TV-Series
Description
Pikoro, known in Japanese as Pikkoro and in English as Piccolo, is a central figure in Dragon Ball Z Kai. He is introduced as the son and reincarnation of the demon king who once terrorized Earth, created specifically to carry on his father's vendetta against the hero Son Goku. Early in the story he is a cold, calculating martial artist defined by pride, ambition, and a desire to prove his superiority, yet as the series unfolds it is revealed that he and his father belong to an extraterrestrial race known as Namekians, a people capable of creating the wish-granting Dragon Balls.
His initial motivation is revenge and conquest, but circumstances force him into an uneasy alliance with Goku when the Saiyan warrior Raditz arrives on Earth. During that conflict he demonstrates both his ruthlessness and his strategic mind, and it is his attack that ultimately brings down both Goku and Raditz. Afterward, Pikoro takes Goku's young son Gohan into the wilderness for survival training, intending to harden the boy into a weapon for his own purposes. Instead, the extended time together produces an unexpected emotional bond. Pikoro, who had known only hatred and isolation, begins to care for Gohan, and this attachment marks the beginning of his transformation from villain to protector.
That change is cemented when he sacrifices himself to save Gohan from the Saiyan warrior Nappa, an act of genuine selflessness that signals his departure from his demonic heritage. Following his death he trains in the afterlife under the otherworldly martial arts master King Kai, and when he is revived during the conflict on Planet Namek he rejoins the fight against the tyrant Freeza. On Namek he merges with the Namekian warrior Nail, greatly increasing his power and gaining new knowledge. Later, during the struggle against the artificial life-form Cell, he undergoes another fusion, reuniting with Kami, the guardian of Earth who was originally the good half of his own being. This merger makes him whole again and grants him a substantial increase in strength, while also confirming his identity as a Namekian of the Dragon Clan.
Throughout Dragon Ball Z Kai, Pikoro's role evolves from antagonist to reluctant ally to one of the most dependable heroes on Earth. He is a pragmatic and perceptive fighter who often serves as the group's strategist, remaining more serious and disciplined than Goku or Vegeta. His most significant relationship is with Gohan, whom he treats as a surrogate son and student. He trains Gohan relentlessly, pushes him to unlock his hidden potential, and during the Cell Games works to prepare the boy for the greatest battle of his life, even intervening to protect him when Cell proves overwhelming. This bond is mutual, with Gohan coming to view Pikoro as a trusted guardian and near family member. Pikoro also maintains a wary but cooperative relationship with other Z fighters, and he shares a complicated history with Kami, whose wisdom and sense of duty shape much of his later worldview.
His personality is marked by stoicism, sharp intelligence, and dry wit, but beneath the gruff exterior lies a genuine sense of responsibility for Earth and for those he has come to care about. His development across the series is a redemption arc in which a being created for hatred learns the value of connection, sacrifice, and protection.
As a Namekian, Pikoro possesses a distinctive physiology that grants him superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and hearing, as well as the ability to stretch and elongate his limbs and to regenerate lost body parts as long as his head remains intact. He can fly, sense the life energy known as ki, create clothing from nothing, and use telekinesis. His signature technique is the Special Beam Cannon, a piercing energy attack that concentrates his power into a single lethal thrust, and he employs a variety of other energy techniques including the Explosive Demon Wave, the Light Grenade, and the Hellzone Grenade, the latter a swarm of energy orbs used to trap and bombard an opponent. He also learns advanced techniques from King Kai, including the ability to create multiple copies of himself. Because he descends from the Dragon Clan, he possesses the knowledge required to create Dragon Balls, though he rarely exercises that ability. By the end of Dragon Ball Z Kai, Pikoro stands as one of the strongest and most respected warriors on Earth, a former enemy who became a guardian, mentor, and hero.
His initial motivation is revenge and conquest, but circumstances force him into an uneasy alliance with Goku when the Saiyan warrior Raditz arrives on Earth. During that conflict he demonstrates both his ruthlessness and his strategic mind, and it is his attack that ultimately brings down both Goku and Raditz. Afterward, Pikoro takes Goku's young son Gohan into the wilderness for survival training, intending to harden the boy into a weapon for his own purposes. Instead, the extended time together produces an unexpected emotional bond. Pikoro, who had known only hatred and isolation, begins to care for Gohan, and this attachment marks the beginning of his transformation from villain to protector.
That change is cemented when he sacrifices himself to save Gohan from the Saiyan warrior Nappa, an act of genuine selflessness that signals his departure from his demonic heritage. Following his death he trains in the afterlife under the otherworldly martial arts master King Kai, and when he is revived during the conflict on Planet Namek he rejoins the fight against the tyrant Freeza. On Namek he merges with the Namekian warrior Nail, greatly increasing his power and gaining new knowledge. Later, during the struggle against the artificial life-form Cell, he undergoes another fusion, reuniting with Kami, the guardian of Earth who was originally the good half of his own being. This merger makes him whole again and grants him a substantial increase in strength, while also confirming his identity as a Namekian of the Dragon Clan.
Throughout Dragon Ball Z Kai, Pikoro's role evolves from antagonist to reluctant ally to one of the most dependable heroes on Earth. He is a pragmatic and perceptive fighter who often serves as the group's strategist, remaining more serious and disciplined than Goku or Vegeta. His most significant relationship is with Gohan, whom he treats as a surrogate son and student. He trains Gohan relentlessly, pushes him to unlock his hidden potential, and during the Cell Games works to prepare the boy for the greatest battle of his life, even intervening to protect him when Cell proves overwhelming. This bond is mutual, with Gohan coming to view Pikoro as a trusted guardian and near family member. Pikoro also maintains a wary but cooperative relationship with other Z fighters, and he shares a complicated history with Kami, whose wisdom and sense of duty shape much of his later worldview.
His personality is marked by stoicism, sharp intelligence, and dry wit, but beneath the gruff exterior lies a genuine sense of responsibility for Earth and for those he has come to care about. His development across the series is a redemption arc in which a being created for hatred learns the value of connection, sacrifice, and protection.
As a Namekian, Pikoro possesses a distinctive physiology that grants him superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and hearing, as well as the ability to stretch and elongate his limbs and to regenerate lost body parts as long as his head remains intact. He can fly, sense the life energy known as ki, create clothing from nothing, and use telekinesis. His signature technique is the Special Beam Cannon, a piercing energy attack that concentrates his power into a single lethal thrust, and he employs a variety of other energy techniques including the Explosive Demon Wave, the Light Grenade, and the Hellzone Grenade, the latter a swarm of energy orbs used to trap and bombard an opponent. He also learns advanced techniques from King Kai, including the ability to create multiple copies of himself. Because he descends from the Dragon Clan, he possesses the knowledge required to create Dragon Balls, though he rarely exercises that ability. By the end of Dragon Ball Z Kai, Pikoro stands as one of the strongest and most respected warriors on Earth, a former enemy who became a guardian, mentor, and hero.