 VOTES
He Eats Food Even Though He Doesn’t Need To
Photo: Toei AnimationAs a Namekian, Piccolo doesn’t need to eat food - all he needs to survive is water. But while he may not need food, he’s still capable of digesting it. That’s why he’s been seen eating food on several occasions, including fish as a child and multiple meals in Dragon Ball Super.
- 657 VOTES
He’s Trained More Kids Than Just Gohan
Photo: Toei AnimationThough Piccolo is well-known for training Gohan, he’s not the only child Piccolo worked with. He also trained Goku’s other son Goten, as well as Vegeta’s son, Trunks.
While he didn’t exactly train Goku’s grand daughter Pan, he was in charge of babysitting her due to his previous experience working with young human-Saiyan hybrids.
- 776 VOTES
His Relationship With Gohan Influenced ‘Boruto’
Photo: Toei AnimationDragon Ball is one of the most influential series in the world, so it stands to reason that other shonen series would take their cues from it. Gohan and Piccolo’s mentor-mentee relationship with influence Masashi Kishimoto when he created the relationship between adult Sasuke and Boruto. Both involve very serious adults with complicated pasts helping the child of their former rival.
- 856 VOTES
He’s The Youngest Villain In The Series
Photo: Toei AnimationWhen Piccolo fights Goku, he might look like a teenager, but he's actually much younger than that - he’s only three years old. This makes him the youngest villain in the series.
- 954 VOTES
His Name Means ‘Another World’ In Namekian
Photo: Toei AnimationWhile Piccolo’s name was influenced by real-world sources, it does have a canon meaning. In the Namekian language, his name means ‘Another World’ - fitting, since he ends up spending a significant period of time away from his home planet.
- 1038 VOTES
Toriyama Thought His Redemption Was ‘Cliche’
Photo: Toei AnimationApparently, Toriyama wasn’t totally satisfied with Piccolo’s character arc - he felt that his transformation from villain to hero was cliche. Piccolo is neither the first nor last villain to undergo this change. Despite Toriyama’s feelings about his storyline, he still enjoyed drawing Piccolo, noting that he had an captivating design despite his scary face.
- 1134 VOTES
He’s Not The Only Namekian Named For An Instrument
Photo: Toei AnimationIt’s not just Piccolo whose name is based on an instrument - it’s actually the whole Namekian race. Other Namekian names include Bongo, Cymbal, Banjo, Bell, Drum, and more.
However, instruments aren’t the only common Namekian name theme - characters like Dende, Esca, Katas, Moori, and Lord Slug have names that are somehow connected to snails.
- 1234 VOTES
He Knows CPR
Photo: Toei AnimationIn a world where people are constantly embroiled in dangerous fights, CPR seems like a pretty useful skill to have. Piccolo is the only member of the Z-Fighters who seems to have learned it, however. He’s seen using it on both Gohan and Goku on separate occasions.
- 1349 VOTES
He Appeared In Two ‘One Piece’ Crossovers
Photo: Eiichiro Oda / Akira ToriyamaPiccolo is one of many Dragon Ball characters who appeared in a One Piece/Dragon Ball crossover manga created by Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda. In this manga, which is called Cross Epoch, Piccolo and Roronoa Zoro are both swordsmen.
Piccolo also shows up in another One Piece crossover called Dream 9 Toriko & One Piece & Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special. In this anime special, Piccolo is seen cheering for Goku as he fights Monkey D. Luffy and Toriko, the protagonists of the other series.
- 1434 VOTES
His Name Has Two Real-World Meanings
Photo: Toei AnimationMost English-speaking Dragon Ball fans will recognize Piccolo’s name as the name of a woodwind instrument. But they may not know that it’s also an Italian word that means ‘small.’ When applied to a person, it implies short stature. Considering how tall Piccolo is - 7′ 5″ - that’s pretty ironic.
- 1536 VOTES
His Blood Is Colored Inconsistently
Photo: Toei AnimationIf you’re wondering what color blood Namekians have, you’re not going to learn the answer from watching Piccolo. While he spills blood on multiple occasions, the color is completely inconsistent. During his showdown with Raditz, his blood is red, but it turns purple later in DBZ. Meanwhile, Dragon Ball Super depicts him with green blood.
