King Piccolo

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King Piccolo
King Piccolo 29 (1).png
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Vital statistics
Names King Piccolo

Great Demon King Piccolo Piccolo Demon King Piccolo Dark Lord Piccolo Evil King Piccolo Lord Piccolo The Original Piccolo Piccolo Sr. Piccoro Dai Maku Devil King of Demons

Gender Genderless
Race Namekian
Occupation King
Origin Dragon Ball Chapter 135: "The Death of Kuririn" (クリリンの死しそして恐おそろしき陰いん謀ぼう Kuririn no Shi Soshite Osoroshiki Inbō, lit. "Kuririn's Death, and a Terrible Conspiracy") July 28, 1987 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1987 #35)
Alignment Evil
Age 292
Created By Akira Toriyama
Height 250 cm (8ft 2in)[1]
223 cm (7ft 4in) "Old"
Weight 200 kg (441 lbs)[1]
115.5 kg (255 lbs) "Old"

King Piccolo (ピッコロ大魔王, Pikkoro Daimaō), also known as the Daimaou (大魔王, "Great Demon King"), is a pivotal character in the Dragon Ball series. He is a Demonic Namekian who once plunged Earth into chaos, creating an army of demonic offspring and transforming the planet into a living hell. King Piccolo was originally the evil half of a single being who split himself in two to purify his heart and become the Guardian of Earth. His counterpart was Kami, the good half, while King Piccolo embodied all the evil.

Background and Origins:

  • Split from Kami: King Piccolo and Kami were once a single Namekian who sought to become the Guardian of Earth. However, the then-Guardian rejected him because of the malice and impurity in his heart. To be accepted for the role, the Namekian split himself into two beings: the good half became Kami, while the evil half became King Piccolo.
  • Demonic Reign: After the split, King Piccolo wreaked havoc on Earth, spawning demonic offspring and plunging the world into darkness.

Role in Dragon Ball:

  • Main Antagonist: King Piccolo served as the main antagonist of the King Piccolo Saga, where he aimed to conquer the Earth and eliminate all threats, including Goku.
  • Reincarnation: Using the Pokopen ability, King Piccolo ensured his survival by "reincarnating" himself as Piccolo Jr. (ピッコロ・ジュニア, Pikkoro Junia), who would later become one of Goku's greatest rivals and eventually a key ally.

Appearance[edit | edit source]

When King Piccolo is introduced in Dragon Ball chapter 135, "The Death of Kuririn," he is depicted as a formidable and strange-looking divine creature with a goblin-like appearance. His design features pointy ears, fangs, and a menacing demeanor. This appearance was intended to highlight his otherworldly and demonic nature. King Piccolo's visual design shares a striking resemblance to Kami, his good counterpart, with the only significant difference being their clothing. Kami's outfit is a palette swap of King Piccolo's robe, reflecting their shared origins as a single entity before the split into good and evil halves.

Design

  • Initial Appearance: King Piccolo is introduced as an aged, tall, and imposing figure, standing over eight feet tall, making him one of the largest villains in the original Dragon Ball series. His size and height are notable, as he towers over all his opponents, including Master Mutaito, Master Roshi, Tien Shinhan, and even Goku.
  • Clothing: Initially, King Piccolo is shown wearing a black robe with his own kanji, a red cape, and brown lightweight footwear. Beneath the robe, he wears an indigo Asian martial arts uniform with a light purple obi. This outfit is later revealed to be Namekian clothing with demon symbols, distinguishing it from martial arts attire. His kanji symbolizes his role as the opposite of Kami.
  • Comparison with Kami: Kami, King Piccolo's good counterpart, shares a nearly identical appearance, including the same facial features and body structure. In a flashback, Kami is seen wearing a similar dark gi, but with his own kanji, further emphasizing their connection.

Size and Height:

  • Tallest Villain: King Piccolo's size and height are unique among Namekians and are not fully explored in the series. Most Namekians, including Kami and Nail, are shown to be the size of normal humans. King Piccolo's immense size could be attributed to his demonic origins, which may have resulted in a larger and more robust form.
  • Possible Control Over Size: It's suggested that Namekians might have some control over their size at will, as seen with other characters like Guru, who also has a massive size.

Combat and Weighted Robe:

  • Weighted Robe: During his battle with Goku, King Piccolo removes his robe for better performance, revealing that it may be weighted, similar to Piccolo Jr.'s cape. After removing the robe, King Piccolo nearly kills Goku with powerful blasts and even temporarily stops his heart, demonstrating his immense power and strength.

Personality[edit | edit source]

King Piccolo, being the concentrated evil that resided within the Nameless Namekian, is the complete antithesis of his good counterpart, Kami. His personality is defined by his cold, ruthless, sadistic, and power-hungry nature, devoid of any sense of compassion. King Piccolo is willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals, showing no regard for the lives he destroys in the process. He exhibits a warped sense of humor, often breaking into maniacal laughter after causing death and destruction. This twisted nature is further emphasized by his creation of a holiday to celebrate his takeover, where he would destroy a city every year on its anniversary. Despite his desire for power, King Piccolo shows no genuine interest in ruling over his subjects. After being released from the electric rice cooker by Pilaf, he openly admits that he has no interest in ruling the planet, even though he declares himself the new king of the world. Instead of enforcing law and order, he encourages lawlessness and chaos, demonstrating his contempt for any form of governance.

Key Traits and Personality Aspects:

  • Arrogance and Fear: King Piccolo is extremely arrogant, convinced of his superiority and believing himself to be the most powerful being in the universe. However, this arrogance is coupled with a deep-seated fear of the Evil Containment Wave, a technique that had once defeated him. The mere sight of this technique being performed causes him to freeze in terror. This fear drives him to eliminate all martial artists who might know or learn the technique.
  • Intelligence and Strategy: King Piccolo is highly intelligent and learns from his past mistakes. This is evident when he destroys Shenron after making his wish, ensuring that no one could use the Dragon Balls to undo his reign. His reincarnation, Piccolo Jr., displays similar strategic thinking, such as injuring both of Goku's arms during their battle to prevent Goku from fighting back effectively.
  • Manipulative Nature: King Piccolo is also manipulative, using others to achieve his goals. He exploits Emperor Pilaf and his minions to gather the Dragon Balls, only to discard them when they are no longer useful to him. Despite his manipulative and evil nature, he shows occasional mercy, sparing the lives of certain individuals, such as Master Roshi, Master Shen, Yajirobe, and King Furry. His sparing of criminals during his takeover announcement reveals a twisted sense of empathy, as he compares their imprisonment to his own confinement within the electric jar.
  • Compassion for His Offspring: Although King Piccolo is overwhelmingly evil, he shows a rare form of compassion towards his offspring. He panics when they are killed, though he also quickly accepts their demise at Goku's hands. His creation of Piccolo Jr. is motivated by both a desire for revenge against Goku and a means to reincarnate himself to continue his goal of conquering Earth. This act, however, inadvertently preserves Kami's life, allowing the resurrection of Shenron and the undoing of much of the evil King Piccolo had caused.
  • Legacy and Redemption: King Piccolo's reincarnation, Piccolo Jr., initially inherits his evil nature and even succeeds in killing Goku during the battle with Raditz. However, Piccolo Jr.'s evil begins to fade over time, and he ultimately reforms, joining the Z Fighters and failing to carry on King Piccolo's legacy of evil. This transformation marks a significant departure from King Piccolo's original intent, as his reincarnation becomes one of Earth's greatest defenders.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Background[edit | edit source]

King Piccolo came into existence around 300 years before the start of the Dragon Ball series. He was born from the evil essence of a nameless Namekian who had journeyed to Earth and sought to become the Guardian of Earth. However, his impure motives disqualified him from this position, as a Guardian's heart must be completely pure. To rid himself of the evil within, the nameless Namekian underwent intense meditation and training, eventually splitting into two separate beings: the purely evil King Piccolo and the pure-hearted Kami. This separation was profound, as their lives were interconnected—if one were to die, the other would perish as well.

The name "Piccolo" originally referred to the musical instrument, but it was later revealed by Mr. Popo to Bulma that it also translates to "different world" in the Namekian language.

Reign of Terror

After his creation, King Piccolo spawned several offspring, who wreaked havoc across Earth by terrorizing, killing innocent people, and destroying cities. Though content to let his children do his bidding, King Piccolo eventually intervened personally when his offspring were defeated by Master Mutaito's pupils, including a young Master Roshi and Master Shen. Despite their efforts, Roshi and Shen were no match for King Piccolo, who easily overpowered them. Master Mutaito then stepped in to confront Piccolo but was also outclassed and left to die. However, Mutaito survived the encounter and, with the help of his two students, recovered from his injuries.

Ashamed of his initial failure, Mutaito left to train and devise a strategy to defeat King Piccolo. While Master Roshi remained loyal to his master, Master Shen grew disillusioned and parted ways with Roshi. During this time, King Piccolo continued his rampage, killing humans and destroying cities across the globe.

Defeat and Imprisonment

Years later, Master Mutaito returned with a technique powerful enough to stop King Piccolo—the Evil Containment Wave. With the help of Master Roshi and Master Shen, Mutaito confronted King Piccolo once more. In their final battle, Mutaito sacrificed his life to trap King Piccolo inside an Electric Rice Cooker using the Evil Containment Wave. After King Piccolo was sealed away, Master Roshi personally disposed of the rice cooker by throwing it into the deepest part of the ocean, ensuring that Piccolo would remain imprisoned.

The Electric Rice Cooker was cast into Isuri's Lake, a place that later became corrupted by King Piccolo's lingering evil spirit. With Piccolo's defeat, the world slowly began to recover. Cities were rebuilt, and the Earth's population grew, with King Piccolo's reign of terror gradually fading from memory. Only a few, including Master Roshi, Master Shen, and Kami, remembered the true horrors of King Piccolo's tyranny. Others, like Tien Shinhan and Yajirobe, heard the stories but dismissed them as mere legends or bedtime tales.

King Piccolo Saga[edit | edit source]

Centuries after his imprisonment, King Piccolo's Electric Rice Cooker is recovered from Isuri's Lake by Emperor Pilaf, who hopes to use Piccolo's power to further his own ambitions. Upon his release, King Piccolo quickly takes control, forcing Pilaf to lend him his airship. Piccolo, now free, begins his plan to eliminate any potential threats by targeting the current and former finalists of the World Martial Arts Tournament, who might be capable of mastering the Evil Containment Wave—a technique that could imprison him once again.

To carry out these assassinations, King Piccolo spits out two eggs, hatching his first two sons seen in the series: Piano, who serves as his advisor, and Tambourine, tasked with hunting down the martial artists. Tambourine's first victim is Krillin, whom he kills with ease.

After Krillin's death, Goku sets out to avenge his friend but is quickly overwhelmed by Tambourine, who destroys Goku's Flying Nimbus and leaves him badly beaten. Despite this, Goku survives and later encounters Tambourine again, this time killing him in a rage.

In response to the death of another son, King Piccolo decides to handle the situation personally. He confronts Goku and, despite his advanced age, proves to be far more powerful. In their battle, King Piccolo dominates Goku, leaving him severely injured and temporarily stopping his heart with a Makosen attack. Believing Goku to be dead, King Piccolo takes his Dragon Ball and leaves. However, Goku is saved by Yajirobe, who nurses him back to health.

With Goku incapacitated, Master Roshi takes it upon himself to confront King Piccolo. Using the remaining five Dragon Balls as bait, Roshi challenges the demon king, intending to use the Evil Containment Wave to trap him once more. Despite successfully executing the technique, Master Roshi misses the container at the last moment, allowing Piccolo to escape. The failed attempt drains Roshi of all his energy, and he dies shortly afterward, but not before defiantly swearing that King Piccolo's plans will never succeed.

After taunting Master Roshi for his failure, King Piccolo gathers the Dragon Balls and successfully summons Shenron. Just as he is about to make his wish, Tien Shinhan, who is immobilized, urges Chiaotzu to intervene. Chiaotzu attempts to make a wish to prevent King Piccolo from obtaining eternal youth, but King Piccolo reacts swiftly, killing Chiaotzu with a Makosen blast before he can finish his sentence. This allows King Piccolo to wish for eternal youth, restoring him to his physical prime and significantly increasing his power.

With his newfound strength, King Piccolo immediately takes a drastic step to secure his reign by killing Shenron with a single blast, ensuring that no one else can use the Dragon Balls to oppose him. With the Dragon Balls now rendered useless, Piccolo betrays Emperor Pilaf and his minions, tossing them from their own airship as he no longer has any need for their assistance.

Having eliminated nearly all potential threats, King Piccolo decides to savor his dominance over Earth. Instead of the widespread destruction he once unleashed, he overthrows King Furry and declares himself the ruler of the world. After brutally killing many of King Furry's guards and showcasing his power by destroying half of a city, King Furry reluctantly submits to Piccolo's rule.

To amuse himself, King Piccolo enacts several cruel policies, including releasing all criminals and instituting a system of calculated destruction. He divides the Dragon World into 43 sections and declares that each year, on the anniversary of his takeover, he will personally obliterate one section until the entire world is reduced to dust. His first target is Section 29, which includes West City. With Piano by his side, Piccolo prepares to head to West City to commence his new reign of terror.

However, before he can proceed, he is confronted by Tien Shinhan, who has now mastered the Evil Containment Wave technique. Unfortunately, the Electric Rice Cooker needed to seal King Piccolo is broken, rendering the technique useless. In the anime adaptation, Tien successfully performs the wave, but Drum, King Piccolo's newest and most powerful son, is caught in it instead, and the rice cooker is destroyed before Tien can trap King Piccolo.

Seeing Tien as no longer a threat, King Piccolo decides to let Drum finish him off. Drum easily dominates Tien in battle, landing powerful blows that Tien cannot counter. Just as Drum is about to deliver the final blow, Goku, now much stronger thanks to the Ultra Divine Water, arrives in the nick of time. In a swift and decisive move, Goku kills Drum with a powerful kick to the head, knocking his eyeballs out and ending the fight instantly.

The final showdown between King Piccolo and Goku begins, with Goku surprising Piccolo by overwhelming him in combat. Goku's increased strength allows him to block every attack Piccolo throws at him, and he eventually lands a powerful punch that sends King Piccolo crashing into Piano, killing his son under the combined weight and force.

A fierce battle ensues between King Piccolo and Goku, with the demon king briefly gaining the upper hand. Using his Eye Lasers, King Piccolo injures Goku's knee, and with a precise Finger Beam, he knocks away Goku's Power Pole. He then fires an Explosive Demon Wave at Goku, but Goku survives the attack. King Piccolo attempts another Explosive Demon Wave to destroy Goku, but Tien Shinhan intervenes, preventing Piccolo from finishing the job.

Realizing that he cannot defeat Goku easily, King Piccolo resorts to a cowardly tactic by using the weakened Tien as a human shield. He threatens to crush Tien's skull if Goku makes a move. When Goku learns that Shenron has been killed and the Dragon Balls no longer exist, he becomes resigned to following King Piccolo's demands, despite Tien's pleas for him to fight back. Taking advantage of Goku's hesitation, King Piccolo hurls rocks at him with great force, severely injuring Goku's legs and left arm.

Satisfied with the damage he has inflicted, King Piccolo tosses Tien aside and prepares to deliver the final blow to Goku. However, Goku, realizing that he still has the use of his right arm, makes a last-ditch effort. He channels a Kamehameha from his right hand, using the force of the blast to propel himself toward King Piccolo in the sky. In a swift and decisive strike, Goku punches a hole clean through King Piccolo's chest, dealing a mortal wound to the demon king.

Though shocked and angered by his defeat, King Piccolo accepts that Goku has only won for now. In a final act of defiance, he uses the last of his energy to spit out an egg containing his final offspring and reincarnation, Piccolo Jr., ensuring that his legacy will continue. This act also inadvertently spares Kami's life, as King Piccolo and Kami are linked, and if one dies, so does the other.

With his last breath, King Piccolo commands his son to avenge his death and destroy Goku. Shortly afterward, King Piccolo succumbs to his wounds and dies in a massive explosion.

Over the next three years, Piccolo Jr. grows and trains, preparing to challenge Goku at the next World Martial Arts Tournament for a rematch. During the Piccolo Jr. Saga, Piccolo Jr. refers to himself as King Piccolo multiple times, as he sees himself as the reincarnation of his father, determined to carry on his evil legacy.

Dragon Ball Super[edit | edit source]

"Future" Trunks Saga:[edit | edit source]

  • Flashback: During this saga, the Pilaf Gang recalls Master Roshi's attempt to seal King Piccolo using the Evil Containment Wave, which inspires Piccolo to suggest that Goku use the same technique to seal the immortal Future Zamasu.
  • Forest of Terror: Goku and Krillin encounter an illusion of King Piccolo, along with his son Tambourine and other past villains, during a training mission in a mysterious forest.

Dragon Ball GT[edit | edit source]

Shadow Dragon Saga:[edit | edit source]

  • Nuova Shenron’s Mention: King Piccolo is referenced by Nuova Shenron, who reveals that he was born from the wish King Piccolo made to restore his youth.

Film Appearances[edit | edit source]

  • Bardock - The Father of Goku: King Piccolo appears in one of Bardock's visions, battling Goku during their final confrontation.
  • Bojack Unbound: Goku briefly mentions King Piccolo while learning about Bojack’s backstory, comparing him to the Demon King.
  • Battle of Gods: A prologue in the film recaps King Piccolo’s death at the hands of Goku.
  • Broly: King Piccolo is seen in a flashback when Goku recounts the Earth’s past struggles to Broly, showing the moment when Goku killed King Piccolo.
  • Super Hero: King Piccolo is mentioned by Gamma 2 during a confrontation with Piccolo. Gamma 2 mistakenly refers to Piccolo as "Demon King Piccolo," to which Piccolo corrects him, stating that he now goes by just "Piccolo."

Powers and Statistics[edit | edit source]

Tier: At least 5-C | At least 5-C

Key: Old Self | Young Self

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Acrobatics, Master in Martial Arts, Flight, Immortality (Types 1, 3 & 4; Wished for eternal youth and can reincarnate to Piccolo by spiting out an egg), Self-Sustenance (Type 2), Ki Manipulation (Advanced Level),Enhanced Senses (Namekians have exceptional hearing, allowing them to hear things from great distances), Telepathy (As a Namekian, Piccolo can telepathically speak to others), Telekinesis, Magic and Creation (A member of the Dragon Clan of Namekians, which possess mystic abilities), Size Manipulation, Regeneration (Mid; Can regenerate as long as his head remains intact), Body Control (Can control his severed limbs), Elasticity (Can stretch his arms to great lengths), Shockwave Generation (Can create a powerful shockwave with light swings), Can spit out eggs that will hatch into mutated namekians, Fusionism (Via Namekian Fusion), Limited Soul Manipulation (Demon Clansmen, by nature, banish the souls of their victims to purgatory in the mortal realm,[2] thus preventing ascension into the afterlife[3]), Limited Immortality Negation (Types 2 & 3) and Regeneration Negation (Mid-High; Non-Combat Applicable - The Nimbus Cloud is capable of quickly reconstructing itself after being blown to smithereens,[4] and is regarded as indestructible,[5] but can be destroyed permanently by Demon Clansmen[6])

Attack Potency: At least Moon level (Much stronger than Master Roshi. Goku stated that his power didn’t begin to compare to his, even when Piccolo was only using half of it) | At least Moon level (Stronger than before)

Speed: Relativistic combat speed (Far outclassed 22nd Budokai Goku who stated that his speed didn’t begin to compare to King Piccolo[7]) | At least Relativistic combat speed (Faster than before)

Lifting Strength: Unknown

Striking Strength: At least Moon level | At least Moon level

Durability: At least Moon level | At least Moon level (Tanked his most powerful blast)

Range: Extended Melee Range, Planetary with ki blasts and attacks.

Stamina: Unknown | Superhuman, but gets exhausted if he uses too many powerful ki techniques in succession.

Standard Equipment: Nothing notable

Intelligence: Mastery of various martial arts techniques and skills, years of experience fighting both powerful and diverse enemies whom have various abilities and powers. Is a combat/tactical genius for the most part.

Weaknesses: Overconfident. His regeneration is stamina based and he cannot regenerate if his brain is destroyed.

Notable Attacks/Techniques[edit | edit source]

  • Flight – Literally meaning "lighter than air skill", the user forces their ki upon the ground in order to levitate and take to the skies.
  • Ki Blast – The most basic form of energy wave.
  • Life Link - Due to being created via Fission, King Piccolo's life and the life of Kami are linked thus one will die if the other perishes either via natural or unnatural causes. As it made King Piccolo or Kami killing the other essentially a suicidal act, it effectively resulted in a stalemate between the two as King Piccolo could not kill Kami and Kami could not kill King Piccolo, though this allowed King Piccolo to terrorize the Earth with Kami helpless to stop him unless he was willing to perish along with King Piccolo, though King Piccolo was later sealed by Mutaito putting an end to his evil allowing Kami to survive and continuing to serve as Guardian of Earth. However, King Piccolo inadvertently saved Kami's life when he reincarnated himself into Piccolo Jr. which transferred the life link to his final son after he was fatally injured by Goku, which was fortunate as Kami was the only one who could restore Shenron and the Dragon Balls would be rendered inert anyway if Kami died. The life link is also neutralized if King Piccolo and Kami perform Namekian Fusion resulting in them becoming the Nameless Namekian once more.
  • Eternal Youth - After making a wish upon Shenron, King Piccolo was restored to his physical prime, regain his youthful health and appearance as well as peak power and prowess. In addition, he became immune to aging, which made him able to potentially live forever he would never grow old, however due to being life linked with Kami this ability is rendered moot as Kami still ages thus King Piccolo would still die if Kami were to die of old age. This ability was passed to his son Piccolo Jr. upon King Piccolo's death.
  • Finger Beam – Basic energy attack fired from the index finger. King Piccolo's version is named Laser Shot in the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game.
    • Scatter Finger Beam - A variation of his finger beam where he fires a beam from each finger on his right hand.
    • Multiple Masenko - A two-handed variation of his finger beam that appears in Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden.
  • Explosive Demon Wave – A very powerful blast shot from one hand while the other hand is used to support the arm that is firing the blast. King Piccolo can turn an entire city into dust using this move, and he claims that he could destroy 1/43rd of the entire world's surface with it.
  • Don't Get Cocky Kid – A clear ki blast of a sudden wind attack that can be launched theoretically from any part of the body. It is generally not as powerful as other attacks.
  • Exploding Wave – It involves waving the arm and having the land explode in its wake. King Piccolo uses this technique to show his power while at King Castle, destroying a city.
  • Evil Wave Explosion – King Piccolo's Explosive Wave technique. Named in the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game. In Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo, King Piccolo uses this after recovering from dizziness, or as a quick counterattack, or randomly in battle as a more charged version while saying "I'll blow you away!"
  • Soumasen – A precise laser eye beam shot from both eyes. This attack is used to kill a guard posted at the gates leading to King Furry's Castle, and during his battle with Goku in order to incapacitate one of Goku's legs. Named in the Budokai Tenkaichi series (his son Tambourine also uses this move).
  • Mouth Energy Wave – A beam shot from the mouth; considerably more powerful than normal ki bolts. King Piccolo used this attack to destroy Shenron after having his wish for eternal youth made. This move is usually spelled as Kochi kara kikou ha.
    • Super Demon Cannon - A variation of Mouth Energy Wave used by Giant Demon King Piccolo where he fires a wind-like stream of energy at the opponent. Used by Giant Demon King Piccolo's Super Attack in World Mission.
  • Ruthless Blow-like technique - During his assault on King Castle, King Piccolo kills the Strong King's Guard by thrusting his arm through the man's chest.
  • Makosen – King Piccolo fires power ki beams from each hand, one after the other. He first uses it at the end of his first fight with Goku, causing the young boy's heart to stop momentarily. The first blast is intentionally meant to be a distraction; forcing the opponent to evade it, while the second more powerful blast actually hits the target dead on. Goku falls for this trick a second time, but is unharmed by the second blast that hits him. He uses this technique again on Chiaotzu to prevent him from stealing his wish, killing him.
  • Birthing an Egg – The ability to spit out an egg from his mouth which is the natural form of reproduction for Namekians though perverted by King Piccolo to create Mutant Namekian offspring. King Piccolo can give the son part or all of his powers and memories. He also uses this technique as part of his Blast 2 called Your name is Drum in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, and during a boss mission in Dragon Ball Heroes.
    • Reincarnation - King Piccolo possesses the ability to give birth to an egg that contains his essence including his power and memories. This ability circumvents the life link as it effectively allows King Piccolo to reincarnate himself into his own offspring who inherits King Piccolo's life link with Kami those allowing Kami to survive King Piccolo's death. Used by King Piccolo to create the egg that gave birth to his final son/reincarnation, Piccolo Junior. Though his reincarnation inherits his memories and powers, they do not apparently inherit his complete personality, as Piccolo was never as evil as his father, though he was dedicated to killing Goku at first and taking over the Earth, Piccolo was capable of acts of selflessness and even acts of altruism long before he met Gohan as shown by him saving a mother and child from falling debris in the Piccolo Jr. Saga.
  • Scattering Bullet-like technique – King Piccolo uses this technique in two variations in Revenge of King Piccolo only. He first lowers down to knee level, then raises his right hand and fires seven to eight beams in the air, eventually crashing down at the opponent. With the second variation he draws back his hand, the he fires multiple ki blasts, spreading across the battlefield.
  • Telekinesis – This technique involves controlling and manipulating people or objects with the mind. King Piccolo performed this just by lifting a finger, as it was first seen when he magically lifted the five Dragon Balls that Master Roshi had hid under the ground.
  • Telepathy – This is the ability to channel one's thoughts to another being. King Piccolo used this technique to immediately contact Tambourine to avenge Cymbal's death.
  • Full Power – One of King Piccolo's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
  • Kaikosen – One of King Piccolo's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
  • Magic Materialization – A magical ability used to create objects from seemingly thin air. King Piccolo was never actually seen using this technique, but it is assumed he knew it since he was seen with the same skeletal-like throne of his twice (the first was in Pilaf's airship and apparently, the same throne appeared in the king's castle). His skeletal throne was akin to that of Guru's from Namek.
  • Demon Hand – Although he never displays the Namekian ability to expand his arms in the anime or manga, he is capable of doing so in most video games he has appeared in. In Dragon Ball Fusions, it appears as a Special Move under the name Decoy.
    • Super Decoy - A stronger version of Decoy with greater range. One of King Piccolo's Special Moves In Dragon Ball Fusions.
    • Demon Fist – King Piccolo extends his arm to grab his opponent, tosses them in the air, and shoots them with an energy blast. One of King Piccolo's techniques in Super Dragon Ball Z, also used by Piccolo Jr.
  • King Piccolo has the ability to increase the length and sharpness of his fingernails.
  • Drill Kick – A powerful kick technique used in Super Dragon Ball Z.
  • Majin Rendan – A powerful energy blast used in Super Dragon Ball Z.
  • Masougenki – A charge attack that ends with one of two blows. Used in Super Dragon Ball Z.
  • Fusion - King Piccolo is capable of performing at least three different fusion techniques in various video games.
    • Namekian Fusion – In Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors, King Piccolo (after being beaten in a fight) fuses with Piccolo (who was already fused with Kami), becoming the original nameless Namekian again. This fusion is enough for Piccolo to equal and surpass the power of Super Buu.
      • Absorption - In Supersonic Warriors 2, after his evil heart is reawakened inside the reborn Nameless Namekian by Manipulation Sorcery, Majin King Piccolo is able to absorb Super Buu in a manner similar to Namekian Fusion. Additionally in Xenoverse, Percel mentions a altered timeline where King Piccolo was able to claim the Super Namekian power of the Nameless Namekian by forcefully absorbing and assimilating Kami.
    • EX-Fusion - By wearing a Metamo-Ring and performing the Fusion Dance he can perform EX-Fusion with Demon King Dabura to create Demon King Daccolo. Used in Dragon Ball Fusions.
    • Five-Way Fusion - By performing the five-way fusion dance with 4 other people, King Piccolo can fuse to create an Ultra Fusion. If initiated by King Piccolo it will produce a Namekian Ultra Fusion. Can be used by King Piccolo outside of the main story of Dragon Ball Fusions.
  • Heavenly Demon Body-Crushing Cannon (魔天砕身砲) – A descending physical attack from the sky used in Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu.
  • Regeneration - The Namekian ability to regenerate limbs and regain health. In the manga and anime King Piccolo only uses this ability as part of his transformation into the Great Namekian form, and is unable to heal the fatal blow dealt to him by Goku. Appears as both a Special Move and a passive Skill in Dragon Ball Fusions. The Special Move regenerates an arm to recover health. The passive Skill restores some health automatically each turn.
    • Super Regeneration - A stronger version of Regeneration that restores more health. One of King Piccolo's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
      • Perfect Regeneration - A version of Regeneration that is even stronger than Super Regeneration. One of King Piccolo's Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
  • Royalty - Stat boost when facing a lower level enemy. One of King Piccolo's passive Skills.
  • Body Change Block - Immune to Body Change and Body Change EX. One of Giant King Piccolo's passive Skills in Dragon Ball Fusions.
  • Proud Victor - Nullifies 90% damage if below 10% health. One of Giant King Piccolo's passive Skills in Dragon Ball Fusions.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • Name Origin: King Piccolo's name is based on the wind instrument "piccolo." In Namekian, "Piccolo" translates to "another world."
  • First Villain Wish: He is the first villain in both the manga and anime to have his wish granted by Shenron.
  • Shenron's Death: King Piccolo is the first character to kill Shenron, with Towa being the second in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.
  • Series Tone Shift: King Piccolo’s arc marked a shift from the lighthearted tone of the early Dragon Ball series to a darker, more serious tone, focusing more on fighting.
  • Blood Color: Initially, King Piccolo's blood was shown as red, but it was later retconned to purple to align with the depiction of Namekian blood.
  • Space Travel Hint: In the English dub, King Piccolo mentions traveling the universe, which may imply he used the ship that Kami arrived in, though this is not addressed in the original Japanese version.
  • Namekian Identity: In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, King Piccolo acknowledges his Namekian heritage. Despite this, he is depicted eating solid food in anime filler episodes, a trait inherited by Piccolo Jr.
  • Food Consumption: In anime filler, King Piccolo eats solid food, but his son Piccolo Jr. later refrains from eating solid food, only consuming water.
  • Dragon Ball GT Impact: King Piccolo’s wish for eternal youth led to the birth of Nuova Shenron, a noble Shadow Dragon in Dragon Ball GT.
  • Legacy of Revenge: King Piccolo's final act of creating Piccolo Jr. led to his reincarnation becoming a hero, with Piccolo ultimately defeating Goku once in Dragon Ball Z.
  • Influence on Cell: King Piccolo's method of ruling through fear and his eventual defeat by Goku had a lasting impact, influencing Cell's character and actions.
  • Manga References: In Dragon Ball Super manga, Piccolo identifies himself as the reincarnation of King Piccolo.
  • Gintama Appearance: King Piccolo makes a comedic appearance in Gintama, where he is humorously sucked into a black hole.
  • Dub Variations: In the FUNimation dub, King Piccolo's wish is for the restoration of his youth and former power, not specifically for eternal youth.
  • Inspiration: King Piccolo was inspired by Akira Toriyama's first editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, similar to Dr. Mashirito from Dr. Slump.
  • Fusion Scenarios: In Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors, it is implied that Piccolo Jr. could only achieve his full potential by fusing with both King Piccolo and Kami.
  • Similar Villains: King Piccolo shares similarities with Lord Slug, another evil Namekian who sought eternal youth.
  • Victory Mission: King Piccolo's strategy of using Dragon Balls and defeating opponents before consuming them is reused in Victory Mission with Super Saiyan 4 Broly.
  • GT Strategy: Goku also tries a similar strategy by eating a Dragon Ball in Dragon Ball GT.


  1. 1.0 1.1 Dragon Ball: Adventure Special, 1987
  2. Dragon Ball Chapter 162 - "The Nyoi-bô's Secret"
  3. Dragon Ball Chapter 207 - "Son Gohan, the Inconsolable"
  4. Daizenshuu 7 – Dragon Ball Encyclopedia: Item Dictionary
  5. Dragon Ball Chapter 55 - "The Red Ribbon"
  6. Daizenshuu 4 (09 October 1995) - World Guide: Machines
  7. Dragon Ball Chapter 143