Dragon Balloften has fun at Krillin’s expense, but don’t let that convince you that Krillin is weak. Krillin has actually accomplished one thing that Goku and Vegeta have frequently struggled to do, proving he’s worthy of the title of Earth’s mightiest human.
While Goku and Vegeta, as Saiyans, clearly outpace Krillin in strength over the course of the entire story, it’s easy to forget that, as one of the few human characters still active throughout the series, Krillin is actually one of the strongest people on Earth. Krillin does ultimately concede that Goku and Vegeta have far surpassed him by the time ofDragon Ball Super, leading him to retire from fighting and take a job as a police officer. But even then, Krillin comes back for the Tournament of Power, and puts up an admirable fight. No matter what’s going on, fans know they can always count on Krillin.
Krillin Managed to Severely Injure Frieza
Krillin Dealt Major Damage to Frieza in a Way Goku Never Did
During the Frieza Saga, as Frieza takes on his second form, he reports his power level as being over 1 million, stunning Vegeta and the others present.Frieza reveals his role in the destruction of Planet Vegetaand attacks Krillin, impaling him upon his horns. Krillin is tossed into the nearby water, but is secretly rescued by Dende, who helps to heal him. Frieza gets revenge on Gohan, and nearly kills the boy, if it weren’t for Krillin.Even near-death, Krillin manages to launch a powerful Destructo Disk–one strong enough to cut off Frieza’s tail entirely, enraging the tyrant further.
Cutting off Frieza’s tail is a significant accomplishment; neither Goku nor Vegeta have managed to dismember Frieza in such a way, and it proves that Krillin is packing some real power, even at this point in the story. Krillin is further able to keep Frieza’s attention, distracting him while Dende heals Gohan and until Piccolo can show up. Krillin does ultimately die at Frieza’s hands, but he had little way of defending against that particular attack, and his death is what finally allowedGoku to unlock Super Saiyan.
Krillin’s Other Great Accomplishments
Krillin May Die, But His Actions Will Live On
Krillin often relies on his diminutive size and non-threatening appearance to get the drop on foes, who don’t expect him to be as powerful as he is. When Krillin fought Nappa, Vegeta was certain that Krillin’s Destructo Disk would’ve killed Nappa had it been a direct hit, something quite impressive for a human versus a Saiyan. On Namek, Krillin had his potential unlocked by Guru, raising his power level substantially, meaning a Namek-era Krillin could likely have defeated Nappa with ease.
Krillin’s lack of training in later parts of the series, particularly earlyDragon Ball Super, leads to him getting substantially weaker than he was at his peak, but Krillin manages to train back up in time for the Tournament of Power.Krillin makes up for some of his lack of power with clever strategies, such as when he outmaneuvered Goku during the “test” for the Tournament.He also knows that he’s often better off working together, which he did during the Tournament of Power. Krillin managed to keep up with some of the toughest fighters in the multiverse throughout the Tournament, to the point where even Beerus was proud.
In the end, Goku and Vegeta may have a much higher potential level than Krillin, but that doesn’t make Krillin a weakling by any stretch of the imagination.Krillin is often in over his head in terms of power levels, but he always fights on bravely, even knowing what death is like. Through the use of trickery and clever strategy, Krillin is able to hold his own against opponents far stronger than him, and that makes him incredibly impressive. Despite whatDragon Ballfans may joke about Krillin, the fact of the matter is that he’s injured Frieza worse than either Goku or Vegeta, and that’s worth something.
