Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will feature many beloved characters from the original Dragon Ball Z anime, but not all of them will be playable. Characters such as Krillin, Tien, Chiazou, and Yamcha all are considered support characters. This means that during combat, the player can call on one of these allies to perform a special technique and aid them in battle. What these techniques are varies from support character to support character, but each are useful in their own way.
Given Bandai Namco's promise to make Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot the most faithful retelling of the Dragon Ball Z story yet, how well will these characters be represented? Some played important roles in certain encounters, and some fans are worried they will be relegated to the sideline due to their non-playable status.
For those that haven't been keeping up with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot news, the game aims to retell the story fans have heard a million times by approaching it from a different angle. For starters, it seems that little to no content from the original anime will be omitted from this game, even some instances of Dragon Ball Z filler have been confirmed. More than that, this will be an entirely single player experience, meaning developers have more freedom to represent the difficult battles that the Z Fighters often face. One thing in particular which has pleased fans is the accuracy of recreations of certain scenes and the character designs. How do the designs of the support characters in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot compare to those from the original anime?
Krillin
As everyone's favorite punching bag, people tend to forget just how strong Krillin actually is. His myriad of useful techniques like the Solar Flare and the Destructo Disc paired with his quick wit in the heat of battle make him a formidable fighter. In this screenshot, Krillin is preparing to throw the Spirit Bomb energy charged by Goku at Vegeta. There are some key differences, namely the size of the Spirit Bomb and Krillin looks somewhat less damaged in the newer representation, but there are also some striking similarities that showcase the attention to detail being put into this game. Krillin's outfit is identical, but even the shape of his eyes and eyebrows, the way he clenches his teeth, and the way in which he holds the Spirit Bomb are identical. Krillin will likely be available as a support character for most of the game, as he never really stopped fighting, even after he trailed behind in terms of power compared to the other playable characters.
Tien
Tien will be available to players early on as well, and his use of the solar flare technique which he created will be useful for stunning enemies defensively or to create openings to land powerful attacks. On the other hand, Tien's signature Tri-Beam attack deals heavy damage to foes in a wide area, stunning them while they are in the blast. Tien remains prevalent throughout most of the Cell Saga, but doesn't do much during the Buu Saga. This means Tien will likely be one of the more powerful support characters players have access to until later entries overtake him. Aesthetically, the character looks great. These two shots are from different times hence the slight difference in clothing, but until one does a visual analysis on these characters, many will never realize just how huge Tien's eyebrows are - a fact accurately portrayed by the new game.
Yamcha
If someone makes a Dragon Ball Z joke and they aren't talking about Krillin, chances are Yamcha is the butt of the joke. Again, despite the bad reputation he has gained, he is a very powerful fighter, with strong attacks such as the Wolf Fang Fist and the Spirit Ball Attack. Yamcha looks mostly identical in both incarnations, with his trademark scar, ridiculous hair, and cocky expressions. Yamcha doesn't stick around long though, so he may not be available to players that often. That said, the developers may allow the use of these characters even if they weren't heavily involved originally, as long as they're currently alive, of course.
Chiaotzu
Chaiotzu is a very interesting character, but he is also very mysterious. Little is known about this diminutive psychic warrior, and he doesn't appear much in the Dragon Ball Z anime after he sacrifices himself in an attempt to take down Nappa. Concerning design, it is largely the same, but some details of the posing for this technique are noticeably different. Chaiotzu will be useful to players with his ability to telekinetically hold opponents in place.
Android 18
Android 18 was once a very powerful and heartless adversary, but she like so many others that face Goku and his friends, eventually turns good. She is by far the most powerful of the confirmed support characters thus far, and as such should prove very useful when it comes to laying down the hurt on foes. Her design is very much the same, although in the Dragon Ball Z image she is in the middle of facing Vegeta, and is looking much worse for wear as a result. Android 18 won't likely be available until the Buu Saga though, as she is an enemy until then, unless she takes a short support role prior to being absorbed by Cell.
Goten and Trunks
Goten and Trunks will be two separate support characters, but are paired up here due to their inseparable bond. Goten and Trunks being the sons of Goku and Vegeta, respectively (and by extension, both half-saiyans), are incredibly powerful for their age. Though childish, their techniques prove effective against the foes they face. These two should only be available to players as support characters during the Buu Saga, as they are far too young any time before then.
It is very possible, even likely, that the full list of support characters will be comprised of many more characters than this list. Some playable characters like Piccolo have been seen as support characters, and other characters like Good Buu would make sense as well. Time will tell what the full roster of support characters will be and how players will be able to employ their aid.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will be out on January 17, 2020, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
