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Tapion
File:TapionSad.jpg
タピオン
Tapion
Anime name Tapion
Alternate names Tapioca[1]
Tapioka[1]
Debut Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
Appears in
Dragon Ball Z
Race Konatsian
Gender Male
Date of birth Before 251 Before Age
Family
  • Konatsian Wizard (mentor)
  • Minotia (brother)
  • Trunks (surrogate brother/friend)
  • Hirudegarn (nemesis/top-half of kept under seal by him)
  • "For too long, you've fed on the misery of others. You stole from me everything precious and dear. But no more. It ends now."
    — Tapion towards Hirudegarn, in Wrath of the Dragon

    Tapion is a character from the movie Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon. He acts as the protagonist of the film and is described as a "Legendary Hero" from a planet named Konats.

    Appearance and personality[]

    File:Tapion(Daiz6).png

    Tapion concept art, drawn by Akira Toriyama (Daizenshuu 6)

    Tapion is roughly six feet tall, has light skin, a mohawk (similar style to that of the Supreme Kai) of bright red hair, and something that looks like a golden head band that covers the bald surface of his head . He wields a magical sword (though he does not use it in the movie) and a magic ocarina which he says are gifts from God. His name is a pun on "tapioca". Name during the development of the movie was Tapioka (タピオカ).[1]

    Tapion is kind-hearted in personality, wanting to protect his people from any danger that may set foot. While on Earth after being freed, he purposely makes himself isolated from the outside world, solely wanting to focus on destroying Hirudegarn. However, when becoming friends with Trunks, his more happy and upgoing personality returns.

    Biography[]

    The Hirudegarn War[]

    Main article: Hirudegarn war

    Tapion and minotia

    Tapion and Minotia are told about the music boxes

    Thousands of years ago, Tapion and his younger brother Minotia were ordinary Konatsians, living on the peaceful planet of Konats. However, one day, a group of black magicians known as the Kashvar performed an ancient ritual that revived a statue, the ruthless and enormous monster Hirudegarn. With no sense of reason, Hirudegarn would eventually use his incredible power to destroy the planet Konats.

    Tapion

    A sad Tapion

    During the battle between Hirudegarn and the Konatsians, Tapion and Minotia used their Hero's Flutes to hold Hirudegarn at bay. Given this opportunity, a wizard brandished an enchanted sword and used it to slice Hirudegarn in half. Tapion, Minotia and the wizard were then known as Great Heroes among the Konatsians.

    To ensure Hirudegarn's eternal imprisonment, Tapion and Minotia agreed to have their bodies guard each spirit of Hirudegarn (his top half went to Tapion and his bottom half to Minotia). They were then enclosed in mystical music boxes, and dispatched to the distant parts of the universe. Minotia was sent to an unknown planet, while Tapion was sent to Earth.

    The Return of Hirudegarn[]

    "I know death seems cruel, but I welcome this blade."
    Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon

    File:Tapion Movie.jpg

    Tapion in his hideout

    Unfortunately, a Kashvar named Hoi, would go off in search for Tapion and Minotia's music boxes in order to free them and unleash Hirudegarn once again. Hoi plots to use Hirudegarn's destructive powers to take over the universe. With the help of the Z Fighters (Goku, Gohan, Videl, Krillin, Goten,Vegeta and Trunks) and Shenron, Hoi manages to free Tapion from the music box (Hoi has not revealed his true intentions to the Z Warriors). But Tapion, furious, storms off, determined to stay alone in order to ensure the imprisonment of Hirudegarn's top half. He is visited regularly by Trunks, who has taken a liking to him and brings him food, but Tapion refuses to eat and always shuns Trunks away.

    File:TapionandTrunksvsHirudegarn.jpg

    Tapion and Trunks battle Hirudegarn

    However, after seeing the bottom half of Hirudegarn invade the city, Tapion comes to aid Gohan and Videl by playing the magical tune on his enchanted ocarina, which weakens and absorbs Hirudgarn's bottom half into his own body. Leaving the battlefield, Tapion comes to believe that Hoi has already killed Minotia.

    Later on, while Trunks is visiting Tapion, Hoi attempts to steal the ocarina from Tapion and tell Trunks that Tapion is the true monster, but Trunks does not believe him, and instead gives the flute back to Tapion. Tapion then befriends Trunks, and asks him to dine with him.

    File:WrathOfTheDragon.jpg

    Tapion with Goku and Gohan

    Tapion and Trunks then form a friendship, and Tapion is invited to stay at Capsule Corporation, by Trunks. Tapion explains the whole story to Bulma, and she announces that she will try to re-create the broken music box so that Tapion can finally rest, much to Tapion's delight. Tapion tries sleeping inside the new music box/chamber, but it is still no use, and Hirudegarn manages to get free from Tapion's body. Now whole, Hirudegarn has finally returned and Tapion's nightmare has come true. For a while, Tapion manages to use his flute to absorb Hirudegarn's spirit once again, but Hirudegarn would soon be free. Tapion begs Trunks to slay him with the sword (Tapion and Minotia were Konatsian Knights who always carried swords), but Trunks cannot find it in his heart to kill his "big brother", and Hirudegarn is free once again. To Tapion's horror, the flute shatters.

    File:TapionTimeMachine.WrathOfDragon.png

    Tapion in Bulma's Time Machine

    After accidentally killing Hoi, Hirudegarn goes on a rampage throughout the city, battling the warriors Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Vegeta, but it is no use. Even Gotenks (the fusion of Goten and Trunks) is not enough to stop Hirudegarn (Gotenks manages to destroy Hirudegarn's first form, but he evolves into a more powerful, insect-like behemoth). Eventually, Hirudegarn is distracted while attacking the others, and he is destroyed for good when Goku (as a Super Saiyan 3) sees his chance to pierce through Hirudegarn's chest with a Dragon Fist, obliterating the monster forever.

    To go home, Tapion uses a Time Machine (similar to the one used by Future Trunks) to travel back to Konats. As a gift, Tapion gives his sword to Trunks, and goes 1000 years back in time to his home, and never to be seen or mentioned again.

    Techniques[]

    File:380014 197681646987753 191320504290534 409527 2029889274 n.jpg

    The Hero's Flute produces a magic barrier around Tapion

    • Brave Cannon – Tapion throws a large, powerful ball of ki. It is one of his Blast 2 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
    • Brave Slash – Tapion slashes the opponent with sharp ki attacks created by his sword. It is one of his Blast 2 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
    • Brave Sword Attack – Tapion slashes the opponent, then he slices them in half. Tapion's Ultimate Blast in the Budokai Tenkaichi series. This technique was originally used by his master, the Konatsian Wizard, to cut Hirudegarn in half.
    • Hero's Flute – Tapion plays a song on his ocarina that creates a barrier of mystical energy around him. It is one of his Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
    • Afterimage – One of Tapion's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series. Tapion is able to instantly move at rapid speed, making him able to dodge incoming attacks.

    Video game appearances[]

    Tapion made his debut video game appearance in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and returned in Budokai Tenkaichi 3. In the video games, Tapion fights using both his sword and ki attacks.

    Tapion is also playable in the arcade game Dragon Ball Heroes.

    Voice actors[]

    • Japanese Version: Hiro Yūki
    • FUNimation Dub: Jason Liebrecht
    • Brazilian Dub: Wellington Lima
    • Portuguese Dub: Joaquim Monchique

    Trivia[]

    • Tapion makes a cameo appearance as a statue in an episode of Blue Dragon, an anime adaptation to which Akira Toriyama contributed.
    • Tapion shares several notable features with Link from the 1986 The Legend of Zelda series. Both have a mystical blade and a mystical ocarina (appearing at first in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past), have a similar appearance, are referred to as "Legendary Heroes", have pointy ears, lived in a (relatively) ancient time and represent courage.
    • Tapion and Future Trunks have special dialogue in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and Budokai Tenkaichi 3 where Trunks says "Long time no see." and Tapion responds saying "Lets see how strong you've become." This dialogue suggests Tapion appeared in Future Trunks's timeline.
    • It is stated in Dragon Ball: Raging Blast that Tapion gave his sword to Future Trunks.

    References[]

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Name during development, Daizenshuu 6, 1995
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