Warning: Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima Episode #11Dragon Ball Daimahas been keen on expanding franchise lore. In the relatively short period of time that it’s been on air, the series has shoved new Demon Realm characters into the backgrounds of old battles, attempted to explain why Vegito was not a permanent fusion, and has rewritten Majin Buu’s creation story. The most interesting changes, however,have been those made to the origins of certain characters, like both Shin and Piccolo belonging to races native to the Second Demon World.
Shin’s identity as the Supreme Kai has long been a mystery, but untilDaima, Namekians had been thought to originate on Planet Namek. As it turns out, though,they are a race native to the Demon Realmthat escaped long ago, while leaving the legendary Namekian, Neva, behind. The creator of the Demon Realm Dragon Balls, Neva appears to be somewhat senile on first appearance, though after meeting up with the main group of heroes, is revealed to know more than he lets on. AndDaimatakes the opportunity toexpand on Piccolo’s lore when the two Namekians meet.
Piccolo Reveals He Is More than the Son of the Demon King
Dragon Ball Daima Clarifies Piccolo’s Origins
Piccolo’s origins have always been somewhat ambiguous. Born from an egg that was thrown up byDemon King Piccolo, fans have long debated whether Piccolo Jr. is the son of the Demon King, or the reincarnation of him. The ‘Jr.’ in his name suggests the former, thoughDragon Ball Daimahas finally weighed in on the matter. While speaking with Neva in Episode #11, titled, “Legend”, the wise elder brings up the legendary warrior Namekian, Katatz, also known as the father of the nameless Namekian, who split into two beings long ago.
Those two Namekians were Demon King Piccolo and Kami, who became one again during the Cell Saga, when Piccolo absorbed the Earth’s guardian. InDaima, at the mention of Katatz,Piccolo calls the Namekian legend his father. Given that he also stated that he was the nameless Namekian in the Cell Saga, it seems the series has finally decided that Piccolo is actually the reincarnation of the once evil Demon King Piccolo, rather than his son.
Piccolo Has Never Been Exactly Like the Demon King
Piccolo Was Never Quite as Evil as the Once Terrifying Demon King
Inheriting Demon King Piccolo’s desire for world domination and hatred towards Goku, Piccolo arrived inDragon Ballplaying the role of the villain. From the jump, however, he never quite shared the pure evil nature of his former self. Going so far as to save a random child in the originalDragon Ballanime, it seems theNamekian was always fated to one day join the cast of heroes. And despite being brutal towards Goku in their fight during the World Tournament, his demeanor was largely changed when Raditz arrived.
Dragon Ball Daima Just Explained Piccolo’s Villainy, and Turn to Good, With Subtle Line That’s Easy to Miss
Dragon Ball DAIMA explained Piccolo’s journey to redemption by introducing a key trait shared by Nameks of all universes.
Then, when he took on the task of training Gohan, the gears began to turn that would forever change Piccolo’s role in the story.Dragon Ball Daimamay have finally clarified that the Namekian is the reincarnation of the Demon King, though he was a fundamentally different character long before he became a hero.Piccolo is one ofDragon Ball’s most interesting characters, andDaimais all the better for incorporating him in a meaningful way. Future episodes are sure to continue expanding series lore, and fans won’t want to miss whatever new developments come next.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
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Dragon Ball Daima sees Goku and his allies inexplicably shrunk into miniature forms, prompting a journey to the Demon Realm. This animated adventure, part of the Dragon Ball franchise, explores their mission to solve the mystery and restore their original statures. Released in October 2024.
