Is Oolong a shapeshifter in Dragon Ball? Explained

Modified Oct 05, 2024 05:30 GMT

Dragon Ball and the answer to the question "Is Oolong a shapeshifter?" (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball fans often have the question "Is Oolong a shapeshifter?" because the character has had a fairly diminished role after the opening arcs of the series and a lot of people might have forgotten about his abilities. The truth of the matter is that Oolong is a shapeshifter and said ability proved to be quite useful for Goku and his friends earlier in the series.

Moreover, the interesting part about Oolong's character is that it shows how different the Dragon Ball's version of planet Earth is from the real-life one. There are a lot of people in this series who simply exist with a lot of unique abilities, with Oolong being one of the best examples of that.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Oolong's shapeshifting powers, explained

The character as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation).

Oolong is part of the Shapeshifting Academy and that is how he learns his ability to transform but he can only do it for five minutes because he was expelled from said academy. If he wants to transform again, he needs to wait at least one minute to recover his energy but is also worth pointing out that this is the direct result of him not completing his Shapeshifting Academy training.

On the other hand, Oolong has shown a lot of range when it comes to his transformations throughout the series, being able to turn into a giant robot, a motorcycle, humans, rockets, and a lot more.

However, he cannot replicate the strength and abilities of the person or object he is copying.

Oolong's other abilities and strengths in Dragon Ball

Oolong earlier in the series (Image via Toei Animation).

There are no other strengths that Oolong has shown in Dragon Ball beyond his ability to shapeshift since he is oftentimes used mostly as comic relief for the main cast.

The main reason a lot of people have the question "Is Oolong a shapeshifter?" is because his biggest era of prominence was during the earlier portions of the series and a lot of fans may have forgotten about it.

The use of his shapeshifting abilities did prove to be useful during the Tournament of Power arc in Super as Master Roshi was preparing for said competition. Since he is known for lusting after women, he asks Oolong to turn into one until he can learn to control his urges and be able to compete in the tournament at the top of his abilities.

Beyond that, Oolong has had a minor role throughout the vast majority of the series and is often seen in the background, living in Kame House with Roshi, Krillin, and a few more characters.

It is also true that he is mostly a comedic character and was never to be taken extremely seriously in the series, which is part of the reason he was sidelined once the story got a lot more action-based.

Final thoughts

It is understandable that a lot of Dragon Ball fans might have the question "Is Oolong a shapeshifter?" because his role in the story has been diminished greatly throughout the years and perhaps have forgotten of his abilities.

He can transform into another person or object for five minutes because he didn't complete his training at the Shapeshifting Academy.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande