Piccolo's Clan

From reincarnated demon king to Earth's Namekian guardian.

Piccolo is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Initially introduced in chapter #161 "Son Goku Wins!!" on February 9, 1988, as the reincarnation of the evil King Piccolo, he was long assumed to be a member of the Demon Clan. However, midway through the series, it was revealed that he is actually a Namekian, an extraterrestrial humanoid species from the exoplanet Namek. While his parent was created as a true "bad guy" inspired by Roman Emperor Nero, Toriyama later admitted Piccolo became his favorite character. Despite being labeled a demon initially, the revelation of his alien heritage shifted his role from antagonist to ally, where he teams up with Son Goku to defeat threats like Vegeta, Frieza, and Cell.

Quick Facts

Origin: Planet Namek
Primary member: Piccolo

Lore & Background

Originally, Toriyama never intended for Piccolo to be an alien; this concept only emerged after the character Kami was introduced. He was initially assumed to belong to the Demon Clan like his parent, King Piccolo. King Piccolo was created after Toriyama was told how Roman Emperor Nero enjoyed watching people suffer, though the Shenlong Times issue #2 says the character was modeled after Toriyama himself. A significant modern development occurred in Dragon Ball Daima, which introduced the concept that Namekians are now from the Demon Realm, an alternate universe of demons, effectively reclassifying the entire race as a "Demon race."

This creates a unique duality where Piccolo is simultaneously an extraterrestrial from Namek and part of a demon lineage, bridging two distinct origins. Toriyama noted that while transforming a villain into a hero felt cliché to him, he remained excited by the character's appeal despite his scary face.

Reader's Guide

To understand the "clan" or race of Piccolo, one must look at his Namekian physiology and abilities. As a member of this species, he can regenerate lost limbs provided his head remains intact, expand his arms, and move faster than the eye can see. He possesses telepathic skills, allowing him to read minds and contact others nearby, such as when he alerted Goten and Trunks about Buu's proximity. His fighting style includes unique techniques like the Chōkyoshinjutsu (Super Large Body Technique), which allows him to reach mountain-like heights, and the Makankōsappō (Special Beam Cannon), a drill-like energy attack expelled from his index and middle fingers that pierces targets rather than exploding on contact.

He also utilizes fusion to increase power, notably merging with Nail on planet Namek to fight Frieza and later fusing with Kami to confront the Androids. After fusing with Kami he was able to fight on par with Android 17.

Did You Know?

Orange Piccolo is considered by Toriyama to be the character's first transformation, designed with extra muscle since Piccolo has no hair to change in forms.
Voice actor Toshio Furukawa stated he got the role because he wanted to play a villain, though it became his favorite role of all time by Dragon Ball Super.