Dragon Ball’s cast of characters is iconic as they come, with several fighters having borrowed Goku’s spotlight at one time or another throughout the series' celebrated history. From the moment the instantly recognizable protagonist began training with Krillin under Master Roshi, his friends have been by his side, fighting for his cause. However, as time has passed and enemies have become ever stronger,many of Earth’s fighters have fallen behind those with Saiyan blood.
One of those characters was Piccolo, who entered the series with the sole purpose ofkilling Goku and terrorizing the Earth. After becoming a hero, he fought to defend the very planet he once threatened, and retained a major role inDragon Balluntil the Majin Buu Saga, where the Namekian fell behind.Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroreturned him to relevancy in a big way, giving Piccolo a brand-new flashy power-up, though fans believed he still lagged behind the rest. However,it seems Piccolo is closer in strength to the series' main fighters than anyone thought.
Dragon Ball Super’s Artist Reveals Piccolo Is As Strong As Goku
Piccolo Is On the Same Level As Dragon Ball’s Strongest Fighters
Dragon Ball Supervolume #24 was just released in Japan, and its coverfeatures the series' main fighters in their most powerful forms. Ultra Instinct Goku, Ultra Ego Vegeta, Full Power Broly, Beast Gohan, and Orange Piccolo are lined up and at their best, showcasing Toyotarou’s immense talent for drawing the series.In a recent interview, however, the artist revealed his reason for putting each of the fighters on the cover, and it’s sure to make fans ofDragon Ball’s side characters happy.
He said, “I wanted to show thatthe power of these five characters are the same, so I made this collage,” before continuing, “I’ve tried my best to draw everything up to now, but I may not be able to make a cover such as this that takes so much time in the future.” It’s been quite some time since any fighter other than Vegeta was on a comparable level to Goku, and to see a team offive warriors on level groundis incredibly refreshing for a series likeDragon Ball.
It’s likely Toyotarou meant that each of the characters is on a similar level,and not identical in strength, though to be even comparable to one another is a major difference from everything the series turned into following the Namek Saga and the introduction of Super Saiyan. Piccolo, in particular, lasted some time before falling to the fate of characters like Krillin and Tien, becoming strong enough to go toe to toe with Android #17 in the Cell Saga. Fortunately for fans, it seems he’s returned to his former glory.
Dragon Ball Super Is Finally Giving Other Characters Some Shine
After Focusing Solely On Goku and Vegeta, Dragon Ball Super Is Bringing Other Fighters Back
Alongside Piccolo is his co-star in 2022’sDragon Ball Super, Gohan, whowas done arguably worse than his former mentor, after having the protagonist role stripped from him in the Buu Saga. With Broly standing behind, the newest addition to the cast, it seemsDragon Ballis officially entering a new era in whicha team of fighters takes precedence over just the two main Saiyans. The series has always belonged to Goku and likely always will, but having more characters involved is never a bad thing. Especially those who were unjustly left behind, like Piccolo and Gohan.
The second half of Toyotarou’s quote is also interesting, as the artist alludes to no longer having quite so much time to spend on covers like the one he did for Volume #24. This comment could be in reference to just about anything, thoughit is very possible that he’s hinting towards resuming work onDragon Ball Super, following a hiatus that has now spanned over a year.
Whenever the series does return,Dragon Ballwill undoubtedly benefit from having Piccolo and other side characters around. Now that the Namekian has been confirmed to be on equal ground with even Goku, it’s time he got some room to shine, and show off his new Orange form in all its glory.
Source:Dragon Ball Official
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
