The original Dragon Ball TV series began in 1986 and lasted until 1989. The anime spanned over 153 episodes and was adapted into numerous languages across the world. The anime was based on a manga with the same name that appeared in the Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1984.
With its popularity and a fan base growing, the manga was adapted to an anime series that anime fans have come to consider a classic. While Piccolo wasn't necessarily an original character, he did appear as a child in the original series. From there, his character expanded from a ruthless wannabe villain to one of the greatest heroes in the anime. Though, the character of Piccolo we know today isn't exactly what we were first introduced to all those years ago.
10 Piccolo Demon Origin
Changes in a character's origin story can sometimes morph into something completely different from what the original intention was meant to be. Many times, this happens during different adaptations of the same series. However, in the case of Dragon Ball's Piccolo, the original idea was completely thrown out the window.
When King Piccolo was first introduced in the Dragon Ball universe, he was titled as Demon King Piccolo. He was supposed to be a supernatural threat that would test young Goku's strength. Though, in later versions, we learn Piccolo comes from an alien species.
9 Change In Blood Color
Dragon Ball has gone on for so many years that it isn't shocking to find that there might be some inconsistencies with the overall plot or specific storylines. Only the more hardcore fans will pick up on these inconsistencies allowing most of them to fly underneath the radar.
However, after the defeat of his father and his initial birth, Piccolo was shown to have the normal red blood that humans have. Though, when his origin story was changed from a demon to an alien, his blood was changed from red to green.
8 What Happened To Him Being The Strongest Character?
For those that are new to the Dragon Ball franchise, it might be hard to believe that there was once a time when Goku and Vegeta were not the strongest characters in the entire universe.
In fact, there were once friends and foes that could stand toe-to-toe with the Saiyans. There was even one time that Piccolo was capable of defeating Goku, which seems odd to consider since Piccolo has now just become one of those side characters that are meant to hold off enemies long enough for Goku to save the day.
7 Why Does He Only Have Four Fingers?
Sometimes fans assume that the characters they are shown onscreen in their favorite anime series are a finished product that has a consider amount of thought put into them. Sadly, for characters that were intentionally not created to be made into main characters, this isn't always the case.
When King Piccolo first fought with Goku, he had five fingers, yet, upon Piccolo's birth, he only had four fingers. As the anime series progressed, this was later changed again to have him have the same number of digits as his father.
6 Why Does He Wear The Same Outfit As King Piccolo?
When King Piccolo arrived on earth, fans didn't seem to question his attire. After all, he was originally of demonic origin, and such things would seem obvious. Though, as time progressed in the anime it was revealed King Piccolo was actually of alien origin.
The contents of his clothing took on more importance. When Piccolo was born, he initially wore the same clothing as the original King Piccolo. It was finally revealed that this clothing comes from their home-world and is the actual clothing of all Namekians on the planet Namek.
5 Piccolo Can Conjure Up Clothes
In the world of Dragon Ball, there is this balance between alien technology and actual magical abilities. Some of these abilities can be fused together, and some just take on the look of the other to the point of its origin being a complete mystery to fans.
Piccolo is one of the few characters who has alien abilities that may actually be magical in nature. Case in point, Piccolo, who once took on Gohan as an apprentice, magically conjured up clothing from out of nowhere for him to train in; this is called his "Clothes Beam" attack. As you might imagine, it's super weird.
4 Are There Female Namekians
When it comes to alien species, fans of Dragon Ball weren't exactly familiar with races beyond the stars. At least, not in the sense that fans of the anime are today. During Dragon Ball Z, Goku's main nemesis was a planet-destroying bad guy named Frieza.
Since this time, Goku has traveled to countless worlds and met different groups of aliens. However, when the planet of Nameka's population is revealed, all that can be seen is male Namekians. So, this begs the question, are there any female Namekians that inhabit the planet?
3 Is Piccolo A Hermaphrodite?
Normally, the question of whether a character was a hermaphrodite is rarely asked in an anime series. Yet, in the case of Piccolo this is a valid question that does point to the fact that yes, Piccolo is a hermaphrodite.
After his defeat by Goku, King Piccolo birthed an egg, an egg that later hatched and is the Piccolo we know today. This might explain why there are no female Namekians seen on the planet of Nameka. Though, it still doesn't answer why the alien race has a distinct male appearance in both the anime and manga?
2 Is He A Clone Or Son Of King Piccolo?
So, if King Piccolo was a hermaphrodite, thus, making Piccolo a hermaphrodite, it still doesn't answer the question of whether Piccolo is the son of King Piccolo or an exact clone? He doesn't necessarily look like an exact replica of King Piccolo, and those on the planet Nameka appear to have different facial and body structures, so that lends credence to the fact that Piccolo is the child of King Piccolo rather than just a clone in his image.
Though, that still doesn't explain how Piccolo has all of his father's memories stored in his brain.
1 Why Did He Prepare For Years To Face Goku In A Martial Arts Tournament?
After Demon King Piccolo's defeat at the hands of Goku, it was left to his young child to be his outlet for revenge against the man who had destroyed him. The young Piccolo retained all the memories of King Piccolo along with all the hatred he had for Goku.
It makes sense that Piccolo would feel the need to train for years to help him overcome his adversary, but the idea that he trained to face Goku in a Martial Arts Tournament is a silly concept, especially since he knew where Goku lived.