A Friendly Surprise

is the eighth episode of the Namek Saga and the forty-third overall episode in the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. This episode first aired in Japan on April 11, 1990. Its original American airdate was August 25, 2005.
==Summary==
Inside a glacial underground cave, Krillin and Gohan project low-level energy beams from their palms, thawing the ice around a trapped Dragon Ball. Bulma complains to Zaacro that all the cold air must be bad for her skin, then realizes that Zaacro is nowhere to be seen. With the thawing completed, Krillin pulls the Dragon Ball out of the ice, and everyone cheers, inadvertently starting a cave-in. As two shadowy figures monitor remotely, the floor gives way, and the trio fall onto a slab of ice that takes them down a slippery passage. Krillin is able to steer somewhat with a well-placed Kamehameha, but the mysterious figures maintain that they are doomed. A giant snowball drops down behind the trio and starts rolling toward them.
thumb|left|Cui tells Vegeta that Frieza is already on Namek in search of the Dragon Balls
Elsewhere, Vegeta's attending physician examines the damage done to Vegeta's armored jacket, wondering what kind of battle could have done such damage. When asked, he tells Vegeta that Frieza is no longer planet side, but that Cui is waiting to speak with him. Vegeta replies that he has nothing to say to Cui and walks off without taking his Scouter. Goku concentrates in the middle of the rocky wasteland, then powers up and levitates one of the larger boulders into a position above himself. Jumping up, he shatters the boulder, but also hurts himself so badly that he cannot get back up.
The giant snowball gains ground on Bulma, Krillin and Gohan, and Bulma demands action. Krillin and Gohan fire blasts at the ceiling, knocking loose stalactites that fall into the snowball's path. Rather than slow it down, however, the snowball rolls the spikes into itself, making it all the more dangerous. Just before the snowball overtakes them, they slide out the mouth of the cave, right over an enormous chasm. Thanks to Gohan and Krillin's Flight technique, the three of them manage to levitate to safety. Making their way toward the last Dragon Ball, Krillin begins to feel suspicious about something, but is unable to put it into words for Bulma. The mysterious pair continue to monitor their activities, as they continue down a well-marked path. Looking around, Krillin realizes it is the same path they chased the dinosaur down. They come to a lake, which the Dragon Radar says is the location of the last Dragon Ball. Gohan skips along, excited to be so close to bringing back Piccolo, when an invisible force takes hold of him. He calls to Krillin for help, and as he rushes to Gohan's aid, Raiti and Zaacro show up, each taking Bulma by an elbow.
Chi-Chi pilots herself and Master Roshi in one of Bulma's airships and finally finds the injured Goku, still laying on the ground. Master Roshi mentally scolds Goku for his outrageous behavior.
thumb|left|Cui warns Vegeta not to betray Lord Frieza but the angry Saiyan leaves for Namek
Vegeta makes his way down a hallway, planning to return to Earth to finish the job he started, when he is stopped by a purple, catfish-like humanoid, Cui, who is recognizable as the warrior seen in Bun's flashback as the murderer of his parents. He teases Vegeta about being beaten up so badly, as well as losing Nappa and Raditz. Vegeta brushes him off, but Cui has other things to discuss. He tells Vegeta that Frieza is mad at him for attacking Earth without authorization but will overlook this breach of protocol since Vegeta's actions led Frieza to find out about the Dragon Balls. Frieza intends to use them to wish for immortality and is already on Namek pursuing that goal. This was to have been Vegeta's wish as well, but after Frieza gets his wish granted, he plans to wipe out the Namekian race. Enraged, Vegeta grabs his Scouter and heads toward his space pod. He blasts off for Planet Namek himself, hoping to get his wish granted before Frieza.
Raiti and Zaacro's intentions are still unclear as they release Bulma and transform into menacing red beasts. Krillin recognizes them as the creatures whose pictures appeared on the walls of the stairway leading down into the ruins. The landscape also begins to change. Upon remembering the events of the last couple of days, Krillin realizes their entire quest for the Dragon Balls was made up of one illusion after another. Even the Dragon Ball he held in his hand turned out to be an ordinary stone. Finally able to see things as they really are, he finds Gohan being held in the tentacles of several sea monsters. He rushes to help but gets tangled in the tentacles of yet another sea monster.
As the episode closes out, Vegeta is well on his way to Planet Namek, Goku is re-admitted into Wukong Hospital, and the fate of our heroes on the false Planet Namek remains uncertain.
==Major Events==
*Bulma, Gohan and Krillin find out the truth about the Fake Namek and it being an illusion.
*Vegeta hears about Frieza's desire to gather the Dragon Balls on Namek and races to the planet.
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Bulma
*Gohan
*Krillin
*Raiti
*Zaacro
*Planet Frieza No. 79 Malaka's Race Doctor
*Vegeta
*Goku
*Chi-Chi
*Master Roshi
*Cui
===Locations===
*Fake Namek
*Planet Frieza 79
*Earth
**West City
***Wukong Hospital
===Objects===
*Attack Ball
*Battle Armor
*Medical Machine
*Scouter
*Dragon Radar
*Capsule 192
==Differences from the manga==
*Bulma, Gohan and Krillin's adventure on Fake Namek is exclusive to the anime.
*Goku training when he should be resting in hospital and his wife trying to find him is exclusive to the anime.
*In the anime, when Vegeta is shown putting on his boots, he has his top on. In the manga however he is shirtless in the scene.
==Trivia==
*This episode shows Goku using Telekinesis, a technique he has never been shown to use in the manga.
*Chris Cason becomes the voice of the Planet Frieza #79 Doctor in this episode, replacing Andy Mullins from the previous installment. He would become the most recognized voice of the character even redubbing Troy Baker in "Look Out Below" and Dale Kelly from "Namek's Destruction" in the remastered addition (curiously, he did not redub Mullins in "The Search Continues").
*As Vegeta is recalling his fight with Goku, the second shot of Goku punching him shows the lower part of his battle jacket colored blue like his jumpsuit.
==Gallery==
==Site Navigation==
es:Episodio 43 (Dragon Ball Z)
ca:Episodi 43 (BDZ)
pt-br:Reunimos as Esferas do Dragão! Já podemos reviver Piccolo
fr:Dragon Ball Z épisode 043
Category:Episodes
Category:Dragon Ball Z episodes
Category:Namek Saga
Category:Uncut Dragon Ball Z episodes