English: Piccolo
Japanese: Piccoro

Piccolo is a very complex character... one of the two who go through an incredible amount of development over the decades the various installments of Dragon Ball cover. However, despite his numerous character changes, he remains a mysterious, cunning, intimidating, often acerbic warrior, whose presence demands recognition and respect.

Piccolo is a Namekkian (or Namekseijin, whichever you prefer), but was sent to Earth as an infant when violent weather patterns threatened all life on Namek. His first appearance on Dragon Ball was as Piccolo Daimao (Demon King), the antithesis of Kami, who was the benign guardian of Earth (I'm not sure, but I think the word "Kami" is the title for this guardian of Earth). So Piccolo was the Satan to Kami's God, in other words. He had been imprisoned for centuries, only to be freed by the mischievous Emperor Pilaf in another fruitless attempt to dominate the world. His reappearance put the world in jeopardy, and once again, it's Goku to the rescue!

In a climactic battle, Goku managed to defeat Piccolo Daimao by ramming through his abdomen. However, the Demon King was far from dead, as he managed to transfer his soul into an egg in the nick of time. So, while the great Demon King died, a successor was born: the younger, sleeker Piccolo we all know and love.

The battle between Goku and Piccolo [code-named Ma (Demon) Junior] was the finale of Dragon Ball, but Goku chose not to kill him. It was revealed that, if Piccolo died, so did Kami, as the two used to be one being, separated centuries ago into a being of pure good, and a being of pure evil. The whole being they used to be (who is never actually named) had chosen to expel the evil within him in order to ascend to the position of Kami. However, while Kami and Piccolo were two distinct beings (with independent free will, powers, etc.), they could not exist without the other. So killing Piccolo would've meant killing Kami. And Goku would never sacrifice a friend, no matter the circumstances.

Piccolo survived the day, and mysteriously, Goku was confident that the battle was won regardless. And Goku was right... for in Dragon Ball Z, the next time we see the reincarnated Demon King, he fights alongside Goku against Radditz, an evil alien who was a much greater threat to Earth than the Demon King was. For Piccolo only wanted to dominate humanity; Radditz and the other Saiyans wanted to exterminate it. At first, Piccolo only made a temporary truce with Goku, so they could fight the worse of two evils as a united front. But circumstances prevailed against him, and Piccolo learned what it meant to actually care for someone when he took Gohan, Goku's young son, under his wing to train him.

Gohan's tender, blind affection reached Piccolo's empty heart, and spurred the warrior to sacrifice his life on Gohan's behalf (it was one of the most powerful scenes in DBZ, if you haven't seen it). And his death truly marked the end of the Demon King, for Piccolo was granted the same afterlife as the other deceased Z-Senshi: training under a higher god. After his resurrection, Piccolo was wished to Namek, where the battle against Frieza was taking place. Once there, Piccolo fused with Nail, one of the champions of Namek (see Namek Fusion for more details). That fusion allowed Piccolo to absorb Nail's mind along with his strength, giving the former Demon-King absolute loyalty to the planet Namek, the home world he never knew. When he rejoined the living Z-Senshi, he was more powerful than ever before, and his spite against Goku had evaporated forever. In fact, Piccolo was prepared to lay down his life for Goku in the battle against Frieza.

Gohan's love changed Piccolo forever, and the rapid acceptance by Goku and the other Z-Senshi made his transformation complete. He proved he was no longer the Demon King, so much so that, when Cell threatened the Earth, Kami was ready to sacrifice his own existence by fusing with Piccolo, and even allowing Piccolo the dominant consciousness. By laying their differences aside, and through Kami's faith that Piccolo had indeed changed forever, the Super Namek was born... one far more powerful than any other member of the agrarian race had ever been. (Goku had once referred to this being as "Kamiccolo," but he retained the name "Piccolo," as he kept Piccolo's body since Kami was far older and weaker physically.)

Piccolo is greatly respected by all the Z-Senshi, and is idolized by Gohan. Further in the series, when villains become so powerful he is no longer effective against them, he still retains a significant position on the series. He becomes an advisor and teacher, training young warriors how to maximize their power in limited time, along with imparting the wisdom he accumulated over his centuries as Kami to the Z-Senshi, and even Dende, his successor to Earth's guardianship.