Piccolo needs a new power-up

[ZeroNeonix]

The thing is Piccolo has always been a part of the opening act for Goku, ever since he became a good guy. The pattern in Z was: Goku isn't here or can't fight yet. Gohan, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Vegeta, they all fight while he recovers. Goku shows up, he defeats the villain. The problem in Super, though, was that he had become so powerful, none of the others could realistically even pretend to keep up with him, except for his rival Vegeta. In Resurrection of F, Goku's opening act was able to fight the Frieza Force, though.

Anyway, for Piccolo to get a massive boost in power now, it'd either feel cheap for not catching up to Goku and Vegeta, or it'd feel kinda forced. Now, maybe when Super returns, the Saiyans could go off to Sadal, while Piccolo visits the home of the U6 Namekians to help them rebuild. Some alien force shows up and threatens to wipe out the whole planet if they don't get the Dragon Balls. Then Piccolo discovers god ki and becomes a Red Eyed Namekian. In a solo Piccolo episode like that, I could see it working.

[Kataphrut]

I feel like what happened with 17 in Super was kind of an answer to every "I want X supporting character to come back and be super powerful" fan request. Except usually those tend to be directed at Piccolo or the humans. It's almost like a piss-take. "You want an old character to suddenly be on par with Goku again after decades of irrelevance? Fine, we'll give it to the one Android you didn't care about."

I think the fact that 17's relative obscurity worked in his favour. The problem with Piccolo is that he's always around but has never been given a reason to catch up like Vegeta, Gohan or Freeza. I think the fact that he was the last non-Saiyan to be relevant power-wise in Z combined with his general popularity is the reason why people want that.

[Michsi]

I feel like what happened with 17 in Super was kind of an answer to every "I want X supporting character to come back and be super powerful" fan request. Except usually those tend to be directed at Piccolo or the humans. It's almost like a piss-take. "You want an old character to suddenly be on par with Goku again after decades of irrelevance? Fine, we'll give it to the one Android you didn't care about."

I think the fact that 17's relative obscurity worked in his favour. The problem with Piccolo is that he's always around but has never been given a reason to catch up like Vegeta, Gohan or Freeza. I think the fact that he was the last non-Saiyan to be relevant power-wise in Z combined with his general popularity is the reason why people want that.

I've joked about how Toriyama might deliberately not give Piccolo any relevancy as far as power goes precisely because there is so much fan-push for that. I believe he stated that the more someone demands he do something with a character the more he is inclined to do the opposite. And some fans are really pushy, so....

[emperior]

I have been saying it since forever. I absolutely want Piccolo to get a power-up that brings him to Blue levels of power.
He is a Namekian, which were shown to be, potentially, even stronger than the average Saiyan in the Namek arc. Piccolo is a prodigy among the prodigies of a magical and mystical race. Why can’t he get some sort of ritual to ascend to Godhood? He should, at the very least, fuse with Saonel and Pilina. They are in debt with U7 and they could help them out in this way.

If I were to write a role for Piccolo in the new movie I would give him a power-up to make him stronger than Blue Goku, and I would make him courageously stall for time by fighting the main villain by using his regeneration and various strategies to last as long as possible, while also possibly dealing some damage. Of course Piccolo’s pain when losing limbs and regenerating should be shown better than how it was in episode 106 of Super.

[dbgtFO]

He should. DBNA Malik gave him the Namekian book of Secrets(?) power-up or whatever it was in his fancomic, which also gave a new costume. Hell Kaioshin of Time, Chronoa also got an upgrade in clothes to signify a power-up in Heroes, so that could be an option for Piccolo.

[Pantalones]

I honestly wouldn't mind seeing something along the lines of the "Red-Eyed Namekian" power-up from Heroes show up. The eyes being the only thing to change (along with a different aura, purple with lightning in this case) seems more fitting for a Namekian power-up and would be a good contrast to the Saiyans going through so many drastic physical changes with growing hair, bulked muscles, and strain on their body. Rather than a physical transformation for a race that's obsessed with extreme physical training and strength, it's an exclusively ki-based one transformation for a race that emphasizes meditation training and ki techniques. Heck, maybe even make it the Namekian method for developing godly ki -- that way you can make red the "mortal that gained godly ki without help from the gods/angels" color, red hair for Saiyans and red eyes for Namekians.

I'm not so fond of the idea of Piccolo's skin changing colors or various features being added/changed, though (the forms I've seen before that make the user shift to resemble Porunga a bit aren't that out of place since at least there's a connection to established Namekian lore there, but the "Super Namek 4" posted earlier in this thread reminds me too much of Davy Jones' crew in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, gradually getting covered in various sea life and turning into fish-monsters...)

As for how Piccolo could gain a new form, well... the 6th Universe has another Planet Namek which presumably didn't suffer the same catastrophe that trimmed down the population of our Namek, and presumably it's still "Old Namek" rather than our New Namek, so there's thousands of years of Namekian history there. If any place in all the universes is likely to have some ancient place or item or technique that leads to massive Namekian power growth, it's there.

[JulieYBM]

Naw, let's focus on new characters. Piccolo's had thirty years to be a 'current' character, I want to focus on something new or something old that is done in an unexpected way.

Or whatever Toriyama feels like.

[Lionel]

It would be interesting to see how Toriyama and the anime studio go about heaping on interest and popularity using just the namesakes of characters introduced in Super like Jiren, Hit, and the U6 Saiyan girls. Rather than continue with the quasi-limbo state of propping back up the "has-beens", let's see them keep the series alive on these characters' own merit and what they mean to the fans. Don't try to go for some kind of fallacious middle ground where you want to maintain this progressional system of strength & encounter while keeping classics shackled to them in the hopes of exploiting them for promotion and views.

On the original topic, count me as part of the group who thinks that you could have a rational go at making Piccolo relevant in the power sense again with methods explained previously.

[Bebi Hatchiyack]

I think my idea is neat, how do you all think about it ?

[Logania]

Just give him God Ki and that's it.

•No fusion of other Namekians

•No mysterious new form that is from Zalama's lineage, an ancient Namek or something stupid like that (I swear if there's a Super Namek God...)

•No deeper potential that gets awoken and gets a new form

None of that crap, Piccolo doesn't need the 'Super' method of pointless transformations to stay relevant, he's awesome the way he is. Just make him train with Whis to get God Ki and he'll be in league with the others and it can even be off screen to not waste too much time. Might as well use the concept on past characters since they haven't used God Ki as a thing since Resurrection of F.

[ZeroNeonix]

Just give him God Ki and that's it.

•No fusion of other Namekians

•No mysterious new form that is from Zalama's lineage, an ancient Namek or something stupid like that (I swear if there's a Super Namek God...)

•No deeper potential that gets awoken and gets a new form

None of that crap, Piccolo doesn't need the 'Super' method of pointless transformations to stay relevant, he's awesome the way he is. Just make him train with Whis to get God Ki and he'll be in league with the others and it can even be off screen to not waste too much time. Might as well use the concept on past characters since they haven't used God Ki as a thing since Resurrection of F.

Well, Piccolo did fuse with the god of Earth, so it would be conceivable that he could use that as a way to unlock god ki. Imagine him traveling to U6 Namek, and their guardian is like, "Wait, you were Earth's former guardian, and you didn't unlock your divine power?"

Piccolo: "I...didn't know that was a thing."

"Here, let me teach you how to do it. First you lift up your hands to the Heavens and say *insert Namekian words here*. Now, the rest of the tribe shall anoint you with the ceremonial feathers."

"Ceremonial...feathers?"

"Yes. Hold still. If you move, you'll have to wait a whole year to try again."

*The U6 Namekians tickle Piccolo's armpits with feathers*

"This better be worth it!"

[PerhapsTheOtherOne]

You know, I wonder..... Could Piccolo use Multi-Form to divide himself up, then re-fuse using Namekian Fusion to create a being stronger than his component halves?

Weird idea, I know, but it COULD potentially be a way of powering Piccolo up.

[Tai Lung]

piccolo is stronger now to defeat gohan ssj2

[Sonofman]

Naw, let's focus on new characters. Piccolo's had thirty years to be a 'current' character, I want to focus on something new or something old that is done in an unexpected way.

Or whatever Toriyama feels like.

So, you are basically saying DBS shouldn't have given Gohan his "reboot" back? But they did, and he's even more powerful than before.

So, Frieza shouldn't have returned... but he did return and no-one would have guessed him to be the replacement of Majin Buu.

To say that DBS should focus on new characters is incorrect. That's also like saying "Vegeta shouldn't get any stronger because he's been around for too long." Piccolo's been around far longer, yet he STILL was/is deduced to being powerless against Cell, Majin Buu, and pretty much every "antagonist" in Super at this point. It's just ridiculous. Also, I don't mean any insult, but you pretty much contradicted yourself in your post; you desire to focus on new characters, but yet you also desire to focus on old things done in different ways. That's fine. It's your opinion. I just stand on my ground for Piccolo to gain a new power-up to stay caught up to the Saiyans in terms of power.

[JulieYBM]

Naw, let's focus on new characters. Piccolo's had thirty years to be a 'current' character, I want to focus on something new or something old that is done in an unexpected way.

Or whatever Toriyama feels like.

So, you are basically saying DBS shouldn't have given Gohan his "reboot" back? But they did, and he's even more powerful than before.

So, Frieza shouldn't have returned... but he did return and no-one would have guessed him to be the replacement of Majin Buu.

To say that DBS should focus on new characters is incorrect. That's also like saying "Vegeta shouldn't get any stronger because he's been around for too long." Piccolo's been around far longer, yet he STILL was/is deduced to being powerless against Cell, Majin Buu, and pretty much every "antagonist" in Super at this point. It's just ridiculous. Also, I don't mean any insult, but you pretty much contradicted yourself in your post; you desire to focus on new characters, but yet you also desire to focus on old things done in different ways. That's fine. It's your opinion. I just stand on my ground for Piccolo to gain a new power-up to stay caught up to the Saiyans in terms of power.

Yup, I was totally happy with where Gohan was in the Golden Freeza arc. Gohan was still strong but rightfully behind the series personalities and the display of his power was the simple, original Super Saiyan form. I do wish his fight with Shisami/Tagoma had been better animated, though. I did not like the image of seeing him back in the dougi, either. Fighting at the last second with normal clothes on is the best for Gohan, Goten and Trunks. I hated that the Tournament of Power brought back his ultimate form, too. I don't like that form. If Gohan had to be involved I would've just had him use Super Saiyan God, which can still provide a bold change in appearance while also simply being borrowed power. Ideally, I would've just replaced him with Videl so we could have more Cute Sage Mama Videl. Gohan is best just left off the battlefield as he has had his time in the limelight and adds far more variety to the cast as a non-combatant.

Freeza in the Golden Freeza arc hadn't quite been a full-on recurring character in the league of Piccolo. The use of Freeza in Dragon Ball Super has been something new and unique because Toriyama was digging up a character nobody ever thought would seriously return and then having him play a major role in the story, especially during the Tournament of Power. I was convinced that Freeza would never learn his lesson and learn to play the long game...then Episode #131 happened and blew my mind. Now Freeza is back in the game with no time limit and I can't imagine what Toriyama has in store for us. Even during the Namek arc Freeza never once had character development: he was a slithering snake...now Toriyama has broken the rules with Freeza. The future is bright.

Vegeta has a very solidly defined role in the series, he's the rival of the main character and husband of the duertagonist. I was upset that the Tournament of Power made him so much like his Artificial Humans arc self and miss the comedic straight arrow to Gokuu's warped personality that he was earlier on in the series and prior two movies. Those made for a fresh dynamic that got away from the annoying take on Vegeta for the last two arcs of the original comic and really helped define Gokuu.

If Toriyama wants to do something with Piccolo that's one thing, but to harshly push to manufacture a role for the character is the sort of overtly commercial bullshit I can't stand.

[omaro34]

This topic has been beaten to death. Speculating on something that will never happen is a waste of time.

[Muffin Man]

Piccolo's treatment after the Cell saga has always been the weirdest thing. I mean...they obviously realize he's one of the most recognizable and marketable characters. He's always been heaviliy utilized in merchandise and promotional material and whatnot, yet they do nothing with him in the actual stories. It's like for the last 20 years they've been pretending that he's still one of the major players for the sake of appealing to the general audience but for whatever reason refuse to actually make him a major player.

[PFM18]

Good ol' fashion Necro posting right here folks

[Ssjcell]

Naw, let's focus on new characters. Piccolo's had thirty years to be a 'current' character, I want to focus on something new or something old that is done in an unexpected way.

Or whatever Toriyama feels like.

So, you are basically saying DBS shouldn't have given Gohan his "reboot" back? But they did, and he's even more powerful than before.

So, Frieza shouldn't have returned... but he did return and no-one would have guessed him to be the replacement of Majin Buu.

To say that DBS should focus on new characters is incorrect. That's also like saying "Vegeta shouldn't get any stronger because he's been around for too long." Piccolo's been around far longer, yet he STILL was/is deduced to being powerless against Cell, Majin Buu, and pretty much every "antagonist" in Super at this point. It's just ridiculous. Also, I don't mean any insult, but you pretty much contradicted yourself in your post; you desire to focus on new characters, but yet you also desire to focus on old things done in different ways. That's fine. It's your opinion. I just stand on my ground for Piccolo to gain a new power-up to stay caught up to the Saiyans in terms of power.

Yup, I was totally happy with where Gohan was in the Golden Freeza arc. Gohan was still strong but rightfully behind the series personalities and the display of his power was the simple, original Super Saiyan form. I do wish his fight with Shisami/Tagoma had been better animated, though. I did not like the image of seeing him back in the dougi, either. Fighting at the last second with normal clothes on is the best for Gohan, Goten and Trunks. I hated that the Tournament of Power brought back his ultimate form, too. I don't like that form. If Gohan had to be involved I would've just had him use Super Saiyan God, which can still provide a bold change in appearance while also simply being borrowed power. Ideally, I would've just replaced him with Videl so we could have more Cute Sage Mama Videl. Gohan is best just left off the battlefield as he has had his time in the limelight and adds far more variety to the cast as a non-combatant.

Freeza in the Golden Freeza arc hadn't quite been a full-on recurring character in the league of Piccolo. The use of Freeza in Dragon Ball Super has been something new and unique because Toriyama was digging up a character nobody ever thought would seriously return and then having him play a major role in the story, especially during the Tournament of Power. I was convinced that Freeza would never learn his lesson and learn to play the long game...then Episode #131 happened and blew my mind. Now Freeza is back in the game with no time limit and I can't imagine what Toriyama has in store for us. Even during the Namek arc Freeza never once had character development: he was a slithering snake...now Toriyama has broken the rules with Freeza. The future is bright.

Vegeta has a very solidly defined role in the series, he's the rival of the main character and husband of the duertagonist. I was upset that the Tournament of Power made him so much like his Artificial Humans arc self and miss the comedic straight arrow to Gokuu's warped personality that he was earlier on in the series and prior two movies. Those made for a fresh dynamic that got away from the annoying take on Vegeta for the last two arcs of the original comic and really helped define Gokuu.

If Toriyama wants to do something with Piccolo that's one thing, but to harshly push to manufacture a role for the character is the sort of overtly commercial bullshit I can't stand.

I completely disagree about Gohan while it would have been cool to see him as ssg he can always do that later. Gohan being almost as strong as Goku and Vegeta is good in his ultimate form which dovetails I my mainpoint about piccolo and his role I agree with you that he is not gonna need a power up. First off piccolo has magnificent power now, he is anywhere from ss2 Vegeta Buu arc to ss3 Goku Buu arc. That's incredible he has come that far he in the Buu arc was like mssj goku Buu arc . Eventually he can in like 10 years be as strong as ssg goku in the bog arc. My main point about piccolo is that his role now is a fight trainer kinda like teddy atlas. He was strong enough to train Gohan to become extremly powerful , in the manga Gohan even took out kefla in his base form(my opinion) piccolo can easily in a pinch power up goten and trunks to be ss2 or ss3 each what not they can become ss3 as Gotenks they obvious have the knowledge of how to do it and experience using it. Imagine how powerful a super sayain 3 Gotenks would be if goten and trunks each have ascended to ss3 . In case of invasion of many strong advesaries ss3 trunks goten piccolo could be tier 2 while the adult sayians are tier 1 and the humans handle the rest.

[zarmack]

Super Namekian God Piccolo should be a reality. And it should be a SSB-level power-up too.