Few anime franchises have gained as big of a following as Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. The series has been able to evolve and grow along with its characters and change the shonen genre along the way.
The franchise’s later efforts like Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super sometimes get more attention than the original Dragon Ball series. Still, it helps establish the baseline for Goku and Company. The original Dragon Ball also has some extremely underrated villains, with the Demon King Piccolo being one tyrant that truly makes his mark on the Dragon Ball universe.
10 Once He Successfully Makes His Wish On The Dragon Balls
Considering that the anime is named Dragon Ball, it should come as no surprise that the titular orbs are a rather important relic, especially in the original series. By the end of the franchise, there are multiple sets of Dragon Balls, and wishes have been made on them many times, but Demon King Piccolo is the first villain that successfully gets his wish granted, which is something that’s still a rarity for Dragon Ball villains. It’s frightening in a new kind of way when King Piccolo actually accomplishes his goal and gets to make his wish to regain his youth.
9 He Destroys The Earth's Military And Becomes Leader Of The World
Once Demon King Piccolo gets his youth and strength restored to him, he doesn’t waste any time showing off his skills. Plenty of villains talk about wanting to take over the world, but King Piccolo is actually the one that follows through with it and earns the king title in his name. Piccolo destroys the Earth’s entire military, takes out the king, and installs himself as the world’s ruler within his castle. It’s a very public display of his villainy that sinks in more than some victory in space.
8 He Eliminates Shenron To Ostensibly End The Dragon Balls
The most terrifying and dangerous villains are the ones that aren’t satisfied with the status quo and try to seriously disrupt the universe so that it’s permanently stacked in their favor.
Some enemies would be perfectly satisfied with getting their evil wish granted with the Dragon Balls. Still, King Piccolo gloats over his victory and demonstrates his new power by preceding to kill Shenron. It’s a very bold move, and at the time, it feels like this is the end of the Dragon Balls, and King Piccolo has developed a dangerous loophole to remain in charge.
7 He Kills Large Portions Of The Earth’s Population And Incites Riots
Sometimes, Dragon Ball's villains only make themselves known to Goku and the other powerful individuals that challenge them, while the rest of the Earth has no idea that their planet was even in jeopardy. Demon King Piccolo tries to change this standard, and he thrives on the attention and fear that he instills in the planet. King Piccolo unleashes an army of demons that decimate the world and create a feeling of Armageddon that’s previously never been present in Dragon Ball. King Piccolo’s minions are all over the planet, and nowhere feels safe.
6 When The Demon Containment Wave Fails On Him And Backfires
The later Dragon Ball series has fallen into a pattern where a new and fancy transformation is typically the battle solution. Still, none of this was present back in the original Dragon Ball. There’s much more of an emphasis on developing savvy techniques and strategy in battle, with the Demon Containment Wave being a prime example. It seems like this demon-trapping device will be the key to King Piccolo’s defeat, but not only is Master Roshi unsuccessful with it, but it leads to his own demise. It’s a devastating turn of events that makes King Piccolo feel invincible.
5 After He Takes Out Chiaotzu And Is Responsible For Krillin's Death
Death is a common event in the Dragon Ball franchise thanks to the Dragon Balls' resurrection capabilities. Death is still a rarity in the original Dragon Ball series, and so the fatalities still matter. It’s always difficult when a character decides to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, only for it to be in vain.
Chiaotzu attempts to stop King Piccolo from making his Dragon Ball wish to Shenron, but his interference leads to King Piccolo turning him into cannon fodder. Piccolo’s offspring, Tambourine, also kills Krillin, which is another major blow for Goku.
4 He Turns The World Martial Arts Tournament Into A Sick Manipulation Tool
Tournaments are an exciting way for the shonen series to bring many powerful fighters together and facilitate constant battles without much exposition. Initially, the World Martial Arts Tournaments in Dragon Ball are extremely fun and clever ways to chart how much characters like Goku and Krillin have improved over the course of the series. However, Demon King Piccolo also commandeers the World Martial Arts Tournament and makes it another sick component of his world rule. Normally, an entertaining test of strength is instead turned into a tense trap where death feels likely.
3 His Link To Kami Leaves Earth’s Guardian At Risk And Vulnerable
Even before Dragon Ball identifies what the Namekian is, it’s still introducing important principles about them. Goku encounters Kami, positioned as Earth’s guardian and even the Dragon Balls' creator. It’s eventually revealed that King Piccolo and Kami are intrinsically linked and two sides of the same coin. Kami is as much of a vulnerability to Piccolo as he is to him, but King Piccolo is the type to take advantage of their connection and hold his other half hostage to get what he wants. No other villains have this level of control over Earth’s guardian.
2 He's The First Major Villain That's An Alien Species
It’s a little ridiculous to look at Dragon Ball Super and see how so much of the series is set off Earth and even in a totally new universe. The franchise’s scope has certainly expanded, and the beginning of Dragon Ball features enemies that are largely humans who are just proficient in martial arts. There are smaller exceptions to this, but King Piccolo stands out because he’s the first villain that looks completely alien and marks a new variety of dangers. This isn’t just some disgruntled human. But instead, it’s some new species that are completely indifferent to the species.
1 After His Legacy Lives On Through His Children
Demon King Piccolo gets a tremendous amount accomplished during his time alive. However, he develops an insidious strategy to ensure that the Earth is still enslaved and knows his name even after he’s gone. Piccolo asexually reproduces several children in Dragon Ball, but his masterpiece is Piccolo Junior, who is essentially a carbon copy of his father. Piccolo Junior begins as a villain and in his father’s footsteps, but in Dragon Ball Z, he officially turns into one of the good guys. Despite his change of heart, it’s still a good strategy from King Piccolo.