Krillin - Plot Overview

Plot Overview

Krillin makes his very first appearance in chapter #25 A Rival Arrives!! (ライバル？参上！！, Raibaru? Sanjō!!?) first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on June 3, 1985. Here, he arrives at Master Roshi's island to become his apprentice. It is here that he meets Goku, and the two become rivals. However, after doing the hardships that Master Roshi assigns, the two become friends. After finishing their training, Roshi has Krillin and his Goku compete in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. 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 to collect the Dragon Balls by fighting against General Blue participating in Baba's tournament. However, he is quickly defeated by Count Dracula, who bites down on his head, causing blood to pour out. Three years later, Krillin enters the 22nd World Tournament. Again, he makes it to the semi-finals by defeating Chiaotzu, but loses to Goku. Soon after, Krillin is killed by a henchman of King Piccolo, 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 World Tournament. This time however, he only makes it to the quarter-finals, losing to Piccolo Junior.

Several years later, Krillin confronts the Saiyan invaders Vegeta and Nappa along with his friends and is one of the few survivors from the fight, aside from Goku and Gohan. 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. After a few close encounters with Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan are forced to team up with him in order 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, Frieza battles them until Goku appears. After a long fight between Goku and Frieza, the latter detonates Krillin from the inside, killing him instantly, which triggers Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan. After Frieza's defeat Krillin is revived by the Namekian Dragon Balls.

Krillin trains for the three years to confront Dr. Gero who wanted to use his androids to kill Goku. When the Androids, #16, #17 and #18 are released, he becomes infatuated with the female #18 which causes him to resist deactivating her with a controller Bulma created. Because of this, regardless of his efforts, the android Cell absorbs her and achieves his perfect form. 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 Cell's death, Krillin uses the second wish from the Dragon Balls to remove the bomb from #17 and #18.

Seven years later, Krillin has quit fighting, married #18, and has a daughter named Marron. However, after learning of Goku's return from the Afterlife to compete in the 25th World Tournament, he decides to also participate, after being encouraged to do so by #18. After the Supreme Kai enlists them to help him defeat the wizard Babidi, Krillin joins them, but he later evacuates Earth after the demon Majin Buu's awakening. When Buu has transformed, he finds Krillin's groups and kills them. 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 Super Spirit Bomb, which is used to destroy Buu. In Dragon Ball GT, he is killed by Android #17 but is revived by Shenron after the defeat of Omega Shenron and has a match with Goku, who decided to leave Earth.