Does Cell get a near-death power-up boost after using the Namekian regeneration ability?

[Koitsukai]

If he has to regrow a limb, like Piccolo did against him, probably not, but what about after Vegeta blew half his body, he was far from dying, but that is not as straightforward and kinda subjective. Goku wasn't dying, just battered as hell, when they got him inside Freeza's rehab machine, and yet he came out stronger than ever, probably his greatest Z boost ever.

-What about when Goku blew half his body?? doesn't that count as near death, or at least beaten enough to deserve a zenkai boost? half his body was gone. Although he did get up like it was no thang.

-And after getting destroyed by SS2 Gohan's quiet kamehameha? he was gasping before, during and after... shouldn't that give him a zenkai? unlike the previous KHH he took to the face, this time he is no happy camper.

Of course, he uses ki to regenerate himself, so whatever zenkai he gets, might be cancelled out or not be that noticeable, ending with a similar power level than before suffering the injury, the technique, and the zenkai. Whatever improvement he gets, is negligible because of the ki spent on the regeneration. He loses 10 points after regenerating and regains those 10 points after the zenkai kicks in, and would be even stronger if he were to eat a senzu.

Or he doesn't get a zenkai and just suffers the loss of energy after using his regen ability? I can only recall three instances where he could've gotten one, tanking the Final Flash, and the two kamehameha to the face. And of course after blowing up.


It should be noted that his durability is greater than the saiyans, so his zenkai threshold might be higher, meaning he needs more damage to get a zenkai. But losing half a body, shouldn't that meet the criteria? or only after failing to self-destruct?

[Peach]

Yes. How do you think he jumped up to Super Perfect after he regenerated? Namekian Cells (for every part of his body except the lump) + Saiyan zenkais.

[BWri]

It should be noted that his durability is greater than the saiyans, so his zenkai threshold might be higher, meaning he needs more damage to get a zenkai. But losing half a body, shouldn't that meet the criteria? or only after failing to self-destruct?

I think you bring up some good points, points worth thinking about. Prior to Super's instantaneous zenkais, I thought that zenkai's were something of a survival mechanism, almost like sped up evolution. I think the brain and body are required, in tandem, to produce a zenkai and I think a traumatic experience is what creates zenkais of note.

As you mentioned above, I think Cell would have a different threshold for zenkais than the Saiyans due to having the regeneration of Piccolo and the durability of Frieza. I think it would require a much more desperate injury to push him to powering up from zenkai as extremely as the others do.

There's also the theory that zenkais are a response to external threats, which could explain why the zenkais Goku and Vegeta received on Namek were so overpowered. Their bodies may have responded to the massive ki increases of Frieza and pushed them to containing greater reserves of ki themselves. Cell might have done the same to match SSJ2 Gohan.

[Lionel]

I suspect that the severity of the opponent's attacks as it pertains to ki expenditure may have a role to play also. Vegeta and Goku both inflicted considerable damage on Cell but it was as he had inhibited himself and possessed reserves of power to rebuild himself and overcome his opponent. Instinctually there wasn't the fear of death from them like there was from Gohan or when Cell intended to destroy himself in a kamikaze act.

[Krillin1994]

The Namekian regeneration weakens users, it takes up a lot of energy.

I feel it would've been noted if Cell was stronger when Gohan faced him after Goku's IT Kamehameha. Yet it is odd that this didn't count as something classed as near death having only half a body.

I think Freeza's cells are what prevent the Zenkai, as he is able to survive grievous damage and dismemberment. So whatt would appear to be near death injuries actually are not so in Cell's case, along with those high Ki reserves that the damage is more superficial than appears - see Final Flash.

[Hugo Boss]

It should be noted that his durability is greater than the saiyans, so his zenkai threshold might be higher, meaning he needs more damage to get a zenkai. But losing half a body, shouldn't that meet the criteria? or only after failing to self-destruct?

Considering Freeza could survive with half of his body being chopped off, Cell might have similar life force. Freeza even can survive if he is reduced to tiny pieces, he must be totally obliterated to be killed. Though it seems this last case constitutes a very edgy experience for him, so he likely couldn’t survive very long if not restored by the regeneration chamber. So, in Cell’s case you might have to reduce him to one cell to activate the Saiyan power-up.

[Thani]

Basically, if his body doesn't recognize the damage as "fatal", then it's not a near death experience, so it doesn't prompt a zenkai.

Cell's life wasn't threatened by the injuries delivered by the Final Flash or the Instant Kamehameha, so he didn't get stronger by that. But he admited that even he thought he would die by his self-destruction, it was a stroke of luck that he was even able to regenerate from that, so it counted as a zenkai.

[Krillin1994]

Basically, if his body doesn't recognize the damage as "fatal", then it's not a near death experience, so it doesn't prompt a zenkai.

Cell's life wasn't threatened by the injuries delivered by the Final Flash or the Instant Kamehameha, so he didn't get stronger by that. But he admited that even he thought he would die by his self-destruction, it was a stroke of luck that he was even able to regenerate from that, so it counted as a zenkai.

This adds extra confusion though as Vegeta in the frieza saga implies it can’t be a self inflicted wound. Though I guess the regenerating after what would be a sure suicide move is uncharted territory so Vegeta wasn’t to know.

[GreatSaiyaman123]

I don't think so. Regeneration makes most, if not all of these cases pretty minor injuries.

The Namekian regeneration weakens users, it takes up a lot of energy.

I feel it would've been noted if Cell was stronger when Gohan faced him after Goku's IT Kamehameha. Yet it is odd that this didn't count as something classed as near death having only half a body.

I think Freeza's cells are what prevent the Zenkai, as he is able to survive grievous damage and dismemberment. So whatt would appear to be near death injuries actually are not so in Cell's case, along with those high Ki reserves that the damage is more superficial than appears - see Final Flash.

According to Dragon Books, Cell's regeneration is superior to the Namekian one. He can regrow his head (Which Piccolo can't), and normal regeneration doesn't seem to cost him any Ki at all.

I like the theory about Freeza's cells making him too durable to ever be near death in those cases though. The only cases he perhaps would be eligible to zenkais are after fighting Goku and after Gohan Kamehameha'd him, though he only got a senzu in one of the occasions.

[Krillin1994]

I don't think so. Regeneration makes most, if not all of these cases pretty minor injuries.

The Namekian regeneration weakens users, it takes up a lot of energy.

I feel it would've been noted if Cell was stronger when Gohan faced him after Goku's IT Kamehameha. Yet it is odd that this didn't count as something classed as near death having only half a body.

I think Freeza's cells are what prevent the Zenkai, as he is able to survive grievous damage and dismemberment. So whatt would appear to be near death injuries actually are not so in Cell's case, along with those high Ki reserves that the damage is more superficial than appears - see Final Flash.

According to Dragon Books, Cell's regeneration is superior to the Namekian one. He can regrow his head (Which Piccolo can't), and normal regeneration doesn't seem to cost him any Ki at all.

I like the theory about Freeza's cells making him too durable to ever be near death in those cases though. The only cases he perhaps would be eligible to zenkais are after fighting Goku and after Gohan Kamehameha'd him, though he only got a senzu in one of the occasions.

Regeneration definitiely costs Cell Ki though, even though he was in a much better position than Goku regenerating after the IT Kamehameha. It drained him enough to accept using a Senzu Bean.

[Galan007]

Regeneration definitiely costs Cell Ki though, even though he was in a much better position than Goku regenerating after the IT Kamehameha. It drained him enough to accept using a Senzu Bean.

I don't know if it was the regeneration itself that cost Cell ki, so much as the attacks that initially caused said damage.