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Humans in Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Human
Homeworld Earth
Average Height Roughly 5-6 feet
Diet Omnivorous
Sapience Level Sapient

Humans (人間, Ningen), sometimes referred to as just Earthlings, are the main inhabitants of the planet Earth in Dragon Ball.

The term is used inclusively to refer to all of the intelligent races native to the planet, including humans, anthropomorphs, and monsters. Humans are typically among the weakest races in the Dragon Ball universe, with the average human's power level reading only in the single or double digits. Throughout the series, only a few Earthlings show a reasonable aptitude in martial arts on the galactic scale. Nonetheless, they play a predominant role in almost every media in the Dragon Ball franchise, a result of Earth's pride of place as the series' primary setting.

Overview[]

Dragon Ball series[]

KHumans

Earthlings from Yahhoy

They share the planet with other intelligent lifeforms, including anthropomorphic animals. They are even led by an anthropomorphic dog named King Furry. In fact, 1% of earthlings are half-breeds with some other race, 7% are monster-type, 17% are animal-type, and that 75% are the regular human-type (Homo Sapiens).[1][2]

Naming[]

It is rare for Humans to have family names.[3] The Son family is the only known example of an Earthling family with a surname in the original version of the manga. (The Brief family is an exception in the English dubs of the anime.) As such, if someone were to have a title, such as "Doctor," it would come before their first name as they possess no last name (for example: Dr. Brief).

Earthlings are named after a wide variety of objects, though they are often named for different foods or food-related items.

Physiology[]

With the exception of the uncommon hair colors and occasionally odd features (ranging from longer lifespans to werewolfism), Dragon Ball humans are identical to their real-life counterparts. Humans in Dragon Ball seem to be able to utilize or be affected by certain elements of magic with Fortuneteller Baba being one of the prime examples. Akira Toriyama himself has admitted to lack of forethought or planning when it comes to the details of Dragon Ball's story, which accounts for some of the strange occurrences.

Power[]

When compared to other races of Dragon Ball, the average Human is significantly weaker. It is said that a single Saiyan infant would be capable of destroying the average human population on its own (in fact, Goku was sent as an infant to Earth for that exact purpose). The only "normal" Earthling whose power level is reported in the manga and anime is a farmer, whose power level is 5 according to Raditz's scouter. Other "normal" Earthlings are given power levels in other media: Dragon Ball Z: The Anime Adventure Game gives Dr. Brief a power level of 12 and Bulma power level of 16, and the movie pamphlets for Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might give Good Launch a power level of 18 and Mai a power level of 20.

At the peak power to which a human-type Earthling can get without possessing ki manipulation or special powers, they can perform feats like destroying walls with physical blows, leaping great heights, moving fast enough to appear invisible to an ordinary human, and, in the anime, even pulling buses and punching through metal. Prime examples of a peak-powered human-type Earthling are Bora, Pamput, King Chappa, Nam and Mr. Satan.

Humans make up for their lack of physical strength by using weapons and technology. Various characters have at times employed firearms (e.g. guns), explosives (like bazookas and grenades), mechanized weaponry, and robotic suits as means of fighting. While these weapons can be deadly to the average Earthling, they are largely or completely ineffective against super-humans, androids, and many extraterrestrial races.

Organized forces[]

Launch Impersonator

Humans from Papaya Island

Humans have a large military, which has appeared through out the series, mostly consisting of ground troops, tanks, fighter jets, and large naval ships. Earth's military usually appears when attempting to defeat many of the villains that cause massive damage to the Earth (examples being Cell and Majin Buu), but are always easily wiped out without causing any form of damage to the super villains. It could be assumed that large scale wars have taken place in the Dragon World, much like they have in the real world. However, since the Dragon World is united into a single, global monarchy, it is unknown what purpose the military serves when villains are not terrorizing the Earth that police cannot handle. It may be possible that King Piccolo's original appearance some 300 years before the events of Dragon Ball encouraged the then-king to create a military for just such purposes. Given the existence of the Red Ribbon Army a criminal military organization that sought to conquer the world it is possible that the military exists to protect the government from the threat posed by such an organization and any others like it.

Each jurisdiction of Dragon World is also host to a non-militarized police force of some kind. When not facing a global threat, law enforcement and security operations likely devolve to them.

Superhumans[]

When compared to other races of Dragon Ball, average humans are significantly weak. It is said that a single Saiyan infant would be capable of destroying the average human population on its own (in fact, Goku was sent as an infant to Earth with that exact purpose). The only "normal" human whose power level was reported was a farmer, who Raditz said had a power level of 5. Though his level is probably representative of normal humans, there exist some particularly powerful humans, such as Master Roshi, Marcus, Tien Shinhan, Krillin, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Jimmy, Alyson, Nathaniel, Mercenary Tao, Master Shen, Yajirobe, Grandpa Gohan, Olibu, Uub, LapisLazuliGeneral Blue, Videl and Mr. Satan (among others). Many of these human fighters are also Z Fighters. These few humans have learned to use ki and are among the strongest beings in the universe. Even with such abilities, this select group of humans are still considerably weaker than many aliens with the same ki-manipulation abilities. As stated in the manga, it is possible for any human to use their ki and gain powers like the Z Fighters. For example, while training under King Kai during the anime-only sections of the Frieza Saga, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu were able to trouble Piccolo and later defeat the members of the Ginyu Force. For example, Gohan easily teaches Videl how to use ki to fly.

However, even with such abilities, this select group of humans is still considerably weaker than similar warriors of some alien races with the same ki manipulation abilities, including Saiyans, Namekians, Frieza's race, and Majin, although these races are considered exceptionally powerful to any standard.

EarthsMilitaryCellSaga05

Humans in the King's Guard prepare to attack Cell during the Cell Games

Mr. Satan is considered to be the world's strongest man by humans. In reality, he pales in comparison to humans like Krillin, Tien, Jimmy and Yamcha, who possess a lot more power. However, this is mostly due to the fact that these humans were granted more opportunities to increase their strength; for example, Krillin had his potential unlocked artificially by Guru and was trained by Master Roshi, and Yamcha trained under King Kai. All of the human Z Fighters climbed Korin Tower and trained under Kami, all things that Mr. Satan never had the chance to do.

However, this is mostly due to the fact that these humans were granted more opportunities to increase their strength; for example, Krillin had his potential unlocked by Guru and was (like Yamcha) trained by Master Roshi, whose training consists of increasing one's physical abilities to superhuman levels. Tien and Chiaotzu also gained a basic competency in ki-based techniques from Master Shen. Likewise Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu would later train in Other World under King Kai, whose teaching consists of advanced ki control and gravity-based training.

However, it should be noted that all of the Earthling Z-Warriorrs are exceptionally talented and prodigious in mastering both ki and martial arts. Even before any advanced training or knowledge of the usage of ki, Yamcha was physically strong enough to break stones or perform a kiai and, alongside Krillin, was able to perform a Kamehameha in less than 4 years, a task that was said by Master Roshi to have taken him 50 years of training. Both of them also grew stronger much faster than his previous students, Ox-King and Grandpa Gohan, further showcasing their prodigious abilities and talent. Another good example of a prodigy Earthling is Yajirobe, who was strong enough to kill a Mutant Namekian just with his natural power, and with no formal ki or physical training. Tien Shinhan himself is said to be such a prodigy that he is able to perform a technique just by watching it once, a fact that was proven true when he replicated Master Roshi's Kamehameha after seeing it for the first time (though it should be noted that his Mimicry ability is limited by his own power), and at the time, he possessed more than enough ability to perform such technique without much difficulty.

The strongest Superhuman shown in the series was Uub, the Earthling reincarnation of Kid Buu, who, as a result of being his reincarnation, possessed incredible potential, and was a gifted martial artist even at a young age. While he lacks the regeneration abilities and body manipulation of the Majin race, he does gain Majin Buu's magical abilities such as the Chocolate Beam, later in the Dragon Ball GT series, although he first had to merge with Good Buu to achieve such feat. It should be noted, however, that much of his actual power comes from being Kid Buu's reincarnation, an advantage no other Earthling will likely have.

It is important to mention that if a Superhuman wants to stay that strong, compared to other non-trained Earthlings, they need to consistently train, otherwise their bodies will become weak to the point where bullets can damage, and potentially kill them, if given the chance, unlike Saiyans who can keep their physical prowess for much longer durations, even after taking long breaks from trainings, such as Gohan. Also, while a Superhuman does indeed seem to age at a slower rate when training consistently, their bodies will eventually start to naturally age, causing them to lose the ability to handle most of their power properly, compared to the amount they could release in their prime.

Strength[]

Trained Earthling warriors like Master Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien, have immense physical strength, entering the early realms of superhuman capacity, easily capable of breaking boulders or most metallic objects with simple kicks and punches, or lift amounts of weight no un-trained normal Earthling could. The most powerful among them are capable of inflicting at least modest damage to far more powerful alien foes.

Speed[]

While not as fast as powerful members of races like the Saiyans or Namekians, trained humans are able to move or fly at moderately high superhuman speeds, with the most powerful of them being able to move faster than the speed of sound, easily able to outclass or catch bullets, and keep up with a Saiyan's basic speed.

Krillin himself demonstrated that by flying at his full power, he could catch up with Bulma's plane-jet, faster than Goku's Flying Nimbus could a few years earlier, demonstrating that at full power, highly trained Earthlings can fly at least faster than 1852 km/h (Mach 1.5).

Durability[]

Trained super-humans have immensely tough bodies, capable of easily surviving bullets or even physical attacks and energy blasts from powerful Alien foes (including an attack from those who possess godly ki). Master Roshi once showcased the ability to survive a direct impact from a bolt of lightning while he was training, while the comparatively weak Bora was able to resist an massive barrage of bullets from the Red Ribbon Army soldiers that were hunting him. Despite this, super-humans can be injured by incoming projectiles if they are not focused on resisting the incoming bullet, as Krillin was once hurt while saving a fellow Police officer, although Krillin himself attributed this to being severely out of shape, due to the fact that he hadn't trained for years.

Energy manipulation[]

Humans' capacity for energy manipulation is widely variable. They can have anywhere from a basic to advanced grasp of ki-based powers, depending on innate talent, intensity and duration of training and experience. More advanced examples include the Turtle School's Kamehameha technique and the Crane School's Dodon Ray. Some of the more powerful Earthlings develop even further advanced kitechniques, such as Krillin's Destructo Disc and Tien Shinhan's Tri-Beam attack.

With enough physical power and proper ki training, Earthlings are able to generate very powerful energy blasts, enough to easily cause big explosions, or, when going absolute full-power, even destroy an astronomical object the size of Earth's moon. A single, basic energy blast from Mercenary Tao—a relatively powerful superhuman—is easily capable of killing an ordinary person.

However, if a person with no proper physical or ki training attempts to do a ki-based attack, the energy produced will dissipate within seconds. Videl, who can produce energy blasts but lacks proper training, displays little to no control over her ki blasts' power and direction. However, in the some video games such as the Xenoverse series, her ability to use ki-based attacks is far better than the main series allowing her to fire standard ki blasts, Energy Shot, Rolling Bullet, Consecutive Energy Blast, Full Power Energy Blast Volley, and even a Full Power Energy Wave. However, her ability to fire Charged Ki Blasts was removed in Xenoverse 2.

Magic[]

Some Earthlings such are shown to be capable of using Magic, magical techniques, or mystical items. Certain female Earthlings such as Fortuneteller Baba and Yurin in Dragon Ball Super are shown to be capable of witchcraft. While Baba is shown to be capable of bring back the dead to life for a single day, and is also well known for her Divination ability, Yurin is not as experienced, or powerful, as Baba, but she is capable of using talismans to turn Earthlings into Jiang Shi which she can control.

Lifespan[]

While the average lifespan of regular human beings seems to be largely equal to that of their real-life counterparts (75 to 90 years, with longer, natural exceptions), there are a handful of humans who have lived well over 150 years, and are still functionally healthy. However, it should be noted that these exceptions could very well be caused by either external magical intervenience or training into superhuman physical prowess, such as Fortuneteller Babaand Master Roshi.

Reproduction[]

Human-type Earthlings are a sexually dimorphic race. They reproduce sexually, with a full-term pregnancy lasting roughly nine months.

The mating habits of non-human-type Earthlings are not known. Presumably, they conform to the types of reproduction common to their class or kind.

Hybridization[]

Humans and Saiyans are able to produce fertile offspring. These so-called "half-Saiyans" include Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Bulla. How this hybridization is possible has never been officially explained.

However, while these offspring possess immense power, and, in the case of Gohan, have near-unlimited potential, they lack some of the traits of their full-blooded brethren, such as their static (non-growing) black hair. Still, their ki manipulation abilities are still far superior to that of normal Earthlings, and they are just as physically powerful as any other Saiyan, to the point where even after taking year-long breaks from their trainings, their bodies don't get that much weak, and are still capable of literally taking anything a normal Earthling could throw at them, such as bullets, missiles, explosions, etc. They also possess the Saiyan Power to grow stronger after healing from near fatal injuries, and are capable of transforming into various degrees of Super Saiyan. Gohan is unique in that he is the only known hybrid to have been born with a tail granting him the ability to transform into a Great Ape and, in Dragon Ball Heroes, a Super Saiyan 4, a state previously thought to be accessible only by full-blooded Saiyan warriors, as even a slight change in their DNA, such as a Tuffle Parasite, can block them from accessing the form.

It is known that in the past, the Three-Eyed People and Human-type Earthlings produced hybrid offspring, with Tien Shinhan being one of their descendants.

The capability of reproduction between non-human-type Earthlings and other extraterrestrial races is not known, and has never been seen.

TreeCitizen4

Humans in The Tree of Might

It is also worth note that there are many strong humans who are also considered to be non-powerful. These include Nam, King Chappa, and Bora.

It has been shown that humans and Saiyans are able to produce fertile offspring (such as Gohan), but no explanation on the biology that permits this has been given.

Dragon Ball Online[]

GohanImp

Humans in Fusion Reborn

It is explained in Dragon Ball Online that after Gohan writes the book "Groundbreaking Science" in 800 Age that unveils the secrets of ki control (Spiritualist) and advanced martial arts (Martial Artist), fighting becomes incredibly popular amongst the Humans, thus ushering a new age of Human warriors after the Z Fighters's end.

One section of Gohan's book explained that the dense material Kachin could be 'cut'; what this means is unknown; if Gohan meant that it could be turned in weapons like swords or if it could be sliced through with a powerful enough strike, as he failed to do years earlier with the Z Sword. Nevertheless, this intrigued Trunks and Goten. Meanwhile, after reading "Groundbreaking Science", some humans became intrigued with the idea of channeling their ki energy into swords to increase striking speed and power. To instruct the newer generation of heroes, Trunks and Goten create the Kikoukenjutsu Sword School. In Age 820, remnants of Frieza's World Trade Organization attacked Earth, and were fended off by with much help from the Kikoukenjutsu Sword School.

Meanwhile, Master Roshi wished to return to teaching but felt that he was too old to possibly instruct fighting. In order to succeed his teacher, Krillin created the New Turtle School that emphasized on team work. While Krillin had fought many major battles alongside the Z Fighters, in his experience, he learned that team work was the most effective. But after learning of Kid Buu's defeat by Goku's Super Spirit Bomb, Tien's belief was that even the greatest enemy could be completely destroyed with a strong enough ki attack. His New Crane School would emphasize on producing powerful ki attacks at the cost of health, rather than actual energy itself. The revival of these schools greatly aide the Humans in their conjoined efforts to stop the game's central villain, Miira, who seeks to obtain the DNA of Earth's greatest hero: Goku.

Humans are also capable of using the Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball Online, but only if the transformation is granted to them by Shenron.

Transformations and Power-Ups[]

Power Pole Pro[]

Main article: Power Pole Pro

A "transformation" usable by Earthlings, where upon they call upon a Flying Nimbus and equip a Power Pole in order to increase their combat capabilities.

Max Power[]

Main article: Max Power

A powerful transformed state usable by Human-type Earthlings, however it is only ever displayed by the Turtle Hermit Roshi. In this form, a human's appearance changes dramatically, gaining a massive increase in strength and muscle mass.

Undead[]

Main article: Zombie

Through different circumstances such as curses, Human-type Earthlings can revive as undead creatures, like zombies or mummies.

Artifical modification[]

Main article: Androids

A permanent enhancement which turns the Human part-android, several different types of artificially-enhanced humans have been shown, such as Mercenary Tao, Lapis (Android 17), Lazuli (Android 18), Dr. Wheelo, and Dr. Gero (Android 20).

Four types of technologically-enhanced Humans appear: the first is Cyborg Tao - who gained crude cybernetic parts to his body becoming an ordinary Cyborg; the second is Wheelo - who simply implanted his brain into a mech suit; the third is Android 20 - who possessed a half-human, half-robot body; and the fourth are Androids 17 and 18 - who possess little to no cybernetic parts and are instead Humans with reconstructed organic matter.

Depending on the technology used to modify and enhance them, some Androids like 17, 18, and 20 lack ki signatures, while others such as Mercenary Tao and Dr. Wheelo are still detectable. The power possessed by these modified humans also varies depending on the technology used to modify them. For example, the more crude cyborgs—Cyborg Tao and Wheelo—were completely outclassed by the later, more advanced cyborgs such as 17, 18, and 20.

Humans have also been known to modify themselves into Bio Mechs - muscular cyborgs with an extending claw, and Mechanoids - cyborgs who can roll into a metal ball. Ordinary Cyborgs can be enhanced into Hyper Cyborgs, Mechanoids can be enhanced into Power Mechanoids and Bio Mechs can be enhanced into Ultra Bio Mechs.

Hidden Potential[]

Main articles: Unlock Potential and Potential Unleashed

As shown by Krillin during the Namek Saga, Earthlings can have their hidden potential unlocked to use their full potential at the time it was released. As a result, their power level increases and produce a white aura when powering up. In the Xenoverse series, the Earthling Future Warriors can use the Potential Unleashed (which appears under then name Unlock Potential in Xenoverse despite being acquired through Elder Kai's Unlock Ability) to access a state that brings out their full dormant potential and focus it to push their power well-beyond their normal limits and gives the user a vivid silver-white aura that causes the users body to emit a whitish glow. Though Potential Unleashed appears under its proper name in Xenoverse 2, it is acquired through completing the Patroller Academy Advancement Test for Super Class and Elder Kai's ritual is absent though this may be due to Elder Kai being in charge of the academy and is the one who oversees the test itself.

Majin Fighter[]

Main article: Manipulation Sorcery

Earthlings with evil in their hearts can have their potential unlocked at the cost of falling under Babidi's control, becoming Majin Fighters.

The likes of Spopovich and Yamu became more muscular and extremely durable capable of surviving damage that would kill a normal person. They also gain access to advanced abilities such as ki control allowing them to fly and fire ki blasts. However they can still be killed by explosive techniques. Like others controlled by Babidi, some individuals can retain their sense of sanity, reason, and restraint as shown by Yamu while others become incredibly aggressive and brutish to the point of near insanity as shown by Spopovich.

Majin Fighter can also be transformed into Elite Majin Fighters - who have slightly darkened skin, and Super Majin Fighters - whose skin has turned purple.

Kaio-ken[]

Main article: Kaio-ken

Earthlings are shown to be capable of using the Kaio-ken and its 3x, x4, and x20 multipliers to power-up in several video games such as Supersonic WarriorsDragon Ball Online, and the Xenoverse series. In Dragon Ball Online, King Kai teaches the technique to the people of Earth. In the Xenoverse series, it appears as an obtainable skill that functions as a transformation. When using the technique, an Earthlings' ki is multiplied for a heart beat thus increasing their speed and power level. Though the power-up comes with the downside of taking a toll on the user's body and could potential kill them if they multiply their base ki too much as it could either obliterate them or severely injure them. Additionally in Xenoverse 2 the Future Warrior can obtain Kaio-ken based skills such as Kaio-ken Attack, Kaio-ken Kamehameha, x4 Kaio-ken Kamehameha, and X20 Kaio-ken Kamehameha which can be used in conjunction with the Kaio-ken Awoken Skill or separately.

In some of those video games, Krillin and Yamcha are users of this power-up.

Trivia[]

  • In Xenoverse 2, if an Earthling Future Warrior speaks to Tien Shinhan as their instructor, he will say that Earthlings like themselves go through twice the training in order to compete against stronger opponents.
  • In Xenoverse 2, if an Earthling Future Warrior has Hit as their instructor, he's initially deem their race's power level unremarkable. After completing all of his training, he changes his mind and states that while they're not as strong as the other races, they make up for it by their diverse range of techniques and keeping their wits about them as they fight.
  • In the Xenoverse series, Jaco is surprised that there are three-eyed Earthlings when fighting Tien and notes how odd it is, unaware that Tien is a hybrid Earthling descendant of the Three-Eyed People.
  • With the exception of Goku's Earthling friends, Most of the Human population are completely oblivious to the following things:
    • Goku and some of his friends either being a Saiyan (Saiyan/Human hybrid), Namekian or Super-Human.
    • Flight and the ability to channel ki energy.
    • The Z-Fighters constant battles against several threats, although Hercule gets credited in the end (due to the constant mishap with the cameras, preventing them from viewing the rest of the battle).
    • The existence of other races in the Universe.
      • When they do become aware of some things, their eyes will become wide open, staring in utter shock. However, after the threat is vanquished, they seem to forget all about it.
  • Most humans were unaware of the nature of ki and advanced martial arts techniques until Age 804 when Gohan's book Groundbreaking Science was released to the general public, introducing knowledge of ki to the Earthling population, leading to a renewed interest in the martial arts which lead to the foundation of the New Turtle School, New Crane School, and Kikoukenjutsu Sword School. As a result, the use of ki and techniques like Flight became more common among the Earthling population. Additionally by Age 850, Earthlings were among several races working for the Time Patrol.
  • In the filler episode "Plight of the Children", an ordinary officer momentarily moves at blinding speed to catch one the orphans.
  • In GT, Krillin is the only super-human to have aged, whereas others such as Yamcha and Tien physically remained the same.
    • Even Future Bulma (whom was never a trained martial artist whatsoever) stays physically the same in Super (despite the years that have passed since the deaths of the Future Android's and Future Cell).

References[]

  1. ↑ Daizenshuu 4, 1995
  2. ↑ Daizenshuu 7, 1996
  3. ↑ Dragon Ball chapter 425, "Revealed!!!"

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