TV-Series
Description
Kame-sennin, also known as Muten Roshi or the Turtle Hermit, is a legendary martial arts master and a supporting character. At the start of the series, he is widely regarded as the God of Martial Arts and the most powerful fighter on Earth, though he is greatly surpassed by later adversaries and allies. He is several centuries old, having been born in Age 430, and lives a reclusive life on a small island in the South Seas in a small house called the Kame House.
His background is rooted in ancient martial arts history. As a young man, he trained under the master Mutaito alongside his rival, Tsuru-sennin (the Crane Hermit). He witnessed his master perform the Mafuba, or Evil Containment Wave, to seal away the great demon Piccolo Daimao at the cost of his own life. Following this, Kame-sennin trained under the divine cat, Karin, at Karin Tower, becoming the first person to successfully complete the training and retrieve the Sacred Water. He is also the inventor of the Kamehameha, a powerful energy wave technique that took him fifty years to perfect and which would become the signature move of his most famous student, Son Goku.
In terms of personality, Kame-sennin is a study in contradictions. On one hand, he is a wise and perceptive master who values discipline, hard work, and humility. He is deeply concerned with the moral development of his students, ensuring they use their strength for good and do not become arrogant. His training regimen focuses on building fundamental strength, speed, and endurance through seemingly mundane but grueling physical labor, such as delivering milk, plowing fields, and swimming in shark-infested waters while wearing heavy turtle shells. On the other hand, he is notorious for being a lecherous old man. He has an unabashed obsession with beautiful women, spends his free time watching fitness programs and reading pornographic magazines, and frequently makes inappropriate advances toward female characters, for which he is usually punished with immediate and violent retribution.
His primary motivation is to pass on the martial arts techniques and philosophy of the Turtle School to the next generation. However, his lechery often appears as a competing motivation. In the story, he serves as the first true mentor to the protagonist, Son Goku, as well as to Krillin and Yamcha. Fundamental to his role is the use of a disguised identity, Jackie Chun. He assumed this persona to enter the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament specifically to defeat his own students in the finals, believing that winning too easily would foster pride and stunt their growth. He ultimately succeeded in winning that tournament. He re-entered as Jackie Chun for the 22nd Tournament but forfeited his match against Tenshinhan after confirming he was a worthy rival for Goku.
Key relationships define his place in the world. He is the master and father figure to Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha, as well as the former master of Grandpa Gohan and the Ox-King. His rivalry with Tsuru-sennin extends to their students, Tenshinhan and Chaozu, who later abandon their master to become allies. He is also the older brother of the fortune teller Uranai Baba. His most significant animal companion is Umigame, a talking sea turtle.
Kame-sennin undergoes a notable development throughout the series. In the original Dragon Ball, he is an active, top-tier fighter, but his power is eventually dwarfed by the Saiyans and other alien threats in Dragon Ball Z. He transitions from a fighter to a wise but retired master on the sidelines, often providing comic relief. However, later story arcs in Dragon Ball Super see him return to a more active role, fighting against Frieza's army and being selected for Team Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power due to his centuries of experience and unorthodox techniques, not raw strength.
Finally, his notable abilities are extensive. He created the Kamehameha, a technique of focused ki that he and his students can amplify to great destructive power, including a Max Power version that drastically increases his muscle mass. He also knows the forbidden Mafuba, a technique that can seal away almost any opponent at the cost of the user's life. Other techniques include the Drunken Fist, the Bankoku Bikkuri Sho (Thunder Shock Surprise), hypnosis, and the ability to read minds. While he cannot fly using ki like his students, he is a master of physical combat and, in later stories, demonstrates a state of mental and physical focus that allows him to dodge attacks from opponents far more powerful than himself, a precursor to the divine technique of Ultra Instinct.
His background is rooted in ancient martial arts history. As a young man, he trained under the master Mutaito alongside his rival, Tsuru-sennin (the Crane Hermit). He witnessed his master perform the Mafuba, or Evil Containment Wave, to seal away the great demon Piccolo Daimao at the cost of his own life. Following this, Kame-sennin trained under the divine cat, Karin, at Karin Tower, becoming the first person to successfully complete the training and retrieve the Sacred Water. He is also the inventor of the Kamehameha, a powerful energy wave technique that took him fifty years to perfect and which would become the signature move of his most famous student, Son Goku.
In terms of personality, Kame-sennin is a study in contradictions. On one hand, he is a wise and perceptive master who values discipline, hard work, and humility. He is deeply concerned with the moral development of his students, ensuring they use their strength for good and do not become arrogant. His training regimen focuses on building fundamental strength, speed, and endurance through seemingly mundane but grueling physical labor, such as delivering milk, plowing fields, and swimming in shark-infested waters while wearing heavy turtle shells. On the other hand, he is notorious for being a lecherous old man. He has an unabashed obsession with beautiful women, spends his free time watching fitness programs and reading pornographic magazines, and frequently makes inappropriate advances toward female characters, for which he is usually punished with immediate and violent retribution.
His primary motivation is to pass on the martial arts techniques and philosophy of the Turtle School to the next generation. However, his lechery often appears as a competing motivation. In the story, he serves as the first true mentor to the protagonist, Son Goku, as well as to Krillin and Yamcha. Fundamental to his role is the use of a disguised identity, Jackie Chun. He assumed this persona to enter the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament specifically to defeat his own students in the finals, believing that winning too easily would foster pride and stunt their growth. He ultimately succeeded in winning that tournament. He re-entered as Jackie Chun for the 22nd Tournament but forfeited his match against Tenshinhan after confirming he was a worthy rival for Goku.
Key relationships define his place in the world. He is the master and father figure to Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha, as well as the former master of Grandpa Gohan and the Ox-King. His rivalry with Tsuru-sennin extends to their students, Tenshinhan and Chaozu, who later abandon their master to become allies. He is also the older brother of the fortune teller Uranai Baba. His most significant animal companion is Umigame, a talking sea turtle.
Kame-sennin undergoes a notable development throughout the series. In the original Dragon Ball, he is an active, top-tier fighter, but his power is eventually dwarfed by the Saiyans and other alien threats in Dragon Ball Z. He transitions from a fighter to a wise but retired master on the sidelines, often providing comic relief. However, later story arcs in Dragon Ball Super see him return to a more active role, fighting against Frieza's army and being selected for Team Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power due to his centuries of experience and unorthodox techniques, not raw strength.
Finally, his notable abilities are extensive. He created the Kamehameha, a technique of focused ki that he and his students can amplify to great destructive power, including a Max Power version that drastically increases his muscle mass. He also knows the forbidden Mafuba, a technique that can seal away almost any opponent at the cost of the user's life. Other techniques include the Drunken Fist, the Bankoku Bikkuri Sho (Thunder Shock Surprise), hypnosis, and the ability to read minds. While he cannot fly using ki like his students, he is a master of physical combat and, in later stories, demonstrates a state of mental and physical focus that allows him to dodge attacks from opponents far more powerful than himself, a precursor to the divine technique of Ultra Instinct.