As one of the most famous anime franchises of all time, Dragon ball introduced some of the most iconic characters, and while Goku may be the series’ most recognizable hero, he’s not Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s favorite. The franchise has been going strong for decades and the characters have become iconic. Characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza are some of the most recognizable fictional heroes and villains ever.
When the fan community is polled on their favorite Dragon Ball character, Goku is always the most popular, with the occasional win by Vegeta. However, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has set the record straight for his personal favorite character from the franchise. The amazing thing is that it wasn’t Goku or any other Saiyan. However, Toriyama’s favorite character has been an important part of the series since the original Dragon Ball.
Akira Toriyama’s favorite character
In an interview published in the 1995 Dragon Ball guidebook Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide, Akira Toriyama was asked questions about his writing process. An English translation of the original interview is now available online thanks to Dragon Ball’s Kanzenshuu website. When asked which character he loved the most, he answered that instead of Goku or Vegeta, his favorite Dragon Ball character is actually Piccolo. As Toriyama himself explained:
Well, I guess I like Piccolo the most. Out of all the enemies, Demon King Piccolo is my favorite, and even then I like Piccolo the most… As for Vegeta, I don’t like him that much, but he’s extremely useful to have around.
Although Piccolo was never as popular with the fanbase as Goku and Vegeta, he remains one of the most important characters in the franchise and has a devoted group of followers. Piccolo’s evolution from the final and strongest enemy Goku faced in the original Dragon Ball series to one of Goku’s most steadfast allies as well as Gohan’s teacher is one of the most important overarching storylines. the most important in the series. He remains prominent throughout the series, receiving impressive new powers and abilities like the recently introduced Orange Piccolo to keep him from being completely outclassed by new forms that Saiyan characters don’t. stop achieving. The fact that Toriyama admitted to liking Piccolo as much as Goku is actually a compliment, as Goku is not only the main character of the entire Dragon Ball series but also one of the most popular anime characters of all time.
In addition to revealing that his favorite character is Piccolo, the interview in Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide also offers other interesting revelations about Akira Toriyama’s writing process and thoughts on his character. that. Given Vegeta’s popularity with the fanbase, the reveal that Toriyama dislikes Vegeta and mostly sees him as a plot device is especially surprising. The fact that Toriyama had fun writing the humorous aspects of Mr. Satan, the character known in English as Hercule, also explains a lot why this character continues to appear frequently throughout the series, despite being virtually powerless and useless compared to the main character. . characters and increasingly powerful villains of the series.
Goku has always been the most beloved character in the fan community, and is one of the most iconic anime characters of all time. However, Akira Toriyama named Piccolo as his personal favorite character. Whether it’s his character development, his design, or his evil past, there’s just something about Piccolo that endures for both Toriyama and his fans. Dragon ball Generally speaking.
Source: Translation | Daizenshuu 2 – Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece interview
