Fans of Dragon Ball Manga are no strangers to Goku’s short and balding sidekick Krillin. But the sidekicks often have to live with the curse of the protagonists that completely overshadow everything else. There is, of course, no doubt that Goku is one such strong character. But that said, Krillin is hard to ignore. So, here are 15 things you might not have known about Krillin.
Krillin was added to the series to bring more personality to the show:
Sure, we love Goku but let’s admit it, without Krillin, Goku is just a bland, boring, run-of-the-mill hero! And this fact was also recognized by Kazuhiko Torishima, the editor of the show’s creator, Akira Toriyama. Krillin’s character was brought in at the recommendation of the former to spice things up!
Krillin wears the burn scars on his head like a boss:
The signature marks on his forehead are, in fact, incense burn scars to be. These are a part of the Buddhist ritual where the monks must have these as symbols of the Buddhist teachings.
Krillin is one of the strongest pure-humans in the series:
Most viewers might initially consider him to be a mere balding human amidst the stronger races of beings. But that is only until they realize that he is one of the strongest Earthlings in the series. If his power reading of 75,000 doesn’t prove it, then what will?
He has died more times than anyone else on the show:
Krillin has died seven times on the show. And once, he has even been erased. But to the fans’ relief, he always comes back through the Dragon balls. Is it essential for him to die so many times, though? Well, watching him come back to life is pretty much a ritual for DBZ fans. So they aren’t complaining as long as he is back every single time.
Krillin enjoys breaking the fourth wall once in a while:
Dragon Ball Z characters don’t usually get too ‘meta’. But Krillin has been known to break this tradition more than once. He has even referenced Toriyama, the show’s creator in one of his performances breaking the fourth wall.
He has met all of the major villains on DBZ:
His small size may be deceiving, make no mistake about his bravery. Yes, his first instinct indeed is to run or hide when trouble arrives. But he is the only one who has had a face-off with all of the major villains in DBZ. And the fans know that this is a small list, especially when you consider all the different forms that these villains come in. In a nutshell, Krillin has faced all five of Frieza’s forms, Cell, Vegeta, Buu, and both of Garlic Jr.’s forms.
He has an interesting ‘One Piece’ ringtone connection:
Krillin’s ‘One Piece’ connection is well known to his fans. His ringtone is ‘We Are!’, which is also the theme track of ‘One Piece,’ which is likely a shoutout to Mayumi Tanaka, who voices Krillin on DBZ and also Luffy in One Piece.
And a cameo in a ‘One Piece’ crossover:
Krillin’s ‘One Piece’ connection doesn’t end there, though. Much to the delight of his fans, Krillin also appeared on a One Piece crossover manga.
Krillin is a foodie, and that makes us love him even more:
Krillin is an absolute foodie, and he loves the Chinese buffet. So, Krillin and Chinese food? We can’t get enough of either, can we?
What’s in a name, you say? Well, even this guy’s name is full of intriguing puns:
To start with, (surprise surprise!), Krillin isn’t his name. Krillin comes from his original name Kuririn which is also a witty pun in itself. It cleverly embodies a reference to a ‘chestnut’ which is clearly a remark on his bald head, and a ‘monk’, which is his general look in DBZ.
Sports cars are his thing:
Another thing that proves Krillin’s ‘cool quotient’ is his love for Earthly things like classic sports cars. The other characters might go for flashy space cars, but Krillin is just a simple guy in his down-to-earth sports car.
But Karaoke isn’t:
Krillin’s favorite hobby is said to be Karaoke. But his fans would rather have him do anything else but that. One thing he does right when doing Karaoke is having fun. As for the singing, nahh not so much!
He features on a Ska Punk Band cover:
We know what you are thinking – ska-punk and Krillin don’t go together. But guess what?! They totally do! If you don’t believe us check out this Voodoo Glow Skulls album cover with Krillin absolutely crushing it in an armor.
Creator Toriyama personally offered Krillin’s voice role to Mayumi Tanaka:
No, he didn’t pick every single artist on the cast, but Krillin was obviously an important enough character. Toriyama reportedly heard Tanaka in “Night on Galaxy Railroad” and thought she was perfect for playing Krillin in DBZ. It just goes to show how crucial this character is to the whole manga.
Krillin’s daughter and his ex-girlfriend weirdly share a similar name:
This detail may be outside of Krillin’s character as such, but it’s strange all the same. Maron, his ex-girlfriend, and his daughter (with Android 18), Marron, have a tad too similar names to be ignored. Of course, the creator has mentioned that Krillin’s daughter’s name has nothing to do with his ex. Instead, it’s apparently a reference to chestnuts again symbolizing Krillin’s appearance. Be that as it may, this detail manages to add just the right amount of mystery to the character.
