Senzu Bean

Three Senzu Beans

Senzu Beans (仙豆, Holy Beans) are a kind of mystical bean in the Dragon Ball manga and anime series of immense rejuvenating properties.

Overview

Senzu Beans are grown by Korin on Korin Tower. When eaten, the consumer's energy and physical health are restored to their fullest; the effects are typicaly almost instantaneous for the recipient, making these beans a great asset at both in and out of battle. Their texture is said to be a cross between an uncooked (or under ripe) bean and a celery stalk. Korin stated that one bean could keep a person full for ten days, though some who have eaten the beans have become hungry sooner, due to their naturally larger appetite (namely Saiyans as they generally eat much larger amounts of food). It has been seen that eating too many Senzu beans at a time is dangerous, as when they are first introduced, Yajirobe is flabbergasted that the only thing Korin has to eat are "beans", and so he eats a few handfuls of Senzu beans, which resulted in him comically gaining about a pound for every bean he ate. Since Korin allied himself with Goku and his friends, Korin usually assists them by providing the Z Fighters with a sack of beans whenever possible as it takes time to grow even a single bean.

Yajirobe after eating too many Senzu Beans

The Senzu's healing capabilities have been able to perform such feats as healing Yamcha's impaled torso after an encounter with Dr. Gero and Android 19, and restoring fatally injured characters to perfect health on various occasions. One significant example of the power of Senzu beans is demonstrated early in the Namek Saga, when after his face-off with Vegeta, Goku spends seven episodes at Kong Hospital, never traveling far from his bed (although this was mostly at the advisory of Chi-Chi and the orderlies), the only exception being his premature escape in "Hunt for a Dragon Ball", which rendered him powerless once again. When Goku eats a Senzu bean Yajirobe gives him, he is instantly revitalized in spite of these seven episodes spent naturally recovering with medical assistance. The best example, is when in the Namek saga, Goku gives a Senzu bean to Gohan, who had a broken neck and was almost dead. However, it appears that the beans can not heal injuries that have already healed over (Eg. Tien's and Yamcha's respective scars and Saiyan tails) or cure ailments like Goku's heart virus contracted during the Androids Saga.

The Senzu Bean Yajirobe gave to Gohan in Cooler's Revenge

Goku's good nature has led him to give Senzu Beans to battered enemies after fights. Examples of this include Piccolo, Vegeta, and Cell (though the latter was more to make the fight fair than an actual act of good-will, as Cell was about to face Gohan while he hadn't quite recovered to full strength).

Appearances in Video Games

The Senzu Beans are items restoring health in the Gokuden series, with the Senzu plant appearing in Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzōningen. They are also items restoring health in Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, Jump Super Stars, Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu, and Dragon Ball: Origins 2.

The Senzu Beans make some appearances in the cutscenes played when a continue is used in Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Shin Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku - Uchū-Hen. When Goku or Gohan are defeated in Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension, they can eat a Senzu Bean.

A Senzu Bean in Burst Limit

In the Legacy of Goku series, Senzu Beans replenish all of the Health and Ki of the person who eats it. In Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, Senzu Beans are acquired from Yajirobe; he will only randomly come in one of your adventures to give you 1 Senzu Bean. In Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury, one can quite easily obtain Senzu Beans by just talking to Yajirobe at Korin Tower multiple times; this oppurtunity ends when Super Buu escapes from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. It is possible to get 255 Senzu Beans when Gohan asks Goku to get one for Videl: after getting a Senzu Bean from Yajirobe at the Korin Tower, instead of giving it to Gohan, Goku has to eat it, and when at Papaya island, Goku will still give a Senzu Bean to Gohan and now 255 Senzu Beans are in the inventory. In Dragon Ball GT: Transformation, Senzu Beans randomly appear after defeating regular enemies or while fighting bosses.

Mini-game in Battle Taikan Kamehameha

In the Budokai series and Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, Senzu Beans can be used to heal a character. In the Budokai series, they restored a character's health and ki fully. In Burst Limit, they were a drama piece that would usually heal about one bar of health. In the Budokai Tenkaichi series, Yajirobe can eat a Senzu Bean as one of his Blast 1 techniques in order to gain full health.

In a mini-game in Dragon Ball Z: Battle Taikan Kamehameha - Omee to Fusion, the player has to catch Senzu Beans that Korin throws at them and avoid the boms he throws sometimes.

In Super Dragon Ball Z, Senzu Beans restore health of a character that has been Knocked out. Only one bean can be used per battle.

In Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans, Senzu Beans are used to revive a downed character or heal a wounded one fully, also curing status ailments and refilling their ki. Small Beans, Medium Beans, and Large Beans can be acquired, but they do not replenish health completely. A Small Bean restores the health a little bit, a Medium does a little more, and a Large Bean does the most. Also, during one of Krillin's Ultimate techniques, Yajirobe jumps onto the screen, throws a bag of Senzu Beans at the team, healing them, cuts through the enemies (this does not damage them. It does, however, have a chance of instant kill), and runs away with a silly animation.

The Senzu Beans can be found as a treasure in the fourth stage of Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo.

Trivia

• Senzu Beans are based off of lima beans. In the Harmony Gold Dub, they are even called "Lima beans".
• Yajirobe states in Episode 148 that Senzu Beans taste like fish.
• Vegeta states, during the Perfect Cell Saga, that he hates eating Senzu Beans. This is most likely due to his Saiyan pride.
• Senzu Beans were last seen in the Majin Buu Saga when Majin Vegeta knocks Goku out and eats the last one he has left, right before flying off to face Majin Buu.