The world of Dragon Ball Z is home to some incredibly powerful fighters, from gods or mere mortals. Some of the strongest of these fighters are members of the Saiyan race, whose penchant for battle is bolstered by the ability to transform into even more powerful versions of themselves.
These characters haven't just appeared in Dragon Ball and its various sequels, however. A somewhat overlooked entry in the franchise is Neko Majin Z, a comedy manga also created by Akira Toriyama. Neko Majin Z features a strange Saiyan whose appearance and comedy chops belie a great strength. Here's what fans of the Z Fighters should know about the franchise's most surprisingly tough Saiyan.
Neko Majin Z: What is Akira Toriyama's DBZ Parody?
Akira Toriyama's comedy manga series Neko Majin was a series of one-shots that ran from 1999 to 2005, with its later section titled Neko Majin Z. Fittingly, it parodies Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z and features quite a few characters and concepts from it. The protagonists of the one-shots are a race of cat-like aliens, whose playful nature has them journeying throughout the cosmos to engage in pranks and fights.
One of these creatures is a cat named Neko Majin Z, who is apparently a student and follower of Goku. He uses attacks like the iconic Z Fighter and even has a form similar to that of a Super Saiyan. It's a true Saiyan's appearance, which called some things into question for the DBZ fandom.
Onio's Super Saiyan Powers and Attacks
The highlight of the series for many is Onio, a goofy Saiyan whose only appearance is in Neko Majin Z. He comes to Earth with the plan of conquering it, being a tyrannical Saiyan from Bardock's generation. Despite his quest for power and mighty Saiyan genetics, Onio doesn't look the part at all. Where most other Saiyans have fit, incredibly muscular physiques, Onio is a short, fat balding man whose looks suggest anything but a powerful warrior.
Despite this, he does have some incredible abilities that he's quick to show off when he encounters the Neko Majin. While visiting Earth on a honeymoon with his wife, Onio goes full tourist trying to take a picture with one of the cat-like aliens, who he mistakes for koalas. One of them playfully fondles his wife's breasts, however, enraging him enough to turn into a mighty Super Saiyan. This is despite such a transformation supposedly being incredibly rare and difficult to achieve, not to mention lost to the ages at that point in time.
Other powers of his include energy blasts from his fingers that resemble Vegeta's attacks, as well as the ability to fly. This gives him the basic powers of the Z Fighters, many of whom took years to achieve said skills. This doesn't keep him from being defeated by the cats, but he returns later with Frieza's son in tow. Onio's name also follows the Saiyan trend of being based on vegetables, with it being just one letter away from onion.
Could Onio Return to the Dragon Ball Super Universe?
Though Neko Majin Z isn't considered to be strict canon to the manga and anime of Dragon Ball Z, the multiple alternate universes of Dragon Ball Super could change this. It could be explained that this universe is simply one of several that are similar to the main universe, albeit one with a slightly more comedic edge.
This could bring Onio into the fight once and for all alongside Goku and Vegeta, potentially making the joke character into a major player. This would make sense, given that he witnessed the destruction of his version of Planet Vegeta. In a certain sense, he's like a comedic version of Broly -- a potentially significant Saiyan just waiting in the wings for his time to shine again.