Character of the Day: Piccolo

Piccolo is today's character of the day. Originally a member of the Demon clan, it was eventually revealed that he was an alien called a Namekian. First appearing in the final saga of Dragon Ball, he was the reincarnation (or son, however you want to look at it) of Piccolo Daimao, another villain of the series, who was the evil half of the Kami of earth. His mission was to kill Son Goku, the hero. His battle at the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai against Goku remains one of my favourites of the series, due to how evenly matched they were. That saga showed Piccolo as a ruthless warrior. I thought he made a really great villain. After being defeated, he eventually faced new threats, which pushed him to train the son of his nemesis- Son Gohan. Son Gohan's inocent nature and the fact that he treated Piccolo like a human brought out some of the goodness that was lying deep in his heart. He soon became a mentor figure to Gohan, maybe even more than Goku was. He couldn't help but develop feelings for him, and when he was in danger, he sacrificed his own life to save him. That sacrifice was probably one of the biggest moments of character development in the series, and it was very touching. Even Piccolo didn't know why he did this. After he was brought back to life, he continually risked his life for the greater good, even willing to go head to head with the awesomely powerful Freeza. But he still wasn't exactly the friendliest guy around. Except, of course, with Gohan. He later fused together with Kami-sama and became incredibly powerful, and seeminly a little more happy. He may not have always been the most powerful character in the series, but he was always willing to help in any way he could. He lived the life of a true warrior, even turning down a peaceful life with his own kind, because it was too "boring." He has an awesome design, an arsenal of cool attacks, and the really handy ability to regenerate lost limbs. He remains one of my favourite villain/heroes ever, even higher in the ranks than Vegeta.