When did Piccolo become a “Warrior Type” Namekian

[MasenkoHA]

*insert misguided DBZA joke about how are Piccolo and Kami different types if they came from the same Namekian


The Great Elder recognizes the Nameless Namekian as a Dragon type Namekian and by extension we know Kami-sama was one and it’s safe to assume the original Piccolo Daimao was a demonic perversion of a dragon type Namekian which is why he could create mutated Mazoku children.

But the reborn Piccolo? The first time he’s identified as a Warrior type is by Dende, conveniently after he had fused with Nail. Did merging with Nail turn Piccolo into a warrior type or was he was always born as one? We know he was more of a true Namekian than the original and he never displayed dragon type abilities but he also seemed really weak compared to other warrior types.

[Kamiccolo9]

*insert misguided DBZA joke about how are Piccolo and Kami different types if they came from the same Namekian


The Great Elder recognizes the Nameless Namekian as a Dragon type Namekian and by extension we know Kami-sama was one and it’s safe to assume the original Piccolo Daimao was a demonic perversion of a dragon type Namekian which is why he could create mutated Mazoku children.

But the reborn Piccolo? The first time he’s identified as a Warrior type is by Dende, conveniently after he had fused with Nail. Did merging with Nail turn Piccolo into a warrior type or was he was always born as one? We know he was more of a true Namekian than the original and he never displayed dragon type abilities but he also seemed really weak compared to other warrior types.

I had always assumed that him making Gohan's clothes and sword, and later Gohan's Cell Games outfit was a display of Dragon-Clan magic, tbh.

[Kaboom]

I would bet that Toriyama didn't even consider a clear division between Warrior-types and Dragon-types at all until when he introduced Nail as Planet Namek's only Warrior-type, at the latest. He probably decided to establish Piccolo as one too around the same time, and before that it was probably just kind of nebulous by virtue of... well, not being defined yet.

But later on, when Piccolo and Kami are about to re-merge, the latter informs us and the former that all the merger will grant him is power and knowledge. So mentally Piccolo was different now, but physiologically he'd be unchanged. If the same holds true for the merger with Nail, and Piccolo wasn't already a Warrior-type, then he wouldn't have just suddenly become one afterwards.

So all things considered, if the Warrior and Dragon distinction is really meant to be a biological difference like various secondary sources imply it is, then Piccolo Jr really should just be a Warrior-type from the beginning. It's all pretty retroactive logic, working backwards from stuff we're told later because it wasn't established up front earlier... but that's true for a lot of things in Dragon Ball. And it's the simplest answer too.

[GreatSaiyaman123]

I think it's stated in guidebooks that two Namekians can only fuse if they're the same type, with Piccolo and Kami being an exception since they're the same being. That means Piccolo was always a warrior type, and it makes sense because he's supposed to be stronger than Piccolo.

[Koitsukai]

Even though he looks like a proper adult, isn't Piccolo like 10 years old by then time he sets foot on Namek?
We don't know how old Nail, Slug or the others were, maybe they were pushing 100. Maybe Piccolo is not that weak for a 10 year old namekian missing his better half.

The distinction between namekian types also feels kind of flawed, Kami wasn't ever a full person, not even one from the dragon clan and still managed to create a set of dragon balls that might offer less wishes than others, but were still a damn good set.
I wonder if that means Dende could, in turn, hit the ROSAT and become a not-so-great-yet-decent warrior.

[DanielSSJ]

We didn't get the exact terminology yet, but Piccolo claims his specialty is combat as opposed to sorcery way back in the Saiyan arc when Vegeta assumed he was the one who created the Dragon Balls, so the idea of there being two types of Namekians seems to have already been in play on some level from the start, even if it wasn't clear at the time if the distinction was innate to their biology or not.

Regarding his battle power at the time, I kinda just think that's just part of the level of opponents on Earth not being enough to push him to realizing his full potential, just like with Goku. By the time of his death, Piccolo was average-to-below average compared to a homegrown Namekian, but nearly from birth he already was vastly stronger than either Kami or the original Piccolo.

The distinction between namekian types also feels kind of flawed, Kami wasn't ever a full person, not even one from the dragon clan and still managed to create a set of dragon balls that might offer less wishes than others, but were still a damn good set.
I wonder if that means Dende could, in turn, hit the ROSAT and become a not-so-great-yet-decent warrior.

I'm not sure what you mean here. The Namekian Kami used to be is identified by the Grand Elder to have been a prodigy of the Dragon Clan. That explicitly accounts for his ability to make Dragon Balls.

Regarding Dende's warrior potential, considering that Kami was the strongest martial artist on Earth before Goku and Piccolo Jr came around, and that every person on Namek besides Nail is supposed to be of the Dragon Clan, he shouldn't be hopeless if he put in the effort (jumping straight into the Room of Spirit and Time probably wouldn't end well, though)

[Koitsukai]

I'm not sure what you mean here. The Namekian Kami used to be is identified by the Grand Elder to have been a prodigy of the Dragon Clan. That explicitly accounts for his ability to make Dragon Balls.

Regarding Dende's warrior potential, considering that Kami was the strongest martial artist on Earth before Goku and Piccolo Jr came around, and that every person on Namek besides Nail is supposed to be of the Dragon Clan, he shouldn't be hopeless if he put in the effort (jumping straight into the Room of Spirit and Time probably wouldn't end well, though)

Oh right, I forgot that about Kami, thanks.

I meant that if the Nameless Namekian was of the Dragon Clan, and he split and produced another entity that ended up being of the warrior type, then dragons and warriors must coexist within every Namekian.
After Piccolo and Kami become one again, the Nameless Namekian + Nail (who only provided power) still remains a warrior type.

That makes me think of it more as a craft rather than a biological trait set in stone. It’s like you could be born as part of the dragon clan but still become a warrior later on, it’s not something that’s beyond your capacity. I mean, you’re not born a scientist or a soldier. You might be born into a family that favors one of those paths, but you’re not biologically locked into it.

[Kaboom]

It wasn't the good-evil split that produced a Warrior-type, since King Piccolo was capable of spawning children by spitting up eggs, something that's been labeled specifically as a Dragon-type ability. Which makes sense as he was basically just Kami's evil clone. But then Dragon-types would obviously be capable of spawning kids of either type, which is where Warrior-types actually come from.

And from how many times we've been plainly told Warrior-types can't do certain things, it seems obvious to me that they really are meant to be fundamental biological differences, like the closest thing Namekians have to two different sexes. Dragon-types are the ones that can heal others, reproduce via eggs, and make Dragon Balls. Warrior-types can't do any of those things, but in exchange are born capable of growing way stronger.

[MasenkoHA]

I would bet that Toriyama didn't even consider a clear division between Warrior-types and Dragon-types at all until when he introduced Nail as Planet Namek's only Warrior-type, at the latest. He probably decided to establish rPiccolo as one too around the same time, and before that it was probably just kind of nebulous by virtue of... well, not being defined yet.

The Nameks that came to defend Mori’s village and initially hid their battle powers were also Warrior-types.

[Kaboom]

The Nameks that came to defend Mori’s village and initially hid their battle powers were also Warrior-types.

Nothing said they were, not in the original manga anyway. The anime added three extra, weaker-than-Nail Warrior-types who showed up at the Grand Elder's place later and tried to fight Freeza, are they who you're thinking of?

[MasenkoHA]

The Nameks that came to defend Mori’s village and initially hid their battle powers were also Warrior-types.

Nothing said they were, not in the original manga anyway. The anime added three extra, weaker-than-Nail Warrior-types who showed up at the Grand Elder's place later and tried to fight Freeza, are they who you're thinking of?

No, I’m referring to the ones that show up to defend Mori’s village, demonstrate they can suppress their ki and then defeat some of the lower level Freeza soldiers. They’re clearly warrior type Namekians and I don’t think we need our hands held to be told this obvious bit of info.

[DanielSSJ]

No, I’m referring to the ones that show up to defend Mori’s village, demonstrate they can suppress their ki and then defeat some of the lower level Freeza soldiers. They’re clearly warrior type Namekians and I don’t think we need our hands held to be told this obvious bit of info.

Chapter: 285 (DBZ 91), P14.2
Context: talking to Freeza
Great Elder: “Nail won’t be as easy to defeat as you imagine…He’s the only Warrior-type Namekian on this planet. Things won’t go as they have with the Namekians you people have killed.”

Except that the Grand Elder directly says that Nail is the only Warrior-type on the planet. He's also so shocked that a prodigy of the Dragon Clan like the son of Katatz could've lost to a Saiyan that he assumed it must've been a Super Saiyan. Clearly, beating up Freeza's low level grunts does not necessitate Warrior-type pedigree.

[Saturnine]

I would bet that Toriyama didn't even consider a clear division between Warrior-types and Dragon-types at all until when he introduced Nail as Planet Namek's only Warrior-type, at the latest. He probably decided to establish Piccolo as one too around the same time, and before that it was probably just kind of nebulous by virtue of... well, not being defined yet.

I believe I read somewhere that the distinction between Nail and the weaker fighters were that he was a "Warrior" type, and they were "Fighter" types. Kinda the same thing, but different magnitude. It's like Guru hit a top roll when he spit out Nail's egg or something.