Backstories

Any general discussion regarding fan-created works of the Dragon Ball franchise, including AMVs, fan-art, fan-fiction, etc.

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TheZFighter
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Backstories

Post by TheZFighter » Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:33 am

One thing that has always bothered me with Dragon Ball is the number of really interesting (or interesting looking) characters who just seem to exist, despite precious little background information, or ("in-universe", at least) explanations given.

A couple of examples; you have Yamcha, already a semi-decent martial artist who just happens to be living out in the desert with a shapeshifting talking cat. You have Krillin, a human with no visible nose or known family who started training with a bunch of monks at the age of four. You have Tien, with a fully operational third eye that nobody ever seems to acknowledge, and a number of unique techniques nobody else is able to do. You have Chiaotzu, who permanently resembles a pale white 10 year old boy (unique looking even by Dragon Ball Earth standards) and has incredible psychic powers. You have Yajirobe, a lone samurai living out in the sticks who just so happened to be nearly as strong as Goku at the time. I could go on.

So, have you ever thought of a good backstory or explanation for a character's existence? Or could you think of one now?
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Rubens
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Re: Backstories

Post by Rubens » Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:59 am

In my opinion, I think sometimes is better when characters are introduced to have a hazy background because, through their personalities, skills and lifestyle, you get to have the liberty to imagine that yourself. Just like when you read a book: you're often given a rough description of a person or a scenario, enough to spark your imagination, the way you envision the story.
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TheZFighter
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Re: Backstories

Post by TheZFighter » Mon Sep 25, 2017 7:20 am

Rubens wrote:In my opinion, I think sometimes is better when characters are introduced to have a hazy background because, through their personalities, skills and lifestyle, you get to have the liberty to imagine that yourself. Just like when you read a book: you're often given a rough description of a person or a scenario, enough to spark your imagination, the way you envision the story.
Well yeah this is what I mean. I think it is no coincidence that Tien and Yamcha have always been in my top three favourites characters. Very cool and aesthetically pleasing, but also have an air of mystery about their existence.

I was just interested in seeing what others had come up with in terms of their background.
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Re: Backstories

Post by Xeztin » Tue Sep 26, 2017 12:03 am

There was a Chinese fan-made doujin sequel to the already published 90’s doujin Zeroverse (since Zeroverse abruptly ended) that had the idea of Chaozu being the true body of Jiatai (The boss in Zeroverse) and that someone gave life to the Chaozu we know now to fight in human warfare. I thought that was cool.

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Re: Backstories

Post by FoolsGil » Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:15 pm

I haven't thought about it much, but we know pretty much about Goku's, Bulma's, and the Nameless Namekian's lives before the original manga, backstory on everyone else would be nice.

Tenshinhan is apparently descended from a line of aliens. Maybe they've been breeding with humanity for so long and their genes got diluted, that Tenshinhan was the first three eyed person born in hundreds of years, making it a mutation. Ostracized for most of his childhood maybe he got by doing cons or pick-pocketing, he tried his skill on the wrong person (Shen) and was pulled into the Crane School.

Yamcha is bandit but knows martial arts and is coupled with extensive knowledge? Perhaps in his village he was training in a dojo, bandits came and destroyed his village, his master helped Yamcha escape before he died. Yamcha eventually grew strong enough to kill them, and took residence in their original HQ, in the desert. Puar came with the HQ, he graduated from Transformation Kindergarten, was kidnapped on his way home, and stayed alive transforming for the bandit's amusement.

Oolong? Probably the runt of his litter, went to Transformation Kindergarten, got expelled, decided to take what he learned to con people, eventually found that village Goku and Bulma find him in.

Krillin? Orphan, abandoned at Orin Temple.

Yajirobe? Old country boy from the mountains, wanted to become a samurai, found out it was too much work, sticked with it long enough to become alright, quit further training, roamed the wilderness until he met Goku.

Chaozu? Soul transferred to a doll, original body died a long time ago. Even he doesn't remember his life before the transfer

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Rubens
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Re: Backstories

Post by Rubens » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:02 am

FoolsGil wrote:Tenshinhan is apparently descended from a line of aliens. Maybe they've been breeding with humanity for so long and their genes got diluted, that Tenshinhan was the first three eyed person born in hundreds of years, making it a mutation. Ostracized for most of his childhood maybe he got by doing cons or pick-pocketing, he tried his skill on the wrong person (Shen) and was pulled into the Crane School.
I'm not criticizing you, but I think the whole deal about Tenshinhan's supposed alien ancestry adds nothing to the character and ruins a bit the mysticism about Dragon Ball's Earth. Either way, my guess is he was probably a thug in his childhood, who was constantly picked on by other people because of his third eye so he learned to defend himself; Shen then discovers him and ackowledges his potential, and offers him training. At this point I suppose Chaozu was already with Shen and was a great influence on Tenshinhan to build his character and to help his integration in Shen's training.

As for Yamcha, I think he grew up among a nomad group of bandits, like a clan, who lived off the grid and Pu'er was possibly already his friend. There he probably got trained and learned a lot of the region's lore. Then, I don't know, their group probably got forcefully disbanded by someone or something and Yamcha was forced to move on on his own, doing what he knew best to survive, until he met Bulma and Goku.

Krillin was possibly abandoned or orphaned at a very young age, so he entered to temple.
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TheMikado
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Re: Backstories

Post by TheMikado » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:25 am

I think you are looking at Dragonball from a "Z" perspective.

Even with Goku it wasn't really known why he has a tail until the Z era.
Prior to this he was just a kid who happens to have a tail and be very strong.
Same with Tien or krillin.
Remember this was a fantasy world where talking amorphic animals were common place without explanation.

Now Dragonball "Z" era is when it starts to attempt to explain things and give backstories to characters. Most of them, particularly introduced before that point were never really intended to have them. It's stranger in this age of Dragonball to have so many characters introduced without backstories due to the "Z" precedent of basically give almost every new character some small sort of backstory.

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Re: Backstories

Post by Shaddy » Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:58 pm

Rubens wrote:I'm not criticizing you, but I think the whole deal about Tenshinhan's supposed alien ancestry adds nothing to the character and ruins a bit the mysticism about Dragon Ball's Earth.
Welcome to the entire concept of Saiyans.

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