Yajirobe

"Maybe I could just go back to bed and pretend I didn't see this."

- "The Darkest Day"

Yajirobe (ヤジロベー, Yajirobē) is a Human ronin who met Goku while the latter was searching for Tambourine. He spends most of his time with Korin on Korin Tower and usually delivers Senzu Beans to the Z Fighters. Despite his overweight appearance and desire to avoid fighting, he is actually quite strong and is highly skilled with a katana.

Personality and Appearance
Yajirobe enjoys consuming large amounts of food, and has a grumpy attitude to those who bug him or distract him, even in the slightest. He enjoys eating wild roast pig. He also possesses a particular affinity for steamed pork buns (butaman in Japanese), which he is depicted eating in several scenes throughout the anime and manga, and regrets not consuming more of when he thinks Vegeta is about to destroy the Earth during the Vegeta Saga. According to the Daizenshuu, Yajirobe enjoys driving stolen cars. He is somewhat characterized as a coward because he tries to avoid major skirmishes, but prefers to be thought of as intelligently careful. Yajirobe's appearance consists of small, beady eyes, long, untidy black hair and, due to his enjoyment of eating, he is quite overweight.

Return of King Piccolo
Yajirobe is introduced as a samurai mountain hunter with an insatiable appetite, and his first appearance is a confrontation between him and Goku at Yajirobe's Prairie. Goku had eaten a big fish that Yajirobe was saving when he was wandering around after Tambourine had severely beaten him, and Yajirobe was upset because of it. He and Goku had an even fight, each landing good blows. While the two were fighting, Cymbal sneaks up on them. Both Goku and Yajirobe are eager to fight him, but Yajirobe wins their game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, so he gets to fight. Cymbal demands Yajirobe gives up his Dragon Ball if he wants to live, but Yajirobe refuses and fights Cymbal. Cymbal punches Yajirobe, but it does not affect him. He then fires many Beam Rays at Yajirobe, which the swordsman dodges with ease. Yajirobe then sprints towards Cymbal who is quickly and easily sliced in two. Cymbal is then quickly cooked and eaten by Yajirobe. Afterwards, Yajirobe tries to sprint away from Goku, who still wants Yajirobe's Dragon Ball.

Later, Yajirobe witnesses Goku brutally killing Tambourine, and then King Piccolo arrives, sensing Tambourine's death. Before the battle commences, Yajirobe hides behind a tree, not wanting to die a painful death. After Yajirobe watches King Piccolo brutally batter Goku across the battlefield, King Piccolo easily defeats Goku, stopping his heart momentarily. Yajirobe checks Goku's heart to see if he is alive, which he is, and helps the severely injured Goku get some water and, after being promised that there would be food waiting for him at the top of Korin Tower, Yajirobe climbs to the tower with the damaged Goku on his back, with the assisted help of Bora. When Korin offers Goku a Senzu Bean to heal his wounds, Yajirobe bursts out in anger, due to the fact that he thought the special food Goku was talking about before was much better than this. As Yajirobe snatches the Senzu Bean pot and chomps down dozens of beans, he greatly increases in stomach size in a matter of seconds, not realising that one bean can fill a person up for 10 days. He also helps Goku get the Ultra Divine Water. Yajiorbe tries the water himself, only drinking a little sip, which caused him extreme pain. He then encourages Goku not to drink it, but Goku drinks the water anyway, and despite a lot of pain and agony for a couple of hours, Goku lives and powers up greatly.

Yajirobe appears to watch Goku fighting King Piccolo at Central City, but he sees all the damage that King Piccolo had caused and decides that it is too dangerous to stay there.

On his way back though, he remembers the free meal Goku owes him and heads back. Then, he assumes that Goku is beat up pretty badly and that he would not get that meal. But he remembers that he drank the Ultra Divine Water and goes to get his meal. He then dodges a missile that the good Launch accidentally fired. After King Piccolo is defeated, he saves Goku's life by catching him before he hits the ground. He is seen leaving with Goku to heal his wounds at the Korin Tower.

King Piccolo's reincarnate
He later masks himself and competes in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament in disguise, but he does not make it past the preliminaries, defeated by the disguised Kami in the last match of the preliminaries. After the Tournament ends, he assists Goku by giving him a Senzu Bean (this would become a bit of a gag, especially in some Dragon Ball Z movies).

Dragon Ball Z
In Dragon Ball Z, Yajriobe's role was lessened from the original Dragon Ball, as he now merely assists by giving Goku and company Senzu Beans, and decides to stay and live in Korin Tower with Korin.

Saiyan invasion
Yajirobe transmits Kami's message to Krillin at Kame House, and later trains on Kami's Lookout along with Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Chiaotzu and Krillin for the upcoming Saiyan invasion, although he is mostly seen eating.

One year later, after the Saiyan's arrival on Earth, Yajirobe tells some journalists in East City about the Saiyans and about "his men" fighting them. When Vegeta and the revived Goku battle out in the Gizard Wasteland, Yajirobe watches from the sidelines, cowering most of the time. After Goku unleashes his Kaio-ken x4 Kamehameha, making Vegeta fly off into the sky, Yajirobe congratulates Goku, assuming he has killed Vegeta. However, Goku informs Yajirobe that it will take more than that blast to defeat him, so Yajirobe continues to hide behind the rocks and watch the fight. He eventually assists in the fight by first slicing through Vegeta's tail to protect Goku, which reverts Vegeta back to a regular Saiyan, and he later slices through Vegeta's Battle Armor to protect Gohan. After Vegeta recovers from this slash, he kicks Yajirobe, knocking him into a rock. Vegeta then proceeded to punch Yajirobe repeatedly in the face. This distraction provides Gohan with enough time to look at the Power Ball and transform into a Great Ape, defeating Vegeta.

Namek & Frieza Saga
Yajirobe is next seen with the group going to the West City hospital, Wukong Hospital. He was not kept at the hospital because his injuries were minor.

Yajirobe makes an appearance during the Frieza Saga during a filler only sequence, when he is forced to accompany Chi-Chi, Master Roshi and the others to Namek to bring back Gohan. Yajirobe frequently attempts to run away but is stopped each time. When Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan, Master Roshi tells Yajirobe, who is drinking a soda, that he has a feeling that Goku underwent a major power increase that would change him forever.

Garlic Jr.'s attack
During the Garlic Jr. Saga, they receive a visit from Maron, Krillin’s girlfriend at the time. Maron nearly drives Yajirobe and Korin up the wall, as neither is quite prepared to handle a pretty woman in their household and she was difficult to say no to (particularly for Korin). Both were relieved when she left Korin Tower.

The Androids
Yajirobe appears briefly in the Androids Saga. He delivers Senzu Beans to the Z Fighters. Goku asks if Yajirobe is going to stay and fight, Yajirobe answers that he does not want to get himself killed, and then flies off in his hovercar. While leaving, his hovercraft is attacked by Androids 20 and 19. After being saved by the rest of the Z Fighters, he attempts to back out of helping the Z Fighters, trying to justify to an irritated Bulma that he can not help them anyways as he cannot fly.

This results in Bulma forcing him to come along in her hovercar, although this was shot down by Android 20 when they got to the area, and remained in the vehicle when it crashed, although he survived. He is also shown holding the newborn Trunks on multiple occasions, always getting peed upon. His future counterpart is shown in a flashback of Future Trunks, where it is revealed he was murdered by the Androids of that time.

Yajirobe is seen later on Korin Tower, when Goku tests his power to give Korin a reading so he could compare it to Cell's power, and again when the Z Fighters are on their way up to Kami's Lookout after the Gohan defeated Cell.

The ancient monster, Majin Buu
Yajirobe makes a few more appearances in the manga (and many more short ones in the anime), but he loses a lot of his importance, like many of the original Z Fighters near the end of the series. During this stage of Dragon Ball Z, he grows a thin mustache.

It is never revealed if he died in Super Buu's Human Extinction Attack because the tower is directly below the lookout. However, assuming he did survive, he and Korin would have died soon thereafter along with everyone on Earth when Kid Buu blew it up with his Planet Burst. They were both restored to life with the Namekian Dragon Balls later on. Although he did not see the significance in raising his hands, Yajirobe participates in giving his energy to Goku's Super Spirit Bomb.

Dragon Ball GT
Yajirobe makes a brief appearance in Dragon Ball GT, when Kibito Kai saves him and Korin from the Earth's destruction. His age has started to show and his mustache is thicker.

During the final GT episode, "Until We Meet Again", it shows a very brief scene of him when he first met Goku.

Lord Slug
Yajirobe appears in Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, giving Goku and Krillin Senzu Beans after they are knocked out by the meteor. He also gives them Senzu Beans after Lord Slug is killed.

Cooler's Revenge
In Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, he gives Gohan a bag of Senzu Beans to take to Goku, as well as one last Senzu Bean he steals from Korin and passes Gohan. This last Senzu Bean ultimately saves the day, as it is the lone one to survive Salza's Finger Beam, and restores Goku to health.

Return of Cooler
In Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, he goes to New Namek with Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, Oolong, and Master Roshi. Despite his usual nature, he is shown to be sorely disappointed at Oolong's cowardace and requests that he act more like Master Roshi, although this falls apart when Roshi also asks where they parked the ship, implying that he too wants to flee. He almost ended up killed by having his brains removed when he, the Namekians, and his party were captured by the Cyclopian Guards, but Goku and Vegeta's attempts at causing the real Meta-Cooler to malfunction using their power resulted in the Big Gete Star and the Guide Robo being destroyed before it could get a chance in cutting him up.

Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Yajirobe makes a cameo appearance in Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! at Mr. Satan's party and is briefly seen cutting through falling rubble caused by Aka's Super Wahaha no Ha.

Power
At the time where Goku first met Yajirobe, he was likely one of the strongest humans that lived; he could climb the Korin Tower with little effort (something Goku initially struggled with), he seems evenly matched with Goku despite not fighting at his maximum. Goku once considered him a challenge, saying "I've never met someone so tough!" However, like the rest of the other heroes, he is soon far surpassed by Goku. During the preliminaries of the 23rd World Tournament, Yajirobe is shown easily defeating everyone he was matched against until he fought Kami in disguise during his last match at the only World Tournament he entered. Yajirobe's next major appearance is in the Vegeta Saga where he trains with Kami and Mr. Popo on Kami's Lookout. Yajirobe easily defeats Krillin while sparring at Kami's Lookout, all the while eating and moving nonchalantly; he then fights "seriously" after Krillin tells him to. After training, Kami tells the Z Fighters that all of them have surpassed both Mr. Popo and himself. His power level during the battle against Vegeta is 970. It is assumed that Yajirobe does not gain any considerable boosts in power after the Vegeta Saga due to his general laziness.

Yajirobe is the only primary Z Fighter who never learns the ability to fly, and usually uses this as an excuse not to fight.

Techniques

 * Sword Blast – Yajirobe creates a beam of energy from his sword and launches it at the opponent. Used in video games only.
 * Ka-Blam Slicer – Yajirobe creates a very large beam of energy from his sword and launches it at the opponent.
 * Gigantic Rock Throw – The first attack Yajirobe used against Goku after Goku ate his meal.
 * Ka Blam Hammer – Yajirobe rushes full speed at the opponent and knocks them up into the air, sending them propelling. Yajirobe then flies after them and performs a combination of four punches and smashes them down.
 * Flash and Kill – Yajirobe rushes full speed at the opponent and knocks them up into the air, and slashes them as they fall from the sky. Named in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
 * Miracle Ka-Blam Slash – Yajirobe rushes to his opponent and uses his katana sword to repeatedly slash and stab his opponent. Its name is derived from the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
 * Bean – One of Yajirobe's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
 * Super Unyielding Spirit – One of Yajirobe's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.
 * Ki Sense – The ability to sense ki energy, which Yajirobe learned while training on Kami's Lookout. In the anime only, he demonstrates the ability to use it to pinpoint the exact location of Vegeta and Nappa to journalists. The manga and anime also hints at his ability to use it during the Vegeta battle when he senses the Spirit Bomb's enormous ki.

Video game appearances
Yajirobe usually appears as a one-line character in cutscenes for most Dragon Ball video games, such as Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu, Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Shin Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku - Chikyū-Hen and Uchū-Hen, Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Kakusei-Hen, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo, and Dragon Ball Online. He appears in the background of the Gizard Wasteland battle stage in Dragon Ball Z Arcade.

Yajirobe is a boss in Dragon Ball 3: Gokuden and Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen.

In Dragon Ball Z: Kyōshū! Saiyan, Dragon Ball Z: Legend of the Super Saiyan, Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzōningen, Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors, and Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu, the player can use Yajirobe cards during battles to summon Yajirobe, who will attack the opponent with a powerful sword slash. Yajirobe cards can be bought for 5 points in Legend of the Super Saiyan, and are proven very useful during the battle against Vegeta to revert him to his base form if turns into a Great Ape. In Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans, after visiting Yajirobe at Kami's Lookout, Krillin learns a special technique called "Y-Yajirobe?!"; when Krillin uses this technique during a battle, Yajirobe comes and gives Senzu Beans to the Z Fighters, and then attacks their opponents with a sword slash before leaving.

In Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, Yajirobe is found in several locations and gives Senzu Beans to the Z Fighters (such as at West City, Amenbo Island, and in the Northern Mountains). In Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury, Yajirobe gives Senzu Beans by just talking to him at Korin Tower (this oppurtunity ends when Super Buu escapes from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber).

Yajirobe appears during the Earthling Strike team attack in Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2. In 2006, Yajirobe made his first appearance as a fighter in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, and he later returned as a playable character in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. He attacks using his katana, and he is also able to eat a Senzu Bean restoring him to full health. In the Budokai Tenkaichi series, whenever a tailless Vegeta (aside from Majin Vegeta) fights Yajirobe, Vegeta says "Oh really? Well I'll give you something to talk about!" and Yajirobe says "I gotta go talk to a guy about stuff", a special dialogue between the two. Yajirobe appears as an assist character in Dragon Ball Z: Bakuretsu Impact.

Voice actors

 * Japanese version: Mayumi Tanaka
 * Ocean Dub: Brian Drummond
 * FUNimation Dub: Mike McFarland
 * Latin American Dub: Araceli de León (†) (until her death), Luis Daniel Ramírez (second voice), Mariana Ortiz (DBZ Kai), José Luis Reza Arenas (Movies)
 * Portugese Dub: António Semedo (†)

Major Battles

 * Yajirobe vs. Goku
 * Yajirobe vs. Cymbal
 * Yajirobe & Goku vs. Darkness Ice Monsters
 * Yajirobe vs. Hero/Shen (Kami)
 * Yajirobe & Chiaotzu vs Yamcha
 * Yajirobe, Krillin & Gohan vs. Great Ape Vegeta
 * Yajirobe vs. Vegeta

Trivia

 * Yajirobe is named after a Japanese balancing toy (弥次郎兵衛, Yajirobee).
 * In the original manga, Goku says that Yajirobe's voice resembles Krillin's. In the anime, Mayumi Tanaka voices both characters. She said that in scenes with Krillin and Yajirobe together, Yajirobe's Nagoya accent is intensified to tell them apart.
 * In the Japanese version of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Yajirobe speaks in a Nagoya dialect. The dialect he speaks is often translated into Yajirobe speaking words such as "ain't", "s'posta" (supposed to), or "What'cha doin'" and also dropping sounds in certain words since this is the best way to convey the dialect.
 * Yajirobe is the only character besides Goku to appear on the manga picture twice (when all manga volumes are lined up, their spines make a picture). Akira Toriyama stated that this is an honest mistake.
 * When Yajirobe arrives at the Kame House to tell Krillin and that he, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu will be trained by Kami, Krillin says Yajirobe's name incorrectly. In the manga, Krillin calls him "Itchyrobe"; in the anime, "Armadillo"; and in Budokai 3, "Yo-Yo Brain". In the English dub, Krillin refers to Yajirobe as "Hokiphoki" (and is immediately corrected). In FUNimation's remastered season boxset, Krillin says "I remember you, you are a... what's your name?" rather than attempting to guess at Yajirobe's name. In Attack of the Saiyans, Krillin calls him "Alumajiro".
 * During both instances in the Saiyan Saga, when Yajirobe attacked Vegeta, Gohan was about to be killed by the Saiyan prince. This was likewise the case when Yajirobe lost patience and screamed at Krillin to hurry and throw the Spirit Bomb.
 * Yajirobe is briefly seen in Dr. Slump and Arale-chan: N-cha! Love Comes From Penguin Village, where he runs past the screen after Korin does in the opposite direction.