Talkin' 'bout Regeneration

[The Tori-bot]

Why can't/doesn't Piccolo Daimao regenerate? Surely if his exact copy could do it, he could as well? True, he never loses any limbs, but there's never been anything to suggest that he was capable of it. What about that huge hole through his body? His offspring was all fine and dandy after being in about a thousand bits, and it's established that as long as the head is intact, regeneration is possible. So why was that injury fatal to him? Is it because he wasn't a "true" Namekian (well, neither was Piccy Jr, so there goes that theory...)? Is it because he was so drained that he didn't have enough energy to do so? Or had ol' Toriyama just not thought of it yet?

[ShadowDude112]

Because Toriyama didn't think of it at the time.

[Savage68]

Or had ol' Toriyama just not thought of it yet?

This is the most likely explanation.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

I always think of this from time to time. I never get anywhere though. I always figured perhaps the Nameks only had one special ability they could do and that would be it. Healing, spitting out live beings and regeneration (that being the most common, which might be a default if a Namekian doesn't have any other ability). What? OK, let me explain. Dende's ability seems to be a healer type, which means he can't spit out live beings, or regenerate. Piccolo Daimao was able to spit out his other Namekians which means he couldn't heal people or regenerate either. You see what I mean? I guess this would also be why there was just one Namekian (Guru) that would father like a whole generation. This is just me rambling on, sorry if it makes little to no sense.

[rereboy]

Why can't/doesn't Piccolo Daimao regenerate? Surely if his exact copy could do it, he could as well? True, he never loses any limbs, but there's never been anything to suggest that he was capable of it. What about that huge hole through his body? His offspring was all fine and dandy after being in about a thousand bits, and it's established that as long as the head is intact, regeneration is possible. So why was that injury fatal to him? Is it because he wasn't a "true" Namekian (well, neither was Piccy Jr, so there goes that theory...)? Is it because he was so drained that he didn't have enough energy to do so? Or had ol' Toriyama just not thought of it yet?

Nameks were killed with holes in the chest in Dragon ball.


Example:

(This is not the whole manga page but if you remember this part well you`ll remember that this Namek died with this wound.)


The rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was only introduced when Cell stated that he could regenerate as long as his "regeneration lump" (which was in his head) remained intact. However this conflicts with his fight with Goku where he had his head blown off and he still regenerated.

Later in the buu saga, Piccolo, after being broken as a statue, states that he can regenerate as long as his head remains. Which is coherent with what Cell stated but conflicts with the Cell/Goku fight and the previous example I gave of a Namek dying because of a hole in the chest and other situations.

So this is what I think... Toriyama in the beginning only intended for Nameks to be able to regenerate limbs. However, when he got to the Cell saga, he wanted to make Cell more fearsome, so he played with the rules of regeneration but he messed up by contradicting himself and/or not explaining himself properly. Later still he tried to make the rules of regeneration coherent by making Piccolo state basically the same as Cell. But because he messed up, the damage was done and it ended up confusing the reader further.

[Kendamu]

I always thought that Nameks could only regenerate limbs and that Cell's ability to regenerate more than that was something special to Cell that was based on the Namek cells he had... a bit of genetic re-engineering, basically.

[rereboy]

I always thought that Nameks could only regenerate limbs and that Cell's ability to regenerate more than that was something special to Cell that was based on the Namek cells he had... a bit of genetic re-engineering, basically.

That would be a plausible explanation if Toriyama hadn`t made Piccolo state that he can regenerate as long as he has a head in the buu saga.

Thats why I said that even confused the matter further, because, if Piccolo hadn`t stated that, that explanation could work or at least make more sense.

[VenomSymbiote]

I always thought that the reason Piccolo Daimao was unable to regenerate was because of the severity of the blow. My thoughts have always been that regeneration is possible when the subject is actually, energy-wise, capable of pulling it off. (With Cell being the one exception).

In essence, Piccolo Daimao was simply too badly hurt to regenerate.

[mAcChaos]

I always thought that Nameks could only regenerate limbs and that Cell's ability to regenerate more than that was something special to Cell that was based on the Namek cells he had... a bit of genetic re-engineering, basically.

That would be a plausible explanation if Toriyama hadn`t made Piccolo state that he can regenerate as long as he has a head in the buu saga.

Thats why I said that even confused the matter further, because, if Piccolo hadn`t stated that, that explanation could work or at least make more sense.

I don't know if Piccolo can regenerate completely just from his head, though. I assumed his regeneration is much more limited than Cell, and has the added restriction that his head can't be injured on top of it.

[Bussani]

I don't know if Piccolo can regenerate completely just from his head, though. I assumed his regeneration is much more limited than Cell, and has the added restriction that his head can't be injured on top of it.

Except he kinda does regenerate from just a head after Trunks shatters him when he was a statue.

Maybe as Piccolo got stronger, his healing factor increased as well?

[Piccolo Daimao]

I always thought that the reason Piccolo Daimao was unable to regenerate was because of the severity of the blow. My thoughts have always been that regeneration is possible when the subject is actually, energy-wise, capable of pulling it off. (With Cell being the one exception).

In essence, Piccolo Daimao was simply too badly hurt to regenerate.

That's exactly what I thought too. I think that's the same for the Namekian Dodoria killed by punching a hole through him.

[Kiyza]

I think it just would have taken too much energy for him to have regenerated. Whenever Piccolo regenerated his arm, he always looked pretty exhausted afterwards, usually sweating and breathing heavily. It seems to be pretty hard to do. And Freeza noted that after Nail regenerated his arm, his battle power dropped. So even if he had, it would have weakened him somewhat.

[SHINOBI-03]

They can regenerate as long as their head remains intact.

But... what about the heart ((If they had in the first place))?! Can they regenerate their heart or other vital points of their body?

[goodguy777]

I remembered that he regenerated an extra finger, making his fingers 5 instead of 4.

[Kiyza]

I remembered that he regenerated an extra finger, making his fingers 5 instead of 4.

That was more so just an artistic gag. And besides, in the manga he only had 4 fingers in the first place, so it couldn't have been regenerated.

[LilKokuLink]

Piccolo Daimao being Namekian, yet growing up on Earth may have something to do with it. Like we have Saiyans. Saiyans turn Oozaru at full moon, however they cannot control it without having to learn it.
So we can say: All saiyans with tails turn Oozaru at sight of full moon, however can only control this Oozaru form by learning to do so. If the saiyan does not know how to control it, this saiyan has the Potential to do so. Goku couldn't control it, it's not like Grandpa Gohan was gonna teach him? Vegeta could, due to growing up at his home planet.
In the same way, all Namekians may have the regeneration ability within them. However can only do so by learning to do so, whether by yourself or by others. So maybe all Namekians have the Potential to these powers and can only unlock them under different circumstances.
However another interesting theory is that different Namek's have their own special powers like Dende can heal, Guru can unlock hidden power, Kami has that extra sense connection to Earth or something I think (he was able to sense disturbance [being Cell] for quite some time before anyone even knew he existed)... something like that, correct me please.
All Saiyans have the potential to turn super saiyan, Vegeta learned the way on his own deep in space. Gohan achieved it with the help of Goku in the time chamber.
So it kind of leads me to believe that it's something to do with these ways but maybe I'm just looking to deep into things? Either way... yea.. Toriyama may not have known where the story was going.

[goodguy777]

Nameks were killed with holes in the chest in Dragon ball.
Example:
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd4/ ... /namek.jpg
(This is not the whole manga page but if you remember this part well you`ll remember that this Namek died with this wound.)
The rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was only introduced when Cell stated that he could regenerate as long as his "regeneration lump" (which was in his head) remained intact. However this conflicts with his fight with Goku where he had his head blown off and he still regenerated.
Later in the buu saga, Piccolo, after being broken as a statue, states that he can regenerate as long as his head remains. Which is coherent with what Cell stated but conflicts with the Cell/Goku fight and the previous example I gave of a Namek dying because of a hole in the chest and other situations.
So this is what I think... Toriyama in the beginning only intended for Nameks to be able to regenerate limbs. However, when he got to the Cell saga, he wanted to make Cell more fearsome, so he played with the rules of regeneration but he messed up by contradicting himself and/or not explaining himself properly. Later still he tried to make the rules of regeneration coherent by making Piccolo state basically the same as Cell. But because he messed up, the damage was done and it ended up confusing the reader further.

Are you trying to say that hole in the chest will not kill [Buu Arc]Dende?

First of all, the rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was not yet introduced or stated in the Piccolo Arc and Freeza Arc, so it's pointless to argue about that thing.

[rereboy]

Nameks were killed with holes in the chest in Dragon ball.
Example:
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd4/ ... /namek.jpg
(This is not the whole manga page but if you remember this part well you`ll remember that this Namek died with this wound.)
The rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was only introduced when Cell stated that he could regenerate as long as his "regeneration lump" (which was in his head) remained intact. However this conflicts with his fight with Goku where he had his head blown off and he still regenerated.
Later in the buu saga, Piccolo, after being broken as a statue, states that he can regenerate as long as his head remains. Which is coherent with what Cell stated but conflicts with the Cell/Goku fight and the previous example I gave of a Namek dying because of a hole in the chest and other situations.
So this is what I think... Toriyama in the beginning only intended for Nameks to be able to regenerate limbs. However, when he got to the Cell saga, he wanted to make Cell more fearsome, so he played with the rules of regeneration but he messed up by contradicting himself and/or not explaining himself properly. Later still he tried to make the rules of regeneration coherent by making Piccolo state basically the same as Cell. But because he messed up, the damage was done and it ended up confusing the reader further.

Are you trying to say that hole in the chest will not kill [Buu Arc]Dende?

First of all, the rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was not yet introduced or stated in the Piccolo Arc and Freeza Arc, so it's pointless to argue about that thing.

I`m trying to say that the regeneration is inconsistent in Dragon Ball. Toriyama made a mess of things.

And thanks to that everyone can believe pretty much anything they want to, since its possible to argue many theories.

[goodguy777]

Nameks were killed with holes in the chest in Dragon ball.
Example:
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd4/ ... /namek.jpg
(This is not the whole manga page but if you remember this part well you`ll remember that this Namek died with this wound.)
The rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was only introduced when Cell stated that he could regenerate as long as his "regeneration lump" (which was in his head) remained intact. However this conflicts with his fight with Goku where he had his head blown off and he still regenerated.
Later in the buu saga, Piccolo, after being broken as a statue, states that he can regenerate as long as his head remains. Which is coherent with what Cell stated but conflicts with the Cell/Goku fight and the previous example I gave of a Namek dying because of a hole in the chest and other situations.
So this is what I think... Toriyama in the beginning only intended for Nameks to be able to regenerate limbs. However, when he got to the Cell saga, he wanted to make Cell more fearsome, so he played with the rules of regeneration but he messed up by contradicting himself and/or not explaining himself properly. Later still he tried to make the rules of regeneration coherent by making Piccolo state basically the same as Cell. But because he messed up, the damage was done and it ended up confusing the reader further.

Are you trying to say that hole in the chest will not kill [Buu Arc]Dende?

First of all, the rule about being able to regenerate as long as the head remains was not yet introduced or stated in the Piccolo Arc and Freeza Arc, so it's pointless to argue about that thing.

I`m trying to say that the regeneration is inconsistent in Dragon Ball. Toriyama made a mess of things.

And thanks to that everyone can believe pretty much anything they want to, since its possible to argue many theories.

Like I said, no rules were introduced at first, it's fans who made the rules from the beginning. Answer this first.

Are you trying to say that hole in the chest will not kill [Buu Arc]Dende?

[rereboy]

Like I said, no rules were introduced at first, it's fans who made the rules from the beginning. Answer this first.

Are you trying to say that hole in the chest will not kill [Buu Arc]Dende?

Just because something is only later explained, that doesn`t mean that the explanation should apparently contradict what happened before.

For example, when Vegeta explained exactly how a Sayan turns into an Oozaru, if his explanation had contradicted what happened before (whenever a Sayan transformed into an Oozaru) then the explanation would create inconsistencies in the story.

Its the same thing with the regeneration. Never before had a Namek been able to regenerate just from the head (including Piccolo). Quite the contrary, they died with wounds that had nothing to do with the head. But, all of the sudden, Piccolo says he can and he even does it. This is obviously a contradiction, in my opinion.

As for if dende would be able to do the same as Piccolo... I bet that in the Namek saga he wouldnt. But in the buu saga he might, just because of that sudden statement of Piccolo. He shouldn`t be able to, but it was Toriyama who said the rule.