Shu

This article is about Emperor Pilaf's minion. For Gohan's tutor, see Mr. Shu.

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Directory: Characters → Villains → DB villains

"Are we gonna retreat?"
— "The Flying Fortress – Vanished!"

Shu (シュー, Shū) is an anthropomorphic dog (Shiba Inu) and Emperor Pilaf's ninja lackey. He and Mai usually work together to carry out the work of their short-tempered boss.

Appearance

Shu is a short anthropomorphic Shiba-inu dog (though he is often mistaken for a fox by fans) with ginger or light brown fur covering his entire body, and a tan face and paws. His shinobi shozoku (ninja uniform) consists of a purple hood, a purple kimono with a yellow shirt underneath it, purple hakama pants, a pale blue or white sash, black tabi socks, and straw waraji sandals. He usually carries a wakizashi (Japanese short sword) on his back.

Personality

Like anything involving Emperor Pilaf, Shu acts almost entirely as comic relief. He usually has Mai as a foil to his comic personality, where Mai is always in a serious attitude and usually armed with Conventional Weaponry.

Biography

Background

Shu is a skilled dog trainer, probably because he is one. It is revealed that he, along with Mai, were recruited by Emperor Pilaf from a want ad.

Dragon Ball

Emperor Pilaf Saga

Main article: Emperor Pilaf Saga

Shu assists Emperor Pilaf in collecting the Dragon Balls along with Mai. When a spy tracker spots a glow in Skull Valley, Shu and Mai go there only to see it is nothing but a bunch of wolves. Shu and Mai are able to get away, but Goku kicks down their airplane, causing them to crash. When they finally get back to Pilaf's Castle they are forced on another mission in order to get a Dragon Ball from Master Roshi. When they get to Kame House, Roshi already gave it to "a pretty girl on the beach" (Bulma). Roshi pushes their submarine into the ocean and puts a hole, causing them to sink to the bottom. Later, during Goku and Bulma's time in the Diablo Desert, Shu and Mai attempt to blow up Oolong's House-Wagon to obtain the balls, but end up failing when Shu gets the bomb stuck to his paw. When he manages to reset the bomb and get it on the House-Wagon, Yamcha blows it up. Not knowing that Goku, Bulma and Oolong were gone, they both enter seconds before the bomb was set to go off and explodes with them in it. When they both get back, Pilaf tortures them by electrocuting them for their failure.

When Goku and the others are on their way to Pilaf's castle with six of the Dragon Balls, Shu attacks them in a Pilaf Machine and takes the Dragon Balls. Missing the ball Goku was carrying, they gassed the room they were in to get the last Dragon Ball. Pilaf summons Shenron with the intention on ruling the world, but Oolong interrupts and wishes for a pair of panties.

CrashedShu — Shu after his plane crashes

Shu, using his sword and Mai, using her machine gun, are sent to go after Oolong and the others. After capturing all of them, they places the gang in a special cell Pilaf designed to fry them when the sun rises. That night, Goku transforms into a Giant Ape from the full moon, and smashed Pilaf's castle to rubble. Being in bed at the time, Shu had to escape with Mai and Pilaf in a plane, but Goku grabs a tower and throws it at the plane, causing them to crash. After Pilaf seeing the destruction of his castle, he gives Mai and Shu guns, and orders them to kill the rest of them, but when Shu see's Pilaf running in the opposite direction, he follows him along with Mai.

Red Ribbon Army Saga

Main article: Red Ribbon Army Saga

A year later, Pilaf begins his search for the Dragon Balls again. Shu disguises himself as Goku to get one of the Dragon Balls. The Dragon Ball was in a pterodactyl that the Ox-King killed for the feast at "Goku's wedding". While at the banquet they get the Dragon Ball but the Red Ribbon Army attacks the Ox-King's village. They escape back to Pilaf's Flying Fortress only to still be followed by Colonel Silver's troops. When they reach the desert, the fortress got shot down by a massive wave of the Red Ribbon Army's planes. They escape the flying fortress before it explodes but are surrounded by soldiers at the bottom and forced to give up the dragon ball.

Fortuneteller Baba Saga

Main article: Fortuneteller Baba Saga

PilafShuMaiVsGoku — Mai, Pilaf and Shu in their robot suits

After Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army, Pilaf had one of the Dragon Balls and put it in a Dragon Radar-proof box, causing it to not be tracked on any radar. While they were in a car on the City Street, Goku spotted them and demanded the Dragon Ball. Pilaf, Shu and Mai brought out their Pilaf Machines and challenged Goku. Goku was able to damage Mai's machine making her jump on top of Shu's and run away. Goku then caught up and punched a missile back at them causing their machines to break and give up the Dragon Ball. Shu has to also give Goku his clothes too since they destroyed his Turtle School uniform.

King Piccolo Saga

Main article: King Piccolo Saga

PilafGang(KPiccoloSaga) — Shu along with Pilaf and Mai in King Piccolo Saga

In the King Piccolo Saga, Shu, Emperor Pilaf, and Mai help King Piccolo acquire the Dragon Balls, only to later be thrown off their own ship by Piccolo the demon king. They survive the fall through the power of slapstick and decide to choose their allies more carefully next time.

Piccolo Jr. Saga

Main article: Piccolo Jr. Saga Shu appears at the end of the Piccolo Jr. Saga, when Pilaf and his gang attack Goku and Chi-Chi in Mount Kiwi's volcano, and later on Mount Frappe.

Interlude

At some point during the three years before the Androids' arrival, the Pilaf Gang used the Dragon Balls to wish for their youth.^[1]

The Pilaf Gang plotted world domination, working in secret. However, when Cell appeared, they decided to evaluate the situation a little more and postponed their plans. When they were thinking about making a move again, Majin Buu appeared and they postponed their plans again.^[2]

Dragon Ball Super

Battle of Gods Saga

Main article: Battle of Gods Saga Shu, Emperor Pilaf, and Mai are stranded on an desert island as children. While Pilaf is fishing, Shu and Mai are trying to find treasure with no luck, which frustrates Mai. Shu griefs that he might die for not eating and hopes to eat soon. Shu gets shocked when he heard Pilaf found the Dragon Balls but however he didn't see them. Shu thought Pilaf was hallucinating because he might be hungry. They use the boat they had to row towards the cruise ship where Bulma's birthday party is being held and where the Dragon Balls are located. Shu and Mai starts crying because they thought they were going to die because their boat was sinking. When the boat sunk, a shark tried to attack them but Shu, Mai, and Pilaf were saved by Goten and Trunks who happen to see them overboard. Once they get onto the ship, Trunks offers them food but Pilaf denied it, even though they were hungry. Goten and Trunks came back later to give them food.

When Goku fought Beerus in his Super Saiyan God form, Shu and the others spent the majority of the fight sleeping on the ship until the fight is over, when they row off into the distance and vow to get the Dragon Balls next time.

Resurrection ‘F’ Saga

Main article: Resurrection ‘F’ Saga Shu, along with Pilaf and Mai are looking for the Dragon Balls. They managed to find six and are looking for one in a cave. The Pilaf Gang are encountered by Sorbet and Tagoma . They are forced to give Sorbet the Dragon Balls to wish for Frieza's revival. Emperor Pilaf reluctantly summons Shenron and Sorbet wished for Frieza's revival and after revealing that Shenron can grant two more wishes, Shu wished for a million Zeni while Mai wished for the best ice cream in the world before Sorbet can wish back King Cold. After Sorbet and Tagoma left, Pilaf decides that they should build a spaceship to avoid Frieza's wrath with the materials bought with the Zeni Shu wished for right after a well-deserved feast.

Universe 6 Saga

Main article: Universe 6 Saga The Pilaf Gang tags along with Goku and the rest of the gang to the Nameless Planet where the tournament between universe six and seven is being held. In the cube traveling there, they overhear Beerus speaking of the Super Dragon Balls. Shu thinks that they're big because of their name but Pilaf thinks they're the size of watermelons. When they arrive on the Nameless Planet, everyone is able to see the Super Dragon Balls and their size exceed the expectations of what was thought before.

Shu is seen along with Pilad and Mai working in a hotel restaurant. He hears Gohan's phone call with Goku about him not being able to control his Ki, Shu follows Pilaf who uses their money to fund a new Pilaf Machine to finally get revenge on Goku. While sneaking outside of Gohan's house, they end up coming across Pan who sneaks aboard their machine which goes into space and gets destroyed but the gang is saved by Pan who just learned how to fly.

"Future" Trunks Saga

Pilaf, Shu and Mai get taken in by Bulma and now live in Capsule Corporation and receive private tutoring with Trunks. During their lunch break, they see a Time Machine appear with Future Trunks unconscious in it. They listen to the conversation Goku, Vegeta and Bulma have while listening and find out that there are two Trunks and guess that the future trunks is some sort of hidden child resulting from a scandal. Pilaf, Shu and Mai continue to watch and listen when Goku Black follows into their time and watch the fight between him and Goku through a projection that Beerus and Whis were watching. When Black destroys the time machine, they extinguish the fire dressed as a fire brigade.

Dragon Ball GT

Black Star Dragon Ball Saga

Main article: Black Star Dragon Ball Saga

On the first episode of Dragon Ball GT, an aged Shu is shown along with an aged Mai and an aged Emperor Pilaf on top of Kami's Lookout, getting ready to summon Ultimate Shenron with the Black Star Dragon Balls. When they are trying to summon him, she states that every time they come close to their goal, something always gets in the way, so she would like to hurry up before something happens. After they summon Shenron with the Black Star Dragon Balls, Goku sees the light from them, and he goes around the corner to see what it is. Emperor Pilaf says that he looks familiar, and they figure out that it is Goku, only all grown up. Pilaf says that he wishes Goku were a kid again so that he could really teach him a lesson, not knowing that Ultimate Shenron was listening. Ultimate Shenron says his catch phrase "It shall be done", and his eyes glow, and Goku's body turns back into a kid.

Baby Saga

Main article: Baby Saga Later in the episode, "Piccolo's Decision", he makes a cameo with Mai and Pilaf as they are saved and teleported to New Planet Plant by Super Saiyan 4 Goku before the Earth's explosion.

Film appearances

Mystical Adventure

Main article: Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure

Pilafgangma — Shu, with Pilaf and Mai, finishing the Global Dragon Radar for Master Shen

At the beginning of the movie Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure, Shu is seen working on a Global Dragon Radar with Pilaf and Mai for General Tao and Master Shen. When the Pilaf Gang asks for payment, Tao betrays them (perhaps even killing them).

Battle of Gods

Main article: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Before the events of the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Shu and the Pilaf Gang gathered all the Dragon Balls themselves and wished for youth, but Shenron made them a little too young. Shu is the only one who enjoys being turned into a child because his life was greatly extended in dog-years. In the film, they appear turned into children when they sneak into Capsule Corporation, where Bulma's birthday party is held, in order to steal the Dragon Balls. Bulma does not recognize them and invites them to the party as a result. They are also there when the Z Fighters face the God of Destruction Beerus.

Resurrection ‘F’

Main article: Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’

"We wish for a million zeni!"
— Shu using Sorbet's wish

File:7b686d9ea527f8730345245cd092a470.jpg

Shu taking Sorbet's second wish for one million zeni.

Shu along with Pilaf and Mai forcefully help Tagoma and Sorbet gather the Dragon Balls to revive Frieza. After they wished Frieza back, Shu takes Sorbet's second wish to get rich by asking Shenron to give them 1,000,000 zeni. After this, the Pilaf Gang go eat Mongolian Barbecue.

Power

The movie pamphlet for Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might states that Shu has a power level of 20.

Techniques and arsenal

Ninja Star – Shu throws ninja stars to injure his opponent. He can also spread those stars on the floor. Used in Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo (one kunai at a time) and Dragon Ball: Origins (two stars at a time).
Sword Slash – Shu holds his sword in hand and slashes his opponent several times. Used in Dragon Ball: Origins.
Shu Machine:

Electric Waves – Shu's Pilaf Machine can shoot pink Energy Waves that look like bolts of electricity from its hands. In Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo, those attacks are yellow instead of pink.
Flamethrower – Shu's Pilaf Machine can throw flames from its "tail".

Shu burning Goku — Shu's Pilaf Machine throws flames

Launch Missiles! – Shu's Pilaf Machine can release a powerful missile. Shu first used it in Diablo Desert to attack Goku and his friends, destroying Ox-King's hovercar. He later used this against Goku on the City Street, but the missile was caught and thrown back at him and Pilaf, destroying his and Pilaf's machines. Shu also used the "Launch Missiles!" on Mount Frappe near the end of Dragon Ball, and on Kami's Lookout in Dragon Ball GT. It is the Fused Pilaf Machine's Ultimate Blast in the Budokai Tenkaichi series and its super attack in Dragon Ball Heroes, where it is called Pilaf Missile (ピラフミサイル). In the Budokai Tenkaichi games, Pilaf yells "launch missiles now!" and Shu's Pilaf Machine unit releases a powerful missile that takes away a huge percentage of damage.
Arm Extension – The ability to elongate arms. Used by Shu's machine while on Mount Frappe.

Appearances in other media

Live-action movie

Koreanshumai — Shu in *Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku*

Shu appears in the Dragon Ball 1990 Korean film, Dragon Ball: Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku, as a ninja with dog features rather than a full dog.

Video games

Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo (Enemy)
Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu
Dragon Ball 3: Gokuden (Boss in Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen (Boss as part of the combined Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball Z: Sagas (Opening cinematic only)
Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure (Boss and Playable character in Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Playable character as part of the combined Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Playable character as part of the combined Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball: Origins (Boss)
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans (Boss in Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo (Boss in Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball: Origins 2 (Boss in Pilaf Machine)
Dragon Ball Online
Dragon Ball RPG: Shōnen-hen
IC Carddass Dragon Ball

Voice actors

Japanese: Tesshō Genda
English dubs:
- Harmany Gold dub: Dave Mallow (?)
- Ocean Group dub: Doug Parker
- FUNimation dub: Chris Cason (DB, DBGT, Battle of Gods and most media); Justin Cook (Mystical Adventure)
- Blue Water dub: Jonathan Love
- English Animax Asia dub: Dave Bridges
Brazilian Portuguese dub: Fadhu Costa
Latin American dub: Ricardo Hill, Miguel Angel Leal (Battle of Gods)
Tagalog Dub: Robert Brilliantes

Trivia

He was originally known as Soba in the manga, but was renamed to match the anime name given after Akira Toriyama forgot he had named him previously. The combination of Shu and Mai's names form a food pun when put together to make the word "shumai" (a Chinese dumpling), whereas the name Soba in the manga and Mai's name creates another food pun of "Soba-mai", a grain similar to rice (most likely coincide with their leader's name stemming from "Rice Pilaf").
The Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game lists Shu as Human.
Shu makes a cameo in the movie Dr. Slump and Arale-chan: N-cha! Love Comes From Penguin Village where he is in a crowd with Mai, Emperor Pilaf, Launch, Oolong, King Nikochan and his servant, Pink and Cobalt Blue.