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Despite being a powerful character with a sharp strategic mind, Piccolo consistently makes mistakes that put the Z fighters in danger.
Piccolo is one of Goku's most reliable allies in Dragon Ball, known for his strength and keen strategic mind. Initially an enemy of Goku, Piccolo later reforms and becomes mentor to Son Gohan, filling in for Goku during his absence.
However intelligent he may be, Piccolo has repeatedly made grave errors, notably allowing some of his most dangerous foes to live, only for them to return more formidable, often leading to dire situations for the Z fighters.
Previously as ruthless as his evil father, Piccolo was once willing to finish off anyone he defeated, such as Raditz at the beginning of DBZ and Garlic Jr.'s henchmen in the 1989 film Dead Zone. However, over the years fighting alongside the Z fighters, Piccolo's instincts have changed. He has become softer, more easily distracted in battle, especially no longer desiring to kill all his opponents.
His first misstep occurred during his battle against Dr. Gero when Piccolo was interrupted by the arrival of Future Trunks, allowing Gero to escape. Letting Gero escape not only led to Androids 17 and 18 being activated and terrorizing the Z fighters but also led to a battle that put Earth in jeopardy against the threat of Cell.
Next comes the showdown between Piccolo and Cell, their first encounter despite Cell being a formidable foe after absorbing the life energy of thousands of innocent people. However, Piccolo is much stronger after merging with his other half, Kami, to become a Super Namekian. When Piccolo is ready to defeat Cell, he is once again distracted, allowing the villain to escape using the Solar Flare technique, a move Piccolo is familiar with but fails to react to in time. This enables Cell to achieve his perfect form and ultimately cause casualties in the Cell Games Saga.
This situation repeats itself in Dragon Ball Super as Piccolo and the Z Fighters defend Earth against the Galactic Prisoner group working under Moro. After defeating these escaped criminals, Piccolo decides to grant them freedom, declaring that as long as they immediately leave this planet.
This leads them to return and report to Moro, informing their evil master about the powerful warriors present on Earth. With Moro's desire to absorb strength, this leads to him targeting Earth for a new invasion. Once again, the warrior group faces the consequences of Piccolo's mistakes.
Throughout the Dragon Ball series, Piccolo certainly isn't the only character to forgive enemies and then have them return as a greater threat. Perhaps this is the team's greatest weakness—showing mercy and forgiving enemies, but it's also what makes them heroes in the eyes of fans.
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