Dragon Ball 10 Times A Namekian Saved The Day

Namekians are the iconic green aliens of Dragon Ball, and they've been the heroes plenty of times.

It’s truly impressive how Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise has stayed relevant for multiple decades and doesn’t seem to be in any danger of losing its popularity any time soon. Dragon Ball has worked hard across multiple series to tell the story of Goku and his friends and family as they keep the Earth safe from sinister forces.

Goku and his Saiyan comrades often take center stage, but the anime is full of other powerful races, like the Namekians, who also have a lot to offer. Dragon Ball’s primary Namekian is Piccolo, who establishes himself as a hero, but he and others of his kind have been able to repeatedly prove their worth and keep others safe.

10 Piccolo Saves Gohan From Nappa

One of the most iconic moments to come out of all of Dragon Ball Z actually happens relatively early in the series. Earth needs to defend itself in Goku’s absence while he works his way back from the afterlife. Earth’s heroes have a very difficult time against Nappa and Vegeta and many characters meet their ends. A frustrated Nappa is ready to take out Gohan when Piccolo unexpectedly rushes in to protect his recent pupil. Piccolo saves Gohan’s life, but the character also comes full circle as someone who was put into this world for the purpose of eliminating Goku.

9 Grand Elder Guru Awakens Gohan & Krillin’s Potential

Dragon Ball Z’s scope radically broadens when Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma leave off and head to Planet Namek to locate a new set of Dragon Balls. There are a lot of differences and new dangers that await them in space, but one perk that they experience is the benevolence of the Grand Elder Guru Namekian. This Namekian is at the end of his life and he represents Namek’s past. He’s able to graciously help the heroes when he unlocks the potential inside of Gohan, Krillin, and even Dende, which becomes vital for their upcoming battles.

8 Nail Fuses With Piccolo

Fusion becomes an easy way to get a tremendous boost in power during the later chapters of Dragon Ball Z. However, Namekians introduce an effective means of fusion before fancy synchronized dances and powerful fashion accessories get introduced as the dominant fusion methods.

Namekians have the ability to fuse with each other, but it’s a permanent process. One Namekian’s power and personality get entirely absorbed by the other. It’s a maneuver that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but Nail’s sacrifice on Planet Namek gives Piccolo the necessary strength to keep his allies safe.

7 Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon Defeats Raditz & Saves The Earth

Dragon Ball Z begins in a jarring manner due to how Piccolo quickly has to shift from Goku’s biggest enemy to his reluctant ally when a larger danger appears. The arrival of Raditz, Goku’s Saiyan brother, fundamentally changes the series and this new tier of danger requires Goku and Piccolo to put their differences aside for the greater good. Goku plays a necessary role in Raditz’s restraint, but without Piccolo’s new Special Beam Cannon, there may not have been a powerful enough projectile to finish off the job. Piccolo’s strength is vital to take out this new Saiyan threat.

6 Piccolo Forces Frieza To Enter His Third Form

The battle against Frieza marks one of Dragon Ball’s most exhaustive encounters, for both better and for worse. Goku takes on Goku’s final form, which becomes its own separate battle, but before that there’s a lot of suspense around Frieza’s three other forms that he unveils. Frieza’s second form is too much for Krillin, Gohan, and Vegeta to handle, but it becomes an opportunity for Piccolo to show off just how much he’s improved courtesy of Nail. Piccolo keeps up with Frieza’s form and the Namekian’s resilience is what finally forces Frieza to transform into his third form.

5 Dende Creates New Dragon Balls

Dragon Ball slowly parses out information about the Dragon Balls and the Namekians’ connection to them in a way that actively helps the series’ lore. It gradually introduces this new knowledge and the characters reach a point where they learn that Dende can learn how to make his own Dragon Balls for Earth and relieve Kami of his position.

It’s an important moment of transition for Earth’s guardianship. It helps Piccolo access even more strength and Dende’s new Dragon Balls for Earth have greater abilities than the original set, which becomes crucial during the Buu Saga.

4 Piccolo Fights & Protects Android 17

The introduction of the Androids is an effective prelude to the greater dangers that come along with Cell. The Androids make for an exciting way for the characters to demonstrate how much they’ve grown since they were last seen in the Frieza Saga. Characters like Vegeta have plenty of surprises to reveal and the same goes for Piccolo, who’s received another power boost. Piccolo is able to ward off Android 17 in what’s one of the saga’s most exciting battles. Piccolo also plays an important part in protecting 17 from becoming absorbed by Cell, even though he’s not successful.

3 Kami's Training Teaches Goku Emotional Maturity

The Dragon Ball franchise proves that Goku is an incredibly powerful and talented fighter, but he’s trained under many brilliant mentors who have made undeniable impacts on his development. Goku spends time under Kami’s tutelage in the original Dragon Ball and it’s a portion of his life that doesn’t get enough attention. Goku was less in control of his anger and emotions before his training with Kami. Goku’s responses to trauma with Bora and Krillin both result in his killer instinct coming out against Tao Pai Pai and King Piccolo. Kami teaches Goku to become more forgiving.

2 Piccolo Defeats Rubalt In The Tournament Of Power

Tournaments make up a big part of the Dragon Ball franchise and the latest anime series, Dragon Ball Super, devotes its entire final arc to a gigantic battle royale tournament between dozens of fighters across multiple universes. The Tournament of Power allows many neglected faces to come back in a big way, which includes Piccolo. Piccolo provides constant support for his Universe 7 during the tournament. Piccolo helps Gohan avoid elimination on several occasions, but his defeat of Rubalt is a particularly triumphant moment for his team.

1 Piccolo Stays Behind In Hell

Dragon Ball GT remains a contentious chapter from the Dragon Ball saga, but it still presents some creative ideas that are worthy of examination. Dragon Ball GT brings back many old faces in new capacities, and a powerful and evil new version of Android 17 is created while a gateway between Hell and Earth opens up. Piccolo graciously offers to stay behind in Hell to police the environment and prevent individuals like Cell and Frieza from escaping, but it’s also a strategy that takes the Dragon Balls out of commission and keeps the planet safe.