Episode 63 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on September 26, 1990 and known as Guldo's Mind Binds in Funimation's uncut dub, stages the first duel against the Ginyu Force: Gohan and Krillin versus Guldo, the smallest and weakest member of the squad, but also the one with the strangest power. How the fight ends says a great deal about Vegeta.
Summary
Gohan and Krillin open with a volley of energy blasts. Guldo dodges by stopping time, but there is a catch: he can only keep it frozen while he holds his breath. By the time he breathes again, the two have already moved, far too fast for him to exploit his few seconds of advantage. Burter's scouter picks up something surprising: these Earthlings can raise their power without transforming. Even Vegeta is struck by how much they have grown since their fight on Earth.
The duel turns into a chase. Guldo freezes time again and again, but always runs out of air before he can finish anything, and ends up rolling in the dirt to avoid their attacks. His teammates are entertained: Recoome bets a chocolate bar that Guldo will win within a minute, and Burter takes the bet. Meanwhile, Bulma tries to call Master Roshi to tell him that Gohan and Krillin have joined forces with Vegeta; Roshi starts to say that Goku is on his way, but the line cuts out at that very moment.
Cornered and threatened with being kicked off the team, Guldo turns to his most dangerous technique: he locks Gohan's and Krillin's bodies in mid-air with his mind. Recoome loses the bet, but Guldo can finally vent his frustration. He hurls rocks and debris at his helpless prisoners, pummels them, then uproots a tree with telekinesis and sharpens it to skewer them. Before he can strike, Vegeta appears behind him and takes his head off with a single blow. Gohan and Krillin are free, and the squad has lost its first member.
Our take
Guldo is the perfect opponent for an opening round: ridiculous to look at, comical in his panting, yet armed with a power, stopping time, that would be unbeatable in almost any other manga. Toriyama defuses it with a simple, brilliant idea, shortness of breath, and turns the duel into a game of hide-and-seek. It is a clever way of saying that on Namek raw strength is no longer enough.
The real star, though, shows up in the final seconds. Vegeta saves his allies without a moment's hesitation and without a shred of mercy, which spells out the terms of their alliance: he is not protecting them out of affection, he is protecting them because he needs them. In a saga where Goku spares almost everyone, that contrast will matter more and more.
The anime stretches the chapter considerably. The manga has no bet between Recoome and Burter, no phone call from Bulma, no scene of Piccolo and King Kai sensing the danger, and no awkward three-man pose without Guldo. The beating with rocks and fists is also an addition: in the comic Guldo only uses the tree. Guldo's death differs too: the manga clearly shows Vegeta's hand slicing through his neck, while the anime shows only a flash of light.
Trivia
- It adapts chapter 274, with a 25.7% ratings share.
- Written by Hiroshi Toda, directed by Kazuhito Kikuchi, animation supervised by Tomekichi Takeuchi.
- The original next-episode preview promoted the TV special Bardock - The Father of Goku, aired on October 17, 1990; episode 64 followed on October 24.
- In the 2005 Funimation broadcast, most of Burter's lines here were performed by Christopher Sabat instead of Vic Mignogna, who only voiced a chuckle and a gasp.
- In the Ocean/Saban dub it was episode 50, Time Tricks and Body Binds.
Did you know? The Japanese title bills him as "Mr. Guldo" and asks whether his power is "super magic or a trick," treating the squad almost like a variety act, even while they kill.
Characters
- Gohan and Krillin
- Vegeta
- The Ginyu Force: Guldo, Recoome, Burter and Jeice
- Bulma and Master Roshi
- Piccolo and King Kai