Dragon Ball's Creator Nearly Nixed One of Piccolo's Most Iconic Anime Moments

Dragon Ball has had some incredible moments for Piccolo over the years, but one of the most important scenes for the villain-turned-hero was almost rejected by Akira Toriyama. Fortunately, though, his editor was there to help him reconsider, and fans are far better off for it.

Throughout his career, Akira Toriyama had a tendency to shy away from emotional and dramatic scenes, instead preferring to show the aftermath of such scenes, as he did with Krillin's first death in the World Martial Arts Tournament. These kinds of moments seemed to make him a bit uncomfortable, as he felt he couldn't capture the emotions properly. Toriyama's editors would often encourage him to embrace these moments rather than move past them, and the story of Dragon Ball was infinitely better off for it. One such instance surrounds Piccolo's death, wherein he protects Gohan.

Toriyama's Editors Added Emotion to Piccolo's Death

A Small But Meaningful Change Improved Piccolo's Sacrifice

Piccolo steps in and takes the blast from Nappa, saving Gohan and leading to his death.

In an interview with Toriyama's former editors on the Japanese podcast KosoKoso, as translated to English by @Venixys on X (Formerly Twitter), Toriyama's second editor, Yu Kondo, recalled what he considered one of his most impactful changes on the manga. Kondo insisted quite strongly that Piccolo should cry during his death scene, an idea which made Toriyama a bit uncomfortable. Kondo didn't let up, however, and Toriyama eventually reconsidered, allowing Piccolo to cry as he thanked Gohan for being a friend, and recognizing him as being like a son.

This scene had a tremendous impact on Piccolo's characterization, and especially his relationship with Gohan. While Piccolo's training methods were a bit cruel, his death makes it clear that Piccolo had developed a legitimate affection for the boy, and cared strongly for his survival--enough so to sacrifice his own life, marking Piccolo's absolute turn to good. Piccolo's tears give his confession emotional weight, and ensure that fans know he's being honest about his feelings.

Piccolo's Tears Made His Transition to Good Complete

Piccolo Crying Made The Scene Feel Authentic

Piccolo as an adult, smiling at his opponent during a fight.

Piccolo's tears during this scene may seem like a small detail, but it really does do a lot to add to the emotion of the moment. Kondo considered this change one of his most important, next to Perfect Cell, and it's easy to see why. It helps to subvert harmful stereotypes about male characters crying, for example, by showing a perfectly legitimate reason why one might cry. It also introduces a much more "human" side of Piccolo, showing that he's no longer the monster his father created him to be.

Piccolo would go on to have more emotional moments, of course, particularly with Gohan, as their bond was solidified by his sacrifice here. While this change to Piccolo's death might not have made tremendous waves throughout the Dragon Ball continuity, it certainly improved the scene dramatically. It even helps to make Gohan's ensuing rage feel more authentic. It's just another example of how a good editor can help a good writer to become great, and a sign of just what made Dragon Ball so special.