Should King Piccolo be recognized as one of classic Dragon Ball’s main villains alongside Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo?

[Jackal puFF]

He should definitely be. He was the turning point in Dragonball! A lot of death came along with him.

[TheZFighter]

Of course he should. He absolutely should be considered among the main villains.

His story was/ still is one of my favourites, and he still lives on through Piccolo.

It was a great end to the original series and set us up perfectly for Z.

[BWri]

If we’re talking about the original Dragon Ball manga, then Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo aren’t the only major villains. King Piccolo was one too (Vegeta fights on the heroic side for most of the series, so he’s not really counted here). But when most fans talk about classic Dragon Ball’s major villains, they only recognize three: Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo. Do you think King Piccolo should also be recognized, thus making it four major villains in classic Dragon Ball?

Of course! I would even put him above the likes of Cell and Buu. While I like Cell and Buu (especially Cell) their success rate and impact on the story weren't anywhere near Piccolo's. King Piccolo is still affecting the story today thanks to his offspring Piccolo and he's the only villain cruel enough to kill Shenron. That's why in my Dragon Ball reboot fanfic he's going to serve as one of Frieza's top generals along with King Vegeta.

[Rebel_Yeh]

Question for anyone that doesn't think Piccolo should be recognized as one of DB's classic villains, what could possibly stop you from doing so?

That’s what I’d like to know as well. It seems to me that the biggest reason is that some fans know DB primarily through the DBZ anime. However, it must be remembered that the founding work of the DB franchise is the original DB manga, which spans the time between when Goku meets Bulma for the first time and the time when Goku decides to train Uub. So I don’t see why King Piccolo shouldn’t be recognized as one of DB’s classic villains.

So if we use only the original DB manga as reference, we can determine who the classic villains as well as heroes are.

There are four villains. They are:

1. King Piccolo
2. Frieza
3. Cell
4. Majin Buu (bad)

There are seven heroes. You can call them “Z fighters” if you like. These seven are:

1. Goku
2. Piccolo
3. Krillin
4. Gohan
5. Vegeta
6. Majin Buu (good)
7. Mr. Satan

I would have loved to see King Piccolo and Cell in DBS, but at least Frieza and Majin Buu came back (well, part of him did).

[Robo4900]

So if we use only the original DB manga as reference, we can determine who the classic villains as well as heroes are.

There are four villains. They are:

1. King Piccolo
2. Frieza
3. Cell
4. Majin Buu (bad)

What about Tao, Blue, and Tenshinhan?

[jcogginsa]

So if we use only the original DB manga as reference, we can determine who the classic villains as well as heroes are.

There are four villains. They are:

1. King Piccolo
2. Frieza
3. Cell
4. Majin Buu (bad)

What about Tao, Blue, and Tenshinhan?

Tao and Blue aren't main villains, they're like the Ginyu Force

[ABED]

So if we use only the original DB manga as reference, we can determine who the classic villains as well as heroes are.

There are four villains. They are:

1. King Piccolo
2. Frieza
3. Cell
4. Majin Buu (bad)

What about Tao, Blue, and Tenshinhan?

I think he's talking about Big Bads. Tao and Blue are intermediate villains, like Odd Job from Goldfinger. Tenshinhan isn't a villain as much as an antagonist. And Vegeta should be on the list. Vegeta changed after the Saiyan arc, but he's definitely one of DB's big bads.

[Robo4900]

So if we use only the original DB manga as reference, we can determine who the classic villains as well as heroes are.

There are four villains. They are:

1. King Piccolo
2. Frieza
3. Cell
4. Majin Buu (bad)

What about Tao, Blue, and Tenshinhan?

I think he's talking about Big Bads. Tao and Blue are intermediate villains, like Odd Job from Goldfinger. Tenshinhan isn't a villain as much as an antagonist. And Vegeta should be on the list. Vegeta changed after the Saiyan arc, but he's definitely one of DB's big bads.

I dunno... I 100% agree about putting Vegeta on there(And I would also argue that Piccolo should just be listed as "Piccolo", given the way his reincarnation went and how that rippled into the 23rd Tenkaichi), but the thing is, Blue and Tao were the primary antagonists of the piece of the franchise they were in. They, along with Tenshinhan, were the beginning of the villain-centric storylines Dragon Ball built itself around from that point on.

Thing is, Blue and Tao aren't like the Ginyus; they aren't underlings to a bigger, badder villain, Commander Red is pretty much a wimp. It'd be like if Freeza took over from the Ginyu Force after they were defeated, but he was just another mercenary/underling, and the Freeza Forces were actually commanded by Appule or Cui.

But y'know, okay, I'm willing to surrender that Blue and Tao are ultimately just two of a revolving roster of villains of the Red Ribbon arc(Lest we forget that for a time Silver, Murasaki, etc. were each the main villain, albeit much shorter-lived than Blue or Tao), much like the various underlings of Freeza's. But, under the same logic that Vegeta should be on the list, Tehnshinhan absolutely should be. Yes, he's more of an antagonist than a villain, so is Vegeta. Both started out seemingly as kind of evil dicks who were very clearly the main antagonists of their arcs, and for a time were most definitely Goku's rival, and both ultimately showed a better nature that allowed them to grow into being one of the goodguys, fighting alongside Goku, Kuririn, and the gang. Tenshinhan was basically the prototype for the archetype both Piccolo -- though moreso in his Jr. incarnation than Daimao -- and Vegeta would undertake later on, but told on a much shorter timescale.

[ABED]

They aren't primary antagonists. They both took orders. Tao Pai Pai was a hitman hired to kill Goku, and Blue was not the leader of the organization.

Tenshinhan started out as a villain, but he doesn't qualify as a villain because he's not actually a bad guy. His change occurs in the very same arc, hence why he's an antagonist. Muten Roshi/Jackie Chun would be considered the main antagonist in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai arc, but he's not a villain. Vegeta changes, but he doesn't change in the same arc. That's the difference.

Thing is, Blue and Tao aren't like the Ginyus; they aren't underlings to a bigger, badder villain, Commander Red is pretty much a wimp.

They are still underlings or contractors to one pulling the strings. Nothing about being the villain suggests they have to be physically strong.

[Rebel_Yeh]

So if we use only the original DB manga as reference, we can determine who the classic villains as well as heroes are.

There are four villains. They are:

1. King Piccolo
2. Frieza
3. Cell
4. Majin Buu (bad)

What about Tao, Blue, and Tenshinhan?

I think he's talking about Big Bads. Tao and Blue are intermediate villains, like Odd Job from Goldfinger. Tenshinhan isn't a villain as much as an antagonist. And Vegeta should be on the list. Vegeta changed after the Saiyan arc, but he's definitely one of DB's big bads.

Vegeta would have been on the list if he was never good in the manga. The thing is that if they had to choose between listing him as a good guy or a bad guy, most fans of classic DB would list Vegeta as a good guy.

[ABED]

Vegeta would have been on the list if he was never good in the manga. The thing is that if they had to choose between listing him as a good guy or a bad guy, most fans would list Vegeta as a good guy.

Who said the characters couldn't be on both lists? Why do we have to choose? Was Vegeta not a big bad at one time?

[Robo4900]

Tenshinhan started out as a villain, but he doesn't qualify as a villain because he's not actually a bad guy.

I'll grant you the rest, but I don't really get this logic; feels like a very arbitrary line.

[KBABZ]

Tenshinhan started out as a villain, but he doesn't qualify as a villain because he's not actually a bad guy.

I'll grant you the rest, but I don't really get this logic; feels like a very arbitrary line.

I think what he's getting at is that Tien feels more like an antagonistic rival rather than a full-blown villain. IMO the real villain of that arc is Tsuru-sen'nin, and him being disposed of is due to Tenshinhan deciding to not be so antagonistic towards the Turtle School.

[Robo4900]

Tenshinhan started out as a villain, but he doesn't qualify as a villain because he's not actually a bad guy.

I'll grant you the rest, but I don't really get this logic; feels like a very arbitrary line.

I think what he's getting at is that Tien feels more like an antagonistic rival rather than a full-blown villain. IMO the real villain of that arc is Tsuru-sen'nin, and him being disposed of is due to Tenshinhan deciding to not be so antagonistic towards the Turtle School.

Yeah, but I would argue that makes him even better as a villain, and gives him even more of a right to be considered one of the classic villains alonside Piccolo, Vegeta, Freeza, Cell, and Boo.

[KBABZ]

I'll grant you the rest, but I don't really get this logic; feels like a very arbitrary line.

I think what he's getting at is that Tien feels more like an antagonistic rival rather than a full-blown villain. IMO the real villain of that arc is Tsuru-sen'nin, and him being disposed of is due to Tenshinhan deciding to not be so antagonistic towards the Turtle School.

Yeah, but I would argue that makes him even better as a villain, and gives him even more of a right to be considered one of the classic villains alonside Piccolo, Vegeta, Freeza, Cell, and Boo.

I guess. He's definitely up there in Goku's line of rivals, which include Tenshinhan himself, Piccolo Jr. (I wouldn't call Daimao a rival, personally, not at that stage) and Vegeta. I guess I feel there's a line between a rival and a villain, and while Piccolo and Vegeta are villains-turned-rivals, I never saw Tenshinhan as a proper villain for that part of the story.

[ABED]

By antagonist, I mean a character in opposition to the protagonist's goal(s). A villain is evil. Tenshinhan could've gone that way, but since he saw the light by the end of the arc, he's in the category of antagonist.

[jcogginsa]

By antagonist, I mean a character in opposition to the protagonist's goal(s). A villain is evil. Tenshinhan could've gone that way, but since he saw the light by the end of the arc, he's in the category of antagonist.

If we're talking about Antagonists, I'd say the major ones are

1. Jackie Chun
2. Commander Red
3. Tien
4. King Piccolo
5. Piccolo Jr.
6. Vegeta
7. Frieza
8. Cell
9. Majin Buu
10. Beerus
11. Hit
12. Zamasu
13. Jiren
14. Broly

[ABED]

You could arguably include Fortuneteller Baba in that list since her tournament was an obstacle in him collecting the Dragon Balls. And Pilaf should definitely be on the list of significant antagonists. He's a villain more in the comedic vein, but still a villain.

[jcogginsa]

You could arguably include Fortuneteller Baba in that list since her tournament was an obstacle in him collecting the Dragon Balls. And Pilaf should definitely be on the list of significant antagonists. He's a villain more in the comedic vein, but still a villain.

In the Manga version of the first arc, Pilaf isn't the central antagonist, he's just the last antagonist.

[ABED]

You could arguably include Fortuneteller Baba in that list since her tournament was an obstacle in him collecting the Dragon Balls. And Pilaf should definitely be on the list of significant antagonists. He's a villain more in the comedic vein, but still a villain.

In the Manga version of the first arc, Pilaf isn't the central antagonist, he's just the last antagonist.

He's not significant in terms of time, but he does very nearly succeed in killing the heroes and he came within a frog's hair of getting his wish granted, so I'd say he was a significant antagonist. Later on, he's the one that released Piccolo Daimao. I'd say he more than qualifies.