I'm glad you mentioned that aspect of Moro's character. At least until the fight against Vegeta on Earth, I really appreciated the way Moro approached most situations. He is probably the most cautious opponent Dragon Ball has had in a long time. You have cited most instances in which this occurred, but in fact even in situations where he was stronger than the enemy or in a position of advantage he remained cautious enough not to let the situation take an unfavorable turn.Magnificent Ponta wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:08 am [*] Moro always seems intent on having some sort of back-up plan or cautious, hidden approach (artistically pointed up by his serpentine eyes), despite the very straightforward goals he has - or, as Goku puts it in 超 #65, he's "a sneaky coward". He hides his "true intent" of devouring Vegeta and Goku's power in the first battle, slowly whittling their power away in 超 #45; he also keeps the fact he has another wish secret until his first is granted, and doesn't reveal its contents until it's too late and his convict allies have arrived (超 #48-50). He lets his pawns do the fighting in 超 #50, siphoning energy from Vegeta and Goku and gifting it to his goons, and he uses the abilities of one particular goon (OG73-I) to "create a complete back-up" of himself in case things go wrong (as they do, in 超 #61), which enables him to gain the upper hand once again. But in battle, his approach is rarely straightforward: He waits for Goku to wear himself out in the first phase of their battle (超 #59), and then when he sees the full extent of Goku's power, says simply he "approached you too cautiously" (超 #60). Even though he is confident Dende poses no threat, he makes sure by sealing off the battlefield with a barrier (超 #62). Once Goku attains True Ultra Instinct, however, there aren't any obvious ploys left - only fear (超 #64)
To be specific, when he noticed the development of Vegeta in Yardrat, immediately expanding his hunt for planets with good quality energy so that he could test his limits and become even stronger for the confrontation with him (different than Cell did when creating Cell games and allowing the Z Fighters to improve without worry, for example). Or when he bargained with his full power to force Goku to show the extent of his powers and consequently the weaknesses of his form (UI sign), leaving Moro in an even more comfortable position in the fight (and as attested in chapter 60, all this time Moro was already stronger than Goku when it came to battle power, but he approached the situation in a way that he didn’t take any unnecessary risks).
Although I think that in the arc's climax, the "Moro turns the tables" factor has been played too many times, it seems fitting that Goku has called him the toughest opponent he has ever faced considering his resilience
I agree, however I must say that youth Moro's design grew on me during the arc. While his old state may seem more threatening, at the same time it conveyed the feeling of a decrepit state and far from his peak.Magnificent Ponta wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:08 am While the restoration of power and the restoration of youth for Moro takes its cue from his inspiration, Piccolo Daimao, and is intelligible to this extent, I wave a reluctant goodbye to the original, ancient goat depiction of Moro. There's something increasingly insipid and less threatening about the youthful and buff Moro when compared with his craggy elderly counterpart, and I feel like this wasn't really a necessary change, either, given his nimbleness and ability to mix in physical as well as magical attacks, though I suppose it was natural enough.[/list]
Considering the powerhouse he became at the end of the arc, I don't know if this design would work. Youth Moro's design represents vitality and power of someone who has finally returned to his best.In short, it works for me
Great analysis. Particularly, I would say that his absorption, which served the plot and Goku / Vegeta's character arcs very well (their search for ways to combat this technique without using traditional raw strength was refreshing) and some personality traits like good analytical abilities and a more cautious approach to heroes make him a notable addition to the Dragon Ball gallery, but Moro really needed his character to be more fleshed out.Magnificent Ponta wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:08 am So, that's what I get of Moro's character. He's a thief to the end, and that (his incorrigibility), mixed with his compulsion to devour and predate on others (his insatiableness), overrides his natural serpentine caution and cunning to steal things he can't handle, hastening his own end.
It's not a problem that he is more straightfoward and more like a traditional DB villain, but he just seems to be missing something. Which leads me to ask, what do you guys think of Toyo's portrait of villains? They have well-established themes that connect to the heroes' character arcs and the themes of the arc itself, but there seems to be something missing compared to the villains of the original DB