Movie
Description
King Gurumes is a fictional character who appears exclusively in the 1986 film Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies, serving as the main antagonist of that story. He is the sovereign of his own territory, known as the Land of Gurumes. Prior to the events of the film, Gurumes was a normal, if unattractive, bald-headed man. His transformation and subsequent corruption began after he discovered that the land beneath his kingdom was rich with deposits of priceless gems known as blood rubies. The exposure to or the act of excavating these rubies caused a terrible mutation, transforming him into a grotesque, obese, purple-skinned monster with mismatched eyes. This physical change was accompanied by the onset of a horrifying and seemingly incurable condition: an unending, painful, and insatiable hunger.
Gurumes's personality is defined by gluttony and a desperate, selfish need to alleviate his own suffering. He is a poor and corrupt ruler whose greed, initially for the valuable blood rubies, spirals into an all-consuming obsession with food. His actions become tyrannical as he forces the continued excavation of the blood rubies not merely for wealth, but to fund the acquisition of the world's most extravagant and finest cuisines, all in a futile attempt to satisfy his supernatural appetite. This desperate quest for relief makes him oblivious to the devastation his mining operations are causing to his own land and its people, turning him into a selfish tyrant.
The king's primary motivation throughout the story is to find a cure for his agonizing hunger. After exhausting all conventional means, he concludes that the only power capable of wishing his terrible affliction away is Shenron, the eternal dragon who is summoned when all seven Dragon Balls are gathered. This goal drives the plot, as his two most esteemed henchmen, Raven and Bongo, are dispatched to collect the Dragon Balls. At the beginning of the film, Gurumes already possesses four of them in his castle.
In the story, King Gurumes acts as the force that brings Goku and Bulma into conflict with his operation. His henchmen steal Goku’s Four-Star Dragon Ball, prompting the pair to pursue them and become entangled in the land’s troubles. The king’s role is that of an obstacle to be overcome, not necessarily through destruction but through the restoration of peace. He has several key relationships, primarily with his subordinates. Raven and Bongo are his top agents who carry out his orders, including the theft of the Dragon Balls. However, the king’s transformation and monstrous hunger make him unstable, and at the climax of the film, he crushes Bongo to death during his rampage, showing that his condition has made him a danger even to his own followers. Another significant figure in his story is Penny, a native girl from his land who seeks help to overthrow him. It is her compassion, not violence, that ultimately saves him.
King Gurumes undergoes a significant development by the film's conclusion. When Goku and his friends bring the final Dragon Balls to his castle, the seven are gathered inside Gurumes's stomach. The resulting energy from Shenron's summoning bursts from the king's mouth, destroying part of his castle. Penny makes the wish to restore the ruined land to its former peace and beauty. As a direct result of Shenron’s magic removing the blood rubies from the region, Gurumes is transformed back into his original human form. Although cured of his monstrous shape and the source of his hunger, he still feels the sensation of an empty stomach. Penny approaches him and offers a simple apple. The sheer normality and simplicity of the fruit shock him, and he accepts it, which finally cures his painful appetite. In the end, he expresses shame for the destruction and suffering his actions caused.
Regarding his abilities, King Gurumes’s primary power stems from his mutated form. In this state, he possesses immense size and strength. When confronted in his throne room, he demonstrates the ability to transform into an even larger, more monstrous purple giant. In this form, he proves to be incredibly durable; Goku attacks him directly with the Kamehameha wave, a powerful energy technique, which has very little to no visible effect on him. His only real vulnerability is the wish-granting power of Shenron, which is the only force capable of reversing his curse. He has no other notable martial arts skills or energy attacks, relying on his brute strength and near-invulnerability in his corrupted state. The character is notable among Dragon Ball film villains for not being killed, but rather being redeemed and cured of his affliction.
Gurumes's personality is defined by gluttony and a desperate, selfish need to alleviate his own suffering. He is a poor and corrupt ruler whose greed, initially for the valuable blood rubies, spirals into an all-consuming obsession with food. His actions become tyrannical as he forces the continued excavation of the blood rubies not merely for wealth, but to fund the acquisition of the world's most extravagant and finest cuisines, all in a futile attempt to satisfy his supernatural appetite. This desperate quest for relief makes him oblivious to the devastation his mining operations are causing to his own land and its people, turning him into a selfish tyrant.
The king's primary motivation throughout the story is to find a cure for his agonizing hunger. After exhausting all conventional means, he concludes that the only power capable of wishing his terrible affliction away is Shenron, the eternal dragon who is summoned when all seven Dragon Balls are gathered. This goal drives the plot, as his two most esteemed henchmen, Raven and Bongo, are dispatched to collect the Dragon Balls. At the beginning of the film, Gurumes already possesses four of them in his castle.
In the story, King Gurumes acts as the force that brings Goku and Bulma into conflict with his operation. His henchmen steal Goku’s Four-Star Dragon Ball, prompting the pair to pursue them and become entangled in the land’s troubles. The king’s role is that of an obstacle to be overcome, not necessarily through destruction but through the restoration of peace. He has several key relationships, primarily with his subordinates. Raven and Bongo are his top agents who carry out his orders, including the theft of the Dragon Balls. However, the king’s transformation and monstrous hunger make him unstable, and at the climax of the film, he crushes Bongo to death during his rampage, showing that his condition has made him a danger even to his own followers. Another significant figure in his story is Penny, a native girl from his land who seeks help to overthrow him. It is her compassion, not violence, that ultimately saves him.
King Gurumes undergoes a significant development by the film's conclusion. When Goku and his friends bring the final Dragon Balls to his castle, the seven are gathered inside Gurumes's stomach. The resulting energy from Shenron's summoning bursts from the king's mouth, destroying part of his castle. Penny makes the wish to restore the ruined land to its former peace and beauty. As a direct result of Shenron’s magic removing the blood rubies from the region, Gurumes is transformed back into his original human form. Although cured of his monstrous shape and the source of his hunger, he still feels the sensation of an empty stomach. Penny approaches him and offers a simple apple. The sheer normality and simplicity of the fruit shock him, and he accepts it, which finally cures his painful appetite. In the end, he expresses shame for the destruction and suffering his actions caused.
Regarding his abilities, King Gurumes’s primary power stems from his mutated form. In this state, he possesses immense size and strength. When confronted in his throne room, he demonstrates the ability to transform into an even larger, more monstrous purple giant. In this form, he proves to be incredibly durable; Goku attacks him directly with the Kamehameha wave, a powerful energy technique, which has very little to no visible effect on him. His only real vulnerability is the wish-granting power of Shenron, which is the only force capable of reversing his curse. He has no other notable martial arts skills or energy attacks, relying on his brute strength and near-invulnerability in his corrupted state. The character is notable among Dragon Ball film villains for not being killed, but rather being redeemed and cured of his affliction.