Dragon Ball's cast of characters is iconic as they come, with several fighters having borrowed Goku's spotlight at one time or another throughout the series' celebrated history. From the moment the instantly recognizable protagonist began training with Krillin under Master Roshi, his friends have been by his side, fighting for his cause. However, as time has ed and enemies have become ever stronger, many of Earth's fighters have fallen behind those with Saiyan blood.

One of those characters was Piccolo, who entered the series with the sole purpose of killing Goku and terrorizing the Earth. After becoming a hero, he fought to defend the very planet he once threatened, and retained a major role in Dragon Ball until the Majin Buu Saga, where the Namekian fell behind. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero returned him to relevancy in a big way, giving Piccolo a brand-new flashy power-up, though fans believed he still lagged behind the rest. However, it seems Piccolo is closer in strength to the series' main fighters than anyone thought.

Dragon Ball Super's Artist Reveals Piccolo Is As Strong As Goku

Piccolo Is On the Same Level As Dragon Ball's Strongest Fighters

Dragon Ball Super volume #24 was just released in Japan, and its cover features the series' main fighters in their most powerful forms. Ultra Instinct Goku, Ultra Ego Vegeta, Full Power Broly, Beast Gohan, and Orange Piccolo are lined up and at their best, showcasing Toyotarou's immense talent for drawing the series. In a recent interview, however, the artist revealed his reason for putting each of the fighters on the cover, and it's sure to make fans of Dragon Ball's side characters happy.

He said, "I wanted to show that the power of these five characters are the same, so I made this collage," before continuing, "I've tried my best to draw everything up to now, but I may not be able to make a cover such as this that takes so much time in the future." It's been quite some time since any fighter other than Vegeta was on a comparable level to Goku, and to see a team of five warriors on level ground is incredibly refreshing for a series like Dragon Ball.

It's likely Toyotarou meant that each of the characters is on a similar level, and not identical in strength, though to be even comparable to one another is a major difference from everything the series turned into following the Namek Saga and the introduction of Super Saiyan. Piccolo, in particular, lasted some time before falling to the fate of characters like Krillin and Tien, becoming strong enough to go toe to toe with Android #17 in the Cell Saga. Fortunately for fans, it seems he's returned to his former glory.

Dragon Ball Super Is Finally Giving Other Characters Some Shine

After Focusing Solely On Goku and Vegeta, Dragon Ball Super Is Bringing Other Fighters Back

Alongside Piccolo is his co-star in 2022's Dragon Ball Super, Gohan, who was done arguably worse than his former mentor, after having the protagonist role stripped from him in the Buu Saga. With Broly standing behind, the newest addition to the cast, it seems Dragon Ball is officially entering a new era in which a team of fighters takes precedence over just the two main Saiyans. The series has always belonged to Goku and likely always will, but having more characters involved is never a bad thing. Especially those who were unjustly left behind, like Piccolo and Gohan.

The second half of Toyotarou's quote is also interesting, as the artist alludes to no longer having quite so much time to spend on covers like the one he did for Volume #24. This comment could be in reference to just about anything, though it is very possible that he's hinting towards resuming work on Dragon Ball Super, following a hiatus that has now spanned over a year.

Whenever the series does return, Dragon Ball will undoubtedly benefit from having Piccolo and other side characters around. Now that the Namekian has been confirmed to be on equal ground with even Goku, it's time he got some room to shine, and show off his new Orange form in all its glory.

Source: Dragon Ball Official