it's no secret Toriyama originally planned for Dragon Ball super superhero to be a piccolo movie the first two thirds of the movie make that apparent even after the script was altered to focus on Gohan for the climax what that altered script didn't do was take away an important part of Piccolo's story in a way Giga Chad Piccolo over here completes the journey Piccolo has been on since the very beginning of Dragon Ball Z don't get ahead of yourself though we have to discuss the journey that Piccolo has been on since the end of Dragon Ball originally Piccolo was only seen as a one-to-one copy of his father sharing the memories and even the physical attributes of the demon king who was also known as Piccolo at the time of his introduction he was in essence the Incarnation of King Piccolo's Vengeance however this new Piccolo was actually quite different from his previous Incarnation even when he's first introduced just think about it for three years he didn't cause any trouble as he waited for the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai after Goku won and let him live the supposed Demon King just stayed in isolation for five more years he was training to beat Goku of course but he wasn't doing any of the evil Deeds his original would have carried out clearly Piccolo was humbled by his loss which allowed him to contemplate more on himself would the original Demon King really go into hiding or do nothing while Goku was training with Kami seems like a notable and purposeful change especially after what we learn later in early Dragon Ball Z Piccolo still speaks as if he's entirely evil but his Edge has been dulled a bit despite being a harsh teacher at first he clearly has concern for Gohan's well-being and even takes pity on Gohan during the survival training Gohan later tells Piccolo that Goku doesn't think he's as bad as the original Demon King basically confirming his actions in original Dragon Ball were intentionally out of character Kami also notes that Piccolo is no longer evil enough to be classified as a demon since raditz's Soul was sent to the afterlife rather than wandering the universe and torments the fate of those killed by demons side note this actually means everyone killed by Piccolo's minions Krillin included we're subjected to that fate as well that actually explains no one talking about the afterlife except for roshi I guess who died using the mafuba but maybe it still counts as Piccolo's kill indirectly like Guru was indirectly killed by Frieza on Namek anyway some of you may be confused as to how this change started to happen but It All Leads back to Goku remember Demon King Piccolo and Kami were once one Piccolo is the evil that crept into the nameless namekian by living on Earth and meeting malicious humans along the way so the same can happen in Reverse anyone that can ride the kintowun is pure of heart after all so meeting people so pure of heart like Goku and even Gohan Piccolo could lose his Lust For revenge and even begin to become a good person this all culminates in a moment that would come to define the direction of Piccolo's character his sacrifice to protect Gohan even if he lied to himself that training Gohan and fighting alongside the humans was simply a means to an end a necessary Alliance to give him the chance for another battle with Goku and world domination his sacrifice to protect the son of his mortal enemy can be seen as nothing other than a good deed earlier Piccolo was aware his life would end soon he even curses his own fate not knowing if Kami would die of old age or he would die in battle but neither half of the nameless namekian could predict that it would be a choice not age not an unwinnable conflict but a choice for a man who was once evil to do good this is only furthered by the fact that Piccolo is allowed to keep his body in the afterlife most likely meaning he isn't being judged for the sins of his previous Incarnation and is even being judged for the good of his actions against the Saiyans including that character-defining sacrifice there is definitely still an arrogance to him and even an evil nature below the surface but Piccolo is clearly becoming a more nuanced and morally complex character than the Demon King ever was once Piccolo is revived and brought Dynamic a step in his journey is accomplished this is the point where self-discovery and power start to go hand in hand Piccolo had found out he was a nanakian from the Saiyans something that was a surprise to both him and Kami that immediately tells him what Kami already knew he isn't a demon by birth their nature nor is he purely the evil half of God he's simply the corrupted half of a namekian who split himself in two once Piccolo arrives on Namek he immediately knows this is his home for the first time in his life he feels something of what it's like to be a namekian but even then his goal remains to save Gohan above all else no ulterior motives attached except perhaps fighting Frieza to prove himself as a martial artist this is a full departure from the way he pretended not to care about Gohan in the early Saiyan Saga and the sole focus of world domination he was espousing as well that's not the most interesting part though it's when he merges with nail that we start to piece Piccolo together as is shown later on when Piccolo calls dende by name Piccolo retains Nails memories after they merge even though he kept his own personality if arriving on Namek was a taste of what it's like to be a namekian merging with nail when was the full meal you see this Arc focuses a lot on Heritage as Goku takes up his own Saiyan Heritage understanding not only the good but the bad of his race Piccolo gets a less fleshed out yet similar experience via his merging with nail after receiving Nail's memories and being asked to fight for things that nail wishes to protect Piccolo's motives for fighting Frieza change he's not fighting for just Gohan or his pride as a martial artist he's carrying out not only Nails will but the will of all the namekians who died and frieza's Invasion again Goku does something similar later on and just like Goku is rewarded for his character growth with the Super Saiyan transformation this acceptance and understanding of namekian Heritage rewards Piccolo with power as time passes after Namek and we get back to Earth it should be no surprise that even with Nail's memories Piccolo chooses to stay on the planet he knows his home rather than going to newnamic with the namekians Piccolo's family aren't the namekians he only has someone else's memory of it's his pupil Gohan the friend he's making in Goku and and the place his other half Still Remains when the threat of the Androids emerges Goku Gohan and Piccolo train together in very stark contrast to his hatred of Goku during their first encounter this only pushes Piccolo further he even Rivals Super Saiyan Goku and Super Saiyan Vegeta in power now but after the group loses to Android 17 and 18 a strange moment happens if Piccolo seemingly still retaining some of his evil however even Krillin can see through it obviously nail could never fully complete Piccolo he's half a namekian at the end of the day half of himself that Outburst proclaiming himself is still evil is less a regression and more a final Act of defiance knowing fully well that by doing what he's about to he will never truly be his old self again of course I'm referring to emerging with Kami and becoming the nameless namekian once again sort of while Piccolo retains the dominant personality this doesn't just give him power much like with nail Piccolo has kami's memories as well shown by Piccolo knowing that Goku used the room of spirit and time as a child having kami's memories completes his own life experiences in his mind and it even gives him insights into the dragon Clan side of being a namekian you see Piccolo and nail are both members of the warrior Clan the type of namekians that are proficient in combat rather than their people's mystical abilities despite the nameless namekian being sent to Earth as a child Kami naturally moved to create the Dragon Balls something exclusive to the dragon Clan the dragon balls were made after Kami and Piccolo split something we know because the Demon King didn't know anything about them so while merging with Kami the way he did keeps Piccolo solely a member of the warrior clan in terms of abilities he learns what it is to be a member of the Dragon Clan gaining further Insight not only into himself but a more complete image of what it is to be a namekian so with insight into both Clans memories of Life on Planet Namek and a full reconciliation of his two halves Piccolo has truly become a super namekian tapping into the natural potential he was born with rather than his wasted and fractured potential and after that basically nothing happens for a really long time Piccolo is treated far less seriously in the Buu saga and in Dragon Ball super there are some attempts made to utilize him better but they always seem to get undercut by the worst writing possible like him dying in Resurrection F in the most Bland way imaginable Dragon Ball super is beginning to redeem itself with Piccolo though and there was one final thing they could use to complete Piccolo despite dende being brought to Earth and made the new god of the planet the dragon balls in Shenron himself are still kami's Creations the statue was made by popo but Kami is the one who breathed life into Shenron initially so as happened when Guru passed down parunga to Elder Mori after his death so too were kami's dragon balls and Shenron passed on to dende and that's where the new movie comes in in dragon ball super superhero Piccolo is constantly referred to as the Demon King by the Gammas or even Kami by Master Karen but he keeps reminding everyone he is simply Piccolo now the movie isn't doing this for fun it's constantly reminding us of his roots intentionally later in the film he wishes for his potential to be unlocked by Shenron the same process Grand Elder Guru did for Gohan and Krillin side note Elder Guru actually does it for dende as well but then they just doesn't mention it in the movie for some reason at the end of the day this process is simply a realization of Piccolo's own potential something we've seen many times throughout the series but while Piccolo and Shenron talk about the wish Shenron continues to talk to Piccolo respectfully calling him Piccolo Sama basically Lord Piccolo like everyone else in the film he's acknowledging Piccolo's origin he understands that Piccolo is his original Creator what's important is what Shenron does after the initial potential unlock he adds in something extra for Piccolo later in the film this power manifests itself as orange Piccolo a transformation that gives him power on top of his own latent potential power directly derived from Shenron you see for Shenron to unlock Piccolo's potential he had to be upgraded by dende unlike the time dende added more wishes to Shenron this time dead days upgrade completely changed shenron's statue this is the moment where Shenron truly becomes dende's Dragon an excellent moment for him but for Piccolo it's something else in a way orange Piccolo is the life he bestowed in his own creation returning home in the form of power Piccolo has in a way and completed the Demon King The Warrior the God and now the dragon an important thing to note is the lore of the Dragon Balls in Dragon Ball super the namekians treat the Dragon Balls as a sort of religion they fry to them seeking their protection in times of Crisis and even treat collecting them as a journey of self-worth and the Judgment of one's character or intentions in the moro Arc very minor manga spoilers ahead really it's nothing the namekians are protected by their dragon balls and by extension parunga despite no wish being made in that time orange Piccolo is similar in a way this is the namekian's reverence and Reliance on the Dragon Balls culturally being manifested just look at the colors of orange Piccolo he's orange with red accents just like the Dragon Balls themselves to go further on the actual design of the form there's a symbol that appears on his back and it's more important than you realize a circle completes itself and within it and the meccian tree the ajisa tree fully blooms within as described in the novel version of Dragon Ball super superhero this symbol represents the namekian pride which makes perfect sense for Piccolo at this point in his journey after receiving his Heritage from nail becoming whole again with Kami and having life he granted to his own creation returned to him as power with Shenron Piccolo's own circle is complete and he is Blossom like the ajisa tree on his back into a completed namekian and character from Demon King to loving Uncle this is the story of the namekian that calls Earth home pickle make sure to subscribe if you haven't yet and thank you so very much 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