Episode 150 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on July 29, 1992 and titled Up to Piccolo in Funimation's dub, is the one where Piccolo ends up defending his enemies. To keep Cell from absorbing Androids 17 and 18 and becoming perfect, the Namekian throws himself at an opponent now far beyond his reach. The Japanese title offers no hope: his desperate counterattack falls short, and Piccolo burns out.
Summary
As soon as he lands, Cell identifies Android 17 and Android 18, is puzzled by Android 16, whom he does not know, and then unleashes all the energy he has stockpiled from the people he absorbed. Piccolo is stunned but stands his ground: that power, he says, is not Cell's own but stolen from innocents. The monster replies that those lives are now part of something great.
Cell strolls up to 17 with a friendly air. Piccolo barely has time to shout that Cell means to kill them; the Android dodges the stinger and Piccolo kicks Cell away. He then explains who they are dealing with: another of Dr. Gero's creations, still incomplete, who must absorb the two of them to reach his perfect form. 17 and 18 react with disgust.
At Kame House, on Chi-Chi's suggestion, Krillin flies off to meet Bulma and get the remote sooner. Tien, despite Yamcha's doubts, decides to head for the island and help however he can, while Master Roshi laments that he can no longer do anything for his former students.
On the island, Piccolo tells the Androids to run and goes all in with a Light Grenade. When the smoke clears, Cell is untouched. A single punch snaps Piccolo's neck; then the monster blasts a hole through him and tosses him into the sea, right in front of the newly arrived Tien. On Kami's Lookout, Gohan feels his mentor's energy vanish and wants to rush to him, but Goku holds him back, hoping Vegeta and Trunks hurry up. Cell turns to 17, who cannot keep up, while Android 16 urges the others to get out.
Our take
The paradox is the heart of the episode. Piccolo spent two episodes fighting 17, but as soon as Cell shows up he sees where the real danger lies and sides with the Androids. Not out of sympathy: if the monster absorbs them, Earth is lost. This is the mature Piccolo of the Androids arc, thinking like a strategist rather than a rival.
The punch tells us a lot about Cell, too. In the original Japanese, as in the manga, he breaks Piccolo's neck almost by accident, because he has not yet realized how strong he has become. It is a small detail that measures his power jump better than any number could.
As for additions, the anime stays fairly faithful here. In the manga Gohan only cries out his mentor's name; here he tries to leave and his father has to stop him, which sets up Goku's punch at the start of episode 151.
Trivia
- It adapts chapter 369 and pages 1-14 of chapter 370. Written by Aya Matsui and directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, it drew a 17.6% share.
- It is the first time Android 16 talks about something other than Goku, birds or power levels: he warns 17 not to fight Cell.
- As Cell powers up, the souls of his victims flash by, including the richest man in Ginger Town.
- In the remastered English dub, the opening recap mistakenly calls the Hyperbolic Time Chamber the "Pendulum Room."
- In Italy it premiered on Italia 1 on September 22, 2000, under a title that calls Piccolo "Junior."
Did you know? In the English dubs, Cell attacks Piccolo on purpose, explaining that he already has more than enough of the Namekian's cells. Dragon Ball Kai later restored the Japanese version, with the neck broken by accident.
Characters
- Cell, Piccolo, Android 16 and Android 18
- Android 17
- Goku and Gohan
- Tien
- Krillin, Yamcha, Chi-Chi and Master Roshi