Dragonball
The Saiyan Warrior Turles
Turles is the primary antagonist in the Dragon Ball Z movie special, The Tree of Might. His first appearance was in the third Dragon Ball Z movie and the second was in the two-volume VHS O.V.A. released as a "Official Visual Guide" for the Bandai NES game, Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. Turles's name is a pun on the vegetable "lettuce".
Aside from a different skin tone and two "devil horns" in his hair, Turles looks exactly the same as Goku. In the French dub of the film, it claimed that Turles was actually Goku's long-lost identical twin brother. Nothing is actually stated in the movie or official Japanese publications to this extent. In the Dragon Ball Z: Anime Film Comics, it was stated that the reason why Turles and Goku looked alike is because within the low-rank Saiyans, the facial patterns of each warrior were similar, thus making it easy to mark which Saiyans were low-class warriors, although Turles said that Goku was "low-class trash", implying Turles may not have been a low-class Saiyan after all.
Background
Turles is a low-class Saiyan warrior and former servant of Frieza. It is assumed that Turles escaped Planet Vegeta's destruction because he was on a mission. Nearly thirty years after Planet Vegeta's destruction, Turles, along with his squad of henchmen, make their way toward Earth to check up on the Saiyan, Kakarot (Goku).
DBZ Movie 3: The Tree of Might
The seed of the Tree of Might has come into possession of the Turles. When the tree is planted, it saps the energy of the world in which the tree has taken root. Therefore, he seeks out a planet that he would be able to plant the seed on, so he can eat the Fruit of the Gods, and become exponentially stronger than before. With him, he has gathered a medley of ragtag thugs, all of whom are quite strong (stronger than the average Z Fighters).
He mainly watches the battle between his men and the Z Fighters. He does not appear until he sees Gohan defeating one of his men, single-handedly. He realizes that he is the son of Goku, and soon meets with him. Gohan is shocked to find that he has almost identical appearance to his father, and is also in fact a Saiyan. Turles asks him to join his team, yet Gohan refuses. Piccolo soon comes to Gohan's rescue, but is defeated easily by Turles.
Turles soon sees that Gohan has grown back his tail. he quickly creates a Bruits Wave energy ball and forces Gohan to look at it. Helpless, Gohan transforms into a Great Ape. Gohan soon goes on a rampage, and nearly kills Goku. He abruptly stops when he sees his friend Icarus in the area. He stops and, thanks to his childhood innocence, plays around with Icarus. Turles, however, attacks Icarus, presumably killing him (he survives though), provoking Gohan. To Turles's surprise, Gohan is able to control himself and specifically attack Turles. However, Great Ape Gohan is no match for Turles, and is nearly killed. But Goku cuts his tail off before getting hit with Turles's deadly final attack. Goku swears revenge on Turles for harming his son.
With the Z Warriors defeated with much ease, Turles's men all attack Goku. Watching at the sidelines, Turles is ambushed by Piccolo. Turles is able to survive Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon at blank point range, and with one blast, Turles defeats Piccolo. With a single Kaio-ken, Goku kills all of Turles's men with a single hit each. To the anger of Turles, Goku's power continues to increase. Turles soon learns that he had highly underestimated Goku's power, and resorts to eating the fruit from the Tree of Might.
Eventually, Turles successfully grabs and eats a piece of fruit, which causes his strength dramatically increase. Even with a Kaio-ken at ten-times it's normal strength and a Spirit Bomb formed from what little remained of the planet's energy, Goku is unable to topple Turles. It is only with a newly formed Spirit Bomb containing energy from the Tree of Might that Goku is able to obliterate both Turles and the Tree of Might once and for all.
Similarities with Goku
The purpose for Turles' identical appearance to Goku has been a subject of debate. Several different dubs have given different explanations to this.
In the Japanese, Pioneer American, and several other dubs have said that the reason as to why the two look alike is that low-class Saiyan warriors don't have many types, which means it'd be likely for several to have the exact same appearance as the others. This explanation is the most highly regarded one, although, in the movie, Turles calls Goku "low-class trash". This could indicate that Turles is not exactly a low-class warrior or that he doesn't consider himself to be one.
In the FUNimation re-dub, the explanation was that the two were struck from the same mold, yet different people. This would mean Saiyans were given specific looks. It is probable that this was just a metaphor for the Japanese explanation.
In the French and Danish dub, Turles stated that both he and Goku were in fact brothers (presumably twins). This explanation has been criticized and mocked by fans. For this, and some other reasons, the French dub is held in low regard.
In the complete family tree of DBZ characters Turles is positioned far off alone, not connected to Goku's family tree whatsoever.
It is known that Bardock knows Turles for in Shin Budokai Another road, if you play Bardock against Gohan, Bardock says "You look familiar. Are you Turles' son?"
Turles' age is unknown, though he appears to be around same age as Goku. But he is older than Goku (as Saiyans age slower than human, in order to stay younger longer and keep fighting)seeing as he abandoned Frieza long before Goku was born.
It is also possible that Turles' similar appearance to Goku is to symbolize what Goku would have become had he not forgot about his original mission to destroy the earth.
It was stated by Turles himself that Goku had a power level of roughly 30,000. A battle ensued with the two being roughly equal with Goku gaining a slight edge, which meant that Turles' power level was comparable to 30,000. After eating a piece of fruit from the Tree of Might, Turles' power level increased dramatically. Goku then multiplied his Kaioken by tenfold to try and match him. Turles defeated Goku's Kaioken x10 with ease. Goku's power level was roughly 300,000 when he used the Kaioken x10. If Turles was able to defeat that with ease, this would possibly put Turles at a level to where he could rival that of Frieza in his first form, whom of which had a confirmed power level of 530,000
Relationship with Vegeta?
In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and the next installment Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Turles and Vegeta have a special pre-battle conversation. Vegeta starts it by saying "Your face is utterly disgusting!", to which Turles replies by saying "Well, this brings back memories." When Turles defeats Vegeta he mocks by calling him "The Princess of all Saiyans." This implies that somewhere out in space, Turles and Vegeta had a confrontation and have had a rivalry ever since. This may also suggest that Vegeta and Turles may have encountered one another during the period that Turles served Frieza, while Vegeta was still enslaved by Frieza after the destruction of the Saiyan homeworld.
However, Turles' only two anime appearances are in The Tree of Might and Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. Both of which are considered to be non-canon. Turles is never mentioned in the main storyline of the series.
Special techniques
Fruits of Tree of Might: Turles has somehow obtained the seeds of the Tree of Might, and has planted them on various planets to produce fruit that gives the eater immense strength enhancement. Turles has eaten plenty of them to become extremely powerful, dramatically transcending the levels of his former status as a low-class warrior.
Levitate: Like most characters in the series, Turles can manipulate his ki to push him off the ground and take flight.
Power Ball: By combining his ki with the planet's atmosphere, Turles can create a ball of condensed Bruits ray, which simulates the effects of a full moon, allowing him to transform into a Great Ape. In the FUNimation dub, he calls this technique a Moon Blast.
Great Ape: Like all Saiyans with a tail, Turles can transform into a Giant Ape at the sight of a full moon (or similar sources). Though he has never transformed in the Movie, and he stated that he would lose his wits if he does, he is seen transformed in the games.
Pulse Drive: Turles fires a large and powerful beam of purple energy from either his palm or index finger. Upon impact, a second, larger column of purple energy erupts from target causing a double hit.
Kill Driver: Turles creates a fiery ring of ki and launches it at his opponents, releasing a massive explosion that is strong enough to kill a Great Ape.
Continuous Energy Bullets: Turles releases a rapid barrage of energy blasts at his opponents, causing a massive accumulation of damage.
Meteor Burst: His ultimate blast in the tenkaichi series. Turles charges at the foe and knocks them into the air, then flies up to them in midair, knees them in the gut and smashes them down to the ground, then right before the foe hits the ground, Turles charges down at them, knees them in the gut again, and then lets them fall. Then to finish them off, he blast the helpless enemy with the same column of energy that he used against Piccolo in the Film.
Aside from a different skin tone and two "devil horns" in his hair, Turles looks exactly the same as Goku. In the French dub of the film, it claimed that Turles was actually Goku's long-lost identical twin brother. Nothing is actually stated in the movie or official Japanese publications to this extent. In the Dragon Ball Z: Anime Film Comics, it was stated that the reason why Turles and Goku looked alike is because within the low-rank Saiyans, the facial patterns of each warrior were similar, thus making it easy to mark which Saiyans were low-class warriors, although Turles said that Goku was "low-class trash", implying Turles may not have been a low-class Saiyan after all.
Background
Turles is a low-class Saiyan warrior and former servant of Frieza. It is assumed that Turles escaped Planet Vegeta's destruction because he was on a mission. Nearly thirty years after Planet Vegeta's destruction, Turles, along with his squad of henchmen, make their way toward Earth to check up on the Saiyan, Kakarot (Goku).
DBZ Movie 3: The Tree of Might
The seed of the Tree of Might has come into possession of the Turles. When the tree is planted, it saps the energy of the world in which the tree has taken root. Therefore, he seeks out a planet that he would be able to plant the seed on, so he can eat the Fruit of the Gods, and become exponentially stronger than before. With him, he has gathered a medley of ragtag thugs, all of whom are quite strong (stronger than the average Z Fighters).
He mainly watches the battle between his men and the Z Fighters. He does not appear until he sees Gohan defeating one of his men, single-handedly. He realizes that he is the son of Goku, and soon meets with him. Gohan is shocked to find that he has almost identical appearance to his father, and is also in fact a Saiyan. Turles asks him to join his team, yet Gohan refuses. Piccolo soon comes to Gohan's rescue, but is defeated easily by Turles.
Turles soon sees that Gohan has grown back his tail. he quickly creates a Bruits Wave energy ball and forces Gohan to look at it. Helpless, Gohan transforms into a Great Ape. Gohan soon goes on a rampage, and nearly kills Goku. He abruptly stops when he sees his friend Icarus in the area. He stops and, thanks to his childhood innocence, plays around with Icarus. Turles, however, attacks Icarus, presumably killing him (he survives though), provoking Gohan. To Turles's surprise, Gohan is able to control himself and specifically attack Turles. However, Great Ape Gohan is no match for Turles, and is nearly killed. But Goku cuts his tail off before getting hit with Turles's deadly final attack. Goku swears revenge on Turles for harming his son.
With the Z Warriors defeated with much ease, Turles's men all attack Goku. Watching at the sidelines, Turles is ambushed by Piccolo. Turles is able to survive Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon at blank point range, and with one blast, Turles defeats Piccolo. With a single Kaio-ken, Goku kills all of Turles's men with a single hit each. To the anger of Turles, Goku's power continues to increase. Turles soon learns that he had highly underestimated Goku's power, and resorts to eating the fruit from the Tree of Might.
Eventually, Turles successfully grabs and eats a piece of fruit, which causes his strength dramatically increase. Even with a Kaio-ken at ten-times it's normal strength and a Spirit Bomb formed from what little remained of the planet's energy, Goku is unable to topple Turles. It is only with a newly formed Spirit Bomb containing energy from the Tree of Might that Goku is able to obliterate both Turles and the Tree of Might once and for all.
Similarities with Goku
The purpose for Turles' identical appearance to Goku has been a subject of debate. Several different dubs have given different explanations to this.
In the Japanese, Pioneer American, and several other dubs have said that the reason as to why the two look alike is that low-class Saiyan warriors don't have many types, which means it'd be likely for several to have the exact same appearance as the others. This explanation is the most highly regarded one, although, in the movie, Turles calls Goku "low-class trash". This could indicate that Turles is not exactly a low-class warrior or that he doesn't consider himself to be one.
In the FUNimation re-dub, the explanation was that the two were struck from the same mold, yet different people. This would mean Saiyans were given specific looks. It is probable that this was just a metaphor for the Japanese explanation.
In the French and Danish dub, Turles stated that both he and Goku were in fact brothers (presumably twins). This explanation has been criticized and mocked by fans. For this, and some other reasons, the French dub is held in low regard.
In the complete family tree of DBZ characters Turles is positioned far off alone, not connected to Goku's family tree whatsoever.
It is known that Bardock knows Turles for in Shin Budokai Another road, if you play Bardock against Gohan, Bardock says "You look familiar. Are you Turles' son?"
Turles' age is unknown, though he appears to be around same age as Goku. But he is older than Goku (as Saiyans age slower than human, in order to stay younger longer and keep fighting)seeing as he abandoned Frieza long before Goku was born.
It is also possible that Turles' similar appearance to Goku is to symbolize what Goku would have become had he not forgot about his original mission to destroy the earth.
It was stated by Turles himself that Goku had a power level of roughly 30,000. A battle ensued with the two being roughly equal with Goku gaining a slight edge, which meant that Turles' power level was comparable to 30,000. After eating a piece of fruit from the Tree of Might, Turles' power level increased dramatically. Goku then multiplied his Kaioken by tenfold to try and match him. Turles defeated Goku's Kaioken x10 with ease. Goku's power level was roughly 300,000 when he used the Kaioken x10. If Turles was able to defeat that with ease, this would possibly put Turles at a level to where he could rival that of Frieza in his first form, whom of which had a confirmed power level of 530,000
Relationship with Vegeta?
In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and the next installment Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Turles and Vegeta have a special pre-battle conversation. Vegeta starts it by saying "Your face is utterly disgusting!", to which Turles replies by saying "Well, this brings back memories." When Turles defeats Vegeta he mocks by calling him "The Princess of all Saiyans." This implies that somewhere out in space, Turles and Vegeta had a confrontation and have had a rivalry ever since. This may also suggest that Vegeta and Turles may have encountered one another during the period that Turles served Frieza, while Vegeta was still enslaved by Frieza after the destruction of the Saiyan homeworld.
However, Turles' only two anime appearances are in The Tree of Might and Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. Both of which are considered to be non-canon. Turles is never mentioned in the main storyline of the series.
Special techniques
Fruits of Tree of Might: Turles has somehow obtained the seeds of the Tree of Might, and has planted them on various planets to produce fruit that gives the eater immense strength enhancement. Turles has eaten plenty of them to become extremely powerful, dramatically transcending the levels of his former status as a low-class warrior.
Levitate: Like most characters in the series, Turles can manipulate his ki to push him off the ground and take flight.
Power Ball: By combining his ki with the planet's atmosphere, Turles can create a ball of condensed Bruits ray, which simulates the effects of a full moon, allowing him to transform into a Great Ape. In the FUNimation dub, he calls this technique a Moon Blast.
Great Ape: Like all Saiyans with a tail, Turles can transform into a Giant Ape at the sight of a full moon (or similar sources). Though he has never transformed in the Movie, and he stated that he would lose his wits if he does, he is seen transformed in the games.
Pulse Drive: Turles fires a large and powerful beam of purple energy from either his palm or index finger. Upon impact, a second, larger column of purple energy erupts from target causing a double hit.
Kill Driver: Turles creates a fiery ring of ki and launches it at his opponents, releasing a massive explosion that is strong enough to kill a Great Ape.
Continuous Energy Bullets: Turles releases a rapid barrage of energy blasts at his opponents, causing a massive accumulation of damage.
Meteor Burst: His ultimate blast in the tenkaichi series. Turles charges at the foe and knocks them into the air, then flies up to them in midair, knees them in the gut and smashes them down to the ground, then right before the foe hits the ground, Turles charges down at them, knees them in the gut again, and then lets them fall. Then to finish them off, he blast the helpless enemy with the same column of energy that he used against Piccolo in the Film.
