manga

Dragon Ball began its serialization in December 1984, but it wasn’t until 1987 that Tenshinhan came onto the scene. His debut occurred in chapter 113, which is entitled “The Twenty-second Tenkaichi Budokai.” This section is an overview of the manga - from Tenshinhan’s introduction as Goku’s rival and a not-so-nice-guy, to his change in heart and eventually, the end of the last saga in the series, the Buu Arc.

An Uneasy Beginning

     The Tenkaichi Budokai, a tournament designed to bring together skilled fighters from around the world and test their abilities over several rounds, sets the stage for the introduction of the greatest character in DB legend.

     Goku, Kuririn, and Yamcha enter the tournament just as they had three years ago. However, this time, a sinister surprise awaits them. Tsuru-sennin, Kame-sennin’s former schoolmate, has come to the Tenkaichi Budokai and with him he has brought his star pupils Tenshinhan and Chaozu.

     The usual fight for honor is thrown out the window as Tsuru-sennin’s students compete against Goku and company. They’re out for blood. The two new kids on the block display shocking new abilities, like flight and psychic powers.  In the finals, Tenshinhan breaks Yamcha’s leg even after knocking him unconscious. Kuririn manages to defeat Chaozu with a bit of math, thus avenging Yamcha and bringing the two schools to a tie.

     Kame-sennin (disguised as Jackie Chun) intentionally forfeits his match against Tenshinhan, explaining later that there was no point going on with the match. Tenshinhan lacks a martial artist’s pride; he uses his strength for ill ends. Why doesn’t Tenshinhan change paths and use his skill to protect rather than destroy?

     Although Tenshinhan scoffs at Kame-sennin’s words, it soon becomes clear that they reached him. In the deciding bout between him and Goku, Tenshinhan finally resolves to change his ways, announcing to his master that he does not want to be a world-famous assassin like Tao Pai Pai whom he had always idolized. Goku’s purity of heart and righteous strength is what ultimately sways Tenshinhan from his former path.

     The 22nd World Tournament ends with Tenshinhan the victor, but a new plot soon unfolds, one which involves the escape of an ancient evil. The demon Piccolo Daimaou, bent on gaining eternal youth, is finally defeated by Son Goku. Tenshinhan realizes Goku’s true potential and vows to someday surpass him.

     Presumeably, Tenshinhan stays at the Kame House after the fight with Piccolo Daimaou. Chaozu is dead, having been killed by the Demon King when he tried to prevent him from making a wish with the Dragon Balls. Once the Dragon Balls can be used again, all of the people who were killed by Piccolo Daimaou are wished to life, including Chaozu, Kuririn and Kame-sennin. Tenshinhan, Chaozu, Yamcha, and Kuririn go off to train for three years in preparation for the next Tenkaichi Budokai.

     At the 23rd World Tournament, Tenshinhan has a bitter reunion with Tao Pai Pai, who has been resurrected as a cyborg since his “death” at Goku’s hands.  He injures Chaozu in the prelims, evoking Tenshinhan’s intense rage; he swears to avenge his friend.  The match begins, Tenshinhan reluctantly wipes the floor with Tao Pai Pai, thoroughly shocking Tsuru-sennin, who had come to watch his brother shame their former student.  However, the tables turn on the old Crane, and he’s forced from the fighting area, once again without revenge, humiliated and with his defeated brother draped over his shoulder.  Tenshinhan has truly become his own master. During his bout with Tao Pai Pai, he fought for everything he learned since denouncing the Tsuru-senryu ways and came out on top.

     When Tenshinhan and Goku have their rematch, the former confidently proclaims that his opponent’s speed has not improved since their last match and will lose as a consequence. Tenshinhan is proven wrong when Goku takes off his weighted clothing and displays his true agility by snatching Tenshinhan’s belt off.  XD And unfortunately for Tenshinhan’s pride, the victor this time is Goku.

     Tenshinhan and the others are unable to do much but watch as Goku fights for his life against Piccolo Daimaou’s scion, Piccolo Jr. After all, it is Goku’s battle, as well as the deciding match for the World Tournament.  (There can be no interference from outsiders; not that Goku will have it any other way. ^^)  An exhausting, titanic clash ensues, but Goku finally becomes the winner of the Tournament.  The bar above Tenshinhan’s head is set even higher; is Tenshinhan’s desire to surpass Goku in strength becoming an unattainable goal?
 

The Tale Continues..

     Five year pass, Son Goku is married and has a child, and Piccolo Jr. is hiding somewhere in the world. The Earth is safe for the moment. However, Tenshinhan is soon pulled into another mission to help protect the planet. This time, the threat comes from aliens who claim to share the same origin as Goku.

     Tenshinhan and the others ally themselves with former enemy Piccolo and Goku’s young son, Gohan, who had been “borrowed” and trained by Piccolo. During the battle with Nappa, Chaozu sacrifices himself for Tenshinhan.  Reeling from the loss and filled with sorrow and rage, Tenshinhan launches a desperate assault. He eventually resorts to the Kikoho, which kills him but not Nappa.

     As Goku & Co. wage battle with Freeza on Namek, Tenshinhan & Co. train with Kaiou-sama. Not much coverage on his training is made in the manga; so it’s unknown, perhaps very unlikely, that he was ever even shown how to do the Kaiouken or Genki-dama.  He and Chaozu are eventually wished back by the Namekian Dragon Balls.

     Fearing for Chaozu’s safety, Tenshinhan leaves him behind from the next great fight. The Androids from Trunks’s timeline are coming, with a bit of a twist since there are more Androids than Trunks had warned everyone about. The soldiers battle them, and later the highly regenerative Cell.  Before Cell achieves his Perfect state, Tenshinhan puts his life on the line in hopes of buying his friends some time. He uses his new Kikoho to prevent the Imperfect Cell from absorbing Android 18, allowing her and Android 16 to get away for a little while.

     By the time the Cell Games begin, Tenshinhan and the other human fighters have been far outclassed by the Saiya-jin, and they become little more than bench warmers. D: The Cell Games end with Gohan having come into his own.  Tenshinhan says his final farewell to his comrades; he feels that there is little he’ll be able to do now that the Earth is in such good hands and that Goku is dead. He will, however, keep on training out in the wilderness with Chaozu, since that’s what Tenshinhan does!

     Tenshinhan makes one more cameo in the Buu Arc, when he diverts one of Buu’s attacks away from the good guys with a Kikoho. It’s pretty exhilarating to see him in action again, and it would have been fun to see a Fusion between him and Goku if he wasn’t going to be knocked out by Buu in the next scene.. Unfortunately, this is the last we see of Tenshinhan in the manga; and although his role diminishes, I think he remains a presence in the story. He shows up during key battles and continues to contribute something to the other characters and to the story.

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Three’s the Charm © 2007 Meghan M.

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