Potara?

[caejones]

Referring to the earrings of the Kaioshin that enable fusion if two people wear them on opposite ears. (A bonus question just came to mind: what about creatures that don't have ears?).

So, was there a limited number in the universe? (I.E, the destruction of those belonging to Kibitto, Kaioshin and RuDaiKaioshin mean there are no more in existance)? Can they be created like other clothing items provided the creator has the right kind of power (I.E, Kaioshin could create them, but maybe not Piccolo)? What about the ear rings of Gohan's Kaioshin outfit?
And... were all the earrings we saw in the Buu Saga destroyed? I know Vegeta crushed both that were given to him... did Goku likewise destroy his? Were there any left by the end of the battle with Buu?

And the open-ended one: why did the Kaioshin have ear rings that let people fuse? Seems like a random power to give the accessories worn by the guardians of the universe. Did they have some special purpose? Were their powers limited to just fusion? Did the power(s) (fusion or any others that might have existed) play an important role in the activities of the Kaioshins (we are left in the dark in terms of those generation gaps...)?
The problem with their importance is that East Kaioshin doesn't really know anything about them. RuDaiKaioshin does, but apparently from experience, so it's still hard to say...
But we see that the Earrings are supposed to work regardless of how many times they've been used. So perhaps the joining of bodies is a property of the earrings rather than a power? When on opposing ears of different beings, there's... umm... it... has some kind of... meaning... relatedto unity or opposition or balance or something like that, and the bodies join to maintain the state the Earrings are meant for (I mean, it's odd that the Kaioshin wear earrings in the first place in some ways, isn't it?).

And... what happened to the earrings of the Kaioshin that Buu killed/absorbed? Could Fat Buu (possibly literally) pull South and Dai Kaioshin's earrings out of his ass?
(And while we're at it... the continued survival of South and Dai Kaioshin gives me an idea...)

[gohanku]

I have no idea about fusing with Potara if you don't have ears. But I think that Goku destroyed his earring, I mean if Vegeta already destroyed his, why would Goku keep his useless one? And for the why did Kaioshin have the ear rings, maybe they were used in a ritual many many years ago for the Kaioshin but now the ritual is forgotten but the Kaioshin still wear the Potaras. As for the last question, I like to believe that Fat Buu's stomach acid eventually digested/dissolve them.

[DNA]

Well, the first pair given to Goku and Vegeta was used and then destroyed, on Kaioshin Kai they were given a second pair, and they destroyed it has well. There should be a third pair in the ears of Kibitoshin. Plus there's Gohan's pair that vanished... It seems they are able to create more, but maybe not with those properties.

For the South and Dai Kaioshins that were absorbed by Buu... You are worrying about the earings? What about them? What happened to them? Did they spend so many years inside Buu's body that they were eventually completly absorbed?

[Supa Saiya-Jin Tullece]

I'm figuring that the Kaioshin are probably fusions themselves. Think about it, if two people have their own flaws, but can compensate for each other's flaws, then they could fuse. Doing this, they have virtually no flaws, and could rule the universe...

...

...

But that's totally not a stretch at all, seeing as we don't know who these people even were.

[Conan the SSJ]

Well, the first pair given to Goku and Vegeta was used and then destroyed, on Kaioshin Kai they were given a second pair, and they destroyed it has well. There should be a third pair in the ears of Kibitoshin.

Kabitoshin's pair of earrings are what're given to Goku and Vegeta on the Kaioshin planet, which they subsequently destroyed. I'm not sure where you thought they got that pair from, if not Kabitoshin already, since Elder Kaioshin's were already gone and Gohan's vanished when Kabito changed his gi. There'd be no other pair to use.

For the South and Dai Kaioshins that were absorbed by Buu... You are worrying about the earings? What about them? What happened to them? Did they spend so many years inside Buu's body that they were eventually completly absorbed?

They're presumably within the separated pure good, fat Buu. When "Pure Evil/Restrainable" Skinny Buu consumes fat Buu, he regains them, but in a manner that South and Dai Kaioshins are within an absorption of an absorption. That's why they're not seen when Goku and Vegeta are on their rescue mission inside Buu's head.

[DNA]

Kabitoshin's pair of earrings are what're given to Goku and Vegeta on the Kaioshin planet, which they subsequently destroyed. I'm not sure where you thought they got that pair from, if not Kabitoshin already, since Elder Kaioshin's were already gone and Gohan's vanished when Kabito changed his gi. There'd be no other pair to use.

So acording to you, Kibitoshin's pair was given to Goku and Vegeta, so the other 2 earings from Kibito and Kaioshin just vanished into thin air, is that it? Plus I'm preety sure Elder Kaioshin was the one that gave Goku and Vegeta his pair.

They're presumably within the separated pure good, fat Buu. When "Pure Evil/Restrainable" Skinny Buu consumes fat Buu, he regains them, but in a manner that South and Dai Kaioshins are within an absorption of an absorption. That's why they're not seen when Goku and Vegeta are on their rescue mission inside Buu's head.

That makes sense.

[Conan the SSJ]

So acording to you, Kibitoshin's pair was given to Goku and Vegeta, so the other 2 earings from Kibito and Kaioshin just vanished into thin air, is that it? Plus I'm preety sure Elder Kaioshin was the one that gave Goku and Vegeta his pair.

When Goku was given his life back, Elder Kaioshin gave him his only pair of Potara earrings (in his flashback merging, when he accidentally merged with the old witch, only two earrings were present). He had no more afterwards. When it was suggested for Goku and Vegeta to merge once more after Earth was destroyed, Kabitoshin removed the earrings from his own ears and tossed them to Goku and Vegeta. Those were then crushed and presumably there were no more earrings (we never see Elder Kaioshin or Kabitoshin wear any for the rest of Z and GT). Pretty much, I do go with the idea that Kabito and Shin's spare earrings vanished, just as spare clothing on Vegetto's gi (from Goku and Vegeta's clothing) does.

[DNA]

So you are assuming that the other pair just dissapeared or got merged, thus, there is a chance that there were an extra pair that belong to Kibito and Kaioshin.

[Conan the SSJ]

So you are assuming that the other pair just dissapeared or got merged, thus, there is a chance that there were an extra pair that belong to Kibito and Kaioshin.

Well, if not, they could always just materialize another pair. *cough Gohan cough* Either way, it's no big loss.

[DNA]

This discussion is getting silly ^^ let's just move on to another topic.

[Terra-jin]

When Shin and Kibit merged, they took off their right and left earring respectively. This way, their other earrings were still in place and the fusion began.
So what DNA is referring to is the pair they took off at the merger. They could've dropped it, or put in their pockets; either way, it's kind'a forgotten.

[I like DB(Z) (...)]

A bonus question just came to mind: what about creatures that don't have ears?.

They probably attach it to another part of the body, maybe the Potaras were only meant to be used to the Kaioshins so it only needs to meet proportions (BIIIG word!) of the Kaioshins?

So, was there a limited number in the universe? (I.E, the destruction of those belonging to Kibitto, Kaioshin and RuDaiKaioshin mean there are no more in existance)?

Probably not, who's to say there isn't more Kaioshins?

Can they be created like other clothing items provided the creator has the right kind of power (I.E, Kaioshin could create them, but maybe not Piccolo)?

Maybe in "How to summon clothes 101" class, they study the Potara earings and learn how create them?

What about the ear rings of Gohan's Kaioshin outfit?

They probably worked, but maybe not. It'd be funny if he had them, them when Videl (or anyone else) wanted to try one...

And the open-ended one: why did the Kaioshin have ear rings that let people fuse? Seems like a random power to give the accessories worn by the guardians of the universe. Did they have some special purpose? Were their powers limited to just fusion? Did the power(s) (fusion or any others that might have existed) play an important role in the activities of the Kaioshins (we are left in the dark in terms of those generation gaps...)?

Simple answer: Toriyama wanted Goku and Vegeta to fuse, so he went to the ideas in the earings.
Not-so-simple answer: Maybe if a new evil arised, instead of training for years and years to get stronger, they thought to combine the abilities/strength/power/etc. of the Kaioshins to make it easier, and if someone stronger came, they didn't need to find the people again/get someone else because they croaked/are missing, so they made it permanent?
I wouldn't think that was it (whether the Potaras had more abilities), but because that's Mr. Toriyama wanted (and thought to do) that's all that is shown.

The problem with their importance is that East Kaioshin doesn't really know anything about them. RuDaiKaioshin does, but apparently from experience, so it's still hard to say...[/qoute]

Maybe becuase the only time they did need it, East Kaioshin wasn't born, and I did remember RuDaiKaioshin warn the witch not to put it on...

And... what happened to the earrings of the Kaioshin that Buu killed/absorbed? Could Fat Buu (possibly literally) pull South and Dai Kaioshin's earrings out of his ass?
(And while we're at it... the continued survival of South and Dai Kaioshin gives me an idea...)

Probably not, most likely they still have them (but this probably changes when Buu and Uub merge.).

[Swift]

Looking at Volume 26 now, I can confirm Vegeta and Goku crushed both their earrings given to them by Old Kaiôshin after they split apart inside Buu.

Then when Kid Buu shows up on the Kaiôshin planet, East Kaiôshin gives his earrings to them. Vegeta crushes his, but interestingly: we never actually see Goku crush his earring. He just holds it in his hand. (Probably just a mistake, but who knows?)

Also, didn't East Kaiôshin and Kibito each take off one of their earrings to fuse into Kibitoshin? For one, this means that earrings from different pairs are compatible, and secondly it raises the question of what happened to the earrings they took off.

Then there's South and Dai Kaiôshin's, which I agree with Conan are within Fat Buu still, just as everyone was within in Super Buu.


So, in conclusion, these are the possible earrings that might be "still out there":
-Kibitoshin's earring that we don't see Goku crush.
-The two earrings that East Kaiôshin and Kibito took off.
-South and Dai Kaiôshin's within Fat Buu, for a total of four earrings.
-...Gohan's earrings, which magically disappeared upon his receiving the kame gi?

(Personally, I doubt that Gohan's earrings were functional, since the potara seem too "special" to be generated at will. If they could be made at any time, why would the Kaiôs always be so shocked at them destroying the earrings?)

Maybe if a new evil arised, instead of training for years and years to get stronger, they thought to combine the abilities/strength/power/etc. of the Kaioshins to make it easier, and if someone stronger came, they didn't need to find the people again/get someone else because they croaked/are missing, so they made it permanent?

The problem with their importance is that East Kaioshin doesn't really know anything about them. RuDaiKaioshin does, but apparently from experience, so it's still hard to say...[/qoute]

Maybe becuase the only time they did need it, East Kaioshin wasn't born, and I did remember RuDaiKaioshin warn the witch not to put it on...

I like this theory. It'd make sense for the potara to be some kind of secret, last-resort to use in a crisis. But it's interesting that East Kaiôshin and Kibito know nothing of their abilities then, especially if Old Kaiôshin did before his fusion with the witch.

Perhaps the information was lost after "generations" of Kaiôshin. Or perhaps the others beside East Kaiôshin knew before being killed/absorbed, but they never got a around to teaching him what the potara did because he was still a "young" Kaiôshin.

[Conan the SSJ]

-Kibitoshin's earring that we don't see Goku crush..

He does crush it in the anime, right after Vegeta crushes his. We see his hand tighten and hear a crunching sound. If you're a manga purist, do with that info what you will.

[Swift]

-Kibitoshin's earring that we don't see Goku crush..

He does crush it in the anime, right after Vegeta crushes his. We see his hand tighten and hear a crunching sound. If you're a manga purist, do with that info what you will.

As I said, I was using the manga volume for reference when writing that, so that's what I went by. Interesting to know they put him crushing it in the anime, though.