If you've delved into the world of Dragon Ball, you'll know that Goku and his gang face a series of villains, each more sinister than the last.
Initially, the first villains were like cartoon bullies that we knew wouldn't be able to win. But then, King Piccolo arrives and the game changes.
Author Akira Toriyama chatted about the second volume of the “Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2” guide collection now that Dragon Ball Z has ended. The late artist talked a lot about wanting to add an Eastern touch to the story, inspired by the book “Journey to the West”, a Chinese classic.
And then the mangaka actually did it. The creation of Demon King Piccolo feels like a major milestone in the series.
Before King Piccolo, villains actually had a cool side, but Toriyama wanted more. He wanted a villain who was actually a villain, not cool. And so King Piccolo appeared. The guy is basically bad and that changes the whole story. Toriyama even said that this stage is the most enjoyable drawing stage.
Toriyama said: “Of all the villains up to that point, there was always something likable about them. So King Piccolo was born from my attempt to create a truly bad guy. This period is the most exciting stage of drawing.”
King Piccolo appeared when Emperor Pilaf, somewhat by accident, released him from the rice cooker where he was trapped. He almost finished off Goku and even took Master Roshi upstairs. The villain took over Earth until Goku managed to take him down. But King Piccolo was able to leave a small gift, an egg with Piccolo Jr. in it. before leaving.
King Piccolo's legacy and influence
King Piccolo is the first look at a real villain in the Dragon Ball series. He is the opposite of Kami, very evil. This character is a turning point in Dragon Ball, increasing the difficulty for bad guys and preparing the ground for more evil villains to appear later, like Frieza, Cell and Buu.
And Piccolo Jr., King Piccolo's son, eventually became one of the most beloved characters by audiences. The guy initially wanted revenge, but eventually became a key figure in the Z warrior group.
So if we stop to think, without King Piccolo “Dragon Ball” wouldn't be the same. Not only did he pave the way for the most powerful villains, but he also added depth to the story that we still love to this day.