A mainstay of the series since the start of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai arc, Krillin has managed to remain one of the most popular characters in the entire Dragon Ball franchise despite his relative weakness in comparison to the rest of the cast and general unimportance to modern Dragon Ball as a whole. The thing about Krillin is that he’s just so darn likable when it comes down to it. He may not win often, but he fights will all his heart and brings out the best in Goku. For a best friend character, Krillin isn’t particularly active, but that makes him more special. You can feel his presence in the main character even when he’s not around.

It certainly helps that Krillin is one of the more dynamic characters in the franchise. Having been introduced in the series second saga, Krillin plays a major role in seven of Dragon Ball’s ten major story arcs: the 21st Budokai, the Red Ribbon Army arc, the 22nd Budokai, the 23rd Budokai, the Saiyan saga, the Frieza saga, and the Cell arc. Given he’s in the background more often than not, though, you probably didn’t notice just how much Krillin developed over the course of Dragon Ball. Unless you’re a super fan, of course.

25 Krillin Has Been The Strongest Earthling Since Namek

Fans love to debate whether or not Krillin or Tien Shinhan is stronger, but the answer has been clear cut since Namek. In meeting Saichoro, Guru for you Funimation fans, Krillin has his potential unlocked and forever pushed past Tien. Granted, we don’t see Krillin in any major fights after the Frieza situation whereas Tien confronts both Cell and Buu, but that doesn’t mean Krillin isn’t stronger.

For starters, Yamcha straight up calls Krillin the strongest Earthling alive during the Buu saga. More importantly, Krillin puts up a better fight during the Tournament of Power than Tien. The latter ends up lasting much longer, with Krillin being the first Universe 7 casualty, but he shows far more skill in his fight than Tien. Krillin is the strongest Earthling alive. Until Uub comes into the picture that is.

24 Krillin’s Kienzan Is The Best Ki Attack In The Series

In a series with so many Ki attacks, it’s hard to pick a definitive best. The Kikoho uses life energy to create intense, overwhelming blasts; the Genki Dama uses Genki to charge up a massive ball of energy, capable of vaporizing enemies; and the Makankosappo can pierce through opponents with complete ease. No attack stands up to the Kienzan, however.

Buu's the only villain who could have tanked the Kienzan head on.

A disc of raw, concentrated Ki, the Kienzan can cut through anything. Krillin would have defeated Nappa with one single disc had Vegeta not caught onto the nature of the attack. The only time it fails is exclusively in filler episodes. In canon, the Kienzan is the single most dangerous Ki attack and the series, and it belongs to Krillin.

23 Krillin Is One Of The More Skilled Martial Artists In The Series

Even though just about every Saiyan is stronger than Krillin, strength, and skill are not the same thing. Vegeta can be stronger than Krillin, for example, while being less skilled than him. In a way, that’s the exact scenario these two characters are in. While Vegeta is certainly the capable fighter, he doesn’t fight nearly as eloquently as Krillin.

Strength is nothing without skill.

Really, the only thing holding Krillin back is a lack of strength. Time and time again, he uses his wits to outsmart his opponent. It’s how he beats Bacterian in the 21st Budokai and then Majora in the Tournament of Power. Krillin knows how to think on his feet and it’s all tied to him being a martial artist first and a warrior second.

22 Dragon Ball GT: Krillin’s Final Match With Goku

After spending 64 episodes not fighting, and a good chunk of that deceased at that, Krillin finally gets to experience one last match before Dragon Ball GT comes to an end in the finale. Goku, making peace with his family and friends before flying off to parts unknown with Shenlong, comes to visit Krillin and Roshi one last time.

There, he decides to spar with Krillin like when they were kids. They throw a few punches at one another before Krillin ultimately lands the final blow with Goku commenting on how skilled Krillin truly is. It’s at this moment where we as an audience can see what Goku is doing. He’s going back to his earliest roots and reconnecting with his closest friend before he sets off on a long, and unreturnable, journey. This is his goodbye to Krillin.

21 Krillin Shaving His Head Isn’t A Retcon

If you’re not a particularly perceptive fan, it wouldn't be unusual for you to get to the Buu arc and see Krillin’s mention that he’s not actually bald, but just shaves his head, as a retcon. After all, Krillin was bald for the entire series and now he suddenly has hair. What gives? Well, back in his introduction, he actually mentions to Master Roshi how he shaves his head.

Toriyama remembers more than you think.

Funny enough, Toriyama actually lampshades this possible misunderstanding by having Goku comment on how he thought Krillin was bald only for Krillin to correct him by telling him that he directly told Goku he shaved his head. Which he did all the way back in the very chapter he was introduced in.

20 Kid Krillin Was A Massive Creeper

Krillin’s first appearance was far from endearing. Not only was he crass and disrespectful, he was also an enormous creep who bribed himself into the Turtle School by giving Roshi creepy magazines. It’s a funny enough introduction for a character, but it’s made all the more hilarious by the fact that this was Krillin’s introduction.

Krillin is probably the last character fans would call a weirdo guy, but that was basically his defining trait during the 21st Budokai arc. Toriyama fleshes him out far more as the series expands, and rightfully so, but it’s funny to think back on how one dimensional and disconnected from his later characterization Krillin was.

19 Krillin Took On Some Of Yamcha’s Traits

If you were asked to describe some of Yamcha’s traits, you’d probably come up with “shy, timid, and desperate for love.” Oddly, these are traits Yamcha also shares with Krillin, albeit not until the Saiyan arc. Whether or not you want to call it a character retool, Krillin underwent a fundamental change after Raditz appeared.

Krillin becomes a softie and Yamcha becomes a cheater.

Although he was introduced as wanting a girlfriend all the way back in the 21st Budokai, it wouldn’t be until the Saiyan arc when he made that want all the more vocal. It mirrors Yamcha’s desire for a girlfriend in the first arc quite strikingly. Along with that, Krillin became far more docile than before, acting similarly to how Yamcha acted at the beginning of the series. It’s an interesting shift for a character who was already quite defined.

18 Krillin Could Have Defeated Second Form Frieza

For as fixated as fans get on the concept of Battle Power, the Namek arc goes to quite the lengths in order to show off that skill trumps strength any day. Even though Frieza is leagues stronger than everyone on Namek, Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, and Piccolo all put up an amazing fight before Goku ever arrives. In fact, Krillin very nearly defeats Frieza at one point.

Krillin could have ended the fight before Piccolo ever showed up.

During his second form, Krillin goads Frieza into chasing him so he can create some distance for Gohan, Vegeta, and Dende. After getting Frieza far away enough, Krillin uses his Taiyoken to blind him and flies away. Had Krillin used a Kienzan here, though, he could have sliced Frieza in two, ending the fight. That said, doing so would have been incredibly risky and missing would have cost him his life.

17 Krillin And Filler

Perhaps due to his popularity, Krillin appears quite often in the series’ filler episodes. Across Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super, Krillin is a star player when it comes to filler. In just about every arc of the series, especially in DBZ where filler was at its most prominent, you can find Krillin standing center stage of the action.

The Frieza arc put him at the focus of the Fake Namek storyline; the Cell saga had him interacting with Cell quite often; and who could forget the Garlic Junior arc where he was one of three main characters? Even Super continues this trend by having Krillin tag along with Goku during the latter’s downtime. So long as there is filler, we will always have Krillin.

16 The Unfortunate Marron/Maron Situation

Chances are you’ve noticed the very unfortunate naming convention of Krillin’s first girlfriend and eventual daughter. During the Garlic Junior filler arc, Krillin briefly dated a woman named Marron. Ditzy and clearly designed after Bulma, Marron never really left a deft in the series’ history. Please keep in mind how she appeared in a “filler” arc as that’s important.

He didn't name his daughter after his ex, we promise.

In coming to the Buu saga and seeing that Krillin has a daughter named Maron, it almost seems weird until you remember that the Garlic Junior saga wasn’t penned by Toriyama. Marron is not a Toriyama character. Toriyama naming Krillin’s daughter “Maron” has nothing to do with the non-canonical girlfriend he didn’t write. It’s just an unfortunate coincidence on Toei’s part.

15 Krillin Nearly Beat Goku In The 22nd Budokai

We will never get another arc like the 22nd Budokai in the series. This tournament is the single point in the series where just about every major character is on equal footing. Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chaozu, and Roshi are all dangerously close to one another in terms of power. Which means, of course, that Krillin could have beaten Goku in their match.

Just imagine a Demon King Piccolo arc where Goku and Krillin's roles were reversed.

Had Krillin resisted the urge to try to “trick” Goku by grabbing his tail, he wouldn’t have been knocked out so unceremoniously. He could have very well kept fighting as the two were equally matched. There’s always the possibility Goku would edge him out since he did have more experience with Ki attacks, but Krillin’s creativity within the battle would have allowed him to score a win had he not gone for a cheap KO.

14 Explaining Krillin’s Diminished Role In GT

Plenty of characters had their roles diminished for Dragon Ball GT, and Krillin was no exception. While it may be unusual for a Dragon Ball series to feature one of the franchise’s more beloved characters so infrequently, it’s not without precedent. For all of GT’s faults, it does respect how the original series ended.

Respect the status quo.

At the end of the Buu arc, Krillin was no longer a major player. He appeared briefly at the beginning and end, but played virtually no role in the rather large second act. As a result, Dragon Ball GT moves forward by leaving all the characters Toriyama left behind where they last stood. It’s perhaps not the greatest move if you’re a big fan of these characters, but it’s one that respects the source material a great deal.

13 Dragon Ball Super Doesn’t Know What It Wants For Krillin

In general, Dragon Ball doesn’t know what it wants for Krillin. Granted, this is a problem the series has for just about every single character in the franchise, but it’s nonetheless one still quite prominent for Krillin. Initially, Super’s biggest problem was that it wanted to stick to the Buu arc’s status quo. This meant Krillin was left a non-combatant, and one with hair at that. Problems start to rise with Resurrection F, however.

In an attempt to give the supporting players more to do, the film saw Krillin back in action. He shaved his head and fought for a little bit. It’s basic fan service. Coming into the rest of the series, however, Krillin is back to just chilling in the background until the Tournament of Power where he shows off his martial arts knowledge for dozens upon dozens of episodes. It’s nice to see him getting screen time, but it doesn’t feel in any way substantial.

12 Krillin Is Tied To The Series’ Two Most Important Moments

There are precisely two moments that demonstrate the heights Dragon Ball can reach as a work of literature and they’re both tied directly to Krillin. More specifically, and perhaps not coincidentally, they involve his demise. They’re so important, you knew exactly which moments they were just by reading the entry title.

No Krillin, no Super Saiyan.

The first occurs at the very beginning of the Demon King Piccolo arc. Having been assassinated by Tambourine, this event marks the series’ first foray into unhinged drama. Goku heads out onto a mission of revenge and what follows is one of the darkest arcs in the franchise. The second, of course, is Krillin’s end on Namek. Having just witnessed his best friend fall at the hands of Frieza, Goku turns Super Saiyan in a blind rage, forever changing the landscape of manga and anime.

11 Krillin Is A Better Student Than Goku

Goku is not a bad student, not by any means, but he’s not perfect either. He jumps from master to master, adopting multiple disciplines, in an attempt to refine his own. While this does naturally lead to him being the most skilled fighter in the entire series, there’s a lack of cohesion to his fighting style. It’s uniquely Goku in that regard, but it doesn’t embody any one practice.

Krillin, on the other hand, lives and breathes by the Turtle School’s philosophy. “Learn well, play well, eat well, and rest well:” these are the core tenets of Roshi’s teachings and Krillin truly lives up to each one. He knows some of the most advanced Ki attacks in the series; he knows how to take things in stride; he’s not nearly as much of a glutton as Goku, and he knows when it’s time for him to tap out. Krillin is Roshi’s star student.

10 Krillin Could Have Made It To The 21st Budokai Finals

Luck was the one and only thing that prevented Krillin from advancing past the semi-finals during the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai. Had he been placed in a separate seed from Jackie Chun, he would very easily have made its way to the finals. Of course, there’s the chance he would have fought Goku along the way, but had both Goku and Chun been separated, Krillin would have actually won as well.

World Champion Krillin has a nice ring to it. 

How does this work exactly? Well, if you remember, Goku and Chun took everything out of each other during their fight. If they fought early, whoever won would have been too tired to fight Krillin in the finals. As a result, Krillin would likely dominate them since these would be the only two characters capable of giving him a decent challenge, securing him the win.

9 Krillin Gives Piccolo A Run For His Money In The 23rd Budokai

It may be hard to believe, but there genuinely was a time where Krillin could put up a solid fight against Piccolo. In their quarterfinals match during the 23rd Budokai, Piccolo gets an incredible amount of pushback from Krillin. Having spent years training with both Roshi and Karin, Krillin comes into the tournament determined to win.

He ultimately loses this first round, of course, but he gives Piccolo an insanely hard time. Piccolo even comments on how taking over the world would prove to be a fairly difficult task if everyone in the tournament were as strong as Krillin. This is a powerful statement in and of itself. Krillin shook Piccolo’s confidence. Think on that.

8 Looking For Love: Krillin’s Character Arc

When it comes to characters like Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo, it’s easy to peg down exactly what their character arcs are. For someone like Krillin, though, who typically sticks in the background and rarely gets major focus, it can be a bit harder to determine what exactly his growth is. If there’s anything that defines his character from start to finish, however, it’s love.

The whole reason Krillin becomes a martial artist in the first place is to find a girlfriend. In both the Saiyan and Namek arc, he laments on how dying again would result in him never finding love. When we hit the Cell saga, he’s finally able to form a bond with 18, even letting her go at the end of the saga, believing her best suited for 17. Of course, they’re twins, but 18 overhears his reasoning and is won over by Krillin’s compassion, completing his story arc.

7 Krillin Has Frieza Related Stress

One of the most fascinating concepts Resurrection F brings with it is the idea that Krillin has Frieza related trauma. Despite having been eliminated before by a prior enemy, and knowing that his Saiyan companions could defeat Frieza at a moment’s notice, Krillin can’t seem to will himself into combat during the anime adaptation of the film.

Losing your life twice sure does a number on a guy. 

While this is a unique attempt at trying to imbue some depth into Dragon Ball’s world and cast, it doesn’t work in large part due to this running contrast to Krillin’s character. The idea of him having this burden is conceptually sound, but it comes too late in the context of his arc. Krillin has always faced his own traumas to jump into the action, even when Frieza came back during the Cell saga. Why would he be struggling now?

6 How Toriyama Draws Krillin’s Eyes

Krillin has one of the most iconic set of eyes in the series, but they’re actually not his original pair. Over the course of Dragon Ball’s Krillin’s eyes actually change. While it doesn’t take long for them to take on their soft, roundish shape, his introduction has him sporting beady, almost villainous eyes to contrast him from Goku.

Krillin’s eye shape early on is incredibly important as it’s used as a way to convey his growth visually. As Krillin opens up, and begins to embrace Roshi’s training, he loses his mean mug and develops a rounder shape not too dissimilar to a young Goku’s. Krillin is literally becoming less jaded with time and his eyes actively show off that growth.