Nuova Shenron

Nuova Shenron
“ I've been awaiting your arrival Goku. Now we are free to play the ultimate game of survival, without any distractions. „ ― Nuova to Goku “ Yes. You have drawn me out of my shell so to speak. What you see before you is my ultimate fighting form. And now that I've raised the stakes, it's your turn. It's time to ante up or fold „ ― Nuova to Goku
Vital statistics
Names	Nuova Shenron, Suushinron Four-Star Dragon Sì Xīng Lóng Shu Shenron
Gender	Male
Race	Eternal Dragon (Shadow Dragon)
Occupation	Warrior, Shadow Dragon
Origin	Dragon Ball GT Episode 54: "The Four-Star Dragon" (のパワー！の Sesshi Rokusendo no Pawā! Taiyō no Senshi, lit. "Power of 6,000 Degrees Celsius! The Warrior of the Sun") August 6, 1997
Alignment	Anti-Villain
Age	37 (Created by King Piccolo's wish for his youth in Age 753, with the Shadow Dragon Saga taking place in Age 790)
Created By	Toei Animation
Height	Not Stated
Weight	Not Stated

Nuova Shenron (四星龍, Sū Shinron; lit. "Four-Star Dragon") is one of the seven Shadow Dragons, the fifth to be fought by Goku and Pan. Nuova is the dragon of the Four-Star Dragon Ball and is the twin brother of Eis Shenron. He represents the element of fire. He was born from King Piccolo wishing for the restoration of his youth during the events of the original Dragon Ball series.

Appearance

Nuova is somewhat more humanoid than most of the other Shadow Dragons, with a sleek build and a serious face. In his restrained shell, Nuova has red skin, with a darker red torso and wing undersides. When unleashing his true form, Nuova's exoskeleton turns a bright golden orange, while his torso and wing undersides become purple.

Personality

Nuova Shenron is very faithful to his fellow Shadow Dragons, but also is fair to his enemies in battle, never resorting to desperate tactics, no matter what situation he is in. He will even assist his enemies if he considers his brothers' tactics on them unfair and desperate. He is easily the most kind-hearted of all the Shadow Dragons. He is also one of the most serious Dragons, rarely smiling and limiting his taunts to the heat of battle.

Nuova's innate nobility and morals, unique among the seven Shadow Dragons, could stem from a number of places. The most obvious is that he is the Dragon of the Four-Star Ball, a Dragon Ball which has always been associated with Goku and his adopted grandfather, Grandpa Gohan. Another is that the wish made by King Piccolo, unlike all the other wishes that spawned the Shadow Dragons, was a selfish one made with evil intentions, and as such would produce less negative energy after being granted. Nuova Shenron also has the distinction of being the last character Goku is able to win over to his side in GT.

In the Xenoverse series, he is shown to be aware of King Piccolo's reincarnation Piccolo and Gohan who he remembers from the time he worn the Four-Star Dragon on his Four-Star Dragon Ball Hat.

Character History

Dragon Ball GT

He first encountered Goku and Pan when they wandered into the charred remnants of a city and attempted to strike them down whilst encased in an orb of flame. After introducing himself as "the invincible Four-Star Dragon," Nuova was attacked by a rash Pan and deftly knocked her unconscious with a single blow. Goku demanded the Shadow Dragon unhand his granddaughter and, to the Saiyan's surprise, Nuova quietly set Pan out of harm's way. After formally starting their battle, Nuova swiftly overpowered Goku with his sheer speed and ability to increase his body temperature. Goku was forced onto the defensive as Nuova relentlessly pursued him across the city. Goku could only use ki attacks to avoid being burned by Nuova, but was hampered by a sudden bout of hunger.

After nearly meeting his end from Nuova's lethal Nova Death Ray technique, Goku decided to even the odds and transformed straight to his Super Saiyan 4 form. Nuova responded in kind and shed his outer shell, becoming much faster and allowing him to maintain his advantage. Goku was able to outmaneuver Nuova by leading him underground and using deception, catching Nuova off-guard. However, Goku refused to finish off Nuova right away. When the Shadow Dragon demanded an explanation, Goku expressed his gratitude for not harming Pan when he had the chance. Nuova simply mentioned that he wanted a fair fight and was against killing innocents, a policy that earns Goku's approval, before both of them calmly returned to the surface to commence their battle anew.

The two were then interrupted by the arrival of Nuova’s evil twin brother, Eis Shenron. Eis ridiculed and pummeled Nuova, who refused to retaliate due to Eis being his brother, for his apparent weakness and faced down Goku himself. Nuova sat on the sidelines and refused to gang up on an opponent. When it appeared as though Goku was gaining the upper hand, Eis promptly resorted to freezing the Saiyan in a block of ice before instructing Nuova to incinerate him. However, Nuova instead used the intense heat of his attack to melt the ice that surrounded Goku, allowing him to take on Eis a second time. Nuova later stated his disgust for Eis' tactics, but still refused to strike him.

When Goku had Eis at his mercy, Nuova was the one to request that Goku release him if Eis were to forfeit his Dragon Ball (despite stating that Eis "brought this on himself"). After Eis took advantage of Goku's kindness by blinding him, Nuova expressed considerable outrage and did not intervene after Eis was struck down.

After Eis Shenron's demise, Nuova Shenron thanks Goku for a good fight and offers a medicine that can restore his sight. He then states that he wants to fight Goku after the Saiyan fully recovers. Soon, Syn Shenron arrives and strikes Nuova with his Finger Beams, disgusted by Nuova showing mercy towards his opponent. Syn Shenron's finger beams also destroy the medicine bottle Nuova gave Goku. When Syn shot a Finger Beam towards Goku, Nuova Shenron launches himself at it and protects Goku. As he dies, Nuova apologizes to Goku, saying he only ever wanted a fair fight.

Nuova returned once more before the conclusion of the saga, this time to help Goku and Vegeta in defeating the seemingly unstoppable Omega Shenron. After almost defeating Omega once during the fight, Goku managed to intercept (and swallow) the Four-Star Dragon Ball. This allowed Nuova to be reborn and empowered with Goku’s positive energy, but he emerged from Goku's body seemingly loyal to Omega once again. Nuova requested to face the two Saiyans alone, and Omega agreed. Nuova then proceeded to outmatch Vegeta with little effort before blasting him out of the way. However in truth this was all a ruse and Nuova had actually been pulling his punches in order to catch Omega off guard. After a brief scuffle with Goku, the pair hit Omega with a surprise attack, allowing Nuova to initiate the next part of their plan. Surrounding himself in a Nova Sphere, Nuova restrained Omega Shenron and stated his contempt for him before attempting to incinerate Omega once and for all. Nuova even mocked Omega for the way he attacked his opponents by turning his back against him, remembering that Syn had shot him in the back.

Unfortunately, Nuova revealing his immunity to heat proved to be a fatal mistake. Omega forcefully possessed Nuova by embedding his six corrupted Dragon Balls in the latter's body. Despite his best efforts, Nuova's body is used as a shell for Omega, allowing the villain to survive the blast. After the attack dissipates, Nuova has just enough time to apologize to Goku before Omega bursts out of his body and reabsorbed his Dragon Ball to restore his full power. When Omega Shenron was vaporized by Goku's Universal Spirit Bomb, Nuova is destroyed along with the rest of the Shadow Dragons, as the Dragon Balls are purged of their accumulated negative energy.

Power and Stats

Tier: 2-C | 2-C | 2-C

Key: Shell Form | True Form | Empowered with positive energy

Power and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Fire Manipulation, Immortality (types 4 and 8; Not combat applicable; It is stated that due to the overuse of the Dragon Balls the Shadow Dragons came to life due to the overflowing amounts of negative energy accumulated in them, with the Shadow Dragons coming back every time the Dragon Balls get filled with negative energy), Acrobatics, Flight, Spaceflight, Self-Sustenance (Types 1 & 2), Ki Manipulation (Can be used defensively and offensively, to strengthen his skin or to fire ki blasts, which can home in on targets, and form defensive barriers), Shockwaves Generation, Dimensional Travel, Sound Manipulation, Space-Time Manipulation & Portal Creation (At this level of power he can create dimensional rifts and destroy space-time and pocket dimensions with his energy). Space Survival (Resistance to Extreme Cold, and Cosmic Radiations), Resistance to Heat Manipulation.

Attack Potency: Low Multiverse level (In his shell form, Nuova has power on par with Base Goku, and is described by Goku as already having power mountains above the previous Shadow Dragons) | Low Multiverse level (In his true form, he stalemated Super Saiyan 4 Goku) | Low Multiverse level (After being reborn and empowered with Goku’s positive energy, he blasted Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta away and could fight back against Omega Shenron), some of his attacks bypass durability due to the sheer heat they give off.

Speed: Massively FTL+ (Far superior to Base Goku, who traversed the afterlife at 4.38 quadrillion times FTL during the Otherworld Tournament Saga) | Massively FTL+ (His unrivaled speed allows him to keep ahead of Super Saiyan 4 Goku) | Massively FTL+ (Faster than Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta and even managed to catch Omega Shenron off-guard on one occasion)

Lifting Strength: At least Class P, likely far higher

Striking Strength: Low Multiverse level | Low Multiverse level | Low Multiverse level

Durability: Low Multiverse level | Low Multiverse level | Low Multiverse level

Stamina: Very high

Range: Standard Melee Range. Low Multiversal with ki blasts and attacks | Standard Melee Range. Low Multiversal with ki blasts and attacks | Standard Melee Range. Low Multiversal with ki blasts and attacks.

Standard Equipment: None

Intelligence: Above Average

Weaknesses: Is an honorable opponent who will fight fairly (will not resort to dirty tricks such as blinding his opponent or using sneak attacks), otherwise, none notable

Notable Attacks/Techniques

• Hikou – The ability to fly without the use of ki but through the use of wings or special mechanisms.
• Ki Blast – The most basic form of energy wave. Nuova Shenron is capable of firing flame blasts from his palms, just as casually as many other fighters can shoot regular ki blasts.
• Cannon Breaker – A heavy punch used against base Goku. Named in the Dragon Ball Z Collectible Card Game.
• Magic Materialization - Nuova is able to form a lens for usage in his attacks.
• Nova Death Ray – Nuova forms a lens that can absorb heat from the sun in front of his hands, and then shoots a lethal ray of fire at the opponent. Because this attack gets it's power from the sun, it does not run out of energy.
• Heat Armor - The user raises their temperature to a point where their body starts to glow a bright reddish orange, functioning as energy shield that can also harm an attacking opponent. The power is so immense that it is past the hotness of the Sun, around the temperature of a lightning bolt.
• Nova Star – First, Nuova charges a spiraling, fiery energy sphere in his mouth. Then, he grabs the energy sphere and charges it in a fashion similar to the Kamehameha. Finally, Nuova raises his hands and shouts "Nova Star!" as he fires the energy sphere at the opponent, inflicting high damage through a fiery explosion.
• Sun Gun Attack – First, Nova hides in his fire ball and then he begins firing Ki Blasts rapidly, inflicting a great amount of damage. This attack is not named in the Japanese version.

• Flaming Shot - Nuova Shenron charges a fiery sphere in each hand using a stance almost identical to the Final Flash and combines them to fire a fiery energy wave. Originally used in his battle with Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Was named in Dragon Ball Heroes where it appears as Nuova Shenron's Super Attack. Also appears as his Super Attack in Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission.
• Blaster Meteor – First, the user forms an Energy Shield around his body. Then, he brings his hands apart to each side and releases many powerful energy blasts that home in on the target, inflicting a massive amount of damage.
• Evil Fire - A technique where Nuova Shenron breathes a stream of fire out of his mouth. One of Nuova Shenron's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
  • Evil Flame - A stronger version of Evil Fire used by Nuova Shenron as a Special Move in Dragon Ball Fusions.
    • Evil Blaze - A version of Evil Fire stronger than Evil Flame used by Nuova Shenron as a Special Move in Dragon Ball Fusions.
• Nova Sphere – Nuova grabs his opponent and encases both himself and the opponent in a large, swirling sphere of fire that takes to the sky. Any volatile attack made by either Nuova or the opponent will cause the sphere to explode, creating a powerful blast many times bigger than the sphere itself. Nuova himself will not be harmed by the explosion due to being immune to the heat. Appears under the name Burning Spin in several video games.
  • Burning Tornado - A stronger version of Burning Spin which appears as one of Nuova Shenron's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
    • Burning Hurricane - A version of Burning Spin even stronger than Burning Tornado. One of Nuova Shenron's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
• Nuova Break – Nuova Shenron throws a powerful punch while using his Heat Armor to increase temperature.
• Instantaneous Transmission – One of Nuova Shenron's Blast 1 in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
• Burning Tornado – One of Nuova Shenron's Blast 2 in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
• Dark Dragon – An attack used by Nuova Shenron after he allied with Kagyu in Victory Mission, it is a Card Action Ability. Nuova channels the power of Black Smoke Shenron and fires an energy blast. Nuova Shenron can also use this attack in Dragon Ball Heroes.
• Inferno Attack – A more powerful version of the Nova Star that appears as the Super Attack of Super Nuova Shenron in Dragon Ball Heroes.
• Super Ultra Spirit Bomb - Nuova Shenron helps Goku launch the Super Ultra Spirit Bomb at Omega Shenron during the Dragon Ball GT Saga in Dragon Ball Heroes.
• Evil Eyes - One of Nuova Shenron's Super Skills in Dragon Ball Xenoverse.
• Cover - A technique where the user uses their own body to shield an ally from ki-based attacks. One of Nuova Shenron's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
• Barrier - The user creates an energy shield around their body to protect against Ki-based attacks. One of Nuova Shenron's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.

Trivia

• Nuova Shenron's name contains the kanji for "four" (四), "star" (星), and "dragon" (龍).
• Nuova's name refers to a nova, an exploding sun, referencing his incredible fire powers.
• Nuova Shenron's personality resembles Piccolo's in the Piccolo Jr. Saga and at the start of Dragon Ball Z; both are nominally enemies of Goku who nonetheless have a strong sense of honor and who aid their foe against a greater threat. His creation through the wish of King Piccolo, a villain who eventually turned to the side of good when reincarnated, serves as foreshadowing to Nuova's own defection.
• Both Goku and Nuova Shenron have teamed up with an enemy to defeat their dishonorable sibling. Each of them also perished upon doing so, only to be revived and perish again.
  • Fittingly both can fuse in Dragon Ball Fusions.
• Nuova was born from King Piccolo's wish to restore his youth. Coincidentally, he bares a resemblance to King Piccolo's son Tambourine.
• In Xenoverse series, he has special dialog when fighting Kid Gohan, where he will mention the time he (as the 4-Star Dragon Ball) rode around on Gohan's head (during the time when the 4-Star Ball was attached to Gohan's hat). He also has special dialog when fighting Piccolo, where he will remind Piccolo that it was his father King Piccolo's wish to be young again that created him.
  • Due to being King Piccolo's reincarnation, Piccolo inherited his father's eternal youth as he stopped aging upon reaching his physical prime (as he is shown to remain in his physical prime in Age 1000 in Dragon Ball Online when other Namekians like Dende and Moori show visible signs of age). Its possible that Nuova Shenron is referencing King Piccolo's wish as said wish also benefits Piccolo as he will never age beyond his physical prime (as King Piccolo effectively wished to be restored to his physical prime which is likely why Piccolo matured into his physical prime in only three years after he was born).
• Nuova Shenron is the only Shadow Dragon who got reformed.