DBZ Kakarot Reference Guide (Beta)

[Captain Cadaver]

Since [mention]Future Warrior[/mention] mentioned the idea of a thread compiling all the interesting bits of reference material for certain facts in the Kakarot video game, I thought I'd get the ball rolling by making a prototype where I'll just post ones worth mentioning without much specific structure, simply listing what sort of topic or stance they favour and provide the reference. Once there's enough of an input for it to be properly structured, I'll make a more refined version for the Important Topics and Guides Section.

So, here it goes with certain bits of interesting or controversial information from Kakarot:

Several guidebook statements further validated

SS2 = 2x SSJ

"This form is roughly twice as strong as Super Saiyan, and generates sparks around the body." - Goku (Super Saiyan 2) summary, Z Warriors Character Index

SS3 = 4x SS2

"It boasts a power four times as strong as that of Super Saiyan 2, but it puts an immense amount of stress on the body, making it better suited for use in the Other World." - Goku (Super Saiyan 3) summary, Z Warriors Character Index

Suppressed Nappa - 4k

"He has a power level of around 4,000 and was able to overpower Yamcha and the others with minimal effort." - Nappa summary, Saiyans Character Index

Dodoria - 22k
Zarbon - 23k

"His power level is around 22,000." - Dodoria summary, Frieza Force Character Index

"He has a power level of around 23,000 and the ability to transform into a hulking monster." - Zarbon summary, Frieza Force Character Index

Chichi's attitude to Goten

"Though Chi-Chi had been incredibly tough on Gohan, she was less so with Goten, as she felt he had too much of his father in him and would best learn from a more hands-off approach." - Secrets of Goten 2, Z Warriors Character Index

Kind of lessens the idea Chichi's outlook changed a lot from Goku's death at the Cell Game that the manga seemed to make apparent, but I guess this idea fits as well when considering Goten and Gohan have some clear differences in attitude.

Source of Present Trunks' potential

"Much like Goten, Trunks was able to become a Super Saiyan without any special training. It's thought that the large amount of S-Cells passed down to him by his father may be the cause." - Trunks (Kid, Super Saiyan) summary, Z Warriors Character Index

Guess Present Trunks really does just have better genes than his future self, probably the result of Trunks' time travel adding a lot more motivation for Vegeta to get stronger.

SS3 Gotenks > Evil Boo

"This form boasts power that surpasses even Buu, but can only be contained for five minutes, after which fused warriors must wait an hour before fusing again." - Gotenks (Super Saiyan 3) summary, Z Warriors Character Index.

Vegeta's reason for giving up immortality

"Vegeta opted to not use the Dragon Balls to wish for immortality after the fight with Frieza, instead choosing to abandon his desire for universal domination in favour of seeking power in more natural ways, with the end goal being to maintain his pride and ultimately surpass Kakarot." - Secrets of Vegeta (Frieza Saga) 2, Z Warriors Character Index.

Lines up pretty consistently with what we're shown in the series, but it's still nice to see the game elaborate on it fully.

Vegeta achieved SS2 from training, not from Babidi

"In the seven peaceful years after Goku's death, Vegeta continued to train and finally achieved the Super Saiyan 2 transformation Gohan displayed in the Cell Games." - Majin Vegeta summary, Z Warriors Character Index.

Mr. Satan's strength

"Among normal martial artists on Earth, he is no doubt the strongest, though he cannot even begin to compete with Goku and his friends." - Mr. Satan summary, Z Warriors Character Index

I guess it's all down to what you'd consider "normal martial artists" by DB standards and for the Z era especially, so take this as you please.

Raditz isn't a low class

"Raditz travelled alongside Vegeta and Nappa as they went from planet to planet wreaking havoc. He is not as strong as his fellow higher-ranking Saiyans and is easily crippled when his tail is grabbed." - Secrets of Raditz 1, Saiyans Character Index

Lines up with Toriyama stating Raditz was designated as "upper-class" compared to low-class Saiyans at birth as well as Raditz's own proclaimations of being a top rate warrior, showing the Daizenshuu entry on him being a lowest ranked warrior certainly doesn't fit with Toriyama's vision.

Origins of the Saibaimen

"The Saibamen were developed by Saiyan scientists for those who served Frieza." - Secrets of the Saibaman 1, Saiyans Character Index

Quite surprising Saiyans would have the expertise to create them, considering how their general depiction in the series characterised them as just using technology they acquire with limited knowledge on actually creating it. Nice to see this helps make Saiyan society a bit more complex.

Freeza's pod is telekinetically controlled

"He is often seen in his pod, which he controls with his mind." - Frieza (1st form) summary, Frieza Force Character Index

Some may have already thought this with how prominent his use of telekinesis is, but I personally thought it was part of the pod's design to fly. Nice tidbit.

Dodoria and Zarbon's specific roles in the Freeza Force

"If Zarbon is the reconnaissance leader of the Frieza Force, then Dodoria is its enforcer." - Secrets of Dodoria 1, Frieza Force Character Index

"Zarbon primarily serves as Frieza's eyes and ears around the universe." - Zarbon summary, Frieza Force Character Index

This lines up well with what's shown in the manga and anime. Zarbon is shown being the one to always report to Freeza in the Bardock Special whereas Dodoria is sent to physically deal with problems, and the same is true when they attacked the Namekian village during their introduction.

Bonyu's Character Index

Summary
"A former member of the Ginyu Force who comes from the same planet as Jeice. Highly intelligent and more than capable in a fight, Bonyu was recruited by Captain Ginyu before any of the other members and was tasked with reconnaissance duties for the team."

Secrets of Bonyu
"Though she was an incredibly adept individual, she lacked the charisma and special poses Captain Ginyu required of his subordinates, and thus was relieved of her duties and removed from the force."

Yajirobe ~ Pre-Choshinsui Goku

"He was roughly equal in power to Goku when they first met and was even able to take down Demon King Piccolo's henchman Cymbal with just one slice." - Secrets of Yajirobe 1, Miscellanous Character Index

Pilaf's family origins

"Pilaf is indeed of royal blood, being the prince of the Meshikiya Kingdom. Pilaf's father was the king, and his desire for world domination led him to attack the neighbouring tribe. He was overwhelmingly defeated, and Pilaf then took his father's treasure and left the kingdom. By selling the treasure, Pilaf was able to build his castle and various machines, and it was just as his savings dried up that he learned of the Dragon Balls." - Secrets of Pilaf 1, Miscellanous Character Index

Will add more later, particularly those of the RRA and Babidi factions.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

#17's wife was a ranger

"On his travels, he fought a group of poachers on an island of monsters and afterward befriended the ranger there. He eventually married her after becoming a ranger himself." - Secrets of Android 17 2, Red Ribbon Army Character Index

Don't believe Toriyama ever elaborated on #17 getting into park ranging through his wife, so that's neat. Surprised Toriyama hasn't commissioned for a #17 gaiden yet when, even without his bias for the character, it could make for quite a nice character study.

The Budokai announcer is a monk

"Though he doesn't seem like it with his black suit, sunglasses and slicked back hair, the announcer is actually one of the monks who sees after the temple that hosts the World Tournament." - Secrets World Tournament Announcer 1, Miscellaneous Character Index

Porunga's height

"Porunga is approximately five times larger than Shenron and less serpent-like in appearance." - Secrets of Porunga 1, Miscellaneous Character Index

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Tracking system in Attack Balls

"In the TV Series, Vegeta and Nappa are able to glean detailed information from Raditz's space pod, such as Gohan's power level." - Story Notes, Saiyan Saga Episode 2, Story Index

Always thought this was just part of them listening to Raditz's voice through his scouter, but I guess the Attack Balls (Saiyan pods) have some kind of recording device in them too. It's not without some logic, considering anime filler implied that voice recordings inside a pod were used to fully program infant Saiyans into killing machines.

Just pointing out a mistranslation

"Similar to how Master Roshi destroyed the moon when Goku transformed, Piccolo destroys the moon when Gohan transforms - or so it seems. In truth, Piccolo creates an illusion in which the moon only appears to be destroyed." - Story Notes, Saiyan Saga Episode 3, Story Index

This statement caused a lot of confusion when the game released due to it suggesting Piccolo only hid the moon's presence with an illusion beam, but it got confirmed this was a mistranslation of it referring to the illusion moon from Kakarrot's pod in filler.

Why Gohan's outfit changed after his training

"Piccolo rewards him for his commitment with a new martial arts uniform modelled after his own." - Saiyan Saga Episode 4, Story Index

"Piccolo changing Gohan's orange Turtle School uniform into one like his own is a scene not shown in the TV Series and thus unique to the game. The outfit serves as a recognition of Gohan's power and is symbolic of the bond between he and Gohan share as master and student." - Story Notes, Saiyan Saga Episode 4, Story Index

Reasons for Saiyan tails not growing back

"A Saiyan's tail has an 8% chance of growing back, but it seems it will NOT grow back if the Saiyan's power exceeds that of the Great Ape transformation itself." - Story Notes, Saiyan Saga Episode 7, Story Index

This is one of the more famous explanations in Kakarot in explaining why tails stopped growing back. The part about exceeding an Oozaru's power is a bit questionable for those that like Kaioken x10 or Super Saiyan when it's implied to be the reason Gohan and Vegeta's tails didn't regrow, but at least the 8% chance thing acts as a safety net for the explanation.

Post-Zenkai Vegeta > Monster Zarbon

"Vegeta engages an angry Zarbon in battle and is able to dominate him thanks to the power boost he enjoyed from his previous near-death fight." - Frieza Saga Episode 3, Story Index

Much like the Dragon Books statement Tapion posted in a similar thread, Kakarot leans towards Vegeta's performance being due to power rather than skills and tactics. I'd personally question it with his sand tactic, though I guess you could assume Vegeta simply wanted to save as much stamina as possible when he couldn't afford even a slight rest.

Perfect Cell (vs. Goku) ~ MSSJ Goku

"Goku is the first to contend with the towering terror, and though the two are roughly equal in power and put on an impressive display, Goku ultimately forfeits the match." - Cell Saga Episode 9, Story Index

This goes against Vegeta stating Cell is a step or two ahead of Galu, though you could argue the gap widened due to Goku's decreasing stamina vs. Cell's regeneration, as well as Cell not revealing his full power meaning he could just output more whenever he felt like it.

SPC > SS2 Gohan? Also, SS2 Gohan got a rage boost

"Unfortunately, Cell's core survives the blast, and after quickly reforming he makes his way back to Earth more powerful than ever. Gohan tries to fight him, but he grows increasingly despondent as he begins to lose. Just as he is about to give up, Goku speaks to him from Other World and helps him unleash the full extent of his power." - Cell Saga Episode 10, Story Index

Dabura > Gohan?

"Unfortunately, the king of the Demon Realm proves to be far stronger than the others, and Gohan struggles to gain the advantage in the fight." - Buu Saga Episode 3, Story Index

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Also, just noticed the entry on the Saibaimen contradicts Toriyama stating they weren't invented by the Saiyans and were found on some other planet. I guess there could be a compromise in assuming the entry's talking about inventing the methods in which they utilise them for combat?

Now, some interesting tidbits in the bestiary.

Subtle reference with the Grandiosaurus

"They are said to be very smart and capable of performing tricks if trained, though no one has managed to pull that off yet." - Grandiosaurus summary, Bestiary

This seems to be a reference to the lyrics of DBZ's 1st Opening Cha-La-Head-Cha-La, specifically the part about training a dinosaur to ride a ball.

Gigantosaurus profile

"A very rare dinosaur. Those that once hunted this elusive dinosaur left no records behind, but many imagine its meat to have an otherworldly flavour." - Gigantosaurus summary, Bestiary

I found this one interesting to point out due to the part about its hunters leaving no records behind, providing more mystery towards the history of the Dragon World's humanity, something that could be quite rich when considering we have a baseline of humanity having emerged around 5 million years before the Boo Arc.

Also, whilst there's no need to post a full summary, the game cites the species of dinosaur that Gohan ran from and then hunted during his training under Piccolo as a Wildsaurus (or Ferosaurus in the English localisation).

Prairie Gazelles should be reclassified as "the GOATs of Genki"

"Oddly enough, this species contributes a great deal of energy to Goku's Spirit Bomb." - Prairie Gazelle summary, Bestiary

The Virgin Human Contributors VS The Chad Genki Gazelles

Seriously though, I'm surprised they chose to point out this as a major contributor rather than the Mountain Deer, considering the latter was given some prominence for the Genki Dama in DBZ Movie 3.

Now, some entries on vehicles.

The science behind Bulma's plane

"It is made by Capsule Corporation and makes use of anti-gravity devices and jet engines to propel itself." - Bulma's Plane, Vehicles

This is referring to Capsule 576, the large plane used consistently by Bulma since the Saiyan Arc. The comment on its anti-gravity devices are interesting, considering this could have been what lay the groundwork for Dr. Brief's artificial gravity rooms. The entries for the more standard planes such as those that Bulma commonly used in Part 1 confirm they also run on the same anti-gravity technology.

Freeza's Spaceship

"A giant spaceship designed for planetary conquest. Its anti-gravity tech allows it to travel at high speeds. The interior is replete with living quarters and medical machines, allowing it to serve as a base of operations as well."

Some of it is already common knowledge, though the comments on its anti-gravity devices are interesting and its good to know, for all his faults, Freeza was still enough of a competent leader to provide his troops with proper living conditions.

Energy supplies in the Dragon World

"Though it runs on fossil fuels and is not very energy efficient, it excels at rough terrain mobility, making it a must for frontier living." - Bipedal Robo Walker summary, Vehicles

I found this worth pointing out due to the reference to fossil fuels. This does help show an evolution in technology for DB's Earth, coupled with the entry for the standard car also comments about how it runs on gasoline whilst the hovercar doesn't, further showing the technological evolution as more than just an artstyle change from early DB to the later arcs of Part 1 and Z's entirety.

 

[Pyro]

I don't think the Dabura and SPC entries are favoring sides for the villains. Given what we see in the fights, the entries are kind of summarizing and generalizing the basic gist without getting into specific context or details.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

That's why I put in the question mark. The removal of context is fairly suspect though when considering most of the other story summaries in the game don't really gloss over the details that much, particularly with the SPC example where it seems really surprising Gohan being caught off-guard wouldn't be mentioned.