13.06.2023
The Weekly ☆ Character Showcase is an article series where we introduce one character from the Dragon Ball universe each week.
This time, we're giving you the low-down on the eccentric Grand Kaio from the Dragon Ball Z anime!

Above the four Kaio who watch over the north, east, south, and west quadrants of the universe stands a divine being of even greater eminence and authority: the Grand Kaio.
Not merely a figurehead of the universe's guardian Kaio, the Grand Kaio is also a martial artist at heart and is said to possess power so fearsome that it cannot be aptly described with words alone!
At the suggestion of Kaio West, he decides to hold a martial arts tournament between representative fighters of the four quadrants called the Another World Budokai, where the champion would be rewarded with a one-on-one training session with the Grand Kaio himself!

On the day of the tournament, the Grand Kai watched from the stands and enjoyed all the fierce bouts as they unfolded in the arena.

Goku ends up defeating Paikuhan in the grand final match, but the Grand Kaio notes that their feet touched the stadium ceiling during their battle, meaning that both competitors are actually disqualified!
With no victor left to receive the auspicious prize of training with the Grand Kai, he showed his compassion and generosity by telling the two, "But your fight rocked, so as a bonus I'll allow both you and Paikuhan to take my private lessons in two to three hundred years!"

...However, we soon find out that the real reason he disqualified them and put a raincheck on their reward was that he'd been skipping out on his own training and gotten rusty, thinking to himself, "That'll give me just enough time to whip myself back into shape! I've been too much of a couch potato to keep up with those boys now!"
"Dragon Ball Z" Episode 195
He loves a good time!
The first time we see the Grand Kaio, he makes an energetic entrance blasting music from a boombox slung over one shoulder! He also drives a car so cool that it made even auto-enthusiast Kaio North envious, and his stylish yet casual double denim outfit makes him pretty funky for an old man!

He also seems to have a bit of a playful personality, such as when he told Paikuhan to "go to Hell" when asking him to help rein in Cell—who he refers to as "some doofus"—or when he suddenly joined in Goku and Kaio North's race and ended up beating them both!

→Preview: Scroll down to the comments for a hint about who next week's character will be!
*All comic images are from the Japanese version.
©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION
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