King Piccolo is a major villain that appears in the original Dragon Ball series. He was an evil Namekian who plunged the Earth into chaos and rejoiced in the death of innocent people. He was defeated by Goku, and in a last-ditch effort to leave behind some sort of legacy, he created Piccolo Jr., now simply referred to as Piccolo.
At first, Piccolo was happy to replicate his father's evil misdeeds. He dedicated the first few years of his life training to defeat Goku. After bonding with Gohan, merging with other Namekians, and fighting alongside the other defenders of Earth, Piccolo has become more than just a reincarnation of King Piccolo.
10 King Piccolo Spits Out Followers
Namekians reproduce by spitting out eggs.Through this means, King Piccolo created his followers. He would grant these followers part of his powers, and give them what he considered fitting appearances. For example, Cymbal, who King Piccolo tasked with gathering the Dragon Balls, was given a draconic appearance.
However, each time he made a child, he would age tremendously. Piccolo Jr. was his final son, who inherited all of his memories and powers. Piccolo never had kids of his own, arguably because Gohan and Pan kept him busy.
9 Piccolo Is A Better Father Figure
King Piccolo created Piccolo Jr., believing that his son would be able to defeat Goku and carry on his legacy. To get revenge, Piccolo Jr. trained for years in preparation of his battle with Goku. Piccolo Jr. would lose the battle, and after other Saiyans threatened Earth, he became a father figure to Gohan.
He grew attached to him, teaching Gohan and preparing him for whatever the universe would throw at him. He was even willing to sacrifice himself in order to defend Gohan. Piccolo also shows a similar attachment to Gohan's daughter, Pan.
8 Piccolo Killed Goku
Piccolo did what his father could not. Although King Piccolo came close to killing Goku, Goku was saved by Yajirobe. Goku would later prove himself to be the stronger fighter. Even when faced with King Piccolo's dirty tactics, Goku was still able to defeat him.
Piccolo actually killed Goku, an act that delighted him at the time. In order to defeat Goku's brother, Raditz, Goku had to hold him in place so that Piccolo could land the final blow. The attack went through Goku as well, killing both Saiyans.
7 Piccolo Is A Better Fighter And Teacher
Piccolo is a much stronger fighter than his father was. King Piccolo lost to Goku when Goku was only a child. Piccolo surpassed his father's strength, having combined with Kami and Nail. He even asked Shenron to unlock his latent potential, which helped him achieve the Orange Piccolo form.
Piccolo has completely dedicated his life to training since he knows that he will be needed if Goku and Vegeta aren't around to protect Earth. He is even willing to train others if he thinks they are needed for the sake of the planet.
6 Piccolo Respects Goku
King Piccolo didn't think much of Goku because he was so young and small when they fought. He took advantage of Goku's kindness, using Tien as a shield and wounding Goku in a way that made it nearly impossible for him to fight back.
He was shocked that Goku defeated him, but considered this a momentary failure. Piccolo has developed a respect for Goku's fighting prowess and battle strategies. He acknowledges Goku as being one of Earth's greatest defenders, and still hones his own abilities in hopes of matching his skills.
5 King Piccolo Loved Destruction And Chaos
King Piccolo had little regard for the lives of others, cruelly ordering one of his sons to execute the winners of the World Martial Arts Tournament. As leader of Earth, he created a holiday in which he would destroy a city every year, and encouraged the criminals of the world to help him in his destruction.
Piccolo has no interest in manipulating or killing people, instead preferring solitude so that he can meditate in peace. World conquest doesn't interest him. He knows that there are better things to do, like preparing for other threats that may come to Earth.
4 Piccolo Merged With Kami
The original Namekian that came to Earth actually expelled his evil personality in order to become the Guardian of Earth. This evil personality manifested as King Piccolo, while the remaining half became Kami. Neither side considered merging again, as Kami believed that King Piccolo needed to die for Earth to find peace.
Kami agreed to merge with Piccolo, as he saw that Piccolo redeemed himself and was not the vicious person that his father was. This fusion is just another reason why Piccolo is stronger than King Piccolo.
3 Piccolo Went To Namek And Learned About His Roots
When the original Namekian came to Earth, he was just a child. Kami admitted that he had no recollection of his time before he arrived at Earth, and was even surprised that he didn't originate from Earth. King Piccolo lacked knowledge of things beyond Earth as well, as he was able to boldly claim to be the strongest creature to ever exist.
Piccolo was the one to discover their origin when he went to Namek. There, he met Nail and fused with him, gaining his power and knowledge. Despite this, there are still a few things about Namekian culture he doesn't know, such as the fact that Dende has to be a certain age before he can unlock someone's latent potential.
2 Piccolo Developed The Evil Containment Wave Reflection
King Piccolo had no way to combat the Evil Containment Wave, an ability that allowed Master Mutaito to seal King Piccolo in an electric rice cooker. It is a difficult technique to pull off, as both Tien Shinhan and Master Roshi tried it against King Piccolo and failed. However, when successful, it turns an ordinary object into an almost inescapable prison.
Knowing that the technique was a threat, Piccolo Jr. developed the Evil Containment Wave Reflection. If someone tried to use the Evil Containment Wave against him, he would reflect that ability onto his opponent, so they would be imprisoned instead. Piccolo managed to trap Kami this way.
1 King Piccolo Was In Dragonball Evolution
This may not be a good thing, as King Piccolo was portrayed as poorly as the other characters were in this live-action adaptation. His fate in the film is drastically different from the one in the anime. While the one in the anime died during his confrontation with Goku, the movie's King Piccolo did not.
This means that the live-action King Piccolo never had any reason to create his final son. Even if the film had any chance of getting a sequel, it is unlikely that Piccolo Jr. would have had an integral part in it.
