Tien Shinhan

A Crane School graduate who defied his master to become Earth's greatest human defender through sheer will and sacrifice.

Tien Shinhan is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He first appeared in chapter #113, "The 22nd Tenkaichi Budōkai," published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 24, 1987. Originally entering the tournament to defeat Son Goku and his fellow students under Master Shen's instruction, Tien later allied with them to stop King Piccolo alongside his best friend Chiaotzu. He is notable for being the first person in the series to fly using Bukū-jutsu and for mastering the Taiyōken (Solar Flare) technique. While often a rival to Goku, his quest for redemption and dramatic fights have earned him significant praise from reviewers.

Quick Facts

Series

Dragon Ball

First

Dragon Ball chapter #113 The 22nd Tenkaichi Budōkai
February 24
1987 (Weekly Shōnen Jump 1987)

Creator

Akira Toriyama

Species

Superhuman, Triclops

Occupation

Farmer; Martial arts instructor

Voice

Japanese:
Hirotaka Suzuoki
Kōichi Yamadera
Mitsuaki Madono
Hikaru Midorikawa
English:
Chris Cason
John Burgmeier

Lore & Background

Tien is named after tenshindon, a crabmeat omelet dish over rice; Toriyama chose this silly name despite the character's cool demeanor. Loosely based on Erlang Shen from Journey to the West, Tien is a three-eyed Taoist deity figure who evolved from adversary to ally. He trained under Master Shen, gaining superhuman strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. His abilities include telepathy, telekinesis, generating ki from his being, absorbing energy blasts, and sensing energy. Unlike Saiyans relying on heritage, Tien's power stems from training with Master Shen and later Kami. He is recognized as one of the strongest humans on Earth, utilizing techniques like the Multi-Form to create clones and the life-draining Kikōhō (Tri-Beam) to sacrifice himself for others.

Reader's Guide

Tien's combat style combines traditional martial arts with supernatural abilities like flight and energy manipulation. His signature technique is the Kikōhō, a powerful but potentially life-threatening attack with which he destroyed the stage to win the 22nd tournament. He utilizes the Multi-Form to split his power into four clones, though this divides his strength among them. The Taiyōken (Solar Flare) blinds enemies by generating intense light.

In Dragon Ball Super, he and Chiaotzu have formed a martial arts dojo, and he agrees to join the Tournament of Power believing the ten million Zeni promised by Goku will help repair the village. He adheres to Gohan's plan during the tournament, fighting Harmira and using his clones to create openings until both are eliminated from the stage. His appearances extend to non-canon movies where he battles Turles' henchmen or assists Gohan against Bojack's minions.

Did You Know?

During his fight with Tao Paipai in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai, Tien received a scar across his chest that he retained for the rest of the series.
In Dragon Ball Z episodes 82 and 84, Tien was voiced by Kōichi Yamadera instead of his usual voice actor Hirotaka Suzuoki.
Tien joined the Tournament of Power team in Dragon Ball Super believing Goku's false promise of ten million Zeni would help repair his village.