Piccolo's Return (神様も生き返った! 超神龍でピッコロが復活, Kami Sama mo Iki Kaette! Cho Shenron de Pikkoro ga Fukkatsu) is the second episode of the Frieza Saga and the seventy-sixth overall episode in the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. The episode first aired on February 6, 1991. Its original American air date was September 22, 1999.
Summary
Porunga disappears
With Porunga now summoned, Dende wishes for Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu and Piccolo to be revived, but there is a problem: Porunga has the ability to revive only one person at a time. King Kai relays the news to the fighters on his planet, and they immediately get into an argument as to which one of them should remain. Piccolo demands to speak to Gohan, but the others oppose this, believing Piccolo is merely demanding his payment from Gohan for saving him from Nappa. However, Piccolo talks to Gohan and instructs him to wish him back first, since by doing this, Kami and the Earth's Dragon Balls will be restored and they can be used to revive the others. For the second wish, Piccolo demands to be teleported to Namek, desiring to fight Frieza in revenge for his fallen people. King Kai objects to this, but Piccolo refuses to listen, despite his earlier "promise" not to approach Frieza.
Frieza appears before Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin and Dende
Meanwhile, Vegeta suddenly wakes up from his nap upon sensing Frieza approaching. Hoping to lure Frieza away from Goku, who is still recovering, Vegeta attempts to join his allies outside, but sees that the sky has gone black but the horizon is still light. Realizing that Gohan and Krillin have summoned the Dragon behind his back, Vegeta furiously rushes towards them. Krillin and Gohan sense him from afar, and quickly make the first two wishes. Unfortunately, Porunga sends Piccolo to a random spot on Namek quite far away from the scenario. As Dende suggests using their last wish to teleport Piccolo there with them, Vegeta appears, infuriated at his allies' betrayal. As he prepares to take his revenge, Gohan blurts out that there is still one wish left.
Frieza spots the Dragon from afar and races towards it as fast as he can. Vegeta demands that Dende wish immortal life for him. Dende hesitates, and Vegeta begins manhandling him in an attempt to coerce him into making the wish.
As Porunga had said when Piccolo was asked to be transported to Namek from King Kai's planet, Piccolo is indeed there, but he has ended up far away. After Piccolo sees his home planet for the first time, he regains focus. Piccolo then tries sensing Gohan's ki, but finds nothing on either side of him, and he realizes Porunga merely sent him to a random spot on the planet. At an instant, he detects Frieza's ki, but even then this does not stop the brave Namekian and he flies off to join his friends.
At the location where Vegeta and the others, Dende still refuses Vegeta's request and Porunga begins to run out of patience. Vegeta explains that this wish is by now their only chance to stall Frieza long enough for Goku to heal and join them. With Frieza fast approaching, Krillin reluctantly orders Dende to make the wish for Vegeta's immortality. Dende obeys and begins making the wish, but as Vegeta begins to thrive, Porunga suddenly disappears and the Dragon Balls turn to stone: Guru has died.
Dende tearfully breaks the news to the Earthlings, adding that Vegeta is not immortal. Enraged at losing his shot at immortality, Vegeta prepares to kill Gohan and Krillin when he stops short, frozen with fear: Frieza has arrived, vowing to crush them all for ruining his plans.
Major Events
- Piccolo and Kami are restored to life with the first wish from Porunga.
- Piccolo is transported to Namek by Porunga with the second wish from Porunga.
- Grand Elder Guru dies causing Porunga and the Dragon Balls to disappear.
- Frieza arrives infront of the others.
Appearances
Characters |
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Locations
- Otherworld
- King Kai's planet
Objects
Bruce Faulconer tracks
- "Call Out the Dragon" - When King Kai is thrilled that Porunga has been summoned on Namek.
- "Vegeta's Theme" - When Vegeta senses Frieza approaching.
- "Call Out the Dragon" - When Dende is asking Porunga to make Vegeta immortal.
Differences from the manga
- Tien Shinhan and Yamcha arguing over who should be revived and then after their arguing with Piccolo is exclusive to the anime.
Trivia
- The original airing of this episode featured Chris Forbis voicing Kami,[1] but was redubbed by Christopher Sabat by the time of the remastered box sets.
- In the original dub, Chris Cason is the voice of Tien Shinhan, but in the remastered version Cason was replaced by Tien's current voice actor, John Burgmeier.
- Back in the episode Picking Up The Pieces, Piccolo's body was loaded into a freezing pod to preserve it for resurrection. However, when wished back in this episode, his halo disappears when he is returned to life, but his soul does not return to his body, similar to what happened when Goku was restored to life during the Vegeta Saga. Unlike Piccolo however, Goku's body was not left on Earth, leaving the difference between the resurrections and the status of Piccolo's original body unknown.
Gallery
 King Kai informs the others that Gohan can only revive three of them  Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu agree with Piccolo going back, since Earth's Dragon Balls will subsequently return  King Kai, mad at Piccolo after being disrespected and insulted  King Kai sternly warns Piccolo that he's signing his own death warrant  Vegeta threatens Gohan and Krillin  Vegeta charges an attack  Frieza appears before Vegeta and the others |
References
Template:Brief summary Template:Frieza Saga/Episodes