Krillin
Krillin, known as Kuririn in Funimation's English subtitles and Viz Media's release of the manga, and Klilyn in Japanese merchandise English translations, is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is introduced in chapter #25 "A Rival? Arrival!!", first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on May 21, 1985, as Goku's fellow martial arts student under Master Roshi. As the series progresses, Krillin becomes Goku's closest ally and best friend as he fights every villain along with Goku or before him and is often depicted as the comic relief.
Design and appearance
Toriyama originally created Krillin along with the Tenkaichi Budōkai as a method to help add depth to the story, as his editor Kazuhiko Torishima had stated that the series' protagonist, Goku, was too plain. Torishima explained that to develop Goku's characterization, they needed someone petty and mischievous to provide contrast, thus leading to the introduction of Krillin. Yūsuke Watanabe, who wrote the screenplay for the film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, had originally written the film to take place at Krillin and Android #18's wedding, but Toriyama wrote it to take place at Bulma's birthday party. Watanabe thought Toriyama made the change because he wanted fans to imagine the wedding for themselves. Toriyama cited Krillin and Bulma's older ages at the end of the manga as a reason he chose for Battle of Gods to take place after the Buu arc since they were in their "strongest condition at that time."Krillin's appearance stays relatively the same for the majority of the series. He is first introduced at age 13, with a shaved head and still dressed in the yellow-and-orange clothing worn at the monastery at which he had been training. He does not possess a visible nose, and has six spots of moxibustion burns on his forehead called jieba, a reference to the practice of Shaolin monks. Toriyama once stated, seemingly humorously, that Krillin's lack of a nose is because he has a "physical idiosyncrasy" that allows him to breathe through the pores of his skin. Later, he wears the orange gi uniform that is presented to both himself and Goku by Master Roshi in honor of their first martial arts competition. Occasionally, he is seen in casual clothes, but for the most part, continues to dress for training or fighting at all times. During the Frieza arc, he wears Saiyan armor provided by Vegeta, but during the Cell arc he returns to wearing the orange gi, accompanied by a blue short-sleeved undershirt and boots. After the defeat of Cell, Krillin stops shaving his head and grows his black hair out, before later shaving it again during Frieza's resurrection. When he settles down with his family, Krillin is shown wearing a workout outfit consisting of a red "Tacos" T-shirt and brown drawstring pants.
Appearances
In ''Dragon Ball''
Krillin first appears arriving at Master Roshi's island to become his apprentice, meeting Son Goku, and the two become rivals. However, after doing the hardships that Roshi assigns, the two become friends. After finishing their training, Roshi has Krillin and Goku compete in the 21st Tenkaichi Budōkai. Krillin beats the odored fighter Bacterian, who uses his stench as a weapon, and makes it to the semi-finals. However, he is defeated by Jackie Chun, who is really Roshi in disguise, preventing his students from becoming arrogant with too many victories. Krillin continues to train with Roshi and helps Goku collect the Dragon Balls by fighting against General Blue and participating in Baba Uranai's tournament. However, he is quickly defeated by Dracula Man, who bites down on his head, causing blood to pour out. Three years later, Krillin enters the 22nd Tenkaichi Budōkai. Again, he makes it to the semi-finals by defeating Chiaotzu, but loses to Goku. Soon after, Krillin is killed by a henchman of Piccolo Daimao, who wanted to steal Goku's Dragon Ball. After Goku defeats Piccolo, Krillin is revived by the Dragon Balls. Another 3 years later, Krillin enters the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai. This time, however, he only makes it to the quarter-finals, losing to Piccolo Jr. Krillin then tries to intervene in the fight between Piccolo and Goku when Piccolo gains the upper hand, until realizing he is outclassed.Several years later, in the span of a day, Krillin is attacked by Raditz while attending a reunion, and is unable to save Gohan from Piccolo, who takes him for training. A year afterward, Krillin confronts the Saiyan invaders Vegeta and Nappa along with his friends, following months of training in preparation for their arrival. After Yamcha's death, he avenges his friend by killing most of the Saibamen. In the battle against Nappa, Krillin tries to get involved in his fight with Tien Shinhan after Nappa severs the latter's arm, though is stopped by Nappa. Krillin double teams Nappa with Piccolo, creating multiple copies of themselves with the Tri-Form and failing thanks to the clones cutting their power. Krillin later goes toe-to-toe with Nappa alone, launching a Kienzan at him that Nappa almost catches before Vegeta warns him, and is saved from an attack from Nappa by Piccolo. After Nappa is defeated, and Goku arrives, Krillin requests that he fight Vegeta elsewhere to prevent their friends' corpses from being destroyed. He and Gohan leave the battlefield but return after Gohan worries for Goku, who is being crushed by Vegeta in his Oozaru form. Krillin unsuccessfully attempts cutting Vegeta's tail in a sneak attack, and later is given the Genki-Dama to launch at Vegeta by Goku, which misses initially but is bounded back by Gohan. After Vegeta yields from further conflict given his extensive injuries, Krillin takes Yajirobe's sword and moves in to kill him, but agrees to spare his life per Goku's request. He then travels with Gohan and Bulma to planet Namek to use the Namekian Dragon Balls to revive their dead friends, since the Earth's Dragon Balls vanished due to Piccolo's death. Once there, they save a young Namekian called Dende from death at the hands of Frieza's henchmen. Krillin receives an increase in power from Guru, the grand elder of the Namekians, when he unlocks his hidden potential. After a few close encounters with Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan are forced to team up with him to fight Frieza's strongest warriors, the Ginyu Force. They are overpowered by them until Goku arrives and defeats the Force. After Krillin and Gohan collect the seven Dragon Balls and wish back Piccolo, they begin a battle against Frieza, during which Krillin is stabbed in the chest, removes Frieza's tail following being healed by Dende, thereby distracting Frieza from continuing to crush Gohan to death, and injures Vegeta in an attempt to capitalize on his Saiyan ability to grow stronger when in a near-death state at Vegeta's request. After a long fight between Goku and Frieza, Goku decides to use the Genki-Dama, Krillin giving his energy to Piccolo so he can stall Frieza and attacking Frieza himself with his last bit of strength. When the group recovers from the Genki-Dama, and Frieza emerges unscathed, the latter detonates Krillin from the inside, killing him instantly, which triggers Goku's first ever transformation into a Super Saiyan. After Frieza's defeat, Krillin is revived by the Namekian Dragon Balls.
Krillin trains for three years to confront Doctor Gero, who tries to use his androids to kill Goku. Krillin is momentarily forced to leave his friends with the androids to take Yamcha away from the battlefield in the aftermath of his deadly encounter with Gero, who Krillin finds the base of and signals the others to his location after fighting with Gero. When the Androids, #16, #17 and #18 are released, Krillin is the only hero present that does not engage #17 and #18 due to his fear. After the duo defeat his friends, Krillin unsuccessfully pleads for the androids to spare Goku's life, and becomes infatuated with the female #18 after she kisses him on the cheek, and he then heals his defeated friends. After Krillin encounters the artificial life form Cell, Krillin and Future Trunks travel to Doctor Gero's laboratory basement, where Krillin kills the present timeline version of Cell and the two discover the weakness to the androids is a deactivating controller, which Bulma constructs and gives to Krillin. Krillin soon after encounters #18 with the module and, after a period of deliberation, destroys it. Because of this, regardless of his efforts, Cell absorbs her and achieves his perfect form. Enraged over her loss, Krillin engages Cell in combat, the latter standing in place while Krillin's attacks have no effect and striking Krillin only once, placing Krillin in a near-death state. After Krillin is revived by Trunks, he warns Trunks of Cell's strength, having been able to sense his true power right before being attacked. He moves Vegeta away from the impending fight between Trunks and Cell, healing Vegeta during the battle between the two. He later participates in the Cell Games, a martial arts tournament created by Cell for entertainment, and fights one of the Cell Juniors who attack him and his friends, but is saved by Gohan. After Gohan punches Cell in the stomach, he regurgitates Android #18, and Krillin cares for her comatose body while Gohan destroys Cell. After Cell's death, Krillin then travels to the lookout, where he uses the second wish from the Dragon Balls to remove the bombs from #17 and #18.
Seven years later, Krillin has quit fighting, settled down with #18, with whom he has a daughter named Marron. This left Goku confused, until Krillin explained that Android 18 is a cyborg, and she was able to have a baby with him. However, after learning of Goku's return from the afterlife to compete in the 25th Tenkaichi Budōkai, he decides to also participate, also being encouraged to do so for the money by #18. During Goten and Trunks' match, Krillin worries that Trunks' energy attack will hit the crowd. Krillin wins his sole match, against Pintar, during the competition with ease. After the Kaioshin enlists several of Krillin's friends to help him defeat the wizard Babidi, Krillin joins them, in doing so forfeiting his entry in the tournament, but is stopped from assisting any further thanks to Dabura turning him into stone with his spit. Upon Dabura's death however, Krillin is freed and he saves Goten and Trunks from the impact of Vegeta's self-explosion. Krillin later evacuates Earth after Majin Buu's awakening. When Buu has transformed, he finds the temple and locates Krillin and his friends. After escaping the Room of Spirit and Time, he kills everyone present; in the anime, Krillin is the first to be killed after trying in vain to distract Buu so his friends can retreat. During Goku and Vegeta's fight against Buu, Krillin is brought back to life by the Namekian Dragon Balls and gives his energy to Goku's Genki-Dama attack, which is used to destroy Buu.