Movie
Description
Jiaozi is a character from the 1988 anime film Dragon Ball Movie 3: Mystical Adventure. He is easily recognized by his small stature, appearing as a tiny, doll-like human. His skin is pure white, with prominent red circles painted on his cheeks, and he is almost completely bald, with only a single strand of hair growing from the top of his head. He typically wears a style of clothing that reflects his martial arts origins. His striking and unusual appearance is what makes him an unforgettable visual presence in the series.
In the film, Jiaozi is introduced as the constant companion and most loyal follower of the martial artist Tenshinhan. The two of them are pupils of the Crane Hermit, a rival to the Turtle Hermit Master Roshi. Jiaozi's entire existence is defined by his relationship with Tenshinhan, whom he looks up to with profound admiration and unwavering loyalty. He is rarely seen away from Tenshinhan's side, and his actions are almost always in service to or support of his best friend.
Despite his childlike and fragile appearance, Jiaozi is a formidable warrior. His fighting style is unique, relying less on brute physical force and more on a range of unusual psychic and mystical abilities. His primary strengths are in psychokinesis and telekinesis, allowing him to manipulate objects and even paralyze opponents with his mind. One of his signature techniques is the Dodonpa, a powerful and rapid energy beam fired from a single finger, which serves as the Crane School's answer to the Turtle School's Kamehameha wave. He is also capable of flight with the Bukujutsu technique.
Jiaozi's personality is a mixture of innocence, earnestness, and surprising courage. In some of his earliest appearances, he and Tenshinhan act as antagonists and con artists, using a monster to terrorize a village to solicit rewards. However, he quickly amends his ways after encountering the pure-hearted Goku. He is not particularly well-educated; this is notably exploited during the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, where his opponent Krillin defeats him by asking simple arithmetic questions, forcing Jiaozi to use his fingers to count and leaving him open to attack.
His role in the story is mostly that of a supporting character, serving as an extension of Tenshinhan. He participates in the martial arts tournament alongside his master, using his telekinetic powers to manipulate the match brackets to favor his allies. However, when the Crane Hermit orders Tenshinhan to kill Goku, Jiaozi attempts to use his psychic powers to paralyze Goku, giving Tenshinhan an opening. When Tenshinhan refuses to fight dishonorably and turns against his evil master, Jiaozi immediately follows his friend's lead, abandoning the Crane School to join Goku and the other heroes. This marks his official transition from a minor antagonist to a supporting ally.
Later in his development within the larger story, Jiaozi continues to demonstrate a level of bravery that defies his size. Though he often remains in the background, he proves himself to be exceptionally courageous. When facing the demon king Piccolo, he risks death to try and summon Shenron. In his most defining moment of courage, he faces the Saiyan warrior Nappa, a foe far beyond his power. Knowing he cannot win, Jiaozi uses his most desperate technique, self-destruction, clinging to Nappa and detonating himself in an attempt to save Tenshinhan, ultimately sacrificing his own life.
Jiaozi has a limited number of abilities but uses them effectively. He has access to telepathy, allowing him to speak directly to Tenshinhan's mind. His psychic paralysis technique, sometimes called Chonoryoku, is a strange and effective power that causes intense stomach cramps to freeze an opponent in place. However, his lack of intellectual sharpness remains a clear weakness. Despite being a highly capable martial artist in terms of technique and power, his simple-minded nature often holds him back in strategic combat situations.
In the film, Jiaozi is introduced as the constant companion and most loyal follower of the martial artist Tenshinhan. The two of them are pupils of the Crane Hermit, a rival to the Turtle Hermit Master Roshi. Jiaozi's entire existence is defined by his relationship with Tenshinhan, whom he looks up to with profound admiration and unwavering loyalty. He is rarely seen away from Tenshinhan's side, and his actions are almost always in service to or support of his best friend.
Despite his childlike and fragile appearance, Jiaozi is a formidable warrior. His fighting style is unique, relying less on brute physical force and more on a range of unusual psychic and mystical abilities. His primary strengths are in psychokinesis and telekinesis, allowing him to manipulate objects and even paralyze opponents with his mind. One of his signature techniques is the Dodonpa, a powerful and rapid energy beam fired from a single finger, which serves as the Crane School's answer to the Turtle School's Kamehameha wave. He is also capable of flight with the Bukujutsu technique.
Jiaozi's personality is a mixture of innocence, earnestness, and surprising courage. In some of his earliest appearances, he and Tenshinhan act as antagonists and con artists, using a monster to terrorize a village to solicit rewards. However, he quickly amends his ways after encountering the pure-hearted Goku. He is not particularly well-educated; this is notably exploited during the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, where his opponent Krillin defeats him by asking simple arithmetic questions, forcing Jiaozi to use his fingers to count and leaving him open to attack.
His role in the story is mostly that of a supporting character, serving as an extension of Tenshinhan. He participates in the martial arts tournament alongside his master, using his telekinetic powers to manipulate the match brackets to favor his allies. However, when the Crane Hermit orders Tenshinhan to kill Goku, Jiaozi attempts to use his psychic powers to paralyze Goku, giving Tenshinhan an opening. When Tenshinhan refuses to fight dishonorably and turns against his evil master, Jiaozi immediately follows his friend's lead, abandoning the Crane School to join Goku and the other heroes. This marks his official transition from a minor antagonist to a supporting ally.
Later in his development within the larger story, Jiaozi continues to demonstrate a level of bravery that defies his size. Though he often remains in the background, he proves himself to be exceptionally courageous. When facing the demon king Piccolo, he risks death to try and summon Shenron. In his most defining moment of courage, he faces the Saiyan warrior Nappa, a foe far beyond his power. Knowing he cannot win, Jiaozi uses his most desperate technique, self-destruction, clinging to Nappa and detonating himself in an attempt to save Tenshinhan, ultimately sacrificing his own life.
Jiaozi has a limited number of abilities but uses them effectively. He has access to telepathy, allowing him to speak directly to Tenshinhan's mind. His psychic paralysis technique, sometimes called Chonoryoku, is a strange and effective power that causes intense stomach cramps to freeze an opponent in place. However, his lack of intellectual sharpness remains a clear weakness. Despite being a highly capable martial artist in terms of technique and power, his simple-minded nature often holds him back in strategic combat situations.