Character Development Over The Course of DBZ

[HoustonRH7]

So, I'm presenting a panel at Arkansas Anime Festival about the changes in the characters between the beginning and end of Z. I've been re-watching the series, and it strikes me that, of all the major characters, Goku seems to have the least change in character over the whole series. What are your thoughts? Mine so far:

Goku: begins the series still with much of his previous naiveté, almost none of it having been dispelled by the events of Dragonball. While certain events (his son being captured, his own death, learning of Frieza's genocide, etc) seemed to send him into a momentary stint of "adulthood", he always returned to his childish self immediately after. Even though his Super-Saiyan transformations initially seem to send him into a righteous rage, he reaches a point eventually with each transformation where he can regain his personality.

Vegeta: While he never loses his pride, he does resign himself to the fact that he will likely never be the strongest in the universe. His final battle with Goku, and the subsequent realization that Goku had been holding back during that battle seem to be what finally break him; his sacrifice to save his son (as well as his friends and family) are his redemption. Up until that point, every time he had a large power increase (after the first battle on Earth, with each power-up on Namek, and after he reaches Super-Saiyan), he would become more independent than he was before, and any headway he had made on become more selfless or team-oriented was set back.

Gohan: Remains a sort-of pacifist and incapable of consistently channeling righteous anger for power. However, he breaks free of his need for supervision, and his desire to constantly please his mother. He also seems to be far less socially awkward than his father.

Piccolo: Gains a respect for Earth, or at least some of the people who inhabit it, and becomes fiercely protective of Gohan. Most of his character development is completed by the end of the Cell arc, his merge with Kami being his final real personality change. By the Buu saga, he seems to be acutely aware of how outclassed he is in terms of power.

[Cipher]

I think this.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

I think this.

Seriously, this. The problem is that Goku is already morally superior, making the most blunt type of character change impossible.

[Herms]

I'm kind of leery of the idea of only covering character development from Raditz onward; you might as well give a talk covering only the changes everyone goes through from Cell onward. Obviously you're not going to see Goku change much if you limit yourself to the part of the story that's after Goku has already grown up, married, and had a kid.

[Kingdom Heartless]

Plus, there was a lot of character development that went on before then.

Like Bulma going from a selfish bitch to the sort of person that would travel to space to save her friends (I know that was afterward, but the character development was there).

And Tenshinhan going from a leg breaking dick to one of the most honorable warriors on the show.

And the list goes on.

[Cipher]

And Tenshinhan going from a leg breaking dick to one of the most honorable warriors on the show.

Oh, the importance of hyphens.

"A leg breaking dick": A leg that habitually breaks dicks. You're saying Tenshinhan was once a limb who went around snapping penises in two.

"A leg-breaking dick": A dick who breaks legs. I'm pretty sure this is what you were going for.

[Kingdom Heartless]

And Tenshinhan going from a leg breaking dick to one of the most honorable warriors on the show.

Oh, the importance of hyphens.

"A leg breaking dick": A leg that habitually breaks dicks. You're saying Tenshinhan was once a limb who went around snapping penises in two.

"A leg-breaking dick": A dick who breaks legs. I'm pretty sure this is what you were going for.

How can you be certain, though?

[Fox666]

I remember seeing some girls at school breaking dicks with their legs

[Piccolo Daimao]

And Tenshinhan going from a leg breaking dick to one of the most honorable warriors on the show.

Oh, the importance of hyphens.

"A leg breaking dick": A leg that habitually breaks dicks. You're saying Tenshinhan was once a limb who went around snapping penises in two.

"A leg-breaking dick": A dick who breaks legs. I'm pretty sure this is what you were going for.

I would so sig this if I wasn't attached to my "favourites" signature.

[Kid Buu]

Yamcha had the most development.

In the beginning, he thought he was the shit.

In the end, he realized he was shit.

Nah, just messing with you, Yamcha's cool.

[Deep Thought]

There's a lack of strong character development in Dragon Ball. The only really interesting aspect of character development in Dragon Ball is the fact that every single character in the crew was, at one point, "evil," save for Goku (although one could argue that he was evil in his infancy, but I don't count that). "Evil" in this case can range from "asshole" to "destructively chaotic beast." In the beginning of the series, Bulma was completely selfish, uncaring about anyone else (She couldn't give less of a shit about what happened to Goku or Oolong) unless they hindered her agenda in any way. However, by the end of the Dragon Ball hunt, she's definitely opened up more. The change in her character is small, but I definitely think she became less of an asshole. This "evil to good" trait is present in all the characters. Kurrin (like Bulma) was unbelievably selfish and deceptive, but he turns into a decent and kind person, Yamcha was a bandit who mugged people at gunpoint, Tenshinhan was an assassin in training, Piccolo was a mass-murdering demon and Vegeta was a genocidal monster who was the most self-motivated character in the series besides maybe Freeza. This is even applicable to minor characters (the Ox King comes immediately to mind).

Besides that cliche evil to good thing present in all characters, is there any real character development in the series? Not really.

Goku remains a naive child even when he is an adult. Some people argue that kid Goku never took anything seriously, whereas adult Goku took his fights much more seriously, but I don't buy that. Kid Goku could get serious, it was just rare (the mugging prior to Bulma's house, Piccolo Daimao). Some people also argue that kid Goku was quicker to kill people in battle, but there are things to suggest that that is wrong too. Goku (the adult Goku) killed Yakon and Buu as quickly as he was able (Buu he didn't have a choice, but for Yakon, he certainly did), and he wanted Gohan to kill Cell. The only time he showed mercy was during the Namek Arc, and I think that was a byproduct of his disgust towards his Sayajin roots, since he wanted to distance himself from that as much as possible.

Gohan doesn't really change much at all. He remains a cute, innocuous child who doesn't really want to be involved in fighting who has anger issues. The contrast between his anger and his unwillingness to fight is interesting, but that internal conflict is never really resolved. I guess he becomes calmer in the Buu Arc, but his anger is still present and it's never resolved. It just.... vanishes.

Piccolo also suffers from a lack of character development, besides the aforementioned overnight change from evil to good. After that event, he pretty much remains the same, a good guy with a gruff personality and one of the wisest characters in the series. His merging with Nail and Kami does nothing to change his character, he only gives slight indications of his change in personally. Then again, Nail never had much of a personality, he was pretty much Piccolo on Namek until Piccolo got revived. Still though, for Kami, I expected something more. There was a slight hint that Piccolo would be different in personality, but after his battle with first form Cell, it prompt disappears. He seems to have a closer connection to the afterlife and a greater interest in Kami's lookout (he pretty much lives there after the merge), but that is more of an interesting ability acquired and a change in taste rather than a personally change.

Vegeta is usually the character that everyone cites as a prime example of character development. However, I never understood that argument as well. Vegeta simply flip-flops from good to evil too much to be a believable character. Observe;

---- Namek Arc ----

Vegeta (dying, with tears in his eyes); Kakarot, you're the legend! You are a Super Sayajin, and only you can defeat Freeza! You are the avenger our fallen race. Freeza, you're finished! *dies*

Vegeta (revived); WHAT? KAKAROT IS A SUPER SAYAJIN, AND HE DEFEATED FREEZA? I'LL KILL HIM IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!

---- Cell Arc ----

Vegeta (end of the Cell battle); Damn it! Even Kakarot's son surpassed me. Maybe I should just throw in the towel and stop trying to surpass my rival, since it clearly hasn't worked, and I almost just get in the way now.

*seven years later*

Vegeta: Hah! I bet I can beat that pansy Kakarot now, because I know I can kick his son's ass! I've been training for seven years to do this.

---- Buu Arc ----

Vegeta: I've regressed back to my evil self due to character-induced stupidity. I'll cause wanton destruction and accelerate the growth of Majin Buu.

Vegeta: I'm no longer having my period, so I'm noble now. BOOM!

---- End of the Series ----

Vegeta: I've finally acknowledged that Kakarot is a better man than I could every hope to become. It's sad to admit it, but I finally di-

Vegeta (Kanezban Edition): Heh, someday I will beat you.

Vegeta develops, but he also regresses. His "development" is pretty much an endless cycle of development and regression.

Tenshinhan, Kurrin, and Yamcha besides their initial conversion from "bad" to good, are also largely the same, but that's mostly because they don't get enough screen time. Every other character is either a two-dimensional villian, or they don't get enough screen time (ex. Chi-Chi), or they weren't around long enough (ex. Goten).

I rest my case.

[Rocketman]

Vegeta is the only character with any development that's not entirely magically or friendship (ie, ~*magic*~ for the purposes of anime) induced.

It's not great because his plotline keeps getting wrapped up as part of the ending then WHOOPS gotta continue the series *resets Vegeta*, but it's pretty much the only one.

[Kingdom Heartless]

And Tenshinhan going from a leg breaking dick to one of the most honorable warriors on the show.

Oh, the importance of hyphens.

"A leg breaking dick": A leg that habitually breaks dicks. You're saying Tenshinhan was once a limb who went around snapping penises in two.

"A leg-breaking dick": A dick who breaks legs. I'm pretty sure this is what you were going for.

How can you be certain, though?

See! He totally is!





...cut me some slack, I'm an amateur.

[Michsi]

Piccolo also suffers from a lack of character development, besides the aforementioned overnight change from evil to good. After that event, he pretty much remains the same, a good guy with a gruff personality and one of the wisest characters in the series. His merging with Nail and Kami does nothing to change his character, he only gives slight indications of his change in personally. Then again, Nail never had much of a personality, he was pretty much Piccolo on Namek until Piccolo got revived. Still though, for Kami, I expected something more. There was a slight hint that Piccolo would be different in personality, but after his battle with first form Cell, it prompt disappears. He seems to have a closer connection to the afterlife and a greater interest in Kami's lookout (he pretty much lives there after the merge), but that is more of an interesting ability acquired and a change in taste rather than a personally change.

I disagree. There is no way you can look at Piccolo from his first appearance in the story to the end of DB and say there is almost no character development. I won't deny that Piccolo's heel face turn is a bit sudden ( especially in the manga )but we got hints throughout the saiyan saga that he was never the villain his father was.Compared to Vegeta I got the feeling that deep down he wanted to change.
His statement before he leaves Gohan to train "if you want to complain , curse your fate, as do I" " <- shows that he was never that happy with the mission his father had "cursed" him with. Also from Gohan we find out that Goku also noticed he was less evil.

Also I believe there is important character development after he became a good guy.

There was a slight hint that Piccolo would be different in personality, but after his battle with first form Cell, it prompt disappears
Highly disagree. His Buu Saga persona is highly "Kami-fied", and it goes beyond "the lookout" and "interest in the afterlife"
The first time he merged with Nail the power he received made him a little over confident against Frieza.
His second Fusion with Kami, that gave him the highest power up he ever experienced, he never revels in the fact that he just became the strongest out of all of them even encourages the saiyans to find a way to get even stronger. He only retains his old personality until the end of the Cell Saga , but in the Buu Saga he is almosta completely different character compared to his 23 Tournament version. There is an entire thread about his change in character in Buu Saga.

I'd even argue that he has more character development than Vegeta. Vegeta switches teams , but doesn't change much personality wise. It just takes longer for him to become a permanent member of the good guy side, but he stays pretty much the same.

Goku remains a naive child even when he is an adult. Some people argue that kid Goku never took anything seriously, whereas adult Goku took his fights much more seriously, but I don't buy that. Kid Goku could get serious, it was just rare (the mugging prior to Bulma's house, Piccolo Daimao). Some people also argue that kid Goku was quicker to kill people in battle, but there are things to suggest that that is wrong too. Goku (the adult Goku) killed Yakon and Buu as quickly as he was able (Buu he didn't have a choice, but for Yakon, he certainly did), and he wanted Gohan to kill Cell. The only time he showed mercy was during the Namek Arc, and I think that was a byproduct of his disgust towards his Sayajin roots, since he wanted to distance himself from that as much as possible.

I know that this has been mentioned before but for Goku I highly recommend this thread http://daizex.fanboyreview.net/viewtopi ... =7&t=16121 especially for the last part of your post.



Gohan has substantial character development , albeit off screen. Sometimes I think that his kid version and his teen age version are two completely different characters.

[Eire]

Vegeta develops, but he also regresses. His "development" is pretty much an endless cycle of development and regression.

I'd use magic world "circumstances". While we are in the bottom of the worst nightmare we tend to act strange and reveal the hidden emotions. When everything is over and calm down we usually regret that and behave as usual.