Episode 138 of Dragon Ball, first broadcast in Japan on December 14, 1988 and known in the English dub as The Mysterious Hero, wraps up the quarterfinals of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament with two matches of opposite flavor. First Krillin, gutsy to the end, concedes to a Piccolo Jr. who is starting to get serious; then Yamcha faces Shen, a clumsy-looking contestant who turns out to be anything but an amateur.
Summary
Piccolo Jr. gives Krillin the chance to withdraw, and Roshi's little pupil refuses. The demon laughs at him, and a stung Krillin unleashes a barrage of blows that only ever catch his cape. As the wind picks up and black clouds gather overhead, Piccolo Jr. powers up. He stretches an arm across the ring, grabs his opponent and hurls him, then flings him high into the air.
From up there Krillin goes for broke with a Kamehameha, but it only hits an afterimage: the demon is already behind him and slams him down onto the tiles. Krillin is still conscious but cannot get back on his feet, and he concedes like a true sportsman. Goku helps him out of the ring while Master Roshi thinks back to the day that bald kid first showed up at his door. Piccolo Jr., for his part, has to admit that conquering the world may be harder than he expected.
The last quarterfinal pits Yamcha against Shen, a goofball everyone believes got through the preliminaries on dumb luck. Nobody doubts the outcome except Yajirobe, who was knocked out by Shen himself, and Goku, who senses something odd about the man. A cocky Yamcha lets Shen strike first and eats a seemingly accidental hit. He then tries to kick him out of the ring, but Shen ducks at just the right moment, and Yamcha lands on him in the most embarrassing way imaginable.
The crowd laughs, but Roshi has figured it out: none of that clumsiness is accidental. Shen even starts giving his opponent pointers, which Yamcha has no interest in hearing. When Yamcha dares him to attack for real, Shen shows startling speed, blocks the Wolf Fang Fist and sweeps Yamcha's legs out from under him, carrying on with his lesson in front of a stunned stadium.
Our take
Krillin's defeat is one of the most dignified losses in the series. He does not win, but he forces Piccolo Jr. to reveal techniques and power the demon would rather have kept hidden, and he teaches him something along the way: this Earth is tougher than the one his father nearly conquered. The anime's storm clouds are a bit theatrical, yet they sell the idea of an opponent who changes the weather of the whole tournament.
With Shen the tone turns comic, but only on the surface. Yamcha tumbling onto him is a good gag, yet attentive viewers will sense the real question: who is this man? The answer, revealed in the next episode, reframes the entire tournament.
As for Yamcha, it is one more bad day at the office. It is hard not to feel for a fighter who trained for three years only to draw the most unlikely opponent imaginable.
Trivia
- The episode adapts chapters 173 and 174 of Akira Toriyama's manga. It drew an 18.2% ratings share in Japan.
- Krillin's barrage against Piccolo Jr.'s cape, the thunderstorm that forms during their match and Roshi's memory of first meeting Krillin are all anime additions.
- Funimation's dub renames Shen "Hero", while the Crane Hermit is called Master Shen in the same dub.
Did you know? Shen did not reach the final eight by chance: hiding behind him is Kami, who has borrowed an ordinary man's body so he can face Piccolo Jr. in the ring himself.
Characters
- Krillin
- Piccolo Jr.
- Yamcha
- Shen (Hero)
- Goku, Master Roshi, Yajirobe