Yajirobe
From Dragon Ball Encyclopedia
"Maybe I could just go back to bed and pretend I didn't see this."
— Yajirobe in "The Darkest Day"
Yajirobe (ヤジロベー, Yajirobē) is a member of the Z Warriors.
Contents
Personality
Yajirobe enjoys eating a lot and has a grumpy attitude to those who bug him. He is somewhat characterized as a coward because he tries to avoid major skirmishes, but prefers to be thought of as intelligently careful.
Biography
Early life
Little is known about Yajirobe's early life, however, he mentioned having trained with some of the best warriors across the land, suggesting that he was not always lazy. He also obtained his sword prior to meeting Goku. It is presumed that he lived off the wild life in the mountain area, as he was shown to have caught a Fish.
Dragon Ball
King Piccolo Saga
Main article: King Piccolo Saga
Yajirobe was a samurai mountain hunter with an insatiable appetite, and his first appearance was a confrontation between himself and Goku. Goku had eaten his big Fish and Yajirobe was upset. He and Goku had an even fight. While the two were fighting, Cymbal snuck up on them. Both Goku and Yajirobe were eager to fight against him, but Yajirobe won a game of rock-paper-scissors and and fought against Cymbal. Cymbal demanded that Yajirobe give up his Dragon Ball if he wanted to live, but Yajirobe refused and fought against Cymbal, who he quickly and easily sliced in two, cooked, and ate. He helped Goku, who had been severely injured in the initial battle against Piccolo Daimao, get to Karin Tower after Goku promised Yajirobe that there would be food waiting for him at the top of the tower.
He also helped Goku get the Ultra Divine Water, which gave Goku the power to beat Piccolo Daimao. He appears in the last episode of this saga to watch Goku fight, but he sees all the damage that King Piccolo had caused and decides that it's too dangerous to stay there. On his way back though, he remembers the free meal Goku owes him and heads back. Then he assumes that Goku is beat up pretty badly and that he won't get that meal. But he remembers that he drank the Ultra Divine Water and goes to get his meal. He then dodges a missile that the good Launch accidentally fired. After King Piccolo is defeated, he saves Goku's life by catching him before he hits the ground. He is seen leaving with Goku to heal his wounds as the episode ends.
Piccolo Jr. Saga
Main article: Piccolo Jr. Saga
He later masks himself and competes in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament in disguise, but he does not make it past the preliminaries, defeated by the disguised Kami. After the Tournament ends, he assists Goku by giving him a senzu bean (this would become a bit of a gag, especially in some Dragon Ball Z films).
Dragon Ball Z
Yajriobe's role was lessened from the original Dragon Ball, as he now merely assists by giving Son Goku and company Senzu Beans, and decides to stay and live in Karin Tower with Karin.
Vegeta Saga
Main article: Vegeta Saga
He trains on Kami's Lookout along with Tien, Yamcha, Chiaotzu and Krillin although he his mostly seen eating. He also assists in the fight against the Saiyans, by first slicing through Vegeta's tail to protect Goku, reverting Vegeta back to a regular Saiyan, and then slicing through Vegeta's armor to protect Gohan, allowing Gohan to transform into the Great Ape and defeat Vegeta.
Frieza Saga
Yajirobe makes an appearance during the Frieza Saga during a filler only sequence, when he is forced to accompany Chi-Chi, Master Roshi and the others to Namek to bring back Gohan. Yajirobe frequently attempts to run away but is stopped each time.
Garlic Jr. Saga
Main article: Garlic Jr. Saga
During the Garlic Jr. Saga, they receive a visit from Maron, Krillin’s girlfriend at the time. Maron nearly drives Yajirobe and Karin up the wall, as neither is quite prepared to handle a pretty woman in their household.
Androids Saga
Main article: Android Saga
He appears briefly in the Androids Saga. He delivers Senzu Beans to the Z Fighters and then flies off on an airplane; however, he is attacked by the No. 20 and No. 19. He is also shown holding the newborn Trunks on multiple occasions, always getting peed upon. His future counterpart is also shown in a flashback of Future Trunks', where it is revealed he was murdered by the Androids of that time.
The ancient monster, Majin Boo
Of course, Yajirobe makes a few more appearances in the manga, (and many more short ones in the anime), but he loses a lot of his importance, like many of the original Z Warriors near the end of the series. By the end of Dragon Ball Z, he grows a mustache. It is never revealed if he dies in Super Buu's extinction attack because the tower is directly below the lookout. However, assuming he did survive, he and Korin would have died soon thereafter when Kid Buu blew up the earth. They were both restored to life with the Dragon Balls later on.
Dragon Ball GT
He makes a cameo appearance in DBGT Episode 40. In the final episode, it shows a very brief scene of him when he first met Goku.
Films
Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
Main article: Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
Yajirobe gave Goku and Kuririn Senzu after they were knocked out by a meteor in Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug. He also gave them Senzu after Slugg was killed.
Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge
Main article: Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge
Yajirobe gave Gohan a bag of Senzu to take to Goku in Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge.
Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler
Main article: Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler
Yajirobe went to New Planet Namek with Goku, Gohan, Kuririn, Piccolo, Oolong, and Turtle Hermit in Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler.
Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Main article: Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Yajirobe made a cameo appearance in Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! at Mister Satan's party and was briefly seen cutting through falling rubble caused by Aka's Super Wahaha no Ha.
Video games
Yajirobe usually appeared as nothing more than a one-line character in cut scenes for most Dragon Ball video games, such as Dragon Ball Z: Budokai and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3. In 2006, however, he made his first appearance as a fighter in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and returned as a playable character in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. He attacked using his katana and he was also able to eat a Senzu that restored him to full health.
Power
When Yajirobe is introduced into the series, he is evenly matched with Goku. Like the rest of the other heroes, however, he is soon surpassed by Goku. Yajirobe's next major appearance is during the Saiyan Saga. Here, he trains with Kami and Popo in the Heavenly Realm. After training, Kami tells the Z Warriors that all of them have surpassed both Popo and himself. It is assumed that Yajirobe does not gain any considerable boost in power after the Saiyan Saga due to his general laziness and lack of appearance.
Techniques
- Flash and Kill – Yajirobe rushes full speed at his opponent, knocks them up into the air, and slashes them as the fall from the sky. The name is derived from the Budokai Tenkaichi video game series.
- Ka-Blam Hammer – Yajirobe rushes full speed at his opponent, knocks them up into the air, and sends them propelling. Yajirobe then flies after them and performs a combination of four punches and smashes them down.
- Ka-Blam Slicer – Yajirobe creates a very large beam of energy from his katana and launches it his the opponent.
- Ki Slash – Yajirobe creates a beam of energy from his katana and launches it at his opponent.
- Miracle Ka-Blam Slash – Yajirobe rushes to his opponent and uses his katana to repeatedly slash and stab his opponent. The name is derived from the Budokai Tenkaichi video game series.
Major battles
- Yajirobe vs. Son Goku
- Yajirobe vs. Cymbal
- Yajirobe vs. Shen
- Yajirobe, Kuririn, and Son Gohan vs. Vegeta
Voice actors
- Japanese dub: Mayumi Tanaka
- Ocean Group dub: Brian Drummond
- FUNimation dub: Mike McFarland
- Lation American dub: Araceli de León (†), Luis Daniel Ramírez (Cell Saga), Benjamín Rivera (Buu Saga.)
- Portugese dub: António Semedo (†)
Trivia
- Yajirobe is the only character besides Goku to appear on the spine art twice (when all of the manga volumes are lined up, their spines make a picture). Akira Toriyama stated that this is an honest mistake.[4]
- In the Japanese dub of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Yajirobe speaks in a Nagoya dialect. The dialect he speaks is often translated into Yajirobe speaking words such as "ain't", "s'posta" (supposed to), or "What'cha doin'" and also dropping sounds in certain words since this is the best way to convey the dialect.
- Yajirobe's katana is very sharp. It sliced through not only Vegeta's tail, but Vegeta's Saiyan Armor, which even the strongest energy blasts cannot pierce through.
- In the original manga, Goku says that Yajirobe's voice resembles that of Kuririn. In the anime, Mayumi Tanaka voices both characters. She said that in scenes with Krillin and Yajirobe together, Yajirobe's Nagoya accent is intensified to tell them apart.
- Yajirobe is named after a Japanese balancing toy, (弥次郎兵衛 Yajirobee).
- Goku once considered him a challenge saying, "I've never met someone so tough!"
- When Yajirobe arrives at Kame House to tell Kuririn that Kami will be training him, Yamucha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu, Kuririn says Yajirobe's name incorrectly. Kuririn calls him Itchyrobe in the manga, Armadillo in the anime, and Yo-Yo Brain in Budokai 3. In the English dub, Kuririn refers to Yajirobe as Hokiphoki (and is immediately corrected). In Funimation's remastered season boxset, Kuririn says, "I remember you, you are a... what's your name?" rather than attempting to guess at Yajirobe's name.
- At the time when Goku first mets Yajirobe, he is likely one of the strongest Humans. He is able to climb Karin Tower with little effort (something even Goku could not do at first).
- Whether for mere comic relief, or as an attempt to make Yajirobe a more regular fighter, Yajirobe easily defeats Kuririn while sparring at Kami's lookout, all the while eating and moving nonchalantly.
- In Future Trunks's alternate timeline, Yajirobe is killed by the Androids Android 17 and Android 18. This is not shown in the Trunks special, but is shown in a Cell Saga flashback.
- Interestingly enough, in the Tenkaichi series, whenever a tailless Vegeta (aside from Majin Vegeta) fights Yajirobe, Vegeta says, "Oh really? Well I'll give you something to talk about!" and Yajirobe says, "I gotta go talk to a guy about stuff", a special dialogue between the two.
- Yajirobe enjoys eating wild roast pig.
- Yajirobe is the only primary member of the Z Warriors who never learns the ability to fly. He usually uses this as an excuse not to fight.
- According to the Dragon Ball: Daizenshū, Yajirobe enjoys driving stolen cars.
- The only villain who Yajirobe ever kills is Cymbal.
- Yajirobe is the only Z Warrior who enters the Tenkaichi Tournament to never make it past the preliminaries.
- Yajirobe makes a brief appearance in the 7th Dr. Slump film where he quickly runs past the screen in the middle of the film right after Karin runs in the opposite direction.
References
