TV-Series
Description
Maestro Condor, also known as Tsuru Sennin or Master Shen, is a character from the Dragon Ball manga and anime. He is a human martial arts master and the founder of the Crane School, a rival dojo to the Turtle School led by his lifelong adversary, Master Roshi. He is also the older brother of the renowned assassin Mercenary Tao.
In his youth, Condor trained alongside Roshi under the tutelage of Master Mutaito. This period of his life was marked by a fierce rivalry with Roshi, which extended to competing for trivial matters and the affection of a woman named Fanfan. The defining event of his early life was the initial reign of terror of the evil King Piccolo. When Mutaito sacrificed his life to seal the demon away, Condor was unable to cope with the shame of his master's defeat and death. According to Roshi, this tragedy caused Condor's heart to darken, turning him away from the path of honor and setting him on the course to establish the Crane School.
As the master of the Crane School, Condor is a bitter, ruthless, and arrogant individual. His philosophy of martial arts stands in direct opposition to that of the Turtle School, as he teaches his students to win by any means necessary, including the use of lethal force and assassination techniques. He is sadistic and unforgiving, showing no hesitation in attempting to murder those who defy him, including his own students. Despite his cruelty, he does hold a genuine, if twisted, care for his brother, Tao, seeking revenge against Son Goku for Tao’s apparent death. He also possesses a pragmatic understanding of the world's greater threats, as Roshi noted that even Condor would never consider releasing King Piccolo.
Condor’s primary role in the story is as an antagonist during the 22nd and 23rd World Martial Arts Tournaments. He enters his star pupils, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, into the 22nd tournament with the goal of defeating Roshi’s students and proving the superiority of the Crane School. When he learns that Goku had defeated his brother Tao three years prior, he orders Tien to kill Goku during the finals. During the match, Condor commands Chiaotzu to use his telekinesis to paralyze Goku. When Tien refuses this unfair advantage and rejects the path of an assassin, a furious Condor attempts to kill Chiaotzu himself. This act prompts Master Roshi to intervene, blasting Condor away with a Kamehameha wave, causing Tien and Chiaotzu to formally leave the Crane School.
Three years later, Condor returns for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, seeking revenge against the Turtle School. He brings his brother, now rebuilt as a cyborg. He is confident that Tao’s new mechanical body will allow him to easily defeat Tien and the others. However, Tien defeats Tao with a single, powerful blow. Carrying his unconscious brother, Condor retreats from the arena in shame, swearing revenge. After this point, he does not play a significant role in the main story. The author later stated that Condor and his brother eventually got involved in some unspecified incident and died, though due to their villainous nature, they were likely not revived with the Dragon Balls.
Condor’s key relationships are defined by rivalry and blood. His most significant relationship is with Master Roshi, a former friend turned bitter rival. Their contrasting personalities—Roshi being jovial and honorable while Condor is underhanded and unpleasant—fuel their lifelong conflict. He is the older brother and mentor to Mercenary Tao, and he seeks to avenge Tao’s defeat. His relationship with his students, Tien and Chiaotzu, is based on control and manipulation, training them to be ruthless assassins. He is ultimately abandoned by them when they reject his cruel methods.
As a martial artist, Condor possesses a number of notable abilities. He was the first person on Earth to demonstrate the Levitation technique, which allows him to fly. He is also a master of Telepathy, which he uses to communicate with his students during battle. He is the originator of the Dodon Ray, a powerful and piercing ki-based attack that is a signature technique of the Crane School. He also taught Tien the Tri-Beam, a life-threatening technique that unleashes a devastating blast at the cost of the user's own life force. While he is a skilled martial artist, his power level was recorded as being lower than Master Roshi's, and he is no match for the main protagonists by the time of the 23rd tournament.
In his youth, Condor trained alongside Roshi under the tutelage of Master Mutaito. This period of his life was marked by a fierce rivalry with Roshi, which extended to competing for trivial matters and the affection of a woman named Fanfan. The defining event of his early life was the initial reign of terror of the evil King Piccolo. When Mutaito sacrificed his life to seal the demon away, Condor was unable to cope with the shame of his master's defeat and death. According to Roshi, this tragedy caused Condor's heart to darken, turning him away from the path of honor and setting him on the course to establish the Crane School.
As the master of the Crane School, Condor is a bitter, ruthless, and arrogant individual. His philosophy of martial arts stands in direct opposition to that of the Turtle School, as he teaches his students to win by any means necessary, including the use of lethal force and assassination techniques. He is sadistic and unforgiving, showing no hesitation in attempting to murder those who defy him, including his own students. Despite his cruelty, he does hold a genuine, if twisted, care for his brother, Tao, seeking revenge against Son Goku for Tao’s apparent death. He also possesses a pragmatic understanding of the world's greater threats, as Roshi noted that even Condor would never consider releasing King Piccolo.
Condor’s primary role in the story is as an antagonist during the 22nd and 23rd World Martial Arts Tournaments. He enters his star pupils, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, into the 22nd tournament with the goal of defeating Roshi’s students and proving the superiority of the Crane School. When he learns that Goku had defeated his brother Tao three years prior, he orders Tien to kill Goku during the finals. During the match, Condor commands Chiaotzu to use his telekinesis to paralyze Goku. When Tien refuses this unfair advantage and rejects the path of an assassin, a furious Condor attempts to kill Chiaotzu himself. This act prompts Master Roshi to intervene, blasting Condor away with a Kamehameha wave, causing Tien and Chiaotzu to formally leave the Crane School.
Three years later, Condor returns for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, seeking revenge against the Turtle School. He brings his brother, now rebuilt as a cyborg. He is confident that Tao’s new mechanical body will allow him to easily defeat Tien and the others. However, Tien defeats Tao with a single, powerful blow. Carrying his unconscious brother, Condor retreats from the arena in shame, swearing revenge. After this point, he does not play a significant role in the main story. The author later stated that Condor and his brother eventually got involved in some unspecified incident and died, though due to their villainous nature, they were likely not revived with the Dragon Balls.
Condor’s key relationships are defined by rivalry and blood. His most significant relationship is with Master Roshi, a former friend turned bitter rival. Their contrasting personalities—Roshi being jovial and honorable while Condor is underhanded and unpleasant—fuel their lifelong conflict. He is the older brother and mentor to Mercenary Tao, and he seeks to avenge Tao’s defeat. His relationship with his students, Tien and Chiaotzu, is based on control and manipulation, training them to be ruthless assassins. He is ultimately abandoned by them when they reject his cruel methods.
As a martial artist, Condor possesses a number of notable abilities. He was the first person on Earth to demonstrate the Levitation technique, which allows him to fly. He is also a master of Telepathy, which he uses to communicate with his students during battle. He is the originator of the Dodon Ray, a powerful and piercing ki-based attack that is a signature technique of the Crane School. He also taught Tien the Tri-Beam, a life-threatening technique that unleashes a devastating blast at the cost of the user's own life force. While he is a skilled martial artist, his power level was recorded as being lower than Master Roshi's, and he is no match for the main protagonists by the time of the 23rd tournament.