Akira Toriyama has been devoted to Dragon Ball for over 30 years, and he revealed that Piccolo is a character the author didn’t always enjoy writing. Of course there is a good reason for this.
Piccolo was initially introduced as a villain in Dragon Ball, and has since developed into one of the most iconic characters in the series. Piccolo’s transformation from villain to reluctant anti-hero and finally heroic warrior helped him become famous, despite the character’s complicated past.
In an interview about “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, Akira Toriyama expressed the difficulties in managing Piccolo’s complex story. The author mentions his struggle to remember the intricate details of the character, reflecting the depth and complexity inherent in Piccolo’s creation.
Piccolo’s story includes important events such as his separation from his “father” Piccolo Damaioh, his union with Nail and later with Kami-sama. Finally, there is his recent transformation into Orange Piccolo. Toriyama realized that keeping up with these changes was a challenge even for the Dragon Ball creator himself.
Furthermore, Toriyama describes the Namekians, Piccolo’s race, as mysterious and complex. The author points out peculiarities, such as the fact that they have teeth but only drink water, illustrating the complexity of creating a cohesive universe with such characters.
Although Toriyama jokes about the lack of consistency in remembering every detail, there’s clearly a challenge in maintaining continuity in a story as rich and vast as Dragon Ball. The author admits that he sometimes feels confused by the many layers he has created.
Although Toriyama admitted that Piccolo was his favorite character, he also expressed some regret about the complexity that the author imposed on Piccolo and the Namekian race. This dilemma illustrates the difficulty of balancing creativity and consistency in a long and complex story.
