DBFZ: Master Roshi Enters The Fray, But Who Exactly Is He?

Dragon Ball is one of the most popular manga out there, and the anime can be credited with playing a huge role in the mainstreamification of the medium. Several kids will remember running home from school to tune in to Toonami and watch the latest episode of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z.

However, there is a whole generation of humans whose first interaction with DBZ is the fighting games and who know little of anime/manga that came before it. For these people, Master Roshi might be a bit of an enigma.

The teaser trailer for the latest character in the DBFZ universe got a lot of people hyped, and from watching the moves he's got, you can understand why there was such excitement over his addition. But what about the man? Who is he outside of the game?

At first glance, Roshi doesn't look like much as he is short, bald, and frail. However, as any anime fan would tell you, always be wary around frail old men. He acts as a mentor and guide to Goku during his adventures to retrieve the dragon balls. His strength was showcased several times in the manga and anime. *Spoiler alert*, he dies at some point, but as with most Western superheroes, he's brought back.

Roshi is pretty old, with some accounts placing his age at about 300. However, his death during the fight with King Piccolo showed that he is not immortal. The theory is that he is unable to die due to old age, but there are other circumstances in which he could meet his end.

As alluded to before, Roshi is one of the most powerful martial artists in the world, and he is also a great teacher as characters like Goku, Yamcha, and Krillin became incredibly strong under his tutelage.

Biography

Roshi was born in age 430, way before the main Dragon Ball story. He has an elder sister called Fortuneteller Baba, and he trained under the great Master Mutaito. He was a bit of a prodigy as he became the first martial artist to climb the Korin tower and train under the legendary cat. As he grew up, he experienced many battles, including one against King Piccolo. Along with his teacher, Mutaito, and rival, Shen, he was able to seal King Piccolo away. Unfortunately, this came at a great cost; his master's life. This was due to the aftereffects of the evil containment wave.

Years later, Roshi would come in contact with Goku, and he took the young alien as his apprentice. This only came after the youngster pulled off the Kamehameha after seeing it just once, which alerted Roshi to the young Goku's special abilities. He also trained Krillin and sent both boys to compete at the world's martial arts tournament to compete against other young fighters. However, Roshi also entered the tournament to teach the boys a lesson in humility. Later on in the series, he helped try to defeat King Piccolo and also joined Goku and the rest of the crew on several adventures through the series.

Personality

Roshi is...err... a bit of a pervert. Unfortunately, the 'bit' is being as kind as I can. To be fair, he was created at a time where the old man pervert trope was still something in anime. His perversion is so great that he stated that he would only take Goku on as a student if he found him a young lady. Besides his creepy behavior, he is shown as a character with a lot of bravery and heart. He cares for his students, which is why he trained them to become excellent martial artists, and he has also been shown to be compassionate on occasion.

Furthermore, Roshi is pretty laid back and spends his days surfing the internet (let's just say he wouldn't want you looking at his search history), enjoying home-delivered pizza, and lounging in his beachwear.

Powerful Beyond Belief

As mentioned earlier, Roshi is incredibly powerful. He has a mean Kamehameha along with super speed, flight, and telepathy. A lot of these moves were added into the game, so everyone can feel like Master Roshi. More impressive still, Roshi is determined to get even stronger, and even after centuries, he still trains on his own and develops his abilities.

His anime/manga powers are one reason why people are so excited to have him on the DBZ Fighterz roster thanks to the new update. It will be pretty intriguing to see if he becomes one of the more powerful characters in the game.

Roshi's appearance in the game should only add to the excitement of season three, and soon enough, we'll see the high tier players use him, which should give us a greater understanding of his moves and skill.

Master Roshi was one of the first anime mentors we ever met, and while you could argue about certain aspects of his personality, there is no denying the fact that he is a remarkable mentor, a great teacher, and an incredible martial artist.