Summary
- Piccolo's journey from villain to hero is marked by significant moments, such as killing Goku and Raditz, which led him to embrace his new path as a defender of Earth.
- Piccolo's training of Goten and Trunks showcases his surprise and admiration for the immense power possessed by the young warriors, particularly when they achieve Super Saiyan 3 fusion.
- Piccolo's desire for revenge against Frieza and his commitment to avenging the Namekians illustrates his pride and willingness to risk everything, ultimately playing a crucial role in saving his race.
One of the most important characters in all of Dragon Ball, Piccolo has filled many roles throughout the series' history. From villain and arch-rival to hero and father figure, and despite how much his character has changed, he still remains the same stoic icon of strength that made him so popular from the start.
From his introduction as a child in Dragon Ball and throughout both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, Piccolo has distinguished himself time and again as one of the most powerful warriors in the series. The scenes on this list feature the greatest of Piccolo's displays of growth, power, and even humor.
10 Joking With King Kai
A rare moment of comedy from Piccolo, this was a bit of light-hearted filler to balance out the doom of the Frieza saga. Along with the other fallen Z Warriors, Piccolo traveled snake way to train with King Kai, but just like Goku, he first had to pass King Kai's test of making him laugh.
Annoyed by the god's silliness, Piccolo told King Kai that he would not "undertake any training under you that undermines my dignity." His repetition of the word "under" caused King Kai to burst into laughter. This moment of accidental humor was yet another sign that Piccolo couldn't turn away from becoming one of the good guys.
9 Training Goten And Trunks
Much like how he had mentored Gohan, Piccolo ended up at the lookout, training Goku and Vegeta's sons, Goten and Trunks. Inside the hyperbolic time chamber, the hyperactive young warriors certainly got on Piccolo's nerves, but what really shocked Piccolo was seeing just how much strength these two young children had.
After teaching them the fusion dance, Piccolo watches in disbelief as Gotenks, the fusion of Goten and Trunks, manages to transform into Super Saiyan 3. In their fight with Buu, they even destroyed the entire lookout, much to Piccolo's (and perhaps, to the remnants of Kami's personality) annoyance.
8 Killing Goku And Raditz
In his first real fight during Dragon Ball Z, Piccolo finally managed to accomplish his lifelong goal of killing Goku in what remains one of the most shocking scenes in the series. His victory was soured by the humiliation of being so easily outclassed by Raditz, and by Raditz's revelation that two even more powerful Saiyans were now on their way.
Still, this was the last time Piccolo was a real villain in the series, and whether he realized it or not, killing Goku marked the beginning of his journey as a hero. With what had previously been his sole purpose in life complete, Piccolo was forced to find a new path—one that led to him becoming a defender of Earth.
7 Fighting Android 17
Now calling himself a "Super Namekian" after the massive increase in power, Piccolo challenged the Androids to battle after they arrived at Kame House in search of Goku. Since the Androids can't sense power levels, they are unable to tell just how much stronger Piccolo is now, and to their shock, he is able to fight Android 17 to a standstill.
However, the Androids have their own advantages, as Android 17 openly states that he'll just keep fighting until Piccolo gets tired, and then when he is weaker, kill him. The displays of strength in this battle reinforced not just how strong Piccolo and the Androids were, but how much of a threat Cell was as well, should he get his hands on the Androids.
6 Fighting Hero
After his "father" King Piccolo was defeated in one of Goku's greatest fights yet, Piccolo Jr. returned for revenge at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Knowing that Goku was the only one with a chance of defeating Piccolo, Kami spent years training him at the lookout.
Unwilling to take any chances, Kami ended up possessing a member of the audience and entering the tournament to face Piccolo himself. In the end, Piccolo reversed Kami's evil containment wave and swallowed him, meaning Goku couldn't kill him without killing Kami and Shenron too.
5 Avenging The Namekians
As the only surviving Namekian warrior, and having witnessed Frieza's cruelty to his people from King Kai's planet, Piccolo demanded he be wished to Namek in order to punish Frieza. This is perhaps the most famous instance of Piccolo's pride getting in the way of his pragmatism.
Despite the risk of losing both planet's dragon balls if he died, Piccolo, powered up by his fusion with Nail, still managed to overpower Frieza in his second form. Although later outclassed by Frieza's transformations, the crucial role he played in the battle helped to save his race.
4 Fusing With Kami
With the fate of Earth once again at stake, and having been completely outpaced by Goku and Vegeta, Piccolo concluded there was only one thing left that could give him the strength he needed to face Cell: reuniting with Kami. Though he faced the situation with his usual snark, there was no longer denying he was a hero.
By choosing to fuse with Kami, Piccolo would be giving the growing good inside him equal power, and becoming one and the same with the being he had always viewed as his opposite. The power boost this gave him made Piccolo the equal of a Super Saiyan.
3 Unlocking His Orange Transformation
Since Dragon Ball Super mainly focused on Goku and Vegeta, Piccolo unfortunately didn't have much time to shine. But in the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie, Piccolo unlocked an amazing new transformation that now ranks him as one of the strongest fighters in the universe.
The nature of his connection to Kami, and thus to the dragon balls and Shenron, allowed Piccolo to unlock his full potential. Growing in size and with his skin changing to a blazing orange, this powerful new form means that Piccolo remains a force to be reckoned with.
2 Piccolo's First Fight With Goku
In the greatest tournament fight in all of Dragon Ball, Goku and Piccolo faced off at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, with nothing less than the fate of the planet at stake. Both sides pulled out every trick and technique at their disposal, including Piccolo, who transformed himself into a giant.
The battle was so fierce that it completely destroyed the stadium used for the World Martial Arts Tournament. Although almost immediately overshadowed by the drastic shift in stakes at the start of Dragon Ball Z, for many fans, this remains one of Piccolo's most defining moments.
1 Dying To Save Gohan
The culmination of Piccolo's character arc in the early days of Dragon Ball Z, this act cemented Piccolo's new status as not only a mentor and a hero but also as a father figure to Gohan. When Gohan was paralyzed by fear after Nappa unleashed a furious blast of energy at him, Piccolo threw himself in the way.
Sacrificing himself to save the only person who had ever shown him any real kindness, Piccolo's death also gave the fight with Vegeta even greater stakes. With Piccolo dead, Kami died with him, so all those who had already died and anyone else who died could not be revived.