Tail

"Well, I don't really know why. I just know all boys have them. It's no big deal, it's just the way we are." — Goku, when Bulma questions his tail in "The Emperor's Quest"

Several characters in Dragon Ball have tails (しっぽ, Shippo) that, depending on the character, can be used in several different ways, notably to perform Tail Attacks.

Saiyans[]

In Universe 7, the Saiyans are born with a monkey-like tail that allows them to transform into a Great Ape when they look at a full moon. Saiyans who lived on Planet Vegeta, like Bardock, Paragus, King Vegeta, Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz, wear their tail wrapped around their waist in a belt like fashion. This custom is likely to keep their tails from being reached and gripped easily by opponents. When a Saiyan's tail is squeezed, it causes them to lose their strength entirely, as well as being an extremely painful and unpleasant sensation. Whenever his tail is grabbed in early chapters of Dragon Ball, Goku flinches and becomes unable to move beyond twitching, as well as extremely dazed and lethargic. This effect wears off almost immediately once his tail is released. This weakness can be removed by rigorous training of the tail to strengthen it and to tolerate it being squeezed. Goku, Nappa and Vegeta all manage to train their tails this way.

In Dragon Ball Minus, Gine and Bardock are shown letting their tails hang loose while at home on Planet Vegeta, indicating that Saiyans only wrap them around their waist when invading planets or when in battle, but let them hang loose when at home on Planet Vegeta and/or off duty.

Many of the Saiyans in the anime get their tails removed, but on some occasions, they grow back. The Daizenshuu description is that the tail will often suddenly grow back if the Saiyan is in danger; such as when it did during Goku's match against Giran or for Gohan during the battle against Vegeta. A Saiyan's tail has an 8% chance of growing back, though it will not grow back if they have surpassed the power of their Great Ape form in their normal state.^[1][2]

Goku uses the Super Saiyan transformation while at the same time possessing a tail in Dragon Ball GT, but sometimes his tail does not change color to gold. The fur is still brown when Bardock turns Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock. However, when Goku turns Super Saiyan 3, his tail fur always turns gold. When Goku and Vegeta turn Super Saiyan 4, their tail furs both take the color of their respective Super Saiyan 4 fur.

Saiyans native to Universe 6 do not possess tails due to the evolutionary process they underwent in their universe, as explained by Cabba in the manga, though in the anime, Cabba has never heard nor has knowledge of Saiyan tails.

Saiyan tails can burn easily when exposed to fire.

Bardock[]

Bardock usually wears his tail around his waist in a belt-like fashion. He uses it to transform into a Great Ape at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, and he still has it when sent back in time in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock. The Masked Saiyan/Xeno Bardock also has a tail in Dragon Ball Online, Dragon Ball Heroes, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.

In Dragon Ball Minus, Bardock is shown letting his tail hang loose while on Planet Vegeta with his wife Gine.

In Dragon Ball Heroes, Bardock is the only known Super Saiyan 4 to wrap his tail around his waist (presumably due to it being a force of habit as it is customary for members of the Saiyan Army to do so while in battle.

Gine[]

In Dragon Ball Minus, Gine wears her tail loose though this is likely due to her having retired from the Saiyan Army and working in a non-combat role as a meat processing employee on Planet Vegeta.

Team Bardock[]

Team Bardock had tails and wore them in the same way Bardock did. They used them to transform into Great Apes along with Bardock at the beginning of Bardock - The Father of Goku. Bardock's Crew are all killed by Dodoria and his elite soldiers.

Goku[]

Goku burned his tail as he was flying over the burning Fire Mountain. Goku loses his tail three times: the first time was when Puar transformed into a pair of scissors and cut it off after Goku transformed into a Great Ape in Pilaf's Castle. It ends up growing back during his fight with Giran at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. Later, Grandpa Gohan grabbed Goku's (still weak and untrained) tail during a fight at Fortuneteller Baba's Palace and accidentally pulled it off. Then, his tail grows back in between the time after the defeat of Terror and Plague,^[3] and before the defeat of Sky Dragon by Goku.^[4] During the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku is shown to have heeded the advice of his grandfather, as he is no longer weakened by having his tail grabbed as demonstrated when Krillin attempts to weaken Goku by grabbing his tail during their match. Lastly, Goku's tail was permanently removed by Kami at the end of Dragon Ball, but it was regrown by Old Kai's tail-pulling technique in Dragon Ball GT to increase his power and grant Goku access to the Golden Great Ape and Super Saiyan 4 transformations. Yet, the tail is not seen at the end of the GT series when Goku is an adult again.

Gohan[]

After blowing up the moon to stop Gohan's rampage as a Great Ape, Piccolo yanked Gohan's tail off. In the anime only, the tail grew back, but was once again removed by Piccolo. It grew back for the second (third, counting the anime-only instance of his regrowing his tail) and final time during the battle with Vegeta, and to stop his transformation, Vegeta cut off his tail with an energy disk, and it has not grown back since, though it has been featured in the movies Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might and Cooler's Revenge. In The Tree of Might it is cut off by Goku to end his transformation and, by doing so, protecting him from Turles' Kill Driver. In Cooler's Revenge, Gohan tail is shown to have apparently grown back at some point after Goku's return to Earth. Interestingly, Gohan's tail allows Cooler's Armored Squadron to identify as one of the surviving Saiyans, causing them to briefly mistake him for the Saiyan they were searching for, unaware that Gohan was the son of the Saiyan who had defeated Frieza. Gohan's tail proved to be a liability during his initial encounter with Cooler's henchman, as Dore managed to grab him by the tail, weakening the young half-saiyan and preventing him from fighting back. Fortunately, Dore chose to simply toy with Gohan rather than kill him, playfully swing the boy around by his tail. Gohan was later saved by the arrival of his father Goku. As the movie is one of the few films without any real problems (save for a few minor inconsistences) fitting within the series timeline (as it seemingly occurs during the three-year wait for the Androids) it is possible Gohan's tail was likely removed following the events due to the liability it posed both as a weakness and the threat posed by Gohan's Great Ape form.

Raditz[]

In the second episode of Dragon Ball Z, Raditz whips Krillin in the face with his tail which sends him flying into Kame House making it one of the few times a Saiyan is shown using their tail to attack. In the next episode Goku squeezes Raditz's tail, causing him terrible agony and getting him down for Piccolo to use another Special Beam Cannon, but Raditz tricks Goku into letting him go. When placing Raditz in a Full-Nelson, Goku explains he did not grab his brother's tail once again because he feared that Raditz would most likely sever his own tail to escape if he tried to (Raditz's own response implies that he would have severed his tail had Goku tried to grab it a second time). All of these events occur in the manga as well.

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Nappa states that Raditz would always skip tail training, thus explaining why he was susceptible to being weakened when his tail was pulled unlike his partners Nappa and Vegeta who had trained to overcome it.

In Dragon Ball Legends during the Tournament of Time, Raditz (from shortly before his death) having experienced having his tail grabbed by his brother realizes he must get rid of his weakness and as a result finally trains his tail much like how his brother had in his youth after being told to do so by his deceased Grandpa Gohan. This proves advantageous for Raditz when he encounters Piccolo (from when he was training Gohan) during the Tournament, as like his comrade Nappa, Raditz turns the tables on Piccolo when he tries grabbing his tail to weaken him. However, he is unable to kill Piccolo as Zahha is able to use his Locational Phasing Spell to teleport himself, Piccolo, Gohan (Youth), Shallot, Bulma (Youth), and Jaco to safety.

Nappa[]

During the battle with the Saiyans, Piccolo devises a plan that involves him grabbing Nappa's tail. However, this plan fails, as Nappa is immune to this weakness and beats Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin. In Xenoverse 2, Nappa mentions training his tail.

Vegeta[]

Vegeta's tail is cut off by Yajirobe and does not grow back. Though in Dragon Ball GT, it is regrown twice through artificial means. The first time is when Vegeta is under the control of Baby, and it is cut off by Goku. The second time is when it is regrown again so that he can become a Super Saiyan 4, but he does not retain this tail after he returns to his base form. It is implied that Vegeta was immune to being grabbed by the tail (with the English dub explicitly confirming it by having Krillin warn Goku not to try that against him).

Interestingly, while he follows the custom of wrapping his tail around his waist, after losing his historic Energy Clash with Goku's Kaioken Kamehameha he lets his tail hang loose despite still being on the battlefield, though this is likely due to him deciding to resort to his Great Ape form. Even after regrowing it as a Super Saiyan 4, he lets his tail hang loose like SSJ4 Goku.

In Dragon Ball Legends, there are two playable versions of Vegeta where he allows his tail to hang loose. One of these is the Legends Limited Vegeta who can transform into a Great Ape during his Legendary Finish.

Broly[]

The movie villain Broly is shown to have a tail, as seen in flashback to his infancy. As an adult, his tail is not seen, but in a concept art of Broly shows that his tail is hidden under his clothing. In Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly, it is shown that Broly's clone has a tail as an adult before he is transformed into Bio-Broly. The original Broly is implied to have retained his tail in Dragon Ball Heroes due to his accessing the Super Saiyan 4 form, which requires both that he have a tail, and become a Great Ape and control his actions in that form. In the Legendary Super Saiyan Saga of Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Bardock destroys the Power Ball (created by Vegeta) that he used to transform, in order to prevent Dark Broly from transforming into his Great Ape form.

Broly (DBS) is also shown to have a tail as a child, but it was removed by Paragus (DBS) by the time he was an adult.

Paragus[]

Like most Saiyan Army soldiers, Broly's father Paragus is shown to follow the custom of wrapping his tail around his waist from the Genocide of the Saiyans up to the point he is crushed to death at the hands of his son.

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Paragus (DBS) is among the last surviving Saiyans to possess a tail. When he travels to Vampa with Beets to search for the exiled Broly (DBS), he briefly warns the inexperienced engineer Beets not to stare at the planetoid's moon informing him that he'll become a Great Ape if he does due to possessing a tail, with Paragus himself doing the same so he can focus on finding Broly who he discovers had transformed during his time on Vampa. After growing old while living on Vampa, his head and facial hair have since greyed due to age, however his tail retains its brown fur indicating that the fur of Saiyan tails does not grey with age like Saiyan's hair does. After joining the Frieza Force (as Paragus went AWOL from the Saiyan Army during the period when King Cold transfered control over the army to Frieza), Paragus lets his tail hang loose under the kilt of his new Frieza Force Uniform which helps conceal it from view. While his tail is never cut off, he ultimately dies at the hands of Frieza.

Beets[]

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the Saiyan engineer Beets is shown to let his tail hang loose likely due to his status as a Non-combatant Low-class Saiyan given the fact that Paragus had to warn him not to stare at Vampa's moon as he was unaware it could trigger the Great Ape transformation. Beets follows the more experienced Saiyan warrior's advice and does not transform and is eventually killed by Paragus to after Beets discovers their ship can no longer fly.

Interestingly in Dragon Ball Heroes, his character model is depicted as tail-less.

Tarble[]

Tarble seems to be the last living Saiyan to be seen still having his original tail (after Paragus is killed by Frieza during the Broly Saga). When he arrives on Earth to request Vegeta's help, his tail quickly gives away his Saiyan heritage. Unlike most Saiyans, Tarble does not follow the custom wrap his tail around his waist presumably due to growing up in exile.

Gorillin[]

Gorillin the EX-Fusion of Kid Goku and adult Krillin, inherits Kid Goku's Saiyan tail (as Kid Goku originates from the period when he was training under Kami, but his tail hadn't yet been removed), thus making him the second Saiyan-Earthling hybrid known to have a tail besides the natural born Saiyan-Earthling hybrid Gohan. It is unknown if Gorillin can achieve the Great Ape form or not as it is unclear if his single Metamo-Ring (which maintains his fusion) could survive the transformation into a Great Ape due to the size increase.

Crimson-Masked Saiyan[]

The Crimson-Masked Saiyan gains a tail upon taking his Super Saiyan Rosé Full Power form in Super Dragon Ball Heroes.

Shallot[]

In Dragon Ball Legends, the Ancient Saiyan protagonist Shallot has a tail which unlike the tails of modern Saiyans, has black fur which is the same shade of black as Shallot's black hair. When he transforms into a Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, or Super Saiyan 3 his tail fur turns golden blonde, and the fur becomes somewhat spiky. Additionally, Shallot is the second Ancient Saiyan after his apparent ancestor Yamoshi to have achieved Super Saiyan God while possessing a tail which is shown to turn the same red color as his hair. While wearing his default Battle Armor, Piccolo's Demon Clothes, Hermit Gi (Goku), Tien Shinhan's Gi, Piccolo's Stylish Clothes, Trunks' Clothes, Vegeta's Apron, or Yamcha's Uniform Shallot lets his tail hang loose. However, he will wrap his tail around his waist when wearing certain types of Battle Armor suck as Bardock Battle Suit, Vegeta's Battle Suit, and Raditz's Battle Suit. However, some costumes will cause Shallot's tail to seemingly be removed such as Broly's Battle Suit (though it may be covered by his Vampa Beast ear kilt) and Goku's Aloha Shirt.

Though he has a tail, Shallot never transforms into a Great Ape or Golden Great Ape due to never being exposed to Blutz Waves via either the Earth's Moon or Power Ball. Though Shallot was initially unaware that having his tail being grabbed would weaken him due to his amnesia but learns about it when Piccolo attempts to weak Raditz by holding his tail only for Raditz to reveal he had trained it. Interestingly, none of the tournament participates attempt to do the same to Shallot. It is unclear if Shallot trains his tail after learning of said weakness.

Interestingly, his twin brother Giblet is suggested to have either lost (or removed) his tail with even Shallot's memories seemingly depicting Giblet as tail-less.

Saibamen (Tailed)[]

In Dragon Ball Online as a result of invasions by remnants of Frieza Force, Saibamen have become endemic to Earth and by Age 1000 wild Saibamen have adapted and evolved plant-like tails ironically giving them a monkey-like appearance similar to their original creators, the Saiyans.

Giras[]

The Giras have long and powerful tails. Giran strikes Tambourine with his tail during their battle in the Animal Village.

Buyon[]

The monster from the Muscle Tower, Buyon, can attack his opponents with his long and powerful tail. He uses this against Goku and Android 8. He also uses this attack as a boss in the video game Dragon Ball: Origins 2.

Pirate Robot[]

The Pirate Robot has a tail that he can electrify to attack and shock his opponent. The robot usually wraps its tail around its opponent before sending the surge of electricity through it. The robot uses this attack against Goku, after dragging him underwater. The Pirate Robot can also use this attack in Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure and Dragon Ball: Origins 2.

Frieza Race[]

The Frieza Race is shown to have extendible tails, as evidenced by Frieza in his second form extending his tail in a feint attack on Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, and Dende shortly after transforming, as well as Chilled using his tail to attack Ipana. In Dragon Ball Online, Tock was able to take on some of second form Frieza's traits by eating his cut-off tail which had been infused with Nail's Ki.^[5]

Frieza[]

In battle, Frieza uses his tail mainly to slap enemies or strangle them. He does this to Vegeta and later Goku, though Goku bites him. When he is in his second form, it is cut off by Krillin with a Destructo Disc (causing him to threaten to Krillin) though he seemed to partially regrow his tail shortly before he transformed into his Third form. When he turns into his fourth form, his tail is restored, though part of it is destroyed again when he is hit with Goku's Spirit Bomb. What little of his tail remained was cut into pieces as a result of Frieza's usage of the Double Death Saucer backfiring against him. After being rebuilt as Mecha Frieza, his tail was replaced with a cybernetic one. After being resurrected by the Dragon Balls, Frieza completely regenerates a new tail after the pieces of his body are placed in the Frieza Force's more advanced Medical Machine.

Cooler[]

Cooler also sports a tail. Upon hearing of his brother's death while on a conquered planet, he is shown swatting away the remains of a throne behind him with his tail. During his fight with Goku, he attempts to whip his tail at Goku while fighting him underwater, before firing a Ki Blast at Goku.

Chilled[]

In the anime adaptation of Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, Chilled attacks Ipana with his tail after the doctor tried to help Bardock when Chilled crushed him under his foot.

Frost[]

In Dragon Ball Super, Frost uses his tail while fighting during the Tournament of Destroyers. While on the run in Universe 6 after his deception of the public is revealed by Cabba, Frost is shown to have modified his tail to secrete his Secret Poison.

Future Warrior[]

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, the Frieza Race Future Warrior will have a tail and can use the Tail Attack as their grab throw.

Future Warrior (Xenoverse 2)[]

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, the Frieza Race Future Warrior has a tail and can use the Tail Attack as their grab throw. If the Mecha Frieza Suit is worn, their tail will take on the appearance of Mecha Frieza's artificial tail.

Cell[]

Cell's tail is perhaps the deadliest of them all; he uses it to absorb people. He usually absorbs them by jabbing them with the stinger on his tail and then sucking them in, one bit at a time. This is a painful procedure that kills the victim being absorbed. When absorbing androids, however, the stinger on his tail opens up to suck the android in and swallow them whole. Cell does this to Android 17 and Android 18 in order to transform. In his perfect form, the tail retracts, though he does open it up again to spit out seven Cell Juniors. In Dragon Ball GT, he also extends it to absorb Goku in the same manner as 17 and 18, though he escapes. Aside from absorbing people, he also can use his tail as an "extra limb" which he can then use to strangle people, which was how he managed to kill Future Trunks in his home timeline.

In manga and anime, the "tail" theme seems to diminish after Cell achieves perfection. Due to his Namekian cells, Cell can also regenerate his tail if it is cut off.

Android 21 (Good/Evil)[]

In her true form, Android 21 has a tail similar Frieza's in his final form though with the same pink skin as Majin Buu presumably due to her Majin cells being dominant. Like Frieza, she can extend her tail which combined with her Namekian and Majin physiology, she utilizes by thrusting her tail into the ground and having it erupt from the ground to attack her opponent.

Android 21 (Evil)'s tail turns purple like the rest of her skin after she absorbs Cell.

In her human form, Android 21 lacks her tail entirely.

Majin Ozotto[]

Majin Ozotto, the final boss of Dragon Ball Z: V.R.V.S., can attack his opponent with his long and powerful tail.

Janemba[]

Janemba has a tail in both forms. In Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, Super Janemba whips his tail at Goku during their battle.

Hirudegarn[]

In Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon, Hirudegarn's tail serves the same purpose as Cell's; he eats people with it, except he is much larger than Cell, and when his tail opens up, cords extend from it that wrap around victims and suck them in. After Tapion's Hero's Flute is broken, and Hirudegarn stomps on Hoi, Trunks cuts off Hirudegarn's tail with Tapion's Brave Sword. Trunks attempts to attack again Hirudegarn when Goku stops him and kills the monster himself with Dragon Fist.

Beerus' Race[]

Beerus[]

Beerus also possesses a tail, which he uses to do a Tail Attack against Super Saiyan God Goku when the latter had him in a hold.

Champa[]

Like his brother, Champa also possesses a tail, however it is shorter than Beerus. Given that Champa has never been seen using the Tail Attack, it is possible that its size prevents him from using his tail to attack.

Shandy[]

Shandy, the God of Destruction Hero avatar from Dragon Ball Heroes, possesses a tail. As Shandy is younger than Beerus, his tail is not as long as Beerus' though it is not as stubby as Champa's as Shandy has a lean build like Beerus. However, he has not yet been shown using his tail to attack.

Whirus[]

Whirus the EX-Fusion of Whis & Beerus from Dragon Ball Fusions and Dokkan Battle possesses a tail like Beerus', though it has Whis' skin color.

Caser[]

Caser, the God of Destruction Berserker avatar from Dragon Ball Heroes, possesses a lion-like tail with a tuff of fur on the end. However, he is not shown using his tail to attack.

Saria[]

Saria, the God of Destruction Elite avatar from Dragon Ball Heroes, possesses a bunny like tail which can be seen in her official artwork, though it is noticeably absent from her character model in the Big Bang Mission (BM5) trailer. She is not shown using it to attack (presumably due to its round shape & size).

Demon Gods[]

Demon God Demigra[]

Demigra possesses a dragon-like tail in his True Demon God and Transcended forms.

Demon Goddess Robelu[]

In her Demon Goddess form, Robelu has black spade-shaped Demon Tail which she can attack with. She is first and currently the only Demon Goddess to possess a tail in her normal Demon Goddess form.

Sorrel[]

Sorrel of Team Universe 9 has a rabbit-like cottontail. Similar to Universe 7 Saiyan clothing, her shorts have an opening for her tail. However, due to its size she is unable to attack with it.

Video Game Appearances[]

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, the Saiyan Tail appears when certain Battle Armors worn by Saiyans are equipped such as Battle Suit (Vegeta, On entry), Battle Suit (Raditz), Battle Suit (Nappa), Battle Suit (Bardock), and Battle Suit (Turles). Additionally, the Gold Battle Suit and Crystal Battle Suit have tails that are the same metallic color as the suit itself. These saiyan tails appear when the suit is worn regardless of race and thus do not represent a Saiyan Future Warrior's actual tail. Combining these Battle Suit pieces with certain clothing options together may result in the tail not appearing at all. Additionally, a Great Ape's tail serves as a weak point which can be grabbed when a Great Ape's guard is down, allowing the fighter to pick up the Great Ape by the tail and slam them into the ground to cause a decent amount of damage. However Great Apes can also use a tail attack to attack behind them and unless there in a guard down state they will resist having their tail pulled by throwing the one attempting to grab their tail off. Frieza Race Time Patrollers can use their tail to attack during certain combos and their grab throw.

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, in addition to the Saiyan Battle Suits that have Saiyan Tails from Xenoverse, Battle Suit (King Vegeta) and Battle Suit (Fasha) also feature Saiyans tails wrapped around the waist when worn regardless of race. Additionally, the tails of Great Apes still function as a weak point in Xenoverse 2. Frieza Race members can use their tails to perform tail attacks as part of their combos or grab throw. As part of the Super Pack 1 DLC, Frost's tail is used as part of his own unique version of the tail attack where he uses it to grab an opponent's leg as he passes by them, then kicks them from behind while holding on to their leg before letting go as they are knocked away by his kick.

In Xenoverse 2, after the 1.07.00 Update, the Saiyan Tail appears as an accessory for the Future Warrior which can be obtained by purchasing it from the TP Medal Shop. The tails description reveals that it is a faux Saiyan Tail modeled after tails of the Saiyans of Universe 7 and can be equipped by all races and genders. This tail also does not change color when a Super Saiyan transformation is used. Interestingly, if worn with Battle Suits that give the wearer a Tail wrapped around their waist will appear even when worn with the Saiyan Tail accessory resulting in two tails appearing. There is also another accessory called Great Ape Hat & Tail which features a Great Ape style Saiyan Tail along with a hat that resembles a Great Ape's head. Like the Saiyan Tail accessory this tail is also a faux tail designed to resemble a Great Ape's tail and can be equipped by all races and genders. There is also another accessory called SS4 Wig & Tail (Goku) which is a Super Saiyan 4 Wig and Tail based on Goku's Super Saiyan 4 form.

"Heh heh Nobody said anything about a rod did they? Who needs one of those things when you've got a tail! Yep! By dipping your tail in the water, you can feel the fish moving around! Pretty neat, huh. It's real easy once you get the hang of it! I mean, I haven't done it in a while since I don't have a tail anymore... But when I told my friend Bulma about it she actually made me a makeshift tail to fish with! Can you believe it? Ha ha ha! Nice!" — Goku while teaching Gohan to fish in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Goku teaches Gohan a method of fishing he used as a boy. Goku teaches him to use his tail to catch fish. Though Goku's tail has been removed, Goku told Bulma about it, and she made him a makeshift tail to fish with allowing him to demonstrate this fishing method to Gohan. The artificial makeshift tail is identical to a natural Saiyan Tail and allows Goku to fish like he did in his youth. While tail fishing, the fish can be enticed to bite via wiggling the tail. After getting a bite, the player must use the tail to pull the fish out of the water allowing it to be defeated with a physical attack. Additionally, Fish Bait can be used before putting the tail in the water to grant certain benefits while fishing such as increase the number of items dropped while fishing or causing rare goldfish to appear. After Goku's death and Gohan's Great Ape transformation, the tailess Gohan also uses a removable tail. Not all playable characters use the tail fishing method, for example Piccolo uses a standard fishing rod. Additionally, Vegeta uses a fishing rod though as he is only playable after Yajirobe cuts off his tail it is unclear if he ever used the tail fishing method or if he always used a fishing rod as he has one when he rebels against the Frieza Force on Namek. His use of a fishing rod over his tail also fits with Vegeta's more serious personality and he continues to use a fishing rod even after he starts living with Bulma who could easily create a makeshift tail for him. From a game play standpoint, both the tails and fishing rods function identically though a cutscene is triggered showing Goku and Gohan pulling out their tail and attaching it before dipping it into the water. The cutscenes only occur when they start fishing after entering a different area or loading a save file, so it does not occur every time Goku or Gohan fish.

During the Intermission after the Frieza Saga, Gohan can talk to Oolong at Kame House to begin the Adults Sub Story "The Mystery of the Missing Tail". Oolong asks Gohan what he's doing at Kame House and Gohan says he didn't come there for any particular reason. Oolong suggests it would be a good time for them to chat though he has no idea what to talk about until he notices Gohan doesn't have a tail and inquiries about it noting his father's tail use to grow back. Gohan however refutes this saying his father doesn't have one anymore, but Oolong counters his argument by revealing that this was due to Kami removing it permanently. Gohan asks why it was removed causing Oolong to assume he doesn't know about the Great Ape transformation, though then Gohan reveals he does know about it due to the fight with Vegeta and admonishes himself for forgetting that fact though Oolong is relieved he doesn't have to explain. The subject causes Gohan to wonder if Kami is responsible for his tail not growing back and decides to ask him out of curiosity. At the Lookout, Gohan finds Kami and asks him if he is responsible, but he says that while he removed Goku's he has nothing to do with Gohan's tail not growing back after the last time it was cut off. Mr. Popo suggests that matters involving Saiyan physiology should be answered by a Saiyan and suggests Gohan ask Vegeta who Gohan remembers has not regrown his tail since it was cut off by Yajirobe. Learning Vegeta is in Gizard Wasteland where he first fought Goku, Gohan decides to go ask him for his own peace of mind though both Mr. Popo and Kami warn him to be careful dealing with the Saiyan Prince. If he speaks to Kami before leaving, Kami suggests if his tail does grow back then he can remove it permanently like he did with Goku if Gohan desires it. At Gizard Wasteland, Gohan finds Vegeta who is complaining to himself about the rapid growth of Kakarot and the others especially Gohan. Gohan tries to ask Vegeta about his tail but is intimidated and Vegeta ends up challenging Gohan to a fight. However, Gohan proves to be more than a match for Vegeta who is none too pleased by his loss. Gohan finally asks about his tail not growing back though Vegeta could care less and notes he no longer requires his Great Ape form as he seeks to surpass it by attaining Super Saiyanhood as Gohan's father had done and flies off. Vegeta's words however cause Gohan to surmise that once a Saiyan surpasses the Great Ape form like he, Goku, and Vegeta had all done by their battle against Frieza on Namek, then their tail stops growing back as they no longer require the form's power. Gohan returns to Kame House and explains everything that happened to Oolong including his theory about why they don't grow back. Oolong however notes that this will put an end to anymore Great Ape business. Gohan asks if anything happened in the past given Oolong's feelings about Great Apes and he reveals that he dealt with Goku transforming into one in the past. He notes he prefers Goku's new Super Saiyan transformation as he retains control over it unlike his Great Ape form. He also notes that Saiyans without tails that are stronger than Great Apes is a win-win situation as they can control that power instead of losing control. Oolong however notes he will kind of miss Goku's Great Ape form due nostalgia. Gohan says when his dad gets back, he'll ask Kami to restore it so Goku can transform for him. Oolong however admonishes him for even suggesting it, despite Gohan revealing he was only joking. This causes Oolong to wonder who is worse, Gohan or his father. This completes the Sub Story which unlocks the Secrets of Goku 1 section of Base Goku's Z-Encyclopedia entry which can be found in the Characters section under Z Warriors.

"Being a Saiyan, Goku is capable of transforming into a Great Ape provided he has his tail. In order to prevent Goku from ever transforming again, Kami removed the tail. There's still a small chance it will eventually grow back, though it seems it won't if a Saiyan becomes as strong as Goku." — Secrets of Goku 1 Z-Encyclopedia Summary regarding Goku's tail in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

The section provides details on Goku's ability to transform into a Great Ape and his tail's removal by Kami, along with the small chance of a Saiyan's tail growing back unless they achieve the same level of strength that Goku has achieved.

During the Sub Story: "Close Encounters of the Troublesome Kind", after fusing with Kami, Piccolo encounters the rich alien couple that Krillin and Gohan encountered during the Battle on Planet Namek. He tries to get them to leave, but they insist on staying to find a rare dinosaur native to Earth called a Durasaurus as they wish to consume its tail meat which is considered a delicacy. Piccolo agrees to get them the meat in exchange for leaving Earth due to the threat posed by the Mysterious Monster attacking Gingertown. Piccolo finds the Durasaurus in Gizard Wasteland and is able to subdue the beast to obtain Durasaurus Tail Meat which he returns to the couple with who eat it raw right after he hands it over after defeating their travel guide/ex-Frieza Force Soldier Melone (another character Gohan & Krillin encountered on Namek) who is disappointed that he didn't get to try some himself before leaving with the couple to travel to Planet Yardrat to try their sweet potatoes.

Gallery[]

Chi-Chi pulls Goku's tail Goku when his tail is pulled by Chi-Chi Chi-Chi pulling Goku's tail Goku shows his tail to the crowd Goku's tail Goku bounces on his tail Goku losing power when his tail is grabbed onto Korin's tail Raditz's tail glows before he uses it to hit Krillin Gohan's tail Frieza attacks Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan with his tail Artwork of Paragus with his tail under the kilt of his Frieza Force Uniform from Broly One of the unnamed male Saiyans that survived the Genocide of the Saiyans with Nappa, Vegeta, & Raditz with his tail wrapped loosely around his waist in Broly Great Ape Bardock's tail in Battle of Z Hirudegarn's tail in Battle of Z Full body render of Whirus featuring his blue tail from Dokkan Battle Gohan holding the Makeshift Saiyan Tail he uses to fish with as he prepares to do some fishing on Namek in Kakarot

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