Dragon Ball truly is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon. It's been around since the 80s, and its popularity hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, even well into the times we live in now. One of the dearest animes to ever enter fans' lives, Dragon Ball is credited by many for the increasing popularity of the genre, and it's one of those things that parents and siblings love to pass on from one generation to the other. It's quite hard to imagine a world where Dragon Ball isn't one of those references that everyone catches instantly.
One of the most likable and popular characters to come out of the Dragon Ball franchise is Krillin, the bald-headed best friend that we've all grown to love. With such a complex rollercoaster that is the world of Dragon Ball, sometimes it's easy for some to discredit Krillin. However, he's a major character in many pivotal points of the franchise, so today, we're bringing back 10 awesome facts about him that fans forget.
Updated February 18th, 2020 by Mariana Fernandes: Dragon Ball has been a staple in the world of media franchises for decades. And Krillin is considered by many to be one of the best - if not the absolute best - characters to ever come out of it. With so much love for Krillin out there from grown-ups and kids alike, we couldn't help but keep adding on the trivia pile of this supporting protagonist. Do you think you know everything about him? Keep reading, and you might be surprised!
15 The Ex Factor
We all know Android 18 is Krillin's one true love, and their bond and relationship is something truly beautiful to witness. They even end up having a child together, further cementing what was already an incredible connection.
However, a part of Krillin might have lingered on a long-lost romance. You see, in Dragon Ball Z Krillin briefly dates a character named Maron. And if the name sounds familiar, that's because his child with Android 18 is named Marron. What was the play here? Somehow providing his ex with a tribute? Does his wife know? So many questions!
14 Goku Without Krillin? Boring!
At the end of the day, Goku is the essence of Dragon Ball. He is the main protagonist and the one the story revolves around. However, he isn't as charismatic and interesting as many other main characters tend to be. So much so that back in the early days of the franchise, Akira Toriyama's editor told him Goku was boring.
And what's the best way to balance out a bland main character? Introduce a better one and make him the side-kick! Voilá, this was the fool-proof recipe that blessed us all with Goku.
13 Do It For The Girls!
Why would someone want to become an expert in martial arts? To become stronger, both mentally and physically? Or maybe because they were in desperate need of a hobby? All of these seem like very valid and even honorable reasons, but all of that was far from Krillin's mind when he decided to do so.
By his own admission, he just wanted to be more attractive to the opposite gender. Yes, Krillin, the man himself, became a martial artist to score some dates with girls.
12 Fluctuating Size?
Let's be honest here - one of the reasons we love Dragon Ball so much is due to its very particular idiosyncrasies. And there's one, in particular, that seems to be either deliberately forgotten or just doesn't seem to be that obvious to many people, who'd rather pay attention to the awesome fights.
But truth is, Krillin's height fluctuates a lot. He goes from being as tall as a child to average height, sometimes within the same episode. Is there a specific reason for this? We can only speculate. But maybe give Krillin a defined height, just for the sake of consistency.
11 Dying Really Isn't A Big Deal For Him
It's safe to say that death is a pretty final thing for most of us. But then again, this is the Dragon Ball universe we're talking about. And it would never be the same if our beloved Krillin was gone and stayed gone! In spite of these obvious facts, we still have to be impressed with the fact that Krillin has actually died six times in Dragon Ball!
Thankfully, he always came back through Dragonballs. But considering the sheer amount of times we've had to witness this happen, maybe it's time to start a petition for Krillin to stop being killed.
10 He Keeps His Head Shaved For Strength
Apparently, Krillin is the exact opposite of the mythological hero Samson, whose entire power and strength depended on him not cutting his hair. Many fans might believe Krillin's signature look of a bald head is a genetic condition, and that he is simply unable to grow hair. This is quite far from the truth, though.
Krillin believes that all the best martial artists have a bald head since the lack of hair supposedly augments their power and brings their ki out to play. There really isn't anything to indicate that this is the truth, but Krillin still decides to believe this, shaving his head as if his life depended on it. We love a quirky character!
9 His Signature Dots Are Incense Burns
Yes, there's more to Krillin's head beside the fact that he really enjoys shaving it for power enhancement. Anyone will recognize the six dots that adorn Krillin's bald head. It's part of his signature look, alongside his stature. While it's understandable that most people will assume these tiny dots are some sort of birthmark, that's not it.
These distinctive traits are actually - wait for it - incense burns. Yes, you got that right. It's an homage to a ritual performed in Eastern culture, where monks are required to have their heads burned in order to prove their religious devotion. It should be noted that Krillin sported these markings from very early on, which comes to prove how seriously he took his training.
8 He Has The Strongest Ki Attack
Ki attacks are one of the staples of Dragon Ball. It's not exactly a rarity either - there's plenty of ki attacks to choose from, with powers ranging from slightly destructive to outright cataclysmic. Ki powers are often used during fight scenes, and they can mean the defeat of an opponent pretty easily.
It might come as a surprise to the least devoted fans of the franchise that Krillin actually has the strongest ki attack out of everyone in Dragon Ball. The Kienzan has the power to cut through pretty much anything, which makes it pretty much impossible to be matched in any way.
7 He's Incredibly Skilled
There's a very important distinction to be made between what it means to be skilled and what it means to be strong. Krillin isn't, by a long shot, the strongest character to come out of Dragon Ball. Again, he does get beaten up a fair amount of times, and anyone who's familiar with the franchise can name at least a dozen characters that can best Krillian in the strength department.
What Krillin is though, is an extremely skilled martial artist. What he lacks in strength he makes up for in the elegance and beauty of his movements during a fight, and he's taken down some serious opponents relying on his wits and intelligence, which arguably makes him a better fighter than characters who have nothing but their physicality to carry them through an action-packed scene.
6 His Name Isn't Krillin
It might come as a surprise to some fans that the original name of the character isn't actually Krillin. Much like what happened to other elements of the franchise, the character's name was changed from Kuririn to the one most of us know today, Krillin. What's perhaps even more interesting, is that the original name was a pun - and a very interesting one at that.
Split into two parts, the original Kuririn is both a play on the word chestnut, which is a clear reference to his signature bald look and monks, which are the clear inspiration for Krillin's overall style and demeanor. Very clever! It's a shame that the pun was somewhat lost in translation, though.
5 He's A Good Student
There are many flaws that can be pointed out Krillin's way, but his discipline as a student is not of them. Of course, Goku is and always will be the main character, and the absolute favorite amongst many fans. His fighting style is unique, and he is the most skilled fighter in the Dragon Ball universe. However, he's not exactly the perfect student, often switching masters and missing the perfection of Krillin.
Krillin is devoted to the Turtle School and their teachings. He follows the rules down to absolute perfection, and he trains to the point of becoming the top honor student. His devotion provides results, that clearly shows through his star technique and powerful ki attack.
4 He's Not Just Your Typical Human
One of the things that we all know Krillin for is the ongoing gag that he gets beaten up quite a lot. And this isn't just something the fans noticed - in Dragon Ball Z Abridged there's actually a counter to let you know exactly how many times Krillin kissed the floor. It's part of his likeableness and it's not necessarily a bad thing, it just comes to show he has no quit in him.
Let us not forget that Krillin is only human. Any other human person who saw himself in the positions and situations Krillin is often faced with wouldn't last ten seconds. Krillin, on the other hand, is nothing short of exceptional, and he can easily be defined as one of the strongest humans on Earth, which is nothing to be ashamed of.
3 He Used The Spirit Bomb
It's quite strange that no other characters take advantage of Krillin's awesome move. After all, his ki attack, the Kienzan, has the power to cut through anything, which comes in handy when we think about things like fights and destruction. However, Krillin uses other people's moves, one of them being Goku's Spirit Bomb.
The Spirit Bomb was only used by Goku and Krillin. Yes, it's true that it hasn't exactly performed great deads. However, when the Z fighters are pit against Vegeta, he goes ahead and takes advantage of it. Surprisingly enough, there's a result of sorts, and Krillin manages to hit Vegeta, aided by Gohan.
2 He Breathes Through His Skin
Well, it's pretty clear for anyone who is watching Krillin on their screens that he doesn't have a nose. Hard not to notice, it's kind of a big deal for a human person to lack such a tremendous part of their face. However, many fans disregarded this, and it was often attributed to the fact that sometimes animators take some liberties with their drawings.
This isn't the case for Krillin, because his lack of nose has actually been referenced on the Dragon Ball franchise. So within the universe, everyone is aware of the fact. But how does he breathe then? you might ask. Well, according to the creator, he breathes through his skin. Cool superpower, although somewhat useless.
1 He's The Only One Who Faced Every Form Of Dragon Ball Z's Villains
We've already established that Krillin isn't the coward that many people believe him to be. True, many times his suggestion is to either run or hide from the big bad of the hour. However, as we've seen, he is an extremely skilled fighter, one of the strongest humans of the entire franchise, and has a ki attack capable of great things.
In addition to all of this, Krillin is the only one who faced every form of all Dragon Ball Z's Villains, including all five Frieza's forms, Cell, and both Garlic Jr.'s forms. It's an impressive feat, and yet another one that comes to show just how impressive and important to the story Krillin's character is.