OVA
Description
Piccolo appears in Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans as an established protector of Earth, a role far removed from the violent ambitions of his origins. He is a Namekian, the final son and reincarnation of the demon king Piccolo, who was born specifically to avenge his father and conquer the world. After his defeat by Son Goku, his path gradually changed. He once took Goku's young son Gohan into the wilderness to train him for combat, and during that time he developed a genuine attachment to the boy, even sacrificing his own life to save him. By the events of this story, that transformation is complete: the former enemy of Goku now stands among Earth's strongest defenders, working alongside warriors he once considered rivals.
In personality, Piccolo is stoic, disciplined, and deliberate. He speaks sparingly and carries himself with an intense, serious demeanor. He is a tactical fighter who prefers to assess a situation before acting, and he rarely shows emotion, though his actions reveal a strong sense of duty. He approaches the mission at hand with complete focus, and his calm presence balances the more impulsive tendencies of some of his teammates. Though he often keeps others at a distance, he is deeply committed to protecting the planet and the people on it.
In the story, Piccolo's motivation is rooted in that commitment. The last survivor of the Tuffle race, Dr. Lychee, has set in motion a plan to wipe out life on Earth using a deadly substance called Destron Gas, released from machines hidden around the planet. When the threat is discovered with only hours to spare, Piccolo joins Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Future Trunks in a desperate effort to destroy the devices before the gas consumes the world. The mission brings the group into conflict with ghost warriors: spectral recreations of past enemies including Frieza, Cooler, Turles, and Lord Slug, who cannot be permanently destroyed unless they are defeated in the same manner as their original deaths. Piccolo plays a vital part in these battles, using his combat experience and ability to read a fight to support his allies.
His relationships in this story underscore how far he has come. With Gohan, he shares a profound bond built during the boy's childhood training, and the two fight as trusted comrades. With Goku, he has moved from sworn enemy to respected ally, and the two coordinate naturally in battle. With Vegeta and Future Trunks, he works as a dependable partner despite their different temperaments. Significantly, Piccolo is the only non-Saiyan among the five heroes, yet he stands with them as an equal. In the final confrontation, the android Hatchiyack overpowers the group, and it is Piccolo who joins the four Saiyans after they transform into their Super Saiyan states, combining all their power into one massive energy wave that finally destroys the machine-born enemy. The moment captures his place in the team: a former villain who now lends his strength to a united cause.
The story shows Piccolo at a mature stage of his development. The arrogance and hunger for conquest that defined his youth are gone, replaced by quiet resolve and a clear sense of purpose. He seeks no recognition and shows no interest in personal glory, focusing entirely on the task at hand. His evolution is visible in the ease with which he works alongside the very people his father once sought to rule over, and in the trust his comrades place in him.
Piccolo's notable abilities reflect both his Namekian nature and his rigorous training. He can fly and move at speeds that make him difficult to track, and he possesses superhuman strength and endurance. His Namekian physiology allows him to regenerate lost limbs as long as his head remains intact, and he can stretch or expand his arms to attack from a distance. His senses are exceptionally sharp, particularly his hearing, which gives him heightened awareness in combat. As a master of ki, he can unleash powerful energy attacks, most famously the Special Beam Cannon, and he can also enlarge his entire body to immense proportions. In the climax of the story, his most important ability proves to be his capacity to merge his energy with his allies, a sign of how completely he has embraced cooperation over the solitary path of his early life.
In personality, Piccolo is stoic, disciplined, and deliberate. He speaks sparingly and carries himself with an intense, serious demeanor. He is a tactical fighter who prefers to assess a situation before acting, and he rarely shows emotion, though his actions reveal a strong sense of duty. He approaches the mission at hand with complete focus, and his calm presence balances the more impulsive tendencies of some of his teammates. Though he often keeps others at a distance, he is deeply committed to protecting the planet and the people on it.
In the story, Piccolo's motivation is rooted in that commitment. The last survivor of the Tuffle race, Dr. Lychee, has set in motion a plan to wipe out life on Earth using a deadly substance called Destron Gas, released from machines hidden around the planet. When the threat is discovered with only hours to spare, Piccolo joins Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Future Trunks in a desperate effort to destroy the devices before the gas consumes the world. The mission brings the group into conflict with ghost warriors: spectral recreations of past enemies including Frieza, Cooler, Turles, and Lord Slug, who cannot be permanently destroyed unless they are defeated in the same manner as their original deaths. Piccolo plays a vital part in these battles, using his combat experience and ability to read a fight to support his allies.
His relationships in this story underscore how far he has come. With Gohan, he shares a profound bond built during the boy's childhood training, and the two fight as trusted comrades. With Goku, he has moved from sworn enemy to respected ally, and the two coordinate naturally in battle. With Vegeta and Future Trunks, he works as a dependable partner despite their different temperaments. Significantly, Piccolo is the only non-Saiyan among the five heroes, yet he stands with them as an equal. In the final confrontation, the android Hatchiyack overpowers the group, and it is Piccolo who joins the four Saiyans after they transform into their Super Saiyan states, combining all their power into one massive energy wave that finally destroys the machine-born enemy. The moment captures his place in the team: a former villain who now lends his strength to a united cause.
The story shows Piccolo at a mature stage of his development. The arrogance and hunger for conquest that defined his youth are gone, replaced by quiet resolve and a clear sense of purpose. He seeks no recognition and shows no interest in personal glory, focusing entirely on the task at hand. His evolution is visible in the ease with which he works alongside the very people his father once sought to rule over, and in the trust his comrades place in him.
Piccolo's notable abilities reflect both his Namekian nature and his rigorous training. He can fly and move at speeds that make him difficult to track, and he possesses superhuman strength and endurance. His Namekian physiology allows him to regenerate lost limbs as long as his head remains intact, and he can stretch or expand his arms to attack from a distance. His senses are exceptionally sharp, particularly his hearing, which gives him heightened awareness in combat. As a master of ki, he can unleash powerful energy attacks, most famously the Special Beam Cannon, and he can also enlarge his entire body to immense proportions. In the climax of the story, his most important ability proves to be his capacity to merge his energy with his allies, a sign of how completely he has embraced cooperation over the solitary path of his early life.