Shenron

Shenron
Vital statistics
Names	Shenron Shenlong, Eternal Dragon, Dragon God. Dragon Lord
Gender	Male
Race	Eternal Dragon
Occupation	Eternal Dragon
Origin	Dragon Ball Chapter 1: "Bloomers and the Monkey King" (ブルマと孫そん悟ご空くう Buruma to Son Gokū, lit. "Bulma and Son Goku") November 20, 1984 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1984 #51)
Alignment	Neutral
Age	over 40 years old
Created By	Akira Toriyama
Height	N/A
Weight	N/A

Shenron (神龍シェンロン) also known as Shen Long or the "Eternal Dragon," is a magical dragon from the Dragon Ball franchise. In the English dub, he is often referred to as the "Eternal Dragon," while the early Harmony Gold dub from the 1980s called him the "Dragon God."

Concept and Creation

• Original Incarnation: Shenron's concept originated from Dragon Boy, where he was depicted as a small dragon emerging from the Dragon Jewel.

Appearance

• Physical Description: Shenron resembles a traditional Chinese dragon with green scaly skin, a long serpentine body, brown antlers, red eyes, sharp teeth, and flowing green hair on his cheeks. He also has a long snout, crescent-shaped nostrils, long whiskers, and a body that is mostly tail.
• Summoning: When Shenron is summoned, the sky turns pitch dark, even during the daytime. The sky returns to normal once he disappears. This phenomenon is consistent with other Eternal Dragons, such as Porunga.

Personality

• Neutrality: Shenron is a neutral figure who grants any wish within his power, regardless of the wish's intent or the nature of the summoner, whether good or evil. He has granted wishes for beings like King Piccolo and Garlic Jr.
• Politeness: Shenron is generally courteous and polite, doing his best to grant wishes in a way that brings the most joy to the summoner. He sometimes offers advice or alternatives if he considers a wish impractical, though he will still fulfill the wish if the summoner insists.
• Exact Wording: The exact wording of a wish is crucial, as Shenron interprets it literally, which has led to unintended consequences, such as the Pilaf Gang's wish for youth turning them into children.
• Limits: Shenron informs his summoner if a wish cannot be fulfilled. A common limitation is his inability to eliminate a threat more powerful than himself or his creator, as seen with Vegeta and Nappa. He also expresses doubt over complex or unprecedented wishes, like reviving a large number of people killed by the Frieza Force within a year.
• Strong Personality: While kind at heart, Shenron can be impatient or aggressive with supposedly frivolous wishes or indecisive summoners. He once tried to rebuke Gohan's dragon, Icarus, for interrupting a summoning.
• Fear of Beerus: Shenron is terrified of Beerus, the God of Destruction of Universe 7. If summoned near Beerus, Shenron becomes extremely deferential and seeks to leave quickly after fulfilling the request.
• Respect for Piccolo: In the Super Hero Saga, Shenron shows extreme politeness towards Piccolo, calling him "Lord." This is likely due to Piccolo's connection to Kami, Shenron's original creator, despite Shenron no longer being life-linked to Kami. Shenron may show similar respect to other Namekians due to their role in creating the Dragon Balls.

Biography

Background

Shenron is a mystical dragon who resides in the fiery center of the Earth. He emerges whenever he is summoned by gathering all seven Dragon Balls. Once summoned, Shenron grants a single wish before returning to his fiery abode to sleep until called upon again. Before the events of Dragon Ball, Shenron was last summoned to grant a wish for someone to become king, which may refer to King Furry or one of his ancestors.

Dragon Ball

Emperor Pilaf Saga

Shenron's first on-screen appearance occurs when he is summoned by Emperor Pilaf and his assistants outside of Pilaf's Castle. Pilaf, who has collected the remaining Dragon Balls from Goku and his friends, plans to wish for complete control over the planet. However, before Pilaf can make his wish, Oolong interrupts by quickly wishing for the world's comfiest pair of underwear. Shenron grants this wish, says his farewells, and departs. The Dragon Balls then scatter across the planet and turn to stone.

Fortuneteller Baba Saga

A year later, Goku befriends Upa and his father, Bora, during the Commander Red Saga. Unfortunately, Bora is killed by Mercenary Tao. Goku promises Upa that he will use the Dragon Balls to bring his father back to life. Goku collects the Dragon Balls from various locations, including one from Bora, three stolen by Tao, two from the Red Ribbon Army, and one from Emperor Pilaf. He then summons Shenron at the Sacred Land of Korin. Upa wishes for his father to be resurrected, which Shenron easily grants before departing. This time, the Dragon Balls scatter again, but Goku manages to grab his grandpa's keepsake before it takes off.

King Piccolo Saga

King Piccolo later uses the Dragon Balls to regain his youth. After making his wish, he kills Shenron to prevent anyone else from using the Dragon Balls against him, leaving the Dragon Balls inactive.

Piccolo Jr. Saga

Following King Piccolo's defeat, Kami decides to revive Shenron to reward Goku for his bravery. Although Kami had originally planned not to recreate the Dragon Balls—because he felt they had been used selfishly and contrary to their intended purpose of encouraging bravery—Goku's pure-heartedness convinces him that there are still good people in the world. Yamcha and the others summon Shenron at Kame House. Shenron, already aware of their wish, restores to life all those killed by King Piccolo and his offspring, including Krillin, Master Roshi, and Chiaotzu, before departing once more.

Dragon Ball Z

Saiyan Saga

Shenron is summoned at Kame House to revive Goku so he can defend Earth from the Saiyans. During the summoning, Oolong asks Shenron if he can beat up the Saiyans and save Earth, but Shenron explains that he cannot grant a wish that exceeds the power of a god, as he was created by one. Master Roshi then requests Shenron to resurrect Goku, which Shenron successfully does before departing.

Shortly afterward, Shenron becomes inactive when Nappa kills Piccolo, who sacrifices himself to protect Gohan. Since Kami is linked to Piccolo, Kami dies as well, causing the Dragon Balls to turn to stone and become unusable.

Frieza Saga

Shenron is indirectly revived by the Namekian Dragon Balls when Gohan and Krillin wish for Piccolo to be resurrected and transported to Namek. With Mr. Popo already having gathered Earth's Dragon Balls, Shenron is summoned, and Mr. Popo asks if he can restore all the lives taken by Frieza and his men. Although Shenron is initially unsure if he can fulfill the wish, as the deaths occurred on a distant planet, he successfully grants it.

Cell Saga

Years later, Shenron is temporarily deactivated when Kami merges with Piccolo due to dire circumstances. Dende, who becomes Earth's new Guardian, remodels Shenron, allowing him to grant three wishes. However, because Dende is not powerful enough, Shenron can only fulfill two wishes if one involves reviving a large number of people.

After Gohan defeats and kills Cell, the group goes to the Lookout to summon Shenron and ask for him to revive everyone killed by Cell. Shenron grants the wish, but Piccolo notices that he cannot sense Goku's energy. With one wish remaining, Yamcha asks Shenron to bring Goku back to life, but Shenron explains that Goku has already been resurrected once before, so he cannot do it again. Instead, Krillin asks if Shenron can turn Android 17 and Android 18 back into humans. Shenron explains that he cannot do so because their powers are too great, but he can remove the bombs implanted in them. Shenron grants this request and departs.

Majin Buu Saga

During the Majin Buu Saga, it is revealed that wishes can be saved until the next summoning. If this happens, the Dragon Balls scatter around the world and turn into stone for only four months, after which Shenron can be summoned again to grant the remaining wishes. After granting all the wishes, the Balls scatter and turn into stone for a full year. This is demonstrated when Shenron is summoned to revive everyone killed on the day of the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. Bulma summons Shenron prematurely, not realizing the danger the rest of the population is still in. On Dende's advice, Goku invokes the option to save one wish.

Four months after Kid Buu's defeat, the saved wish is used to erase the memories of Majin Buu from the minds of Earth's inhabitants, except for Goku's friends and family.

Dragon Ball Super

Battle of Gods Saga

Shenron is summoned by Goku aboard the Princess Bulma to learn more about the Super Saiyan God. Upon hearing that Beerus, the God of Destruction, is present, Shenron becomes visibly fearful and addresses Beerus with great respect, acting more like a humbled servant than a powerful deity. Shenron explains how to achieve the Super Saiyan God form, stating that five pure-hearted Saiyans must pour their energy into another pure-hearted Saiyan. After relaying this information, Shenron respectfully bids farewell to Beerus.

Golden Frieza Saga

Shenron is later summoned by the Pilaf Gang after they collect the Dragon Balls. However, Sorbet and Tagoma, loyalists of Frieza, force the Pilaf Gang to wish Frieza back to life. The remaining two wishes are used by Shu, who wishes for a million Zeni, and Mai, who wishes for ice cream.

Universe 6 Saga

Shenron is summoned by Bulma, along with Goku, Vegeta, Beerus, and Whis, to help locate the final Super Dragon Ball. Shenron is again intimidated by Beerus' presence. He attempts to find the last Super Dragon Ball but fails, as searching the vast universe is beyond his power, and locating something in another universe is impossible for him. After failing to fulfill the request, Beerus dismisses Shenron, and the Dragon Balls scatter once more.

"Future" Trunks Saga

In the anime, following the defeat of Zamasu, Goku gathers the Dragon Balls to wish King Kai back to life. However, since one wish had already been granted earlier, only two wishes remain. The first wish is used to cure Pan, who is suffering from a fever. Before Goku can make his wish to revive King Kai, Shenron leaves due to the group taking too long to decide on the second wish.

Broly Saga

In the "Bonus Story 4" chapter of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, Shenron makes a brief appearance as Goku recounts the events on Planet Vegeta that led to King Vegeta exiling Broly to the planet Vampa, which eventually set the stage for the events of the Broly Saga. Shenron is summoned by Cheelai and Lemo, who wish for Broly to be sent back to Vampa just as he is about to be killed by Gogeta's Limit Ultra Kamehameha. Shenron grants this wish, saving Broly's life.

Super Hero Saga

Faced with a new android threat, Piccolo visits Dende at the Lookout to request that his potential be unlocked, similar to how the Grand Elder Guru did for Gohan and Krillin. Dende admits he is too young to perform the ritual but upgrades the Dragon Balls using a special water, allowing them to unlock Piccolo's potential. Bulma, who has been collecting the Dragon Balls to prevent them from being misused, summons Shenron at Capsule Corporation. Piccolo takes the first wish, and Shenron unlocks his latent potential, adding in a "bonus" as well. Bulma uses the remaining two wishes for a butt lift and longer eyelashes.

Dragon Ball GT

Shadow Dragon Saga

After the Z Fighters defeat the Shadow Dragons, Shenron appears without being summoned. He heals Goku's wounds and grants one final wish before leaving Earth. Shenron takes Goku and the Dragon Balls with him, explaining that the Earth must learn to stop relying on the Dragon Balls to solve their problems. As they ascend, Shenron seals the Dragon Balls inside Goku's body, causing Goku to disappear. Shenron then flies into a bright light, marking the end of the Dragon Balls' use on Earth.

A Hero's Legacy

One hundred years later, Shenron presumably returns, as the Four-Star Dragon Ball is seen again, indicating that Shenron's power and the Dragon Balls continue to exist in some form even after Goku's departure.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes

Prison Planet Saga (Manga)

In the manga, Shenron is summoned from the Special Dragon Balls by Majin Ozotto, who wishes for immortality. However, before the wish can be completed, Oolong intervenes and instead wishes for everyone on the Prison Planet to be returned to their original locations.

Film Appearances

Curse of the Blood Rubies

Shenron is summoned to grant Pansy's wish to remove all the Blood Rubies and restore the land.

Mystical Adventure

Shenron grants Goku's wish to revive Bora.

The Path to Power

Shenron is summoned to revive Android 8 and remove the bomb inside him.

Dead Zone

Garlic Jr. summons Shenron and wishes to become immortal.

The World's Strongest

Dr. Kochin summons Shenron to free Dr. Wheelo's laboratory from the Tsurumai-Tsuburi Mountains.

The Tree of Might

Gohan and Krillin summon Shenron to restore a forest that had burned down. Shenron defends himself when Gohan's dragon friend, Icarus, mistakes him for a threat, but Gohan quickly explains the situation. After calming down, Shenron restores the forest.

Lord Slug

Lord Slug uses the Dragon Balls to wish for his youth back, similar to King Piccolo.

Broly: Second Coming

Shenron is indirectly referenced when Videl, Goten, and Trunks search for the Dragon Balls to stop Broly. Although Shenron does not appear, it is implied that he may have overheard Goten's wish for Goku's presence, leading to Goku either being temporarily revived or an illusion of him being created to help defeat Broly.

Fusion Reborn

Gohan summons Shenron to send the dead back to Other World, but Shenron is unable to fulfill the wish because there is nothing keeping the dead on Earth. Shenron is humorously seen at the end of the film, still waiting for someone to make a wish.

Wrath of the Dragon

Goku and the Z Fighters summon Shenron to open Hoi's music box. After Hirudegarn is defeated, they consider using the Dragon Balls to revive those who were killed.

Other Dragon Ball Stories

Dragon Ball Online

• Age 787: Dende deactivates the Dragon Balls due to the world being at peace, heeding Old Kai's warnings about the potential threat of having active Dragon Balls. As a result, the events of Dragon Ball GT never occur.
• Age 999: Dende reactivates the Dragon Balls in response to the threat of the Time Breakers, hoping to encourage Earthlings to become stronger. He creates multiple sets of Dragon Balls, each with a corresponding Shenron, and spreads them across the planet, dividing the original Dragon Balls' power among them. These Shenrons grant wishes that allow Earthlings to transform into Super Saiyans, Majins into Pure Majin form, and Namekians into Great Namekians.

Xenoverse

• Age 850: Future Trunks summons Shenron in Toki Toki City, wishing for a warrior strong enough to defend history. Shenron grants this wish by summoning the Future Warrior.
• Demon God Demigra Saga: Chronoa summons Shenron to inform Goku in Age 778 of the situation and allow him to assist the Future Warrior and the Time Patrol against the Demon God.

Fusions

• Tournament Wish: Tekka and Pinich gather the Dragon Balls and summon Shenron to wish for a tournament to determine the strongest in time and space. Although it initially seems that Shenron cannot grant this wish, he eventually does and leaves.
• Barriers and Sub-Events: The Dragon Balls are used to open a barrier preventing access to Ultra Pinich and later to summon Shenron for various wishes, including special moves, clothing, and non-canon characters.

Xenoverse 2

• Emperor's Return Saga: In Age 779, Towa and Mira prevent the Pilaf Gang from using up the second wish after Frieza is revived, allowing them to revive Frieza's brother Cooler, who is upgraded to Metal Cooler. Both Cooler and Frieza seek revenge on Goku and the Z Fighters but are defeated by Goku, Vegeta, and the new Future Warrior.
• Warrior of the Demon Realm Saga: Towa travels to Age 850 to kill Shenron before he can grant the wish that summons the Toki Toki City Hero, causing massive changes in history. Future Trunks and the Future Warrior ultimately prevent Towa from killing Shenron, restoring the timeline and summoning Ace, the Toki Toki City Hero.
• Celebratory Feast: After the defeat of Towa and Mira, Chronoa uses the Dragon Balls to wish for enough food to celebrate, despite Old Kai's objections.
• Increasing Shenron's Power: The 2nd Future Warrior learns how to increase Shenron's power from Grand Elder Guru, which allows Shenron to grant a wider variety of wishes. The Dragon Balls used by the Time Patrol are one of many sets created by Dende, which can be used repeatedly without a dormancy period, possibly due to Chronoa's manipulation of time or the innate properties of the Time Patrol's specific Dragon Balls.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: 5-C

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Flight, Immortality (Type 1), Reality Warping (Dragon Balls is stated to be "cosmic cheat code" that can hurl the cosmic order into chaos. Capable of granting wishes, which can resurrect the dead, restore someone to their youth and/or their full vigor, erase memories of others, create money and food, transport people between worlds, and many others), Power Bestowal (Can bestow Types 1, 2 and 3 Immortality, unlock hidden potential and bring new forms), Technology Manipulation (Granted Krillin's wish to have the bombs removed from inside the android twins), Extrasensory Perception and Cosmic Awareness (Can recognize gods like Beerus and Piccolo's Kami aura, has knowledge enough about alien culture like the Super Saiyan God), Fissionism (Should be capable of granting the wish that undid Kibito Kai's fusion), Fate Manipulation (Comparable to Toronbo, who protected Goku and Raditz until their adult life thanks to Bardock's wish), Self-Sustenance (All Types). Resistance to Extreme Cold and Cosmic Radiations.

Attack Potency: Moon level (Restored the moon)

Speed: Unknown

Lifting Strength: Unknown

Striking Strength: Unknown

Durability: Moon level

Stamina: Unknown

Range: Interstellar via Wish Granting

Standard Equipment: None notable

Intelligence: Gifted (Shenron has a natural cosmic awareness)

Weaknesses: Shenron can only grant one wish per summoning (Dende's can grant up to three, two if large numbers of people are revived), and cannot grant the same wish more than once. He cannot use his powers to kill anyone stronger than his creator, and if his creator dies, he will die as well. He cannot resurrect those who have died of natural causes such as old age or sickness. When resurrecting multiple people, he cannot resurrect anyone who has been dead for over a year.

Trivia

• Dragon Ball Logo: The original Dragon Ball logo featured a green "Chinese" dragon similar to Shenron, wrapped around the letters and eating the "o."
• Eternal Dragon: Although Shenron is referred to as the "Eternal" Dragon, he was killed by King Piccolo after granting him eternal youth. This implies that "Eternal" might refer to his immunity to aging rather than being invincible.
• Deaths by Villains: Shenron has been killed twice by villains: once by King Piccolo and once by Towa in the altered timeline of Age 850.
• Frieza's Story: During the Namek Saga, when Frieza recounts the story of the Dragon Balls, the dragon depicted is Shenron, even though Frieza had never seen him before.
• Dr. Slump Cameo: In an artwork by Akira Toriyama, Arale from Dr. Slump is shown holding and tying up Shenron.
• Design Changes: Shenron's design evolved throughout the Dragon Ball series, with his underside color changing from green to yellow or manila.
• Wish Count Inconsistency: There is a discrepancy in Dragon Ball Z regarding the number of wishes Shenron can grant. In Fusion Reborn, he grants three wishes (which was a dub error; the Japanese version mentioned two wishes), while in Wrath of the Dragon, he grants only one wish.
• Porunga vs. Shenron: By the time of the Majin Buu Saga, Porunga, the Namekian dragon, surpassed Shenron in power, able to resurrect any number of people at once without using additional energy, while still granting three wishes per summoning.
• Cameos in Other Games: Shenron makes cameo appearances in various Dragon Quest Monsters games.
• Dimensional Limits: In Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai, it is shown that Shenron's power cannot cross dimensions or timelines. This contradicts the Fusion Saga's portrayal of Shenron's capabilities regarding the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
• Wishes in Dragon Ball Fusions: In Dragon Ball Fusions, Shenron can grant a wish to change Tekka's appearance, voice, race, or gender, unlike in the Xenoverse series where Time Patrollers can only change their appearance and voice.
• Chinese Mythology Inspiration: Shenron is modeled after the spiritual dragon from Chinese mythology, known as Shenlong. In the Japanese manga, Shenron initially had no name, and the naming was a liberty taken in English localizations.
• Pronunciation Notes: The correct pronunciation of Shenron's name in Japanese transliteration is "Sheh-n-roh-n," while the Japanese on'yomi reading would be "Shinryuu." The Funimation dub often mispronounces it as "Sheh-n-rah-n."
• Finger Count: Unlike the Shenlong of Chinese mythology, which is said to have five fingers on each hand (a trait of higher-ranking dragons), Shenron in Dragon Ball has only four fingers on each hand.