The Reintroduction of Master Roshi.

[LightBing]

Recently Master Roshi has been brought back from retirement. First in the RoF movie/arc and now based on the promotional material for the next arc.
This makes him the only character to ever return after being sidelined to a minor role(non-fighter).

Why do you think this is? It's quite peculiar. Specially since Master Roshi decided to step down and make way for the new generations. One of the best, if not the best writing that justified a reduced role for a character. It's was organic and concluded his character main motivation throughout his relevance.

Could Mr.Toriyama be making a parallel between himself and the character, either consciously or unconsciously, about the return to the series? Now that he can also be considered an old man.
Or maybe it's a newfound love for the character?

[precita]

I like Roshi, but honestly it doesn't make any sense. He's weaker than King Piccolo in Dragonball for goodness sakes. Let's assume he got stronger...I can't see him being any more powerful than Radditz if we're being generous. And he's likely still weaker than Radditz.

Roshi beating Freeza's weak henchmen was ok and believeable, but I can't see how he'd do in a fight against trained warriors from other universes. This is a guy who took 50 years to master the Kamehameha wave...something even Krillin and Yamcha learn easily.

[Ki Breaker]

It could be some meaning which we figure out long after super ends..
He could be brought back because the newer generation is relying too much on power, he could have been disappointed at how loosely his students except goku took their martial arts training, some even left it.. hence his comment to gohan " have you been keeping up with your training at all?! "
He returned to show if you walk the Path of martial arts, you should follow always

[VegettoEX]

I'm not one to get up in arms about strength debates, but I do hope Toriyama has something interesting planned for the old guy. Maybe one team member is relegated to coach? Maybe there are tests of intellect and spiritual competence beforehand?

I want to be surprised and entertained! He's a wonderfully deep character, and there's a lot that can be done with him in this kind of situation. Here's hoping...!

[SaintEvolution]

Roshi is weaker than Chiaotzu, Yamcha and even Yajirobe. Isn't a good thing to me.

[Boo Machine]

I missed the old guy being involved. I know that in later years he was just a bag of pervy jokes. But in early Dragonball he was such a great character. Hopefully we can see some of that here as well. Heck I think his speech to Krillin when fighting the Freeza soldiers was a pretty good example of him being good. He can still be the mentor.

[successoroffate]

He should get another shot in Super. One can only hope.

[Lord Beerus]

I love that Master Roshi has made the comeback that he has. I'd love to see a mini-arc focused on him digging through the archives of his previous teachings from his young days under the tutelage of Mutaito, and in the process he create new ways to become stronger as well as decide to try out some previously never experimented on technique dangerous but also extremely effective moves so that he can keep up in the tournament all the strongest foes. And when he loses his match , he gains the respects of the some of the strongest warriors from all other other universes and they suddenly want to be his students. Then at that moment, he becomes inspired to become a teacher in marital arts once more and restarts his Turtle School with his newly gained pupils.

...A man can dream.

[ChronoTwigger]

Roshi could perfectly fit a gag fight.
He could do silly things and tricks out of nowhere.
Of course people here think of a great battle feast, but due to power level things and how Super was so far, we could expect any kind of situations.
Like Krillin and Piccolo in a cabbage harvest challenge, a 2 vs 2 challenge with 17 and 18, an eating contest for Buu and whatever.
So Roshi could perfectly fit the concept even if not a strict powerhouse. He's perfect for that.

..of course I'll be wrong, but sound plausible.

[Dbzfan94]

Roshi could perfectly fit a gag fight.

Cliche as it may be, I'd love to see a gag fight where Roshi fights a hot girl from another universe and can't fight properly at first cause hes too busy perving out

[ChronoTwigger]

Roshi could perfectly fit a gag fight.

Cliche as it may be, I'd love to see a gag fight where Roshi fights a hot girl from another universe and can't fight properly at first cause hes too busy perving out

And late finding that this alien specie was instead polymorph and ugly... and go berserk with that XD.

[Bulma's Foot Masseur]

I like it. Other characters are getting nonsensical power-ups without explanation so why not the trainer of multiple Z-fighters?

Maybe the "normal" characters were just lazy all along and seeing Super Saiyan God inspired them.

[floofychan333]

I've always liked Roshi because of his heroic actions in the Piccolo arc and his role as Goku's first master will always be important. I'm glad to see him come back, but all I can say is if he has any hope of surviving this tournament I hope he was secretly training all these years or he was holding back his power against King Piccolo.

[Dbzfan94]

Roshi could perfectly fit a gag fight.

Cliche as it may be, I'd love to see a gag fight where Roshi fights a hot girl from another universe and can't fight properly at first cause hes too busy perving out

And late finding that this alien specie was instead polymorph and ugly... and go berserk with that XD.

Kinda like Zarbon except a girl.

[SaiyanGod117]

I can't see a reason for him to comeback, it would have been better scavenging around Universe 7 to get better fighter. He's highly skilled, but incredibly weak, so he was probably brought back for fan service. The man is hundreds of year old though he probably has some secrets up his sleeve..hopefully.

[Robo4900]

I want to be surprised and entertained! He's a wonderfully deep character, and there's a lot that can be done with him in this kind of situation. Here's hoping...!

Agreed.

Growing up, Roshi was always a favourite; he could be funny and silly(Jackie Chun, accidentally destroying an entire mountain, getting Goku and Krillin to find Lunch), but he could be serious and sagely(Jackie Chun vs. Goku, the first Kamehameha, a huge chunk of the training part of the first tournament arc, most of his role in the King Piccolo arc, his speech to Goku after the first tournament), and whichever he was, it was absolutely believable as two sides of the same man.

Whatever they do with him, I'd like to see him not just be a gag character, as much as that side of him is funny.

[TheGreatness25]

Roshi is really getting more involved in the next arc? I can't say that he's my first pick out of all of the characters... especially since in Dragon Ball, he conceded to the fact that he was weaker than Tenshinhan at the time (how strong could he have possibly been?). I'd rather another character get shine like Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Kuririn, Yamucha, um Gohan, Goten, Trunks? But hey, at least it's some sort of progress.

[Ki Breaker]

Roshi could perfectly fit a gag fight.

Cliche as it may be, I'd love to see a gag fight where Roshi fights a hot girl from another universe and can't fight properly at first cause hes too busy perving out

And late finding that this alien specie was instead polymorph and ugly... and go berserk with that XD.

Or finding out the she was a he all along

[LightBing]

Nobody has any theories why it's Master Roshi in particular? We can all agree there are better suited characters, if his intention was to bring back into the spotlight a character who was there before.

It could be some meaning which we figure out long after super ends..
He could be brought back because the newer generation is relying too much on power, he could have been disappointed at how loosely his students except goku took their martial arts training, some even left it.. hence his comment to gohan " have you been keeping up with your training at all?! "
He returned to show if you walk the Path of martial arts, you should follow always

I wonder. He retired from fighting before training Goku and Kuririn. It would be a little hypocritical of him, people do change thou.

I love that Master Roshi has made the comeback that he has. I'd love to see a mini-arc focused on him digging through the archives of his previous teachings from his young days under the tutelage of Mutaito, and in the process he create new ways to become stronger as well as decide to try out some previously never experimented on technique dangerous but also extremely effective moves so that he can keep up in the tournament all the strongest foes. And when he loses his match , he gains the respects of the some of the strongest warriors from all other other universes and they suddenly want to be his students. Then at that moment, he becomes inspired to become a teacher in marital arts once more and restarts his Turtle School with his newly gained pupils.

...A man can dream.

Maybe it's not that much of dream.
Although the majority of people thought Piccolo's participation in the U6 tournament was an humiliation, I think Mr.Toriyama made an effort to show the merits of the character.
He went head-to-head with someone much stronger than him, after everyone told him he had no chance and he pulled it off! Since Frost had to use the poison. Look at the whole manga, if someone is weaker they lose handily or pull a transformation out of their ass. Piccolo basically broke a taboo.
Hopefully this the direction instead of what happened with Mr.Boo...

[Ki Breaker]

Nobody has any theories why it's Master Roshi in particular? We can all agree there are better suited characters, if his intention was to bring back into the spotlight a character who was there before.

I got one, toriyama sees how toie takes his story and reduces it to super strong people fight by regular punches and kicks, no martial arts involved even in the slightest..
Roshi is not strong, can't show him puch other guy to oblivion , they are now forced to look up real skills a marital artist possess to have him fight in the tournament, which in turn I'll elevate their knowledge and most future fights will have real martial arts..
It's all a plan!