Kami

is the former Guardian of the Earth, and the good counterpart of King Piccolo. Throughout a majority of the story, the character known as Kami was a wise Namekian, who alongside Piccolo, was once a single being, who no longer remembered his real name, although it was revealed that he was the son of Katas. He hatched on Namek and, as a child, was launched by Katas into outer space in a Namekian spaceship which requires at least a basic knowledge of the Namekian language to pilot. The Nameless Namekian later learnt of the Guardian of the Earth, and that its role could be passed down, but only to those pure of heart. Thus, the Namekian split himself into being, while simultaneously expelling the darkness within him. The remaining good half became Kami, while the evil expunged became King Piccolo. Kami is also the Namekian that created Earth's Dragon Balls.
==Concept and Creation==
When Akira Toriyama designed Kami, the idea of Goku and Piccolo being aliens first formed in his head. This is best seen when Kami and Piccolo are fighting in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, and they converse in a strange language which was later revealed to be the Namekian Language.
==Appearance==
Kami is a Namekian with wrinkly skin. He wears a white robe with a blue collar. On his robe he has a red colored kanji that means "God". He wears dark blue shoes as well.
In his youth, Kami wore clothing similar to his counterpart, King Piccolo though instead of King Piccolo's "Demon" kanji, his clothing has Kami's "God" kanji.
==Personality==
It is not known what the Nameless Namekian's personality was like originally, but after purging himself of his evil counterpart, he becomes a normal peaceful Namekian known as Kami. Though he could count as a Warrior-type Namekian, he gives up martial arts almost completely after becoming Guardian of Earth (though he later fights Piccolo Jr. as Hero and Garlic Jr. as himself). According to Korin, Kami does not like visitors and will send any rocket ship trying to reach him back (implying it has happened at least once). His need for seclusion may stem from growing up by himself in the remote Yunzabit Heights. Despite having a legitimate care for the Earth, he began to think all humans were selfish and distrustful as he watched humanity grow and rebuild after the King Piccolo wars, until he meets Goku, which renews his faith in humanity (despite Kami somehow knowing that Goku is not from Earth, though it may have been Goku's love for his friends that changed Kami's mind, of course he may have also been inspired by the actions of other Earthlings such as Mutaito, Roshi, and Goku's friends). Kami's respect for Goku was great enough for Kami to see him as a potential successor and even offered him the position of Guardian of Earth after the 23rd World Martial Tournament, even suggesting that Goku and his soon-to-be wife Chi-Chi could live together on the Lookout, though Goku ultimately refused, to Kami's utter shock. Though he normally refrains from combat after the Piccolo Jr. Saga, preferring to leave it up to those younger and stronger than himself, he is willing to join the fight to defend the Earth from threats such as Garlic Jr. whom he has somewhat of a rivalry with due to his past history with Garlic.
Kami also has some complexity to his character, as even though he was the Guardian of Earth he felt as if he was not deserving of the title. This is because King Piccolo and Piccolo's existence relied on him being alive, leading him to want to take his own life on several occasions. He reiterates this to Goku at the end of the 23rd World Martial Tournament. After Master Roshi explains to him how none of this would have been possible without him and the Dragon Balls, Kami is able to forgive himself and continue as Guardian of the Earth until he fuses with Piccolo. Kami still remained a part of Piccolo, as was noted by Piccolo when he gave him strategic ideas in combat (most notably against Imperfect Cell in order to get information). He also encourages Piccolo to continue on fighting during the Tournament of Power, knowing full well that the fate of Earth and Universe 7 is at stake.
==Biography==
===Background===
Kami came into being 300 years before the start of the series, after a nameless Namekian arrived at The Lookout, the home of the guardian of Earth at the time and became his apprentice in hopes the aging guardian would choose him to be his successor when he died. He was loyal to the aging guardian and even successfully outclassed the Serpent Garlic who competed with him, but despite being mostly good he was ultimately denied by the old guardian because of his selfish desire to become guardian due to its benefits, and because of the evil that dwelled within.
He finally became Kami after separating the evil from within himself in order to attain the position, forming an evil twin brother who called himself King Piccolo and shared a lifeline with him (if one died, the other would also). He watched over the Earth from his lookout during King Piccolo and his mutated sons' initial rampage but eventually in a series of long, complicated circumstances they were defeated by the forces of Master Mutaito. He later created the Dragon Balls to give the people of Earth hope and encourage acts of bravery after King Piccolo's reign, though he later regrets it until he met the pure hearted Goku.
===Dragon Ball===
====King Piccolo Saga====
Three hundred years later, at the conclusion of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, Emperor Pilaf frees King Piccolo and soon after Krillin was murdered by Piccolo's newest son, Tambourine. It is later revealed King Piccolo seeks to destroy all existing martial artists to prevent any challengers from learning the Evil Containment Wave that trapped him. King Piccolo also seeks the Dragon Balls to restore his youth before taking over the world again. After Cymbal and Tambourine are mysteriously killed, King Piccolo encounters the young Goku and in the ensuing fight Goku is seemingly killed.
After a battle in which Master Roshi dies, King Piccolo eventually summons Shenron. Chiaotzu attempts to stop King Piccolo's wish by making a wish of his own but is killed by King Piccolo at the last second, who then has his wish for youth granted. Immediately after granting his wish, Shenron is killed by King Piccolo to prevent anyone else from using the dragon against him. King Piccolo invades King Furry's castle and takes him hostage. The next day while preparing to leave for the doomed West City, King Piccolo is confronted again by Goku, who narrowly defeats him by punching him clean through his midsection.
With all his sons dead and himself mortally wounded, King Piccolo spits out one last egg containing his son and reincarnation Piccolo Jr. intending for him to exact revenge on Goku, inadvertently saving Kami's life in the process, before he explodes.
====Piccolo Jr. Saga====
Shortly after Goku arrives at Kami's mysterious lookout and meets his loyal servant Mr. Popo. Kami agrees to meet with Goku without the long rigorous training required to beat Mr. Popo. Upon seeing Kami, Goku mistakes him for King Piccolo and charges at him, but Kami merely flicks him away. After explaining his origins, Kami, as a reward to Goku for defeating Piccolo, revives Shenron so that all the innocents killed by Piccolo and his sons can be removed from limbo and brought back to life. He then informs Goku he must train under him for three years in order to defeat Piccolo Jr. who would be seeking to challenge him at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
During this period, Kami restores the moon, which had been destroyed by Master Roshi six years earlier, and permanently removes Goku's tail to stop him from becoming a Great Ape again. He also gave Goku a weighted undershirt, wristbands, and boots.
Three years later, Goku arrives at the tournament and Kami enters as well, but inside the body of Hero, after realizing Piccolo Jr. is stronger than his father was. During the tournament, Kami defeats Yajirobe and Yamcha with extreme ease, managing to completely dominate each battle (and embarrassing Yamcha in their match). However, Yamcha does manage to hit Kami with the Spirit Ball before getting knocked out, which surprises the latter. While he fights the two, he acts clumsily and awkwardly in order to fool the audience and not to raise any suspicion. After defeating the two he then fights Piccolo Jr. and attempts to trap him with the Evil Containment Wave, but at the last second Piccolo Jr. reverses it and Kami finds himself trapped within a Klein Bottle. He exits from Hero's body so he will not be trapped with him. Piccolo swallows the bottle, so that, if Goku tries to get Kami out, Piccolo will die and, by extension, so will Kami. Goku later frees Kami by tricking Piccolo into growing huge so he could go inside his mouth and retrieve Kami, and eventually defeats Piccolo Jr. Goku shows him mercy because Kami would die as well were he to kill him. Still full of guilt, Kami offers Goku his position, but Goku declines, choosing to keep his promise to marry Chi-Chi and flies off on his Nimbus with her.
===Dragon Ball Z===
====Saiyan Saga====
Five years later, Kami continues to watch over the Earth, and it appears Goku and Piccolo clashing once again is inevitable. One day, a mysterious alien named Raditz lands on earth in search of his brother, Kakarot. Raditz's power and aspirations are even worse than Piccolo's, in that Raditz is far stronger and could also destroy the Earth, rather than make it his kingdom, like Piccolo aspired to. Eventually, thanks to Goku's sacrifice and an intervention from his son Gohan, Piccolo defeats Raditz. After learning that two even more powerful Saiyans are on their way to Earth, Kami brings Goku to King Yemma's office and is able to get him training with King Kai, the king of the North Area of the universe who lives in the Other World on his personal planet at the end of the Snake Way. Kami trains Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Yajirobe for the fight as well. When Goku reaches back to the Check-In Station after his training, Kami brings him back to Earth. Piccolo is eventually killed during struggle with Vegeta and Nappa when he sacrifices himself to save Gohan, and Kami dies immediately after him due to their shared lifeline.
====Frieza Saga====
Kami remained dead until Piccolo was brought back to life. King Kai contacts Kami asking for him to gather Earth's Dragon Balls. When an enraged Frieza tried to blow up Namek, King Kai initially believed he succeeded, only for Kami contact him and inadvertently reveal that Namek was still there (as Piccolo, who was on Namek at the time, would have been killed if the planet exploded and thus Kami would die again). He is then briefed on King Kai's plan to use the Earth's Dragon Balls to revive everyone who was killed by Frieza and his army, whether directly or indirectly, and then use the Namekian Dragon Ball's remaining wish to move everyone but Frieza and Goku from Namek to Earth.
In the anime, Kami and Mr. Popo were captured by the recently released Garlic Jr. and imprisoned in a container. They remained imprisoned until Piccolo seized the opportunity to shatter their prison (Piccolo faked being under the influence of the Black Water Mist in order to lure Garlic Jr. to get him close enough to the container to free them). Kami and Mr. Popo then went deep into the lookout to use the Sacred Water to counteract the Black Water Mist before it permanently brainwashed the populace to Garlic Jr.'s side, nearly being killed by the previous guardians in the process.
====Cell Saga====
Kami's role diminished greatly after the heroes return to Earth from Namek from what it had been prior to their journey. After Frieza's death, he was no longer needed for training or wisdom. Because of this, and out of concern for a then unknown threat, he agrees to fuse with the reincarnated and redeemed Piccolo to return to being the original nameless Namekian. The new Piccolo would go on to fight Cell, but never manages to kill him through various complicated events. Because he is a Namekian, he also has the ability to create Dragon Balls, but this is not a skill that most Guardians would have.
After Kami fuses with Piccolo, the post of Kami on Earth is left vacant for a time until Goku goes to New Namek and recruits Dende to serve as the planet's new Kami.
===Dragon Ball Super===
====Universe Survival Saga====
Kami and Nail made a brief appearance inside Piccolo's mind while he was knocked unconscious while fighting Saonel and Pilina, during the Tournament of Power and they instruct him to keep fighting.
In the manga, Kami made a cameo during Goku's conversation with Master Roshi as the former was reflecting on the teachings of all the masters' he has had throughout his lifetime.
====Super Hero Saga====
Kami was alluded to when Piccolo mentioned he recognized the Red Ribbon Army logo on Gamma 2 from "back when he [Piccolo] was God", implying that Kami was familiar with the Red Ribbon Army.
===Dragon Ball GT===
====Baby Saga====
Kami appears in a flashback.
====Shadow Dragon Saga====
Kami appears in one of Goku's flashbacks.Dragon Ball GT episode 64, "Until We Meet Again"
==Film appearances==
===Dead Zone===
Kami first appears at The Lookout weakened by the attack on Piccolo by Garlic Jr. and his henchmen, though still alive. Kami is unaware of who attacked Piccolo and wonders if Piccolo was beaten by Goku, dismissing it as out of character before considering the possibility of Garlic Jr.'s involvement.
Kami decides to take action and confronts Garlic Jr. shortly after Goku arrives to take back his kidnapped son, Gohan. Kami reveals to Goku that Garlic Jr. is the son of Garlic, whom Kami competed against for the position of Guardian. His predecessor had sensed Garlic's evil intentions and chose Kami over him, which caused Garlic to try and take the position by force only to be sealed by Kami's predecessor. He also stated that Garlic's final words were that he would have his revenge in 300 years, though Kami himself never suspected that Garlic would entrust his revenge to his son. Garlic Jr. notes that if he hadn't attained the position of Kami then Kami would not have to die so Garlic Jr. could avenge his father.
While Goku runs off in search of Gohan with Garlic Jr.'s henchmen chasing after him, Kami confronts Garlic Jr. Kami states that he will not die so easily, and Garlic Jr. reveals that he has been granted eternal life by Shenron, though Kami is unconcerned and calls Garlic Jr. a fool. Garlic Jr. attacks Kami with three Full Power Energy Balls, but Kami dodges them and counterattacks using his Eye Laser. Garlic Jr. dodges the laser beam and headbutts Kami in the chest before blasting him away with a Ki Blast. Garlic then proceeds to beat the helpless Kami until the pillar Kami was resting against shatters from the beating. Kami drops his staff and Garlic Jr. grabs Kami by his cloak to kill him personally. However, Kami recovers and blasts him away with an Explosive Wave. Garlic Jr. manages to defeat him once more off screen.
In a desperate last bid to stop Garlic Jr., Kami decides to use Self Destruction though Garlic Jr. points out that his immortality means Kami will die in vain. Fortunately for Kami, Piccolo and Goku step up to fight Garlic Jr. Kami is later saved by Goku when Super Garlic Jr. fires an energy wave in the direction of Goku, Piccolo, and Kami. Goku tells Kami to stay where he is, and Kami tells him that he is counting on him to stop Garlic Jr. After Piccolo and Goku defeat Garlic Jr. by working together, Kami congratulates him, but Piccolo tells him to stay back as he plans to settle things with Goku. The fight is interrupted by Garlic Jr. who survives due to his immortality and attempts to imprison all his enemies by opening the Dead Zone via a technique developed by his father Garlic. Kami manages to grab onto a pillar though it is later destroyed as an enraged Gohan struggles with Super Garlic Jr. Kami, Goku, and Piccolo are saved by Gohan knocking Garlic Jr. into the Dead Zone. After Garlic Jr.'s defeat, Krillin ask Kami what happened to him and Kami explains he fell into the Dead Zone he had created and will live there for the rest of eternity, noting that Garlic Jr. will likely regret wishing for eternal life.
==Other Dragon Ball Stories==
===World Mission===
;Chapter 2, Side Story - "Kagyu's Adventure"
In the Chapter 2 Side Story of World Mission, the Namekiam Berserker Hero Avatar user Kagyu and newest member of the Time Patrol's Dragon Ball Heroes Team is sent to Earth in the Super Dragon Ball Heroes game world shortly before the Tournament of Power on a mission to deal with an anomaly that has caused an alteration that leads to Earth of the game world main timeline being invaded by Xeno Lord Slug's Demon Clan. Sensing the arrival of the demonic alien invaders, game world Piccolo comes to Kagyu's aid.
;Normal Mission - "Encounter with an Invader!"
However as soon as he prepares to face Xeno Slug's henchmen in combat, the seemingly impossible event of Piccolo's fusion with Kami and Nail comes undone to the shock of Kagyu, Kami, Nail, and Piccolo. Great Saiyaman 3 says it should not be possible for a Namekian Fusion to come undone like that at least under normal circumstances, anyways and notes it must be some anomaly for something like that to occur. Medamatcha is unimpressed by the sudden appearance of two more interlopers and notes they still have their orders to murder anyone that gets in their way, with him being pretty sure that they fit the bill.
However, Kagyu manages to defeat the villains with the assistance of the now defused Kami, Nail, and Piccolo. Angila notes they are tougher than they look, and Wings suggests they hightail it and regroup.
;Normal Mission - "A Super Namekian Appears!"
Piccolo complains it was an uphill battle against the demons when it shouldn't have been, growling in frustration due to the loss of his Super Namekian power as a result of the sudden defusion. Kami tells him to not fret about it as no one could have foreseen their fusion coming undone. Nail however asks the burning question of what can undo Namekian fusion. Piccolo says he can't say but notes the kid Kagyu can. Kagyu has a hunch, that Xeno Slug's Spaceship is linked to everything including their defusion. Piccolo notes that whatever the case, he, Kami, and Nail will just have to fight the invaders as they are.
Kami says the invader's leader apparently goes by the name "Slug". Nail recognizes the name having heard it from his father Grand Elder Guru. Nail goes on to explain that when Namek was on the brink of destruction during the cataclysmic weather event, there was a single Namekian infant sent off-world like the Nameless Namekian (though he was slightly older when he was sent to Earth). However eventually it came to light that the infant was a rare specimen among their kind, a Namekian born with a heart of evil and that he believes Slug was his name.
Kami is surprised to learn Slug is another evil Namekian like King Piccolo, though suggests it is their destiny as Namekians to right this wrong. Kagyu says they don't have a moment to spare and to follow him. Unbeknownst to any of them a hooded figure is observing them laughing to himself sinisterly.
The four Namekians are soon confronted by Xeno Lord Slug who is unhappy that his underlings ran back to him with their tails between their legs after a crushing defeat. Commander Zeeun says defeat is such a strong word and tries to explain they came back to report but Xeno Slug doesn't even let him finish his sentence before blasting him with a pink energy wave retorting he can make all the excuses he wants from his grave. Nail notes how ruthless Xeno Slug is to put down his own man without a second thought. Piccolo assumes he's the one called Slug given his appearance and evil nature. Kagyu answers Piccolo's question by confirming he is indeed Slug. Kagyu thinks to himself that Slug is young again and wonders if it is another effect of the anomaly. Great Saiyaman 3 warns Kagyu to approach Xeno Slug with caution as the Dragon Ball in his chest is giving off sinister vibes and notes it is not only youth that Slug has gained as he's absorbed a Dark Dragon Ball, making him tons stronger.
Xeno Slug notes it's a rare delight for him to be in the presence of some many fellow Namekians and to honor the occasion decides to show them the meaning of absolute power. Piccolo retorts that he will show Xeno Slug the meaning of getting his face smashed. Piccolo doesn't know how strong Slug is and frankly doesn't care, because unlike his previous battle he's back in the zone indicating he has recovered from the negative effects of his fusion coming undone.
By working together with Kami and Nail, Piccolo is able to take down Xeno Slug's henchmen Angila, Wings, and Medamatcha with a little assistance from Kagyu as well. Xeno Slug complains he is surrounded by useless buffoons while Piccolo notes he can still throw down in his pre-fusion state. Xeno Slug curses his enemies for darting around like flies.
;Boss Mission - "The Demon God Makes an Entrance!"
Nail notes that when they fight it's as if he knows what Kami and Piccolo are thinking, which he suspects is an effect of their fusion that they somehow retained despite being defused. Kagyu finds this development to be incredible and notes it explains why they can pull off jaw-dropping combos indicating this side effect improves their ability to cooperate as a team. Piccolo tells Kagyu to save some praise for himself as he deserves it with Kagyu thanking him noting it is a real honor coming from him. Great Saiyaman 3 compliments Kagyu for holding his ground alongside Kami, Nail, and Piccolo, before telling him its time they gain some ground.
Unfortunately, the hooded figure from earlier appears and calls a time out. Piccolo asks who he is. Great Saiyaman 3 recognizes the figure as Demon God Salsa of the Dark Empire and wonders what he's doing there unaware the Dark Empire has been secretly observing the game world and anomalies. Salsa says they did a slick job of turning the tables, before revealing he engineered this to be a hard fight. Great Saiyaman 3 wonders what he's getting at before wondering if he means he's the one who reversed Piccolo's fusion. Salsa says he was planning on sticking to the sidelines but its turning into a tussle he can't pass up. Xeno Slug notes the Demon God has grit, whoever he is and says he will make him a captain in his demon army once he has put Kami, Nail, Piccolo, and Kagyu in the ground. Salsa however says that's an offer he can pass up and notes that they'll be putting Xeno Slug in the ground at this rate. Xeno Slug says that witnessing his true power will clear up any doubts and starts transforming into his Great Namekian form. Salsa liking Xeno Slug's spirit and decides to help by giving him some Demon God power allowing Xeno Slug to go through Dark Evolution which transforms Xeno Slug into his Dark Giant form instead of his Great Namekian form. Great Saiyaman 3 notes Xeno Slug is massive and suspects it is Salsa's doing.
Dark Giant Xeno Slug can feel limitless power coursing through himself while Salsa enjoys his handy work noting this is what he calls a match up. Dark Giant Xeno Slug calls Kami, Kagyu, Nail, and Piccolo insignificant microbes compared to himself and tells him to perish. Kami, Nail, and Piccolo join Kagyu in combating Salsa who has also empowered Angila, Wings, and Medamatcha with Villainous Mode to stop them from approaching Dark Giant Xeno Slug.
Fortunately, Kagyu is to weaken the Dark Giant with a punch through his chest and distracts Salsa long enough for Piccolo to kill the weakened Dark Giant Xeno Slug with a Ki Blast. Salsa is disappointed they canned Xeno Slug already. However, he is unfazed by his loss and thanks them for the distraction. Piccolo calls Salsa a snarky robed runt and notes he was only playing with them. Kagyu asks Great Saiyaman 3 what he thinks Salsa was after though he has no idea and says they don't have time to compare theories, as now that they can close the case of this anomaly, he needs Kagyu back in Hero Town. Kagyu says he can't thank Kami, Nail, and Piccolo enough for their help. Piccolo says that is good as he doesn't need to as the punk was blacklisted the second, he messed with Earth. Nail notes they merely fulfilled their duty as Namekians. Kami notes that with the Earth no longer in peril, it is time for them to consider their state of separation. Kagyu asks if there is something wrong, though Kami says that are merging once again. Kagyu realizes the anomaly really was to blame and that its wonderful but before he can finish his sentence, Piccolo interrupts saying its terrible and that he thought he finally got rid of Kami.
Kami however points out that his usefulness as an individual has long run its course (with his position as Guardian and role as creator of the Earth Dragon Balls having long since been filled by his young successor Dende) and if fusion be his fate, then so be it. Nail says he stands by the decision he made on Namek and that his power is Piccolo's to wield. Piccolo however reveals he was only joking by telling them to lighten up as they will be rooming together forever. Kagyu thinks to himself fusion is serious business for Namekians but with the way Kami, Nail, and Piccolo are smiling you wouldn't think so, concluding the three of them share an uncanny bond. Piccolo then fuses with Nail and Kami at the same time restoring him back to full power after becoming a Super Namekian once more. Kagyu asks Piccolo if he has a minute as he has something to say. He tells Piccolo that fighting by his side taught him a lot about Namekian pride, unity, and learned that true strength is more than power alone, noting that the blind pursuit of power can spell one's downfall like it did Xeno Slug. Kagyu says he'll stick to the straight and narrow and one day hopes to be as strong as him. Piccolo wishes Kagyu good luck and notes he'll do just fine. Before he leaves Kagyu asks if they could train together sometime down the road. Piccolo notes he's definitely a strange one but says he will consider it asking if that will do for now and Kagyu says it sure will before finally bidding him farewell.
===Kakarot===
;Saiyan Saga
thumb|Kami in Kakarot
In Kakarot, Kami appears during the Saiyan Saga after Goku sacrifices his life to kill his brother Raditz and like the main series, takes his body so Goku can train while dead and asks King Yemma to allow Goku to travel down Snake Way. Additionally he trains Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, and Yajirobe offscreen (as Kakarot omits that story as Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha are all support characters and Yajirobe is non-playable). Kami observes Piccolo's training of Gohan and comments on his change of character. After training under Kami, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha all go to the Central Plains Area to challenge Piccolo to test themselves but Piccolo defeats them all. Yajirobe however has no intention of fighting Piccolo and makes up an excuse to avoid fighting Piccolo when he mistakenly assumes Yajirobe came to Blake Bog to fight him after completing his training under Kami.
Like the main series, Kami dies when Piccolo shields Gohan from Nappa's Bomber DX.
;Frieza Saga
During the Frieza Saga after Piccolo is revived by Porunga, Kami revives due to the Life Link. Eventually he contacts King Kai about the Dragon Balls leading to King Kai's plan to revive the Namekians and Porunga in order to use the third wish to transport everyone to Earth save for Frieza (Goku convinces Guru and King Kai to change it so he can stay to finish the fight with Frieza).
;Intermission 2
During the Intermission after the Frieza Saga, Kami appears on the Lookout though only after Gohan visits him during the Sub Story "The Mystery of the Missing Tail" after Oolong mentions Kami removing his father's tail which causes Gohan and Oolong to wonder if Kami is responsible for Gohan's tail not growing back since the fight with Vegeta during the Saiyan Saga. At the Lookout, Gohan asks Kami if he removed his tail like he did his father's but Kami tells him he did not. Overhearing their conversation, Mr. Popo suggests Gohan seek answers from another Saiyan directing him to seek out Vegeta, though both warn him to be careful given Vegeta's history and personality. Kami informs Gohan that Vegeta is in Gizard Wasteland. He will also offer to permanently remove Gohan's tail if it ever grows back. However after meeting with Vegeta, Gohan theorizes that once a Saiyan surpasses the power of their Great Ape form, their tail will stop regrowing as the form is no longer necessary. Also during the Intermission, Bulma flies her Airplane up to The Lookout out of curiosity. Kami apparently permits her to land due to her role in his revival and her family's kindness and hospitality towards his fellow Namekians following Namek's destruction before they relocated to New Namek. If spoken to by Gohan, Piccolo, or Vegeta, Bulma will promise to behave as a proper guest and that she will avoid bothering Kami too much. If Piccolo is the leader of the party, he will express his desire to avoid the place due to his desire to avoid interacting with Kami, though the player can still have him visit the Lookout despite his preference not to.
==Power==
;Manga and Anime
In Dragon Ball, Mr. Popo states that Kami is a thousand times more powerful than he is. Kami easily flicks Goku away with his mere finger. Kami later tells Piccolo Jr. that King Piccolo was "always the weaker half" while fighting in the 23rd World Tournament, and is able to hold his own against Piccolo while possessing a weaker body. However, Kami also admits during Goku's battle against Piccolo that Goku had surpassed him.
Guru notes that the Nameless Namekian splitting in two halved his power.
Despite being essentially a god, the person who acts as Kami is not necessarily supremely powerful. Kami was the strongest fighter in the series during and after King Piccolo's final rampage that was ended by Goku, but by the time Vegeta came to Earth, virtually all of the main Z Fighters and their enemies are more powerful than Kami and his role becomes more of a support one at best. Piccolo even remarks once, "the only reason you even exist now is for the Dragon Balls". On a similar note, just prior to Kami fusing back with Piccolo to deal with not just Android 17 and 18, but an even greater threat than them, Piccolo makes clear that his only condition is that the primary basis of the fusion will be his own body, with Kami agreeing, implying that Piccolo, at least after fusing with Nail earlier, was stronger than Kami.
;Films
In Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, Kami battles Garlic Jr and is only able to briefly hold his own against him before being beaten. He is implied to be weaker than Piccolo by this point as Piccolo had been training to defeat Goku and was able to hold his own against Super Garlic Junior, though Piccolo had the advantage of being in his physical prime.
;Statements by authors and guidebooks
In an issue of Weekly Jump, his power level when meeting Goku is placed at 220, which is weaker than King Piccolo's 260 when his youth is restored.Weekly Jump, issue 31st, 1989 The movie pamphlet for Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might states that Kami has a power level of 400.
;Video Games
In World Mission, despite his old age the game world Kami is strong enough to fight alongside Piccolo, Nail, and Kagyu against Xeno Slug, his Demon Clan, and Demon God Salsa after the anomaly causes his fusion with Piccolo to come undone. However, he, Nail, and Piccolo retain a mental link that allows them to know what the other is thinking allowing them to coordinate effortlessly as a team.
==Abilities==
<tabber widths="400">
|-|Techniques=
Techqniues
*Flight – Kami can fly by simply controlling his energy and push out ki from underneath, as he was seen doing in Hero's body in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
*Godly ki sense - As the Guardian of Earth, Kami possesses the ability to sense godly ki.
*Life Link - Due to being created via Fission, Kami's and King Piccolo's (later Piccolo's) lives are linked thus one will die if the other perishes either via natural or unnatural causes. Ended when Piccolo fused with Kami during the Android conflict.
*Afterimage Technique – Kami used this against Piccolo while possessing Hero.
*Energy Cannon – Kami can shoot a visible blast of energy from his palm.
*Eye Laser – A thin laser-like beam is shot from both eyes.
*Explosive Wave – Kami uses this against Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone and the Garlic Jr. Saga.
*Explosive God Wave (Bakurikishinha) – The super attack of young Kami, it is the positive counterpart of the Explosive Demon Wave.
*Exploding Wave – An invisible ki blast of a sudden wind attack that can be launched theoretically from any part of the body. Kami used this against Piccolo while possessing Hero.
*Evil Containment Wave – Kami attempted this technique to seal Piccolo Jr. in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, but ended up sealed himself by Piccolo Jr.'s Evil Containment Wave Reflection. In Dokkan Battle, Evil Containment Wave is Kami possessed Shen's Super Attack.
*Divine Dragon Orb – Kami can shoot an orange energy blast from his index finger. Called "Ryu Jin Koudan" in Dragon Ball Heroes which is localized in English as Divine Dragon Orb in Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission. In Dokkan Battle, it is called Dragon Light Bullet and is Kami's Super Attack.
*Magic Materialization – The Dragon Clan's ability to create objects from nothing. Kami uses this to restore Goku's clothes that were wrecked by Piccolo Jr. in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Kami is skilled enough with this ability to create a moon years after the previous one was destroyed by Roshi. Prodigies from the Dragon Clans also have the ability to create Dragon Balls.Daizenshuu 4, 1995 Kami used this to create the Earth's Dragon Balls giving life to the Eternal Dragon Shenron. After creating the Dragon Balls, if the creator dies (or fuses with another Namekian) the Dragon Balls are rendered inert until the creator is either resurrected or the Dragon Balls are restored by another Dragon Clan member.
**Resurrection – If Shenron is killed, Kami is capable of reviving him once his stone figure has been fixed. Used by Kami to resurrect Shenron after he was killed by King Piccolo's Mouth Energy Wave.
*Instantaneous Movement – A technique that allows its user to instantly teleport to another planet, place or person. Kami uses this technique to transport people from the Other World to the living world. Also called Kai Kai.
*Self Destruction – Kami can convert his life force into energy to create a powerful explosion that can range for miles; he starts to use this on Garlic Jr. but stops due to Piccolo and Goku's intervention.
*Telepathy – The ability to channel one's thoughts to another being.
**Far-Seeing ArtsDaizenshuu 7, 1996 – Technique which allows those who live in the godly realms to see everything that happen in the lower realms. He often uses this technique to watch the earthlings from Kami's Lookout at top of the Korin Tower.
*Possession – Kami was able to overshadow, or otherwise control, Hero to disguise himself during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
*Namekian Fusion – In the manga and anime Kami uses this to fuse with Piccolo. In the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game Kami can fuse with any in-game Namekian, thus becoming a Super Namekian if he fuses with Piccolo or King Piccolo. In Xenoverse, Percel mentions a timeline where King Piccolo somehow managed to fuse with Kami, causing King Piccolo to become a Super Namek capable of producing Mutated Namekians powerful enough to wage war with the Red Ribbon Androids and Organization of Babidi in a three-way war.
|-|Forms and Transformations=
Forms and Transformations
;Original Self
Before his split from King Piccolo, Kami was part of the Nameless Namekian, the son of Katas who had forgotten his original name. While living on Earth, the Nameless Namekian's heart became tainted by witnessing the evil deeds of humanity causing his heart to become impure preventing him from acquiring the position of Guardian, forcing him to meditate to expel the evil within himself, inadvertently splitting himself in two unleashing the Demonic Namekian King Piccolo, the embodiment of his evil side, while the embodiment of his good side became Kami who achieved the position of Guardian due to his pure heart, though was unable to stop King Piccolo's reign of terror due to Life Link between the two which would later be inherited by King Piccolo's reincarnation, Piccolo which allowed Kami to survive King Piccolo's death at the hands of Goku.
Despite the fission, Kami retained the Nameless Namekian's memories save for his early life on Namek due to the Nameless Namekian having lost his memory of that period of his life, though he remembered his original self's early life on Earth. In Dragon Ball GT, it is revealed that at some point before splitting into Kami and King Piccolo, the Nameless Namekian created the Black Star Dragon Balls however due to their dangerous side effect that would occur if they were used, they were locked away inside the Lookout. After splitting into Kami and Piccolo, the Black Star Dragon Balls became inert though they remained inside the Lookout.
During the Piccolo Jr. Saga, Kami (while possessing Hero) asserted that King Piccolo had always been his weaker half (indicating Kami inherited most of the Nameless Namekian's power which makes sense as Kami inherited his Dragon Clan ability to create Dragon Balls and memories as well) and believed the same of Piccolo Jr. until he used Evil Containment Wave Reflection to reflect Kami's Evil Containment Wave back at him showing that Piccolo Jr. had surpassed his father by learning how to counter the one technique King Piccolo feared. Piccolo also had the advantage of remaining in his physical prime once he reached adolescence due to inheriting his father's Eternal Youth acquired from Shenron which gave him an advantage over the elderly Kami.
According to Grand Elder Guru and Nail, the Nameless Namekian was a Dragon Clan prodigy and Super Namekian whom possessed power so great that Guru believed only a Super Saiyan could defeat him in battle before learning of his fission and Nail asserted his power could rival even Frieza if Kami and Piccolo had fused. The Nameless Namekian would remain split until Kami decided to fuse with Piccolo to combat the rising threat of Cell, though with Piccolo's personality being dominant as his body was younger and had inherited King Piccolo's Eternal Youth. However, in Dragon Ball GT it is revealed that by fusing with Piccolo, the Black Star Dragon Balls were restored forcing Piccolo to sacrifice his life by dying with the Earth to render them inert after their use by Baby caused the Earth to explode as he was apparently unable to power them down or change how they function to make their use less dangerous.
However in Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi it is implied by statements from Ultimate Shenron that eventually through Piccolo, Kami (as Ultimate Shenron says he was created by god/Kami likely referring the divine status of the former Guardian of Earth) was able to alter the Black Star Dragon Balls to remove the planet destroying side effect and have them scatter across the Earth, much like the Earth's Dragon Balls.
;Possessing Hero
In order to participate in the World Tournament without being recognized, Kami takes over the body of a man named Hero (Shen in the original version). Kami cannot use all of his power in this form, though he was still strong enough to face Piccolo Jr., who was wearing his weighted clothes.
|-|Fusions=
Fusions
;Piccolo
During the Imperfect Cell Saga, Piccolo sought to fuse with Kami to reclaim the power of the Nameless Namekian which was desperately needed to combat the Red Ribbon Androids. After observing the appearance of an even greater threat, Kami agreed and allowed himself to be assimilated by Piccolo due to his eternal youth making him more suitable as the dominant fusee. This fusion resulted in the Nameless Namekian being restored causing the Earth Dragon Balls created by Kami to become inert while also inadvertently restoring the Black Star Dragon Balls created by the Nameless Namekian in the past. The fusion restored the Nameless Namekians power allowing him to hold his own during his first battle against Imperfect Cell and Piccolo benefited from Kami's wisdom which allowed him to trick Cell into revealing his origins. Piccolo also became strong enough to hold his own against Android 17 before being defeated by Imperfect Cell empowered by absorbing countless Earthlings.
Like Piccolo's fusion with Nail, Piccolo's personality is dominant, and he retains Piccolo's name after refusing to be called Kamiccolo the name Goku had come up with for the fusion, as the Nameless Namekian's original name had been forgotten long ago.
In the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game, Kami can fuse with any in-game Namekian, including Piccolo.
In Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors, it is suggested in a What-if scenario that the Nameless Namekian's full potential can only truly be restored if Piccolo (fused with Kami) also fuses with a revived King Piccolo (as Piccolo is only King Piccolo's son/reincarnation and not the original) which grants him power enough to hold his own against Super Buu.
While normally permanent, in World Mission an anomaly in the game world of SDBH causes the game world Piccolo's fusion with Kami and Nail to come undone while confronting Xeno Slug's Demon Clan with Kagyu. Fortunately, the de-fusion comes with a side effect that mentally links Kami, Nail, and Piccolo allowing them to coordinate as a team and according to Kagyu pull off some jaw-dropping combos together. Through their teamwork and the assistance of Kagyu they are able to overcome Dark Giant Xeno Slug despite interference from Demon God Salsa who is suggested to be responsible of the anomaly undoing the fusion. However, once the anomaly is fixed, Kami and Nail are able to re-merge with Piccolo.
;King Piccolo
In an altered timeline, King Piccolo assimilates Kami, adding his strength and knowledge, as well as access to the Super Namekian power of his original self though with King Piccolo in control. In this state he can birth Demonic Mutant Namekians strong enough to hold their own against the Red Ribbon Androids, and Organization of Babidi. However King Piccolo and his Mutant Super Namekian children are defeated by the Frieza Race Time Patroller Percel sent to fix the alterations and restore the original proper timeline.Dragon Ball Xenoverse, 2015 King Piccolo is able to fuse with Kami (both young and old) in Dragon Ball Heroes since the fourth mission of the God Mission series (GDM4) .
In the Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game, Kami can fuse with any in-game Namekian, including King Piccolo.
|-|Equipment=
Equipment
*Earth Dragon Ball - Wish orbs that come in a set of 7 and can summon an Eternal Dragon named Shenron, who can grant any wish that doesn't exceed his creator's powers.
</tabber>
==Manga Appearances==
==Appearances in Other Media==
===Video Game Appearances===
*Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden
*Dragon Ball 3: Gokuden
*Dragon Ball Z: Kyōshū! Saiyan
*Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu
*Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzōningen
*Dragon Ball Z
*Dragon Ball Z: Goku Hishōden
*Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen
*Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Kakusei-Hen
*Dragon Ball Z: The Legend
*Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku
*Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II
*Dragon Ball Z: Budokai
*Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
*Jump Super Stars
*Dragon Ball Z: Bakuretsu Impact
*Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu
*Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2
*Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans
*Dragon Ball Heroes
*IC Carddass Dragon Ball
*Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle
*Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
*Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
In Dragon Ball Heroes, Kami makes his debut as a playable character in the fourth mission of the God Mission series (GDM4). He is playable in both his elderly form and his youthful form.
In Dokkan Battle, Kami is playable both in his base form and Shen possessed form. Additionally, the Kami and Demon King United Piccolo card allows Piccolo to Fuse With Kami as his Active Skill.
In World Mission, Kami's younger self is called Kami (Normal) while his elderly self is called Kami (Aged). Both forms are playable though since he has no official cards in World Mission, the player must create cards for said forms through Card Creation. To create them the player must obtain the character stickers for Kami (Normal) and Kami (Aged) to add them to Black Cards. However, the stickers are Giga rarity and only become available for purchase from the Creation Shop in Hero Town after starting Character 3, Sub Chapter 1: "Great Saiyaman 4". Like the other Giga Rarity Stickers, they both cost 44,000 zeni (88,000 zeni for both stickers). However, it is possible to win the stickers as random rewards through story missions though due to their rarity they tend to only drop from missions with high difficulty.
==Voice Actors==
*Japanese: Takeshi Aono † (most media), Bin Shimada (DBZ Kai episode 66 onwards, Kakarot)
*English:
**Ocean Group dubs: Dale Wilson (DBZ episodes 6-22 (4-16 edited), 137-141 (122-126 edited)), Ward Perry (DBZ episodes 25-37 [18-27 edited], DBZ movie 1), Scott McNeil (young)
**Funimation dub: Chris Forbis (original DBZ episode 76-77 [62-63 edited]), Christopher R. Sabat (most media including remastered episodes 76-77)
**Blue Water dub: Mike Shepherd
**AB Groupe dub: Ed Marcus
*Spanish:
**Castilian Spanish dub: Jorge Tomé
**Latin American Spanish dub: Carlos Segundo (DB and DBZ), César Árias (DBZ Kai)
*Portuguese:
**European Portuguese dub: António Semedo
**Brazilian Portuguese dub: Fábio Tomasini (DB and DBZ), João Batista (Dead Zone), Roberto Prates (DBZ Kai)
*Hungarian dub: Antal Konrád
*Italian dub: Mario Zucca
*Croatian dub: Matko Knešaurek
*German dub: Rainer Doering
*Greek dub: Manos Venieris (DB, DBZ), Yiannis Papaioannou (DB, DBZ), Themis Psihogios (DBZ), Zaharias Rohas (Dead Zone)
*Hebrew dub: Nir Ron (until Namek Saga), Giora Kenneth
*Thai dub: Manoon Raeungchemeun
*Tagalog dub: Louie Paraboles
*Vietnamese dub: Trần Vũ
==Battles==
;Dragon Ball
*Kami (Hero) vs. Yajirobe (Masked Man)
*Kami (Hero) vs. Yamcha
*Kami (Hero) vs. Piccolo
;Dragon Ball Z
*Kami vs. Garlic Jr., Spice, Vinegar, Mustard, and Salt 
;Films
*Kami vs. Garlic Jr.
==Trivia==
*The name 神様 meaning "god" in Japanese, refers to his position rather than his original name. This is why everyone is surprised at the mention of the name 神様 in the first portion of the Piccolo Jr. Saga, even though they had never heard of him before. The name is left untranslated in English language media, most likely to avoid offending religious beliefs. As a result, it loses the comedic shock value found in the original Japanese version.
*Though King Piccolo and his sons were originally considered demons, Kami and the original Nameless Namek would not have been considered demons. Therefore, the origin of Kami's true species remained a mystery until the fight with Vegeta and Nappa.
*During his fight against Yamcha in Hero's body, Kami actually tells Yamcha that he is a visitor from another planet (foreshadowing his Namekian origins). This seems to contradict his later statement that he had no recollection of being an alien, though he did admit he wondered about his antennae, indicating that he may have suspected that he was not originally from Earth.
**This error was present only in the English dub.
*It is believed by some that Kami is somehow connected with the Ultra Divine Water, due to his symbol actually appearing on the pot containing the water before Kami himself appears. However, it is likely all guardians wear the symbol (as evident by the fact his successor, Dende was also sometimes portrayed wearing it).
*Kami and Master Roshi have several similarities: both taught Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha, and they both give their students clothing (Master Roshi gave his students the turtle outfit; Kami gave weighted clothes). Both participated in the World Martial Arts Tournament while disguised (Kami as Hero and Master Roshi as Jackie Chun). Both characters also learned the Evil Containment Wave from seeing it performed on King Piccolo by Roshi's master Mutaito.
*In the episode Goku Goes to Demon Land Melee tells Goku he needs a permit from "Enma-sama" or "Kami-sama" to pass freely. This is the first mention of the two in the anime, who we won't see until later in the show.
==Gallery==
==References==
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