Why are Yamcha and Tenshinhan only in Movies 3 and 9?

[JulieYBM]

I imagine that they were not included due to there being limited time for characters to be in movies and because they upset the cast balance.

Son Gokuu: Hero
Son Gohan: Hero's Son
Piccolo: Hero's Son's Mentor
Kuririn: Hero's Friend
Vegeta: Hero's Rival
Blooma: Support Character

It's a winning formula for something that had to be churned out twice a year.

[Israelite Wolfman]

Because Toei doesn't think much of them.

Let's summarize it with the simple example of Yu Yu Hakusho, where all Z-Fighters' equiviliants were kept relevant as the plot proceeded to it's very end. Even the Chiaotzu-esque guy, probably the author, Yoshihiro Togashi, saw how Toriyama treated his characters and decided he won't make this mistake. All got powered up to over 50,000 spiritual power level (slightly over Younger Toguro = Frieza's parallel in a sense) in the end due to special training session that made them suitable for showing up in the conclusive battle, not having Tien dismiss them with the excuse a bunch of weaklings were "too dangerous for them".

[JulianStyles]

That's why when Tenshinhan is in a movie. You know that representation is accurate. Because Toei wouldn't choose Tenshinhan over Krillin. So when Tien hold his own against Trunks and Krillin can't touch Piccolo. It's a fair comparison.

[floofychan333]

Toriyama hates Yamcha and probably just forgot Tenshinhan existed temporarily.

[kinisking]

Toriyama hates Yamcha and probably just forgot Tenshinhan existed temporarily.

He doesn't even write the movies.

[Kunzait_83]

All got powered up to over 50,000 spiritual power level (slightly over Younger Toguro = Frieza's parallel in a sense) in the end due to special training session that made them suitable for showing up in the conclusive battle

Wait, now we're just full on completely making up "Power Levels" for TOTALLY separate non-DB series like Yu Yu Hakusho? There's literally NOTHING of the sort in that series; closest thing you have is the whole "Class" ranking system for demons (which doesn't use numbers, only applies to demons, and is an extremely rough guideline rather than anything that's at all an exact science). Beyond that, bupkiss. This whole "50,000 spiritual power level", both the number itself as well as the concept, are pulled straight out of this person's rectum.

Ok guys, fun and games are over, the numbers madness must stop: its been one thing (asinine and ridiculous though its been) to have this power level garbage totally take over DB discussion... but to staple it onto totally other unrelated series (which yet again has NO SUCH THING associated with it) is just taking this whole thing well past the realm of obsession.

This kind of thing makes it increasingly hard to see Power Level Fandom as anything shy of almost a neurological disorder. Considering how thoroughly its consumed everything DB-related, YYH and other such unrelated series should absolutely be left the hell out of the whole "Power Levels/numbers" nonsense, full stop.

Furthermore I highly doubt that Togashi was looking towards another Shonen martial arts series like Dragon Ball with anything resembling a critical eye comparing it against his own work. That's generally just not at all how a lot of manga authors from those days worked. There's nothing whatsoever to prove he did one way or the other, so its all just completely baseless speculation with nothing at all to back it up.

All's I gotta say ultimately is thank fucking christ Fist of the North Star was kept well the hell far away from Cartoon Network back in the day, or you just KNOW people would be tripping all over themselves to this day trying to find a way to finagle some kind of made up power level/ranking system onto it.