Movie
Description
Dr. Koshin, also spelled Kochin, serves as the secondary antagonist and the devoted assistant to the brilliant but reclusive Dr. Wheelo in the 1990 film Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest. At first glance, he appears as a very elderly man with an unusually shaped, bald head and a small amount of hair behind his ears, dressed in a standard white laboratory coat over a brown shirt, red tie, and dark pants. This frail, aged appearance is a deceptive facade, as he is ultimately revealed to be a highly advanced robot or android built entirely of mechanical parts.
Personality-wise, Dr. Koshin is the archetype of a cold and ruthless scientist, wholly dedicated to his master's goals with no regard for ethical boundaries or the safety of others. He possesses a deep-seated resentment towards humanity, believing that people rejected and failed to appreciate the genius of Dr. Wheelo. This has fueled a desire for revenge, and he supports Wheelo's plan to seize the body of the world's strongest fighter as a form of payback. He is easily agitated by any sign of disrespect shown towards his master and becomes irritated when characters like Bulma mock or fail to take Dr. Wheelo's situation seriously. Koshin is proactive and cunning, taking the initiative to gather the Dragon Balls and orchestrate the capture of potential hosts for his master's brain.
Koshin's primary motivation is singular and unwavering: to serve Dr. Wheelo and secure a powerful new body for him. Fifty years prior to the film's events, when Dr. Wheelo's original body perished, it was Koshin who preserved his master's brain in a life-supporting machine. After their laboratory became entombed in ice, Koshin spent decades searching for the Dragon Balls. Once found, he used his wish to free the entire laboratory from its glacial prison in the Tsumisumbri Mountains. From that point, his goal is to find a suitable host, leading him to target Earth's mightiest warriors.
In the film's narrative, Dr. Koshin acts as the field commander and primary agent of Dr. Wheelo's will. Using his self-proclaimed expertise in biotechnology, he created powerful Bio-Warriors named Kishime, Misokatsun, and Ebifurya to do his bidding. He deploys these creations to kidnap Master Roshi and Bulma from Kame House, correctly assuming that their disappearance would lure stronger fighters to his master's fortress. Koshin also successfully ambushes and captures Piccolo while the Namekian is training, placing a mind-control device on him to use as a weapon against the heroes. Throughout the siege on the laboratory, Koshin remains in the control room, directing the Bio-Warriors and the brainwashed Piccolo from the shadows. His most significant moment in the story occurs when he attempts to take matters into his own hands, revealing his true mechanical nature by transforming his left hand into a rotating machine gun to kill Krillin. His plan ultimately fails when his gun-arm is knocked off by Master Roshi. As Dr. Wheelo finally breaks his mechanical body free from the laboratory wall, his massive foot accidentally sends Koshin tumbling down a deep shaft. As he fell, his body was struck by powerful electrical arcs, causing his human-like skin to burn away and revealing the robot underneath before he exploded mid-air, uttering his master's name.
Key relationships define Koshin's role, with his connection to Dr. Wheelo being the most significant. He is entirely subservient and loyal, having dedicated his very existence—likely his conversion into a robot—to prolonging Wheelo's life and carrying out his revenge against the world. His relationship with the Z-Fighters is purely antagonistic; he views them as specimens or obstacles. He shows a particular interest in Gohan after witnessing the child's explosive rage, considering him as a potential new host for Wheelo's brain before meeting his end.
Dr. Koshin does not undergo any personal development or change throughout the film. He remains a static character, purely a vehicle for Dr. Wheelo's ambitions, and his end comes as a direct consequence of his master's overwhelming power being unleashed.
Regarding his abilities, Koshin possesses a power level of only 8, according to contemporary film pamphlets, which explains why he relies on his creations and trickery rather than direct combat. His most notable techniques are derived from his robotic body and equipment. His primary weapon is the Vulcan Cannon, which allows his left hand to transform into a rapidly firing machine gun. He also wields an energy cane called the Madness Wand; by tilting the head of the cane, he can reveal a button that fires a powerful beam of energy, which he once used against Gohan. Despite his scientific genius in the fields of biotechnology and robotics, allowing him to create the Bio-Warriors and brainwash Piccolo, his personal combat capabilities are extremely limited, relying on these mechanical devices rather than any mastery of ki.
Personality-wise, Dr. Koshin is the archetype of a cold and ruthless scientist, wholly dedicated to his master's goals with no regard for ethical boundaries or the safety of others. He possesses a deep-seated resentment towards humanity, believing that people rejected and failed to appreciate the genius of Dr. Wheelo. This has fueled a desire for revenge, and he supports Wheelo's plan to seize the body of the world's strongest fighter as a form of payback. He is easily agitated by any sign of disrespect shown towards his master and becomes irritated when characters like Bulma mock or fail to take Dr. Wheelo's situation seriously. Koshin is proactive and cunning, taking the initiative to gather the Dragon Balls and orchestrate the capture of potential hosts for his master's brain.
Koshin's primary motivation is singular and unwavering: to serve Dr. Wheelo and secure a powerful new body for him. Fifty years prior to the film's events, when Dr. Wheelo's original body perished, it was Koshin who preserved his master's brain in a life-supporting machine. After their laboratory became entombed in ice, Koshin spent decades searching for the Dragon Balls. Once found, he used his wish to free the entire laboratory from its glacial prison in the Tsumisumbri Mountains. From that point, his goal is to find a suitable host, leading him to target Earth's mightiest warriors.
In the film's narrative, Dr. Koshin acts as the field commander and primary agent of Dr. Wheelo's will. Using his self-proclaimed expertise in biotechnology, he created powerful Bio-Warriors named Kishime, Misokatsun, and Ebifurya to do his bidding. He deploys these creations to kidnap Master Roshi and Bulma from Kame House, correctly assuming that their disappearance would lure stronger fighters to his master's fortress. Koshin also successfully ambushes and captures Piccolo while the Namekian is training, placing a mind-control device on him to use as a weapon against the heroes. Throughout the siege on the laboratory, Koshin remains in the control room, directing the Bio-Warriors and the brainwashed Piccolo from the shadows. His most significant moment in the story occurs when he attempts to take matters into his own hands, revealing his true mechanical nature by transforming his left hand into a rotating machine gun to kill Krillin. His plan ultimately fails when his gun-arm is knocked off by Master Roshi. As Dr. Wheelo finally breaks his mechanical body free from the laboratory wall, his massive foot accidentally sends Koshin tumbling down a deep shaft. As he fell, his body was struck by powerful electrical arcs, causing his human-like skin to burn away and revealing the robot underneath before he exploded mid-air, uttering his master's name.
Key relationships define Koshin's role, with his connection to Dr. Wheelo being the most significant. He is entirely subservient and loyal, having dedicated his very existence—likely his conversion into a robot—to prolonging Wheelo's life and carrying out his revenge against the world. His relationship with the Z-Fighters is purely antagonistic; he views them as specimens or obstacles. He shows a particular interest in Gohan after witnessing the child's explosive rage, considering him as a potential new host for Wheelo's brain before meeting his end.
Dr. Koshin does not undergo any personal development or change throughout the film. He remains a static character, purely a vehicle for Dr. Wheelo's ambitions, and his end comes as a direct consequence of his master's overwhelming power being unleashed.
Regarding his abilities, Koshin possesses a power level of only 8, according to contemporary film pamphlets, which explains why he relies on his creations and trickery rather than direct combat. His most notable techniques are derived from his robotic body and equipment. His primary weapon is the Vulcan Cannon, which allows his left hand to transform into a rapidly firing machine gun. He also wields an energy cane called the Madness Wand; by tilting the head of the cane, he can reveal a button that fires a powerful beam of energy, which he once used against Gohan. Despite his scientific genius in the fields of biotechnology and robotics, allowing him to create the Bio-Warriors and brainwash Piccolo, his personal combat capabilities are extremely limited, relying on these mechanical devices rather than any mastery of ki.