Dragon Ball Super Reveals Secret Behind Piccolo’s Transformation
Dragon Ball Super’s orange-colored Piccolo has been revealed in a preview for the manga. In the same way that Goku and Vegeta were able to transform, this color shift from green to orange is a product of God Ki.
Orange Piccolo has unlocked his God Ki.
The details behind Piccolo’s new transformation for Dragon Ball Super came from the official Dragon Ball website. Eight pages of storyboards composed by artist Toyotarou were exposed for the upcoming ninth chapter of the Super Hero arc of the manga.
The translation of these pages (provided by X user @SupaChronicles) reveals that Piccolo is using God Ki in this new form. This is confirmed by the translation of Gohan and Trunks being unable to read Piccolo’s ki. Those with God Ki can avoid detection as those with the same power can read it.
Orange Piccolo’s Dragon Ball Lore
Before the manga, Orange Piccolo was first showcased in the movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Although this transformation made Piccolo more powerful, the secret behind his new power wasn’t fully revealed. Fans speculated that it was the same God Ki used by Goku and Vegeta, and it seemed they were right.
Piccolo’s transformation in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was framed as the Namekian fighter reaching his full potential. As a gift from Shenron, Piccolo transformed during his fight with Gamma 2 at just the right moment to fight back. The full potential of Piccolo was only referred to in the film as “a little something extra.”
But there’s another fascinating angle to consider within Dragon Ball Super. Piccolo has previously fused with Kami to become more powerful (during the events of Dragon Ball Z).
The “extra” being God Ki lines with the powers Shenron possessed. After all, the wish-granting dragon was a product of the god Kami. So, it makes sense that Shenron would possess the powers to grant god-like powers to someone like Piccolo.
But there’s another fascinating angle to consider within Dragon Ball Super. Piccolo has previously fused with Kami to become more powerful (during the events of Dragon Ball Z). With a little god already inside him, Piccolo’s God Ki was there all along, just waiting to be unlocked.
The additional information added to the Dragon Ball Super manga may quell some concerns with fans who demand answers. This aspect makes the manga far more interesting than merely being a movie adaptation. If fans connect the dots, they’ll realize that Piccolo’s powers were more about hidden potential than a granted wish.
Transformations within Dragon Ball have been relatively common but less associated with Piccolo. The franchise has specialized in making the Sayian characters of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Trunks adopt new levels of becoming mighty warriors.
Fans have been used to seeing the Sayians adopt new hairstyles and colors with every new level attained. So it was no doubt a surprise to see Piccolo adopt a new hue as he powered up. Now that the upcoming manga explains this power, the fan theories can be put to bed.
With this aspect in mind, the Dragon Ball Super manga may also explain the theory behind Beast Gohan. During Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Gohan also manifested a new form that allowed him to kill Cell Max. So, another secret may yet be revealed within the pages.
The revealing chapter of Dragon Ball Super will go on sale in Japan in October 2023. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll.
