Dragon Ball 10 Things You Didnt Know About Nameks History

Dragon Ball's Planet Namek happens to have quite a fascinating history beyond being the home of the Namek race.

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series has become one of the most iconic anime of its generation and it continues to pull in a massive crowd and maintain relevance in what’s a crowded medium. Each Dragon Ball installment follows the adventures of Goku as he fights to grow stronger and protect the planet that he loves, but there have been considerable changes and growth to the franchise since its humble origins.

Dragon Ball gains an increasingly universal scope that takes the characters off of Earth and to a wealth of other planets and universes, all with their own unique alien species. One of the earliest and most significant examples of this is Planet Namek, which happens to have quite a fascinating history beyond being the home of the Namek race.

10 The Planet Has Three Suns & A Namekian Year Is Substantially Shorter Than Earth’s

Some of the exciting changes that come into play once Dragon Ball’s characters start venturing off to other planets is that the series actually considers the gravity and atmospheric changes from planet to planet. It even has distinct vegetation and its own species of dinosaurs.

These details make a difference to various degrees and it turns out that Namek also has three suns, which means that it’s actually never night on the planet. Time also passes quite differently as a result of this and a Namekian year is only 130 days long, which plays a factor when characters get revived.

9 Namekians Perfect Matter Creation, Which Leads To The Creation Of The Dragon Balls

Namekians have a variety of powers that are unique to their species, one of which is a form of matter creation, which is predominantly used for the creation of Dragon Balls.

Dragon Balls weren’t always a part of the Namekian existence and it’s revealed that ancient Namekians discovered one of the Super Dragon Balls and shaved pieces off of it to create the original Namek Dragon Balls. The Gods permitted this, provided they led a peaceful existence, but a connection with the Dragon Balls has gone on to become a tenet for the species.

8 A Devastating Climate Shift Decimates The Population

Planet Namek mostly experiences a peaceful history, but devastating climate changes overtake the planet in Age 261 and drastically change the makeup of Namek. This extreme shift kills off essentially the entire Namek race except for the Elder Guru and a number of select Super Namekians.

Planet Namek is briefly left in a vulnerable position, but they’re fortunately able to remedy this due to the species’ ability to asexually reproduce. This process results in Guru’s children slowly rebuilding Namek’s population, although it’s not the same as what it was before.

7 Namekian Gurus Head To Different Planets To Become Guardians

One of the most interesting things about Namekians and their history is that they’re featured in Dragon Ball long before it’s revealed that they’re in fact aliens from another planet. Planet Namek remains the home base for the population, but there are a few of the Elder Namekians that set off to other planets to forge their own Dragon Balls and carry out peaceful lives as guardians.

This is how Kami arrives on Earth to become its guardian and the same is true with Monaito on Planet Cereal, who Granolah visits in Dragon Ball Super’s manga in the post-Moro material.

6 Its Population Is Around 100 At The Start Of Dragon Ball Z

Planet Namek doesn’t get visited until Dragon Ball Z’s second major arc, the Frieza Saga, but there’s still a lot in play with the planet before it’s first officially visited. During the introductory events of Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan Saga, Planet Namek has rebuilt its population and found a quiet, yet enjoyable way of life.

Age 672 puts Planet Namek’s population at only 100, which isn’t much, but it’s an amount that works for the species. A population of only 100 also allows each face from Planet Namek to be felt and so every casualty hits harder.

5 Frieza Is Largely Responsible For The Race’s Temporary Endangered Status

The most disruptive event that Planet Namek experiences is the race for the Dragon Balls that takes place after Frieza and his forces set up shop on their ground. Frieza and the dangerous individuals that he helps gather on Namek have no regard for their lives and endless deaths occur.

Frieza is also ultimately responsible for the destruction of Planet Namek, which takes place on December 24, Age 762. It’s a fitting, yet tragic culmination of all of the damage that Frieza does to Namek.

4 Namekians Are Refugees On Earth For A Year

Following the destruction of Planet Namek, some quick and selfless thinking results in the remaining members of the planet getting sent away to Earth. This isn’t an ideal situation, but the Namekians are at least grateful to be alive and Earth’s atmosphere is comparable enough for them to survive.

Since they don’t have a planet to return to and their presence in public would likely cause some panic, the surviving Namekians reside within Capsule Corp with Bulma and the rest of the Briefs family. It leaves the species building an even greater affinity towards Earth.

3 The Namekian Race Relocated To New Namek

Dragon Ball has detailed the use of the Dragon Balls to achieve incredible things and planets have both come into and out of existence in surprising ways. The Namekians eventually get a New Namek to relocate to after they’ve been displaced on Earth for around a year.

However, their new home is an existing planet and not something that’s created through a Dragon Ball wish. King Kai locates a planet with a comparable atmosphere to Namek and they’re able to set up shop there with Moori as their new Elder. New Namek remains the species’ home.

2 It Becomes A Fuel Force For Cooler's Big Gete Star

The Dragon Ball Z movies remain a mixed bag, but one of the more popular entries in the series is when Cooler, Frieza’s brother, attempts to get revenge. Return of Cooler is largely set upon New Namek, which is a smart set piece for the movie.

Cooler eyes the planet as the perfect fuel source for his enormous Big Gete Star, a dangerous mechanical living planet of sorts. Goku and Vegeta are able to prevent Cooler from turning New Namek into used-up fuel, but it’s a grueling battle for them against an army of robotic menaces.

1 Moro Drains It Of Its Energy Until Vegeta Revives The Planet

Dragon Ball Super’s manga has covered a lot of new territory that takes recent villain, Moro, to New Namek. In Age 780, Moro invades New Namek for the Dragon Balls and later drains the planet, as well as its residents, of their energy. It’s a devastating act of destruction that turns New Namek into a husk.

Miraculously, Vegeta is later able to use Forced Spirit Fission to reverse the process and return the stolen energy back to New Namek as well as the lost Namekians. It brings the planet back to life and also provides Vegeta with deserved redemption.