Dragon Ball Super: Will Piccolo Be Getting A New Power Up?

Over the years, fans of Dragon Ball have noticed a rather disturbing trend when it comes to the franchise’s fighters. Power levels continue to be raised at an alarming rate for warriors like Goku and Vegeta – but the same can’t be said for others. Heroes like Gohan and Tien have watched their overall strength plateau for some time, and fans are wondering if Piccolo will ever take his spot back as the series’ strongest fighter. After all, the Namekian did briefly hold that title after he merged with Kami, but Goku was quick to level up his Saiyan gifts to challenge that record.

However, Piccolo might be pushed to adopt a new form soon. The ‘Universal Survival’ arc is well-underway, and Goku is nearly done recruiting all the fighters he needs to defend Universe 7 from annihilation. Piccolo will give his answer about the Tournament of Power in next week’s episode of Dragon Ball Super. And, since it seems the fighter is all down for the duel, Piccolo may need to whip out a special new power to impress the multiverse at large.

For Dragon Ball fans, they know Piccolo is not a character to mess with. His entrance to the franchise dates back to the original Dragon Ball anime, but Piccolo came to power in Dragon Ball Z. Fans watched as the green-skinned alien trained an unwilling Gohan and eventually put aside his feud with Goku to become allies. Since the Saiyan Saga came to an end, the bond between Piccolo and Goku’s brood has become a strong one, but the alien will need to focus on his own strength in this arc. It’s true that Gohan needs a crash-course on fighting before the martial arts tournament happens, but Piccolo will also need new tricks. And, really – what could be a better skill to develop than the Red-Eyed Namekian form.

If you have not heard of the mysterious state, then don’t worry. The Red-Eyed Namekian state is one which shows up almost exclusively in Dragon Ball’s video games. The power debuted in Dragon Ball Online, and it has since become a transformation which many have wanted Piccolo to adopt. The form gives any Namekian who wields it the power equivalent to a Super Saiyan. Dragon Ball Heroes has suggested the transformation can even put a fighter’s power on-par with that of a Super Saiyan God. Users who’ve been able to enter the form are Tsumuri, Kagyu, and the Namekian Elite warriors.

Of course, fans may wonder if Dragon Ball Super would allow such a power-up to take place. After all, the Red-Eyed Namekian state has been housed in video games which don’t often tie into Akira Toriyama’s canon. However, the transformation would give Piccolo better leverage in Draogn Ball Super. If there was another non-Saiyan warrior on Earth who could go against Goku in Super Saiyan Blue, fans would see the show’s stakes raise exponentially.

Dragon Ball Super‘s “Universal Survival” saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.