Story

Kami is the guardian of Planet Earth, and watches over all life on the lands below from the dizzying heights of his floating palace. He created the Dragon Balls as a way of providing hopes and dreams to the people of Earth, which means he also created the eternal dragon Shenron.

A great many years ago, before becoming Earth's guardian, Kami was a martial arts prodigy who traveled to the palace after learning about the existence of the current Kami at the time. He sought to become the old Kami's successor, but in order to do so, he had to purge every ounce of evil that lied within his heart. He underwent arduous training to accomplish this, and it culminated in him separating into two separate beings: the one we know as Kami, and the physical manifestation of evil known as Great Demon King Piccolo.

(Tale 164)

Even after separating, Kami and the Demon King maintained their physical likeness.
In fact, they're so similar in appearance that when Goku first comes into contact with Kami, he mistakes him for the wicked tyrant and launches into an attack! However, having his origins as a keen martial artist himself, Kami effortlessly sends Goku reeling with a flick of his finger.

(Tale 164)

Goku seeks out Kami in order to have his wish granted, but as Shenron was destroyed by Great Demon King Piccolo, they first have to resurrect the dragon.

(Tale 165)

Goku then stays at the palace for three years of rigorous training under Kami with the objective of becoming strong enough to defeat the Demon King's successor, the being we know best as just Piccolo.

When the day of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai finally arrives, Kami enters the tournament himself unbeknownst to Goku disguised as a human named Shen. During the tournament proper, he manages to defeat Yamcha with ease and advance to the semifinals, where he comes face-to-face with Piccolo. Being that they were once one and the same, Kami knows that he will perish himself should Piccolo be killed, and so he intends instead to use the Mafu-ba to seal the Demon King's offspring away in a bottle.

(Tale 181)

However, Piccolo is able to reflect the Mafu-ba back at Kami and seal him inside the bottle instead, which he then swallows whole!

(Tale 181)

Goku is luckily able to rescue Kami during his finals match against Piccolo, who uses his Gigantification magic to grow so large that Goku is able to jump right into his mouth!

(Tale 187)

Once free, Kami attempts to aid Goku in his epic battle against Piccolo but is denied as the hot-blooded young Saiyan wants to settle the bout between them fair and square.

(Tale 188)

When Goku is on the ropes after receiving a brutal onslaught at the hands of Piccolo, Kami selflessly requests that Tenshinhan kill him, as should Kami die, Piccolo would die too. He even lies to Tenshinhan in an effort to get him to agree to the plan, claiming that they can simply wish him back to life with Shenron afterward, but Goku stops them just in time.

(Tale 192)

At the climax of their duel, Goku manages to claim victory over Piccolo at last.
Kami then moves to deliver the finishing blow to his other half but is stopped by the Saiyan, after which he laments that he should have resigned from his position as guardian long ago.

(Tale 193)

He heals Goku's wounds and offers him the chance to take his place as the new Kami, but Goku flatly turns him down.

(Tale 194)

First Appearance

"Dragon Ball" Tale 164

Techniques

Kikoha (Ki Blast)
Kami is able to produce and manipulate a ki blast with his fingers that is powerful enough to knock back Piccolo.

(Tale 180)

Mafu-ba
A technique created by Kamesennin's martial arts master, Mutaito, in order to seal away Great Demon King Piccolo. The Mafu-ba traps its target inside a turbulent spiral of energy and forces them into a containment vessel where they are trapped with a special talisman.

Kami displays this skill in his match against Piccolo, but it's promptly reflected and used to seal himself instead.

(Tale 181)

Trivia

Kami speaks to Piccolo in some kind of strange language!

During the match between Kami and Piccolo, they begin to have a conversation in a strange language that no one has ever heard before. Later in the series we find out that Kami is a Namekian, at which point we also realize that the language they spoke all that time ago was in fact the native tongue of Planet Namek!

(Tale 181)

→Preview: Next week's character is the trusted attendant of a different kind of divine being!

*All comic images are from the Japanese version.