Highlights
- Human characters in Dragon Ball have been overshadowed by the Saiyans, but their contributions to Goku's growth and the protection of Earth cannot be ignored.
- The power scaling in the series has left the human characters behind, but giving them power-ups would bring them back into the spotlight and make them relevant in the ongoing battles.
- While there are different ways for the human characters to obtain a power-up, the most important factor is their dedication to training and working hard, just like the Saiyans.
Ever since the start of the franchise, there has been no question that Dragon Ball has mostly followed the Saiyans. This makes sense because the main character, Goku, was a Saiyan who crash-landed on Earth as a baby and since then, his adventures and struggles have been documented within the series. His progression as a character has also been influenced by the various other Saiyans introduced in the Dragon Ball franchise.
However, his human allies have had an even greater effect on him ever since his arrival on the planet and have shaped his ideals into what he identifies with now. With Dragon Ball being a shonen series that is built upon action and fighting, it remains a mystery as to why such important human characters as Krillen, Tien, and Yamcha have been left behind compared to the Saiyans. So, let's see why they desperately need a power-up.
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Human Characters Need to Stop Getting Power Crept Out of Relevance
As stated before, Dragon Ball is a franchise that is greatly defined by its power scaling and the desire to get stronger. As the series progresses and each subsequent arc somehow introduces a new enemy who's even more powerful than everyone that ever came before, the heroes have to dig deeper to unlock a power within themselves that is somehow even greater than that of the enemy. This cycle has now led to all the character-specific transformations in the current setting.
Despite Orange Piccolo, these power-ups have exclusively belonged to the Saiyans. This has led to the landscape of the series turning into one that emphasizes the importance and need of power in the universe, and those within this landscape who do not fall under the Saiyan category are other aliens of many races, such as Granolah, Frieza, Piccolo, and Buu.
The humans are notably absent from this list, which just doesn't feel right considering how important they and their contributions have been to the world of Dragon Ball. Had it not been for Grandpa Gohan, Goku probably would have died or turned out evil, and had it not been for Krillin, Roshi and Bulma, he would never have learned friendship or the human values that have made him the most iconic anime character of all time.
Not only would a power-up for the human characters end up making them very strong and able to face newer villains, but it would also bring them back into the limelight in a series that is all about fighting stronger opponents and having greater battles. This way, these characters wouldn't just remain fodder or background characters and would provide help in a way that has a lasting impact on the overall story.
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There Are Plenty of Ways For Dragon Ball to Give Human Characters a Power-Up
The Granolah arc from the Dragon Ball Super manga showed that there were very special Cerealian Dragon Balls that gave both Granolah and Gas the strength to reach the levels of power enjoyed by Goku and Vegeta. While the Earth Dragon Balls exist, it is made pretty clear multiple times in the series that these aren't the strongest ones and have many limitations that the Dragon Balls of other planets do not.
There are quite a few things that supersede what Shenron is capable of doing. However, Piccolo's power-up in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was formed as a wish made to Shenron to become stronger, which also included a transformation to Orange Piccolo, a form that already exists in the upper tiers of power in the series. By making similar wishes, Krillin, Tien, Roshi and Yamcha can all unlock new and very powerful forms or powers.
Aside from the Earth Dragon Balls, Universe 6 and 7's Super Dragon Balls hold the power to allow a mortal to surpass even Gods of Destruction, though they are far more difficult to collect. The Cerealian Dragon Balls, however, are easier for mortals to come by, but they provide a massive power-up in exchange for something, usually the years the person has left to live. Though these methods are difficult to obtain and utilize, they are still within the grasp of the human characters.
However, the best way to achieve great strength is simply to train hard for it. Though the Saiyans have the greatest latent potential and many other innate gifts unique to their species, they wouldn't be anywhere if they didn't train the way that they did. More than any fighting or mystical elements, Dragon Ball is truly about working hard and getting better as a result of it. Through rigorous and intense training, it is very likely that even the human Z-Fighters can reach the level of the Saiyans.
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Humans Have Always Been Relevant in Dragon Ball, Even If They're Not the Strongest
Since the start of the series, humans have played an integral role in fostering Goku's growth as a character and defending Earth. Krillin had always been Goku's best friend since childhood and was always there when Goku needed him, due to which, he became one of the biggest reasons why Goku viewed Earth as his home and protected it with everything he could. After all, Krillin's death is what led to Super Saiyan 1, the transformation that changed everything for Dragon Ball.
Master Roshi was the second proper teacher that Goku ever had after Grandpa Gohan and was the person who taught Goku the Martial Arts properly. Other than that, he was the creator of the Kamehameha, a move that is the most iconic in all of anime and one that Goku has since made his own. Much like Krillin and Grandpa Gohan, Roshi also served as a family to Goku and helped to shape him into who he is today.
Tien and Yamcha both started their character arcs in Dragon Ball as villains, but eventually changed their ways and became a part of the Z-Fighters to protect the Earth from threats. While Yamcha is used as the butt of many jokes and is completely disregarded, Tien remains one of the most fascinating and coolest characters with a very unique, Martial Arts focused move set that sets him apart from many other characters.
All in all, the human characters of the Dragon Ball franchise are some of the most memorable characters in all of anime and have always been of great help to Goku throughout the story. Though they have been sidelined in most of Z and almost all of Super, it is about time they receive their power-ups and stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest characters in the series.
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
