TV-Series
Description
King Nikochan is the self-proclaimed evil king of the Nikochan-seijin, a race of would-be alien conquerors. Despite his grand ambitions, he and his species are consistently portrayed as being inferior and comically ineffective in their goals. He hails from Planet Nikochan and travels through space with his loyal, unnamed servant, searching for a planet weak enough for them to subjugate.
In terms of personality, King Nikochan is defined by a grandiose delusion of power that is constantly undermined by his own incompetence. He speaks with a Nagoya dialect in the original Japanese version, which adds to his somewhat provincial and bumbling demeanor, especially in contrast to his servant who speaks standard Japanese. His primary motivation is a persistent, though perpetually unsuccessful, desire to conquer Earth and return to his home planet. He frequently devises schemes to achieve these ends, but these plans are nearly always absurd and doomed to fail.
King Nikochan's role in the story is that of a recurring comedic antagonist and a source of minor trouble for the residents of Penguin Village. His initial attempt to conquer Earth ends almost instantly when his spaceship is eaten by the voracious angel child, Gatchan. Stranded on Earth, he and his servant become recurring members of the village's bizarre community, often attempting to steal spacecraft from the inventor Senbei Norimaki or otherwise find a way off the planet. For instance, he once tried to steal a rocket Senbei was building but ended up trapped inside with the vampire Trampire. On another occasion, when he asked Senbei for a ship, the inventor mistakenly built him a simple car, thinking he was a tourist. His status as a would-be conqueror is routinely ignored by the other characters, who treat him as just another oddball resident.
His key relationships are primarily with his servant and with the main cast of Penguin Village. The servant is notably more intelligent and pragmatic than King Nikochan, often offering sensible advice that the king invariably ignores. The most significant figure in his life is the android child Arale Norimaki, who is completely unimpressed by his threats and whose overwhelming strength effortlessly foils his plans. On one occasion, after he finally acquired a ship and returned to his planet, he found it had been taken over by other aliens. It was Arale who defeated the invaders and restored peace to Planet Nikochan, making her his unlikely savior.
While King Nikochan does not experience significant character growth, his situation develops over time. After being stranded, he and his servant eventually acquire a new ship and return home, only to find their planet conquered. Following Arale's intervention, they are able to reclaim their world. Despite this, they later reappear on Earth for the grand finale of the original series. In the later crossover manga Dragon Ball, the pair are seen back in Penguin Village, reduced to collecting trash that the king mistakes for treasure. Their final appearance in that series ends with the police destroying their repaired spaceship, stranding them on Earth permanently.
King Nikochan does not possess any notable superhuman abilities or impressive technologies. His race is physically unremarkable, and his schemes rely on attempting to steal or salvage technology from others, such as Senbei's inventions. His primary "ability" is a comedic resilience, as he continually survives his failed schemes and remains undeterred in his delusional quest for conquest.
In terms of personality, King Nikochan is defined by a grandiose delusion of power that is constantly undermined by his own incompetence. He speaks with a Nagoya dialect in the original Japanese version, which adds to his somewhat provincial and bumbling demeanor, especially in contrast to his servant who speaks standard Japanese. His primary motivation is a persistent, though perpetually unsuccessful, desire to conquer Earth and return to his home planet. He frequently devises schemes to achieve these ends, but these plans are nearly always absurd and doomed to fail.
King Nikochan's role in the story is that of a recurring comedic antagonist and a source of minor trouble for the residents of Penguin Village. His initial attempt to conquer Earth ends almost instantly when his spaceship is eaten by the voracious angel child, Gatchan. Stranded on Earth, he and his servant become recurring members of the village's bizarre community, often attempting to steal spacecraft from the inventor Senbei Norimaki or otherwise find a way off the planet. For instance, he once tried to steal a rocket Senbei was building but ended up trapped inside with the vampire Trampire. On another occasion, when he asked Senbei for a ship, the inventor mistakenly built him a simple car, thinking he was a tourist. His status as a would-be conqueror is routinely ignored by the other characters, who treat him as just another oddball resident.
His key relationships are primarily with his servant and with the main cast of Penguin Village. The servant is notably more intelligent and pragmatic than King Nikochan, often offering sensible advice that the king invariably ignores. The most significant figure in his life is the android child Arale Norimaki, who is completely unimpressed by his threats and whose overwhelming strength effortlessly foils his plans. On one occasion, after he finally acquired a ship and returned to his planet, he found it had been taken over by other aliens. It was Arale who defeated the invaders and restored peace to Planet Nikochan, making her his unlikely savior.
While King Nikochan does not experience significant character growth, his situation develops over time. After being stranded, he and his servant eventually acquire a new ship and return home, only to find their planet conquered. Following Arale's intervention, they are able to reclaim their world. Despite this, they later reappear on Earth for the grand finale of the original series. In the later crossover manga Dragon Ball, the pair are seen back in Penguin Village, reduced to collecting trash that the king mistakes for treasure. Their final appearance in that series ends with the police destroying their repaired spaceship, stranding them on Earth permanently.
King Nikochan does not possess any notable superhuman abilities or impressive technologies. His race is physically unremarkable, and his schemes rely on attempting to steal or salvage technology from others, such as Senbei's inventions. His primary "ability" is a comedic resilience, as he continually survives his failed schemes and remains undeterred in his delusional quest for conquest.