Dragon Ball Character: Shallot

The Dragon Ball universe has brought us decades of entertainment. It is most famed for its anime series, the manga being in second place in terms of popularity, and they've also dabbled in video games, with games such as Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle, FighterZ, Xenoverse, and the new mobile game Dragon Ball Legends.

Dragon Ball Legends is a mobile game with ridiculously high ratings on both the Google Play Store (4.6 stars) and Apple's App Store (4. 8 stars). It's far less surprising once you experience it, and YouTubers like Ndukauba have gotten hundreds of thousands of views with their videos on the game. In the animation department, the imagery is vivid and the movement is fluid and lifelike. As far as gameplay goes, the fights are not particularly unique, but that's not a bad thing. Even for those unfamiliar with mobile combat games, the controls are easy to pick up. The user interface is intuitive, the tutorial straightforward and not excessively intrusive (though I do wish it had been a tad more hands-off), and there are fun quirks on each character's profile page (which is usually an animation of said character performing some special ability).

At the center of it all, though, is the story—and at the center of that is the Dragon Ball character: Shallot.

A True Saiyan

Shallot begins the game confused and out of his depth. He's unable to remember much besides some shouting and a mysterious voice saying his name.

Though he isn't able to remember his roots, Shallot has all the traits typical of a Saiyan. Physically, he's ripped, not an ounce of fat on him. With dark, spiky hair, dark eyes, and a smug, crooked smirk, it's clear he's of the same race as Goku and Vegeta. Unlike them, though, he still has his tail—having yet to transform into a Great Ape—as well as strange blue and black armor. It doesn't provide the full coverage of more modern Saiyan battle armor, or even the Frieza Force armor that Vegeta once wore; and of course, it's nothing like Goku's signature orange and blue gi.

Shallot is energetic, fearless, and a little reckless. Like every other Saiyan in the series, he can't seem to accept that losing is a possibility—he's happy to let everyone know how confident he is in his own abilities. Faced against Broly very early in Dragon Ball Legends, he's quick to lose his temper when the legendary Super Saiyan makes fun of him for being a "weakling." He's even less pleased when others suggest he run away, and then they fight Broly without him.

But they all have a point. Warrior blood or not, Shallot was far from Goku's level, or even at Trunks' capabilities, when he faced off against Broly in the game.

His Transformation of Power

Early on in Dragon Ball Legends, Shallot was noted by friend and foe alike to be weaker than other Saiyans. A fight against some Saibamen was no problem, as he was able to tap into his powers even without his memories. This came as no surprise to anyone—the Saiyans are a fighting race—but the likes of the Saibamen and facing off against Broly are two very different challenges. (This is supposed to be about Shallot, but it also really puts into perspective how strong Goku is, seeing as he is unintimidated by either enemy.)

As expected though, Shallot grows stronger. Shallot is dragged into the Tournament of Time, befriends Bulma and Jaco, and trains under Vegeta of the Frieza Force Era. Being around these people, you can only get pulled into fight after fight, which is exactly what happens to Shallot. Battling Saibamen, Frieza Force members, a strange man in a red hood, and eventually even Vegeta, Shallot builds on his own strength slowly but steadily.

For all that, it takes a long time for Shallot to transform into a Super Saiyan. Like almost every Saiyan before him, this is no small deal to him. Being able to defeat big, burly men directly correlates to your ability to transform into a Super Saiyan, right?

That was far from the truth for Goku. The root of the Sparkling Super Saiyan God Goku we know from the game can be traced back all the way to a time of intense rage for the main hero of the anime. It took the murder of his best friend, Krillin, for Goku to reach that first level—an iconic moment of the franchise. For Shallot, it was Vegeta's death—murdered by Frieza, the same man who had murdered Krillin and who consequently caused Goku's first transformation in Dragon Ball Z. Maybe he was never "nice" like Goku and Trunks were, but Vegeta had been vital to Shallot's growth, prompting a new power level for him.

Shallot undergoes a similar physical metamorphosis that all other Saiyans go through—his muscles become more defined, his hair turns bright yellow, and he is surrounded by a cloud of yellow light. Unique to him though (since all the other Saiyans have lost their tails by the time they turn Super Saiyan), Shallot's tail glows bright gold. Naturally, his battle power skyrockets, allowing him to face off against Frieza in his final form.

What's yet to be explored is Shallot's full backstory.

As is found out later on in the story, Shallot also has strange ki coursing through him, one of the ancient Saiyans. Though this is yet to be fully explored, we know that he was taken from ancient times to compete in King Kai's Tournament of Time.

What Shallot and Dragon Ball Legends offers is a unique opportunity to explore Goku and Vegeta's origins as well. The Saiyan race's past has never been more interesting ever since Goku's first transformation into Super Saiyan Red, with the silhouette of Yamoshi flashing on-screen. Shallot is a direct link of their past. Should he suddenly recall his past—whether that's via mystical dream, traumatic fight, or a slap on the back of the head—what would he think of what the Saiyan race has become? How would he feel about their long and sordid history of committing genocide and claiming their victims' planets as their own? We know there was a civil war between the good and evil factions of the Saiyan race back on Planet Sadala, but whose side was Shallot on? And more importantly, when he remembers his past and learns of the history of the Saiyans, which side will he fight for?

Gameplay

In Dragon Ball Legends, you spend most of your time as Shallot, and the story plays out from his perspective. However, it just wouldn't feel like a Dragon Ball title without appearances from some of our core characters. Familiar faces like Bulma, Gohan, and Krillin are by your side from the jump, and, as you become stronger, collecting resources called crystals, you're given the opportunity to summon stronger forms of characters. For example, 4,600 crystals summons Sparking Super Saiyan God Goku—it's hard to imagine losing a fight with that guy in your corner.

Looking Forward

The Dragon Ball character Shallot hasn't yet made an appearance in the anime or manga, but he's a fascinating character nonetheless. It would be interesting to see what insight he could give us into the origins of the Saiyans should his character be further explored in the anime.