Piccoloone of Dragon BallThe most famous and most beloved characters of the series have been almost since the beginning. When he was first introduced, the stoic Namekian was presented as the son and reincarnation of the Evil King Piccolo, the main villain of the franchise’s first arcs. Despite having the same hatred for Goku as his father, the two beings are very different in both behavior and appearance.
It is that drastic change in looks that could have been The first hint to Piccolo turn over a new leaf and becoming one of Goku’s closest friends, which was one of the best redemption arcs of the series. The fact that he looked so different from his father could be Akira Toriyama’s way of letting fans know that he is not as cruel as his progenitor.
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Piccolo does not share many traits with the demon clan
His appearance does not seem to be corrupted by evil
King Piccolo is known for being the progenitor of the Namekian Demon Clan, a group of beings corrupted by evil. Like his children, the main villain of the original Dragon Ball Anime series has an appearance that is very different from that of its namekian brothers. Not only was he taller and significantly more muscular, but his fangs, nails, and even his facial features were sharper than most Namekians.
King Piccolo’s children are even more corrupt, with most of them being born with horns and wings. The series explains the alterations caused by their evil nature. However, despite having sharp fangs and nails, Piccolo Jr. Did not share many similarities with his father. When compared to a native Namekian, Gohan’s mentor looks almost identical, as if he is not part of the Demon Clan like his father.
Making Piccolo look so different from his father and siblings could mean that he wasn’t born with the same innate evil energy that his family had. If this is indeed the case, His change in ideals would probably happen whether he encountered Goku or not.
While his actions during the final arc of the original Dragon Ball painted him as a villain, this behavior can be attributed to the indoctrination of his father. If Piccolo had been raised by a gentle being like Kami, he could have become one of Earth’s protectors much earlier in the series.
Piccolo also lost many of his demon traits
His evil is not as strong and not as permanent as his father
Over the Dragon Ball series, Piccolo underwent minor but significant changes to his appearance. As his fangs remained as sharp as when he was a child, they were significantly smaller, as were his nails. When the Namek Saga began, there was no meaningful way to differentiate him from other members of his race.
These changes became even more significant during the surprisingly great Garlic Jr. filler arc, in which Piccolo tricks the evil conqueror by pretending to be controlled by the Black Water Mist. He achieved this feat by allowing his Demon Clan abilities to manifest. Although non-canon, this implies that Piccolo can still use the attributes of his evil heritage but subconsciously chooses not to. It is as if he is actively rejecting the evil that his father passed on to him during his birth.
This is truly interesting because, as fans know, Demon King Piccolo was born when the Namekian split his essence into two beings of pure evil (Piccolo) and pure good (Kami). That is why the offspring of King Piccolo is really demonic, but it begs the question why Piccolo Jr. was born differently. Perhaps, at the moment of his death, King Piccolo wanted to create a being that was as powerful as possible to enact his vengeance, causing his original Namekian genes to respond.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that meeting Goku and being forced to be friends with him helped greatly in Piccolo’s redemption journey. Piccolo Could be one of Dragon Balls main villains when younger. Still, the Namekian warrior became not only one of Goku’s best friends, but also a favorite hero for fans of Toriyama’s work.