Theory To Why Piccolo Is Weaker Than The Base Saiyans

[Yoshi]

My theory is that he had no one to train with in the ROSAT. Goku had Gohan, Vegeta had Trunks... Twice. Not only that, but he trained with a Super Saiyan like Goku for three years to prepare for the Androids, so he was naturally going to come out far stronger than just training for a year in the ROSAT alone.

 

[Papasmurf]

Vegeta and Trunks didn't go together for their second trip

 

[Symbiote]

He could have did that body split thing he did while training for Napa and Vegetas arrival. We just have no idea what he did since it was all offscreen.

 

[Animelover5487]

Piccolo is stronger than the Base Saiyans during the Cell Games. Trunks still needed SSJ to kill the future androids.

I think it's more likely that the SSJ multiplier decreased in the Boo arc. And going off SSJ Goku having a Kiri level less than 4 times higher than Yakon that may very well be the case.

 

[GreatSaiyaman123]

We see him splitting in two in anime filler. He’s simply doesn’t have as much potential as the Saiyans, didn’t have any special kind of training or transformation, and only trained one year.

I think it's more likely that the SSJ multiplier decreased in the Boo arc. And going off SSJ Goku having a Kiri level less than 4 times higher than Yakon that may very well be the case.

I like this alternative, but the lack of a in universe explanation for the shrunk multiplier makes me a bit eh. It’s easy to just write off the Kili numbers as off scale, after all.

 

[Yoshi]

Piccolo is stronger than the Base Saiyans during the Cell Games. Trunks still needed SSJ to kill the future androids.

Trunks still blows away Imperfect Cell Post Absorbtions while in Base, however.

 

[SIAD]

I think Future Trunks became SSJ to get to the place where Future #17 and Future #18 were as soon as possible.