Live action TV
Description
Piggy is a supporting character in the 1991 film Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins, a live-action retelling of the early Dragon Ball story. He is introduced as an overweight shape-shifting man who encounters the protagonist Son Goku and his companion Seetoe while they are searching for the seven Dragon Pearls. Piggy is the adaptation of the anthropomorphic pig Oolong from the original Dragon Ball series, and in the English dub he is identified as a descendant of Zhu Bajie, the Pig Fairy.
Piggy first appears as a minor obstacle. He meets Goku and Seetoe during their journey, and after Goku defeats him in a short fight, he agrees to travel with them. He then becomes one of the group’s regular companions and accompanies them for the rest of the quest. His motivations are largely self-interested rather than heroic; he does not set out to save anyone, and he joins the party only after being bested in combat. He is also tied directly to the main plot, as it is later revealed that he is one of the owners of a Dragon Pearl, making him important to the mission beyond his role as a traveling partner.
In personality, Piggy carries over the defining traits of his original counterpart. He is self-serving, fond of trickery, and somewhat lazy, and he shows a lecherous streak in scenes shared with the elderly martial artist Turtle Man, where the two behave comically around women. He is not portrayed as brave or noble, and his loyalty to the group develops gradually rather than appearing instantly.
His most notable ability is shape-shifting, which lets him change his appearance and use disguises or alternate forms to help the group in different situations. This power is a direct echo of the transformation ability associated with Oolong in the source material.
Piggy’s key relationships are with Son Goku, who beats him and then becomes his companion, with Seetoe, alongside whom he travels, and with Turtle Man, with whom he shares the film’s bawdier comic moments. His development over the course of the story is limited: he starts as a self-interested figure who is essentially forced into the group, and over time he settles into the role of a dependable member of the party, even though his core personality does not change.
Piggy first appears as a minor obstacle. He meets Goku and Seetoe during their journey, and after Goku defeats him in a short fight, he agrees to travel with them. He then becomes one of the group’s regular companions and accompanies them for the rest of the quest. His motivations are largely self-interested rather than heroic; he does not set out to save anyone, and he joins the party only after being bested in combat. He is also tied directly to the main plot, as it is later revealed that he is one of the owners of a Dragon Pearl, making him important to the mission beyond his role as a traveling partner.
In personality, Piggy carries over the defining traits of his original counterpart. He is self-serving, fond of trickery, and somewhat lazy, and he shows a lecherous streak in scenes shared with the elderly martial artist Turtle Man, where the two behave comically around women. He is not portrayed as brave or noble, and his loyalty to the group develops gradually rather than appearing instantly.
His most notable ability is shape-shifting, which lets him change his appearance and use disguises or alternate forms to help the group in different situations. This power is a direct echo of the transformation ability associated with Oolong in the source material.
Piggy’s key relationships are with Son Goku, who beats him and then becomes his companion, with Seetoe, alongside whom he travels, and with Turtle Man, with whom he shares the film’s bawdier comic moments. His development over the course of the story is limited: he starts as a self-interested figure who is essentially forced into the group, and over time he settles into the role of a dependable member of the party, even though his core personality does not change.