About the final arc in Dragonball GT

[Don_Dan]

Okay this is what I don't get. I really don't have any problem with that arc since to me it was one of the more enjoyable ones of GT. But there is something bothering me about it. The Supreme Kai states that the dragon balls were only supposed to be used 1 or so every hundred years so that the negative energy wouldn't be a problem. So I'm guessing it was supposed to be such a rare sight to have your wish granted by the dragon balls. My question is, why didn't Kami himself warn the Z Fighters and everyone else that using the dragon balls too much would be trouble in the end.

I mean you would think the creator of the balls would have to know everything about them so....

DISCUSS!

[Bussani]

We can explain Kami not thinking of it easily enough: he didn't even remember his own name. It's conceivable that he just didn't know. After all, he didn't invent dragon balls--they'd existed on Namek for millions of years, and he just made some from a vague memory or something. And actually, when you think of it that way, it could just be that no Namekians from the current generation ever thought about such a problem. After all, before Bulma came along with her radar, the dragon balls were apparently used very rarely.

[Hellspawn28]

Just like Bussani said. The chances are that we forgot about the negative energy inside of the dragon balls, and not to mention its possible that the Namek dragon balls have negative energy inside of them as well. I doubt the Elder Namek knew about this as well.

[Cipher]

I use a computer everyday, but I don't necessarily understand how it works. Capiche?

[Super Vegito]

I use a computer everyday, but I don't necessarily understand how it works. Capiche?

That really isn't a good analogy.

Kami created a set of Dragon Balls for Earth. I doubt you created (not build, create) that computer you're using. It only makes sense Kami would know something about the Dragon Balls, other than just being able to grant wishes.

But I believe the whole evil energy thing was just made up on the spot, for the sake of the storyline. Nothing else to it.

[Rocketman]

Remember, they revamped the Dragonballs after Kami fused with Piccolo. They started getting two or three wishes at a time instead of one, then a years' cooldown.

[Bussani]

That really isn't a good analogy.

Kami created a set of Dragon Balls for Earth. I doubt you created (not build, create) that computer you're using. It only makes sense Kami would know something about the Dragon Balls, other than just being able to grant wishes.

Kami didn't invent dragon balls, though. The earth ones are described by the Daizenshuu as "copies" of the original Namekian ones, and Kami theorizes that he created them from some sort of racial memory when he first learns that he's an alien. Besides that, after 75 million years* of passing the dragon balls down, it makes sense that small, seemingly unimportant details would be overlooked. They might even know about the negative energy, but not conceive that it could become such a problem. Maybe the first Namekian to create dragon balls might have considered it, but that was a long time ago.

*We know the dragon balls have been around that long on Namek, since Elder Kaioshin warned the Namekians about misusing them before he was sealed 75 million years before the manga.

[Cipher]

Kami created a set of Dragon Balls for Earth. I doubt you created (not build, create) that computer you're using. It only makes sense Kami would know something about the Dragon Balls, other than just being able to grant wishes.

But I believe the whole evil energy thing was just made up on the spot, for the sake of the storyline. Nothing else to it.

Yep, what Bussani said. When Kami talks about creating the Dragon Balls, he describes it as something nostalgic and instinctual. He obviously doesn't have a firm grasp on how they work. Most Nameks probably don't either, because they were gathered so infrequently in the first place.

A better analogy:

For hundreds of years, people have known how to grow, cure, and smoke tobacco. But that didn't mean they were aware of its cancerous effects. There's simply no reason that Kami would have to have known all the ins and outs of the Dragon Balls in order to create them.

[Super Vegito]

I stand corrected then. Always good to learn something new, that's what it's all about.

[NUDEoctopus]

In all seriousness, Kami never said anything before because they didn't make up that plot point until later. But that answer is no fun, so I'll just agree with everyone and say its because he didn't know, or forgot, or whatever.

[CODii]

A better analogy:

For hundreds of years, people have known how to grow, cure, and smoke tobacco. But that didn't mean they were aware of its cancerous effects.

Much better analogy that your computer analogy. Just because you make something, it doesn't mean you fully understand it.

[DNA]

Besides that, after 75 million years* of passing the dragon balls down, it makes sense that small, seemingly unimportant details would be overlooked. They might even know about the negative energy, but not conceive that it could become such a problem. Maybe the first Namekian to create dragon balls might have considered it, but that was a long time ago.

First creator of the Dragon Balls: "Oh, hey, here's these things, they summon a dragon that grant wishes, I call them "Dragon Balls" *snickers*"

Nameks: "That seems pretty neat, is there any cons to it?"

FcDB: "Nah... well, there's this thing that if you ask for too many wishes in a short period of time they accumulate negative energy until they overload and A DEMON DRAGON APPEARS AND DESTROYS THE UNIVERSE. But that's just a minor thing, don't worry about it."

Nameks: "Oukai ^_________^"

[cpd12589]

Yeah just like everyone's been saying Kami or Nameless Namek rather didn't remember anything about his past so he definitely wouldn't have known about the negative effects of the Dragon Balls. Kami even said himself the reason he created the Dragon Balls is it was something inside of him that called out to him to do. After he created them he felt like he had reached home or a part of home had reached him. It was basically instinct, he really didn't know why he did it.

[TheGreatness25]

Well the true answer is that Toei needed a final arc, decided this was a fitting end, and just... made that up on the spot to justify what's happened. But if we want to look for an in-story explanation, I think a good one would be that the Dragon Balls were used properly until Goku's adventures began. But then Kami would have to deny the use of the Dragon Balls in dire situations. Wishing heroes back to life was the primary focus of the wishes in Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z, so that's kind of a situation where Kami wouldn't just say, "No, no. Forget your friend, who died defending this planet."

Or it could be that the original Kami did not know. He created the Dragon Balls out of instinct. Maybe he knew nothing about them. Perhaps Dende, who has been raised as a member of the "Dragon Clan" or whatever they call them, knows more than the old Kami.