Nail

Names	Nail (ネイル, Neiru)
Gender	Genderless
Race	Namekian
Occupation	Warrior, Bodyguard
Origin	Dragon Ball Chapter 251 (DBZ 57): "Son Goku's Spaceship" (の Son Gokū no Uchūsen) November 21, 1989 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1989 #51)
Alignment	Good
Age	Unknown
Created By	Akira Toriyama
Height	206 cm (6ft 9in)
Weight	Unknown

Nail (ネイル, Neiru) is a Warrior-type Namekian, known as the last of his kind when he first appeared in the manga. Serving as the personal bodyguard to Grand Elder Guru, Nail is remarkably powerful for a Namekian. At the time of Frieza's invasion of Namek, he was the strongest Namekian alive. His strength would later become part of Piccolo's power when the two fused, ensuring that Nail's legacy as the most powerful Namekian lived on through Piccolo's immense abilities.

Appearance

Nail shares a striking resemblance to Piccolo in terms of facial features, height, and build, aside from the typical traits of their race. He wears a blue vest over a long, flowing brown one, leaving his chest and stomach mostly exposed. A white scarf wraps around his neck, and he completes his look with baggy white pants, a blue sash, and the brown pointed boots commonly worn by Namekians.

Personality

Nail embodies a heroic and honorable spirit, fully dedicating his life to protecting Grand Elder Guru and safeguarding Namek. His deep care for his fellow Namekians is evident during his confrontation with Frieza, where he fearlessly engages in battle, showing little regard for his own safety in defense of his people.

Biography

Dragon Ball Z

Frieza Saga

When Dende takes Krillin to Grand Elder Guru's home to unlock his inner potential, Nail is present and greets them cautiously, particularly suspicious of Krillin. Later, as Gohan is having his hidden powers unlocked, Vegeta arrives to retrieve a missing Dragon Ball. Nail confronts Vegeta, ready to fight, and the two exchange harsh insults. Before a battle begins, Gohan emerges with his newfound strength. Nail then senses five powerful energy signatures approaching, which turn out to be the Ginyu Force. Following Guru's orders, Nail initially heads off to assist the Earthlings and Vegeta in their fight against the Ginyu Force, but turns back to continue protecting Guru when Frieza arrives, seeking the secret of how to summon the Namekian Dragon.

Nail confronts Frieza to prevent him from obtaining the Dragon Balls' password and to protect Guru. However, Frieza, with a power level of 530,000—far exceeding Nail's—easily overpowers him, even severing Nail's arm (which Nail regenerates). During the fight, Frieza toys with Nail and threatens Guru, trying to force Nail to reveal the password for the Dragon Balls. Despite the brutal beating, Nail smirks, revealing that the battle was only a diversion to give Dende time to deliver the password to the Earthlings. Enraged, Frieza abandons Nail and rushes off, leaving the Namekian badly injured and near death.

Soon after, Piccolo—resurrected by the Namekian Dragon Balls—arrives on the planet and finds the severely wounded Nail. Nail suggests that if Piccolo had still been united with Kami, they could have defeated Frieza long ago. He urges Piccolo to fuse with him to greatly enhance his power and survive the fight against Frieza. Though initially hesitant, Piccolo agrees, and Nail assures him that his personality will remain unchanged. After their fusion, Piccolo's strength increases dramatically, making him a match for Frieza's second form, or potentially even stronger—forcing Frieza to transform into his next stage after Piccolo sheds his weighted clothing.

In the English dub of the anime, Piccolo reveals to Frieza during their fight that he and Nail have fused, speaking briefly with Nail's voice. Later, when Vegeta requests a Zenkai boost by asking Krillin to injure him, Dende hesitates to heal him until Piccolo, using Nail's voice, convinces him. Nail also reacts with shock and sadness in Piccolo's mind when Dende is killed by Frieza in his final form. After everyone on Namek is revived and transported to Earth, Dende finally realizes that Nail has merged with Piccolo.

Cell Saga

Nail remained part of Piccolo's being, and his presence was heard through Piccolo's telepathic thoughts when Dende became Earth's new Guardian during the reign of Cell.

Majin Buu Saga

Nail continued to reside within Piccolo. He appeared in Piccolo's flashback when Dende explained the process of Namekian fusion during the battle against Majin Buu.

Dragon Ball Super:

Universe Survival Saga

During the Tournament of Power, Nail, alongside Kami, made a brief appearance inside Piccolo's mind while he was unconscious. They motivated him to keep fighting for the survival of Universe 7 and its inhabitants.

Super Hero

In the flashback where Piccolo asks Dende about Grand Elder Guru's ability, Nail appears when Guru is shown drawing out Krillin's potential.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes:

Supreme Kai of Time Saga

In the anime, an incarnation of Nail assists Gohan, Piccolo, and the Namekian in Black as they battle against Xeno Dabura, Gravy, Shroom, Salsa, and Putine.

Other Dragon Ball stories

That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

In the spin-off manga Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha, the reincarnated Yamcha travels to Namek to have Grand Elder Guru unlock his potential before training with Nail. As a result of this training, Yamcha returns to Earth stronger and defeats the Saibamen, Nappa, and assists Goku in defeating Vegeta, ensuring the survival of Tien, Chiaotzu, and Piccolo.

Dragon Ball Online

In Age 767, Towa manages to obtain Nail's blood and Ki. She plans to extract Nail's DNA to enhance her creation, Mira, and infuses his Ki into Frieza's severed tail. This energy is later consumed by the Time Breaker Tock, who transforms into a state with traits from Frieza's second form.

Dragon Ball Fusions

In the Timespace Rift created by Tekka and Pinich's wish during the Timespace Tournament, parts of Namek, including Guru's House, appear in Area 2F. Nail continues his duty of protecting Grand Elder Guru, who is troubled by the recent behavior of one of Nail's younger siblings. Guru's house is initially covered by a Timespace Barrier, which requires 50 units for each of the five Energy types to break.

After recruiting enough people, Tekka's team gathers sufficient energy to destroy the barrier and meet Guru. Upon meeting him, Goten is surprised by Guru's large size, but Pan quickly scolds him for his rude comment. Guru, however, is not offended. Kid Goku notices Nail's resemblance to King Piccolo but does not react aggressively, as he realizes Nail is simply from the same race as Kami and Piccolo.

Guru praises Tekka's team for their pure hearts and requests their help. He explains that one of his children had been influenced by stories of the Demon King Piccolo and had begun imitating him. Before Guru can elaborate, Goku, determined to stop another evil Namekian, races off, followed by Goten and Pan.

Tekka's team discovers that the "Demon King" is actually a young Namekian named Moolin. After some taunting, Moolin is chased down, and it's revealed he was only pretending to be evil. Pan's frustration causes Moolin to cry, and Goten convinces him to follow Piccolo's example and be good. Back at Guru's house, Guru apologizes for the misunderstanding, but Goku admits he jumped to conclusions. To repay Tekka's team, Guru asks Nail to join them.

Once recruited, Nail occasionally appears on the team's Spaceship and comments on various events in the story when visited at Guru's house.

Xenoverse 2

Guru's House Rift

If the 2nd Future Warrior is a Namekian, they investigate a time rift anomaly around Guru's House. From a window, they observe Guru and Nail discussing an evil power headed for Namek. Guru warns that the Dragon Balls must not be taken, and foresees the arrival of a powerful warrior with a pure heart. He instructs Nail to defend Namek while Dende expresses concern about their ability to handle the threat. The warrior is later called off for a mission involving the Time Breakers, leaving the investigation unfinished.

After completing several missions, the warrior is asked to revisit large time rift anomalies, including Guru's House, where Namek is under attack by the Frieza Force. Nail enlists their help to protect the Dragon Balls. If the warrior succeeds, Nail grants them an audience with Guru, who unlocks their potential, boosting their stats. By continuing to protect Namek, the warrior can return to Guru, unlocking more wish options and further removing their level cap.

Guru also reveals that an evil Namekian with a scar entrusted them with a mysterious egg, which turns out to be one of Towa's Distorted Time Eggs. These eggs cause distortions in time, but are stable enough that Chronoa allows them to remain. This provides an opportunity for Namekians to visit Namek as it was before its destruction.

Namekian Awakening

If the Warrior is Namekian, defending Guru's House leads to a special event where they can attain the Great Namek form. After Piccolo senses their power and thanks them, Nail helps them unlock their full potential. They fight both Nail and Piccolo in a battle called the "Namekian Awakening" to gain the Become Giant Awoken Skill. After successfully completing the quest and using the form in battle, the skill is unlocked permanently.

The Galactic Emperor Saga

In Age 762, Nail confronts Frieza, who has been empowered by Towa, turning him into Dark Frieza. The warrior joins Nail in stalling Frieza while Dende rushes to give Gohan and Krillin the password for the Dragon Balls. Despite their efforts, they cannot defeat Dark Frieza. As Frieza demands the Dragon Balls' secrets, Nail reveals that Dende has already reached Gohan and Krillin. Frustrated, Frieza leaves Nail for dead. The warrior later helps correct the timeline by stopping Turles and Slug, allowing Piccolo to be revived and fuse with Nail.

World Mission

In the side story "Kagyu's Adventure" from Chapter 2, Kagyu of the DBH Team investigates an anomaly that appeared on Earth shortly before the Tournament of Power in the game world timeline. This anomaly allows Xeno Slug's Demon Clan to invade Earth. Kagyu confronts Xeno Slug's captains, and Piccolo arrives to assist him, recognizing Kagyu as a fellow Namekian due to his Hero Avatar.

However, during the battle, something unexpected happens: Piccolo defuses, splitting back into his original components, Kami and Nail. Despite this, Kagyu, Kami, Nail, and Piccolo manage to survive the encounter and eventually force Xeno Slug's captains to retreat, although it is a difficult fight.

Afterward, Kami reassures Piccolo not to worry about the fusion coming undone, as it was unforeseen. Nail, on the other hand, asks the critical question: what could have caused their Namekian fusion to reverse? Piccolo suspects that Kagyu may have an idea, and Kagyu points to Xeno Slug's spaceship as the key to unraveling the mystery.

Kami then recalls overhearing that the leader of the invading demons is named Slug. Nail remembers hearing this name from his father, Grand Elder Guru. He explains that when Namek was on the verge of destruction, a Namekian infant, like Kami and King Piccolo, was sent offworld. However, this child was born with a heart of pure evil, and the child’s name was Slug. Kami believes it’s destiny that they’ve been given this chance to stop him.

With this understanding, Kagyu, Kami, Nail, and Piccolo resolve to work together to defeat the evil Super Namekian Slug and protect Earth from another Namekian Demon Clansman.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: 5-B

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Longevity, Acrobatics, Skilled in Martial Arts, Flight, Ki Manipulation (Master Level), Ki Sensing, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Enhanced Senses (Has extremely good hearing), 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), Fusionism (Via Namekian Fusion)

Attack Potency: Planet level (Much stronger than Zarbon, should be comparable or superior to Recoome who was capable of humiliating Saiyan Saga Vegeta in combat)

Speed: At least Supersonic flight speed (Far faster than Krillin who could fly this quickly), FTL combat speed (With a power level of 42,000, Nail should be faster than Zarbon)

Lifting Strength: Unknown

Striking Strength: Planet level

Durability: Planet level

Stamina: Superhuman (Can regenerate damaged arms and limbs during battle)

Range: Extended melee range, Planetary with ki blasts and attacks.

Standard Equipment: None

Intelligence: Skilled warrior and fighter.

Weaknesses: Nail can't survive in the vacuum of space, he can get weaker if low on Ki, his regeneration is stamina based and won't regenerate if his head is destroyed.

Attacks/Techniques

• Please Leave – While shouting "I won't show mercy!", Nail charges at the opponent with his right arm raised. He then swings his arm forward to hand chop the opponent in their neck, inflicting a great deal of damage.
• Mystic Flasher – Nail turns around and blasts the opponent with a massive yellow energy wave, inflicting a great amount of damage.

• Regeneration – The ability to regrow certain body parts or cells that have been dismembered or destroyed and replace them with brand new cells, or simply regrouping all of their separated parts back together. In Dragon Ball Legends during the Tournament of Time like Piccolo, Nail is able to regenerate his body as long as his head remains intact which is how he is able to survive an attack from Bido during the surviving Galaxy Soldiers attack on the Resistance faction's base in Part 11 of the main story.
  • Namek Finger – Stretching arms, Used in video games only.
• Namekian Fusion – It is more of an assimilation than fusion, as one Namekian absorbs the energy, strength, memories, and intelligence or thought pattern of another. Both participants must willingly consent to fuse in this manner and usually the pair agrees to the stronger of the two to serve their body as the host; the reason for this consent is that the body of the absorbed Namekian disappears during this fusion and the consciousness ceases to exist as a body. The agreed host places his hand over the chest of the other one and through unknown thoughts, a flash merges them. After the fusion, the non-host's consciousness lives inside the body of the host from this point onwards and their life span as a body ends. The host's consciousness dominates the body, while the non-host serves to aid him by supplying information, thereby meaning that the absorbed consciousness remains separate from the host's.
• Full Power Energy Wave – Used in Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu and Xenoverse 2.
• Continuous Energy Wave – Used in Super Saiya Densetsu.
• Cloning – Used in Super Saiya Densetsu.
• Stalling – One of Nail's Blast 1 in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
• Full Power – One of Nail's Blast 1 in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Raging Blast 2.
• Hard Rush - Nail's signature attack in Raging Blast 2.
• Super Explosive Wave – Used in video games only.
  • Ultra Explosive Wave - A stronger version of Super Explosive Wave that appears as one of Nail's learnable Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
  • Decoy - A variation of Mystic Attack used to draw in enemy melee attacks. One of Nail's learnable Special Moves in Dragon Ball Fusions.
    • Super Decoy - A stronger version of Decoy that Nail can learn as a Special Move after reaching Lv. 40 in Dragon Ball Fusions.
  • Evil Flight Strike - A variation of the Mystic Attack used by Nail in Xenoverse 2
• EX-Fusion - Used in Dragon Ball Fusions.

• Five-Way Fusion - Used in Dragon Ball Fusions.

Trivia

• Nail's name is a pun on the word "snail."
• His name also references the human anatomy and a fastener metal object (nail).
• In both the manga and anime, parts of Nail's clothing are torn during his fight with Frieza, but these tears are not visible when Piccolo arrives at the battle site, though Nail remains gravely injured.
• Although Piccolo initially tells Nail they will split up after defeating Frieza, it is later revealed that Namekian fusion is permanent and cannot be reversed. Piccolo may have been unaware of this prior to fusing with Nail.
• In World Mission, an anomaly is strong enough to undo Namekian fusion, which is otherwise impossible under normal circumstances. Great Saiyaman 3 remarks on the anomaly's ability to reverse Piccolo's fusion with Kami and Nail.
• In the battle against Moro, Vegeta reveals a technique that could separate Piccolo from his fusees, surprising Piccolo.
• In the original Funimation dub, Nail's voice is soft and raspy, but in Dragon Ball Z Kai, it is deeper.
• In the games where Nail is a playable character (except Gekishin Freeza), he is missing his vest, though he wears it outside of battle in Xenoverse 2. The absence of the vest may reference him removing it during his fight with Frieza.
• In Dragon Ball Fusions, if a female Tekka wears the top portion of Nail's outfit, it includes a sports bra-like halter top to cover the chest.