If you’re a true fan of the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime and manga universes, then you can’t ignore the imposing presence of Shenron, the legendary green dragon emblematic of the series! Despite his brief appearances in the Japanese series, this iconic character has left a lasting impression on fans. 🐲

If this mythical dragon has always inspired you, our ultimate guide will bring together all the essential information for a perfect understanding of this fan-loved character.

Shenron (神シェン龍ロン), whose Japanese pronunciation is “Shénlóng”, translates as “Divine Dragon” or “Dragon God”. He is one of the magical dragons in the Dragon Ball franchise. In the English version of DBZ, he is called “Eternal Dragon” or “Dragon God”. The original incarnation of Shenron in Dragon Boy was a small dragon emerging from the Dragon Jewel.

In our new article, we invite you to (re)discover this original celestial creature. We’ll take the time to explain step by step:

His personality and what he looks like
His various appearances in the different Dragon Ball sagas
His most amazing techniques and secrets
So, young Saiyan, are you ready for this introduction? It’s happening right now in our online store! 📖


APPARENCE OF SHENRON

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z
Shenron has the appearance of a dragon, so far so surprising. He’s depicted with long, asymmetrical brown wooden horns, sharp teeth, scaly green skin, red eyes, four toes on each foot, a long snake-like body (his tail being three-quarters of his length), long flowing whiskers, a long snout, crescent-shaped nostrils and flowing green hair on his cheeks. 🐍

This is a celestial dragon, belonging to the benevolent species of Eastern mythologies. Unlike the dragons we usually know, western dragons with large folding wings on their backs, Shenron has none. When the dragon Shenron is summoned, the sky becomes very dark, even on a sunny day. Once he disappears, the sky returns to normal. This also applies to other Eternal Dragons such as Li, Omega or Porunga.

WHO IS SHENRON?

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z
His race is known for its benevolent nature, but as the leader and most powerful dragon of his lineage, Shenron must possess powerful characteristics and a relatively threatening temperament. As a result, he can sometimes be impatient (more so than Porunga, the dragon of Namek). Shenron therefore has a rather distrustful character, and has even threatened to kill a summoner if he didn’t get his wish quickly, although he has never actually attacked anyone, except in Dragon Ball Z: The Fratricidal Battle, where the dragon Icarus, Gohan’s friend, tried to attack him out of fear, unaware that Shenron meant him no harm. 🔮

On the other hand, like most living beings, the legendary dragon felt terror and respect towards Beerus, the God of Destruction of Universe 7, to the point of scattering the Dragon Balls immediately after informing Goku of the ritual to create a Super Saiyan God. He also showed fear when summoned to learn more about the crystal balls, even going so far as to technically “grant” Beerus’s wish that he leave after being unable to provide more information. 😯

Shenron is generally very courteous, speaking politely and doing his best to grant the summoner’s wish in a way that brings as much joy as possible. He also discourages wishes he considers “impractical” and often offers an alternative, making him a good advisor. However, he is known to sometimes follow wishes to the letter, without having true clarity of mind. 🌌

For example, Shenron responded to Pilaf’s gang’s wish for rejuvenation by turning them into young children (probably because of Pilaf’s incompetence). Shenron is also obliged to grant an ill-advised wish if the summoner insists, such as reviving Freezer in an incomplete form, although this was due to the fact that Sorbet and Tagoma had decided to restore the pieces using their improved medical technology capable of restoring his entire organic body without its cybernetic components. In this case, he fulfilled Sorbet’s wish, as the repair of Freezer’s shattered body could have been carried out by other means once he had returned to life.

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z
Although Shenron is respectful towards those who invoke him, he is easily offended. In addition to his impatience with indecisive summoners, Shenron resents frivolous wishes that he considers a waste. For example, Shenron was clearly displeased when Yamcha offered him his wish.

He also informs the summoner if a wish is impossible or cannot be fulfilled, explaining why. He explained that he couldn’t stop the Saiyans Nappa and Vegeta because their level of power exceeded that of his creator, Kami. Thus, Shenron himself was powerless against them (even if Kami had been strong enough, the wish wouldn’t have been necessary because Kami or any of the Z Fighters could have defeated the Saiyans without Shenron’s help). He also admitted to Mr. Popo that he wasn’t sure he could grant the wish to resurrect those killed by Freezer and his men due to the magnitude of the task itself. 🔪

Like most Eternal Dragons, Shenron, although benevolent by nature, is essentially a neutral entity, able to grant all wishes presented to him, regardless of the wish’s intent or the identity of the invoker. This is demonstrated by his ability to grant the wishes of pure evil beings such as King Piccolo (who later ends up killing him), Garlic Jr, Dr. Kochin, Lord Slug and even Sorbet. 😣

APPARITIONS OF SHENRON

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Preamble

It is said that Shenron resides in the burning heart of the Earth and answers every call, provided the 7 crystal balls are brought together. He quickly manifests to fulfill a wish, then returns to sleep in his fiery abode until called back. 🔥
Prior to the events of the Dragon Ball saga, the last time Shenron had been summoned was to fulfill someone’s wish to become king, as Bulma explains to Sangoku when they first meet. 👑

SHENRON IN DRAGON BALL

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Saga of Emperor Pilaf

Shenron is first invoked on screen by Emperor Pilaf and his attendants in front of Pilaf Castle. Pilaf gathers the last dragon balls belonging to Goku and his friends, with the aim of asking Shenron to allow him to take control of the entire planet and become its ruler. 👑
However, before Pilaf can formulate his wish, Oolong spots the dragon and interrupts the proceedings with a wish for an attractive young girl, which Shenron grants. Shenron then takes his leave and the crystal balls scatter across the planet, reverting to stone.

Saga of Uranai Baba

The following year, Goku befriends Upa and his father Bora, who was unfortunately killed by the mercenary Tao during the saga of The Red Ribbon Army. Promising Upa that he will use the Dragon Balls to resurrect his father, Goku begins by collecting the crystal balls, 6 of which are in the possession of the mercenary Tao and the last of which belongs to Emperor Pilaf. He then summons Shenron to the Sacred Land of Korin. 🔮
Urging Upa to make his wish, he asks Shenron if he can bring his father back to life. Although he considers it a trivial wish, Shenron nevertheless grants the request and quickly leaves. The Dragon Balls scatter again, but this time Goku spots the memory of his grandfather and retrieves it before it flies away.

King Piccolo Saga

After the King Piccolo uses the Dragon Balls to regain his youth, he murders Shenron to prevent anyone from using the balls to stand against him. However, after his defeat, Kami resurrects the dragon Shenron in order to reward Goku for his valiant efforts against King Piccolo. Initially, Kami had decided not to recreate the Dragon Balls, as he had created them to encourage acts of bravery and give people a sense of hope. However, humanity’s selfishness and greed led to a use of the Dragon Balls totally contrary to their intention. It was only when he saw Son Goku’s undying love for his friends that Kami realized there were still good people left in this world. 😇
Yamcha and the others then summon Shenron to the Kame House, where he tells them that Goku is currently training with God in preparation for the next world martial arts tournament. Already aware of their wish, Shenron brings back to life all those killed by Piccolo and his offspring, including Krilin, Genie Turtle and Chaozu, before disappearing. 💀

SHENRON IN DRAGON BALL Z

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Saiyan Saga

Shenron is summoned to Turtle Genius in order to resurrect Goku and defend the planet against the Saiyans. However, Oolong asks Shenron if he can defeat the Saiyans and save Earth. Shenron replies that it is impossible for him to do so, as he was created by a God and cannot fulfill a wish that exceeds the power of that same God, Kami. Master Roshi then asks Shenron to bring Goku back from the dead before he leaves. ✝
Shortly afterwards, Shenron is indirectly deactivated when Nappa kills Piccolo by taking an attack that was aimed at Gohan. Due to the link between Kami and Piccolo, Kami also dies, and the Dragon Balls turn to stone.

Saga Freezer

The eternal Shenron is indirectly resurrected by Namek’s Dragon Balls, when Gohan and Krilin wish Piccolo to be reanimated and transported to planet Namek. Mr. Popo, having already collected the Dragon Balls, summons Shenron and asks him if he can restore all the lives Freezer and his men have taken. Given that the deaths took place on a distant planet, Shenron isn’t sure he can grant this wish, but he succeeds all the same. 😏

Saga Cell

A few years later, Shenron finds himself temporarily inactive when Kami decides to merge with Piccolo under extreme circumstances. Thanks to the reincarnation of Dende, Shenron acquires the ability to grant three wishes. However, due to Dende’s limited power, Shenron can only grant two of the three wishes if one of them involves the resurrection of a large number of people. 🔮
After Son Gohan SSJ defeats and kills Cell, the group travels to God’s Palace where they invoke Shenron and ask him to bring back to life all those killed by Cell. Shenron grants the wish, but Piccolo notices that Goku’s energy is missing. With only one wish left, Yamcha asks if it’s possible to bring Goku back to life, but Shenron refuses, explaining that he’s already been brought back once before. Krilin then asks if Shenron can make C-17 and C-18 human. Shenron again answers in the negative, explaining that his powers are too strong and strange, and that he can’t use them against their will. Krilin then asks if it’s possible to remove the bombs from them, a task Shenron easily accomplishes, and the wish is granted. 💣

Majin Boo Saga

There’s one peculiarity to know about Dragon Balls. Wishes can also be saved until the next invocation; in this case, the dragon balls disperse around the world as if all the wishes had been made, but they remain in stone form for 4 months, after which Shenron can again be invoked to grant the remaining wishes. After this, the balls disperse and transform into stones for a full year. This is what happens when Shenron is invoked to bring back to life all those who were killed on the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament. 🥋
Bulma actually invoked it prematurely, not realizing the danger to which the rest of the population was still exposed, and on Dende’s advice, Goku used this option. The preserved wish is thus used four months after Kid Boo’s defeat to erase the memories that Earth’s inhabitants had of Majin Boo, with the exception of Sangoku’s friends and family.

Saga of the Gods of the Universe

Shenron is then summoned and Sorbet pleads for Freezer to be brought back to life, but Shenron doesn’t respond. Sorbet then asks if he can make the wish, but Shenron explains that Freezer’s body has been cut into pieces and bringing back only his body would be useless without his soul. Tagoma suggests that they used the ship’s recovery chambers, so Sorbet asks Shenron to bring him back anyway.

SHENRON IN DRAGON BALL SUPER

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Saga of the God of Destruction Beerus

Goku summons Shenron aboard the Princess Bulma, Bulma’s boat, to find out more about the Super Saiyan God. Shenron seems to fear Beerus, the god of destruction, and shows him the respect due to him, acting as a humble servant rather than a powerful deity. Shenron knows the process of transformation into Super Saiyan God and explains that if 5 pure-hearted Saiyans hold hands and focus their energy into another pure-hearted Saiyan, then the god of Saiyans will be born. After this, Shenron takes his leave with great respect for Beerus and flies off. 🐉

Golden Freezer Saga

Shenron is then summoned after Pilaf’s gang retrieve the crystal balls. However, Sorbet and Tagoma threaten to only allow them to make the wish if Freezer is brought back to life. Using the other two wishes, Shu wishes for a million Zeni, the local currency, and Mai wishes for an ice cream. 🍧

Saga Universe 6

Bulma summons Shenron with Goku, Vegeta, Beerus and Whis to help them find the last Dragon Ball, and once again Shenron is startled by Beerus’ appearance. He tries to locate the Dragon Ball, but fails because the universe is so vast, even for him, and looking for it in another universe is beyond his capabilities. Bulma then takes the initiative and builds the Dragon Ball Radar. Later, Beerus moves away from Shenron when he asks for the other wishes, and the dragon balls scatter again. 🔮

Future Trunks Saga

In the anime, after Zamasu’s defeat, Goku gathers the Dragon Balls so he can wish King Kai back to life. Since only one wish has already been granted, only two additional wishes can be fulfilled. Several of the Z-Fighters and their allies arrive to try and obtain a wish as well. The first wish is granted by Shenron to cure Pan’s illness, who is suffering from a high fever. Finally, Goku tries to wish for King Kai’s return to life, but the time allotted for Shenron’s invocation runs out, preventing him from fulfilling this wish. ⌛

Saga Broly

In chapter 4 of the Saga of the Prisoners of the Galactic Patrol, Goku tells Beerus how events on Planet Vegeta led King Vegeta to exile Broly to Planet Vamp, which then gave rise to the Saga of Broly. It’s at this point that Shenron makes a brief appearance when Cheelai and Lemo summon him to make a wish that the legendary Saiyan be sent back to Vamp, just as Broly was about to be killed by Gogeta’s full-power Kamehameha. 💨

SHENRON IN DRAGON BALL HEROES

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Saga of the Imprisoned Planets

In the manga, Majin Ozotto summons Shenron through the special crystal balls in order to gain immortality, but before he can fulfill his wish, Oolong wishes instead that all the inhabitants of the imprisoned planet return to whence they came. 🤲🏻

SHENRON IN DRAGON BALL GT

After the Z-Warriors successfully defeat the Evil Dragons, Shenron appears without being summoned. He heals Goku’s wounds and grants one last wish before leaving Earth with Goku and the Dragon Balls, in order to recover and teach the people of Earth to stop relying on the Dragon Balls to solve their problems. Shenron takes Goku with him and flies off, saying goodbye to all his friends. Flying through magnificent golden clouds, Shenron locks the balls into Goku’s body, making him disappear. He then roars and flies away in brilliant light. 😱

POWERS OF SHENRON

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Anime and manga

Initially, Shenron could only grant one wish per summoning, but after the Cell Games saga, Dende upgraded him to grant three wishes (two if multiple people are resurrected with one of the wishes). Shenron’s powers depend directly on the abilities of whoever created him (Kami or Dende). Thus, Shenron cannot defeat or kill anyone whose power exceeds that of his creator, and he cannot restore life to those who have died of natural causes (but he can restore a person’s youth). When he brings several people back to life, they must not have been dead for more than a year. In Dragon Ball Z, it is revealed that Shenron cannot grant the same wish more than once (for example, bringing back someone who has already been resurrected). 🧬
Shenron - Dragon Ball Z
Although Shenron has vast awareness and knowledge of all existence and its history, he is not omniscient. For example, he couldn’t locate the last crystal ball, which resided in a different universe from Shenron’s own. What’s more, Shenron can only remain invoked for a limited period of time, no matter how many wishes he has granted. His form gradually weakens before dispersing until the next invocation. He often shows impatience with those who delay making their wishes because of this limitation. 🐉

Dragon Ball movies

In Dragon Ball Z: Broly, it is suggested that Shenron is capable of granting wishes without actually being summoned, as when he allows Goku to join the battle against Broly. Reviving a group of people counts as two opposing wishes.
In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Z: The Resurrection of “F”, it’s shown that Shenron can leave uninvited.

SHENRON TECHNIQUES

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

  • Flight – Shenron is able to fly long distances.
  • Wish granting – As an eternal dragon, when the 7 crystal balls are brought together by its possessor, Shenron can grant wishes not beyond the power of its creator, such as:
    • Magical materialization
    • Resurrection, immortality, healing
    • Divination
    • Teleportation
    • Cancellation of sealing spells

LIST OF WISHES ACCOMPLISHED BY SHENRON 🔮

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

Pre-Dragon Ball period

An unknown character has used the Crystal Balls to become king. The consequences of this wish are still felt today, as the world is unified into a vast kingdom with regional provinces, as shown in the King Piccolo saga. 🌍

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT

  • Oolong – Wishes for a pair of breeches, although he just shouted the first thing that came to mind to stop Emperor Pilaf from making his own wish to become king. In the English dubs, this wish was changed to “pair of the world’s most comfortable ultra-soft underwear” (realized by Ryû Shinron in DBGT).
  • Upa – Wishes his father Bora would be resurrected (directed by Ryû Shinron in DBGT).
  • King Piccolo – Wishes for his youth to be restored (directed by Sû Shinron in DBGT).
  • Yamcha – Wishes to revive all those killed by King Piccolo and his sons (directed by San Shinron in DBGT).

Dragon Ball Z

  • Master Roshi – Wishes Goku to be resurrected (causes the release of Rage Shenron in DBGT).
  • Mr. Popo – Wishes for all those killed by Freezer and his subordinates on planet Namek to be brought back to life (causes Syn Shenron to be released in DBGT). 😇
  • Yamcha – Wishes for all those killed by Cell to be brought back to life.
  • Krilin – Wishes that C-17 and C-18’s self-destruct bombs be deactivated. 💣
  • Bulma – Wishes for all the well-meaning people killed at the World Martial Arts Tournament to be resurrected. This allows Kibito to be brought back to life with the other victims of the tournament (begets Naturon Shenron in GT).
  • The memories of the massacres committed by Boo are erased from the memory of the Earth’s population, with the exception of the memories of Team Dragon (San Shinron in DBGT).

Dragon Ball Super

  • During the periods between the Androids saga in the Dragon Ball Z animated series, the Pilaf Gang wishes to obtain eternal youth:
    • In the future timeline, when the androids attack Earth, Pilaf wishes to become young again, causing Shu and Mai to become infants again. Piccolo of the Future dies shortly afterwards, making this the last wish granted by Shenron of the Future (in the manga only).
  • Goku – Wants to know the way to become a Super Saiyan God.
  • Sorbet – Wishes for Freezer to come back to life (in anime only)
  • Shu – Wants one million Zeni, the local currency (in anime only)
  • May – Wants an ice cream (in anime only)
  • Beerus – Wishes Shenron would “clear off” (in anime only)
  • Gohan – Wishes to cure Pan’s fever (in anime only)

Dragon Ball Heroes

  • Oolong – Wishes everyone to be freed from the planetary prison (in the manga only)

Dragon Ball GT

  • All the inhabitants of Earth who were killed after the opening of the Hell Gate (in the Super 17 saga) are brought back to life, which is the last wish granted by Shenron. 🔮

Dragon Ball and DBZ movies

  • Penny – wishes for her land to return to its former peace and beauty.
  • Goku – wishes for Bora’s resurrection.
  • Goku – asks Shenron to rebuild C-18 and remove the bomb inside her.
  • Garlic Jr. – makes a wish for immortality.
  • Dr. Kochin – wishes for Dr. Uiro’s release from his icy prison.
  • Bulma, Gohan and Krillin – wish for the restoration of the forest.
  • Lord Slug – desires eternal youth.
  • Goten – wishes for his father’s presence, which brings up an image of Goku. However, he hasn’t summoned the dragon; Shenron is acting on his own initiative.
  • Hoi – wishes for the opening of the abnormally sealed music box containing Tapion.
  • As they say goodbye to Tapion, Goku and his friends mention that they will summon the dragon again to wish the return of all those who died in the battle against Hirudegân (this mention only appears in the Japanese version).
  • The Pilaf Gang – wishes to rejuvenate before the battle of the gods.
  • Beerus – requests information on how to achieve Super Saiyan God form.
  • Sorbet – wishes for Freezer’s resurrection. This wish has been called “the worst wish in history”, as it caused the most despair.
  • Shu – wishes for one million Zeni.
  • At the end of the film “The Resurrection of F”, Bulma mentions the restoration of North City thanks to the Dragon Balls.
  • Cheelai – wishes Broly to be sent back to the planet Vampa.

ANECDOTES ABOUT SHENRON

Shenron - Dragon Ball Z

  • In the original Dragon Ball logo, a green “Chinese” dragon very similar to Shenron can be seen wrapped around the letters forming the “o”. 🐉
  • Although he’s known as the “Eternal Dragon”, King Piccolo kills him after wishing for eternal youth. Although “Eternal” may simply mean that he doesn’t die of old age, he can still be killed.
  • Counting his death in the modified chronology of age 850, Shenron was killed by a villain twice, first by King Piccolo, then by Towa from age 852.🔪
  • During the Namek saga, when Freezer tells the Namekians the story of the Dragon Balls, the Dragon shown is Shenron, although Freezer has never seen him before. 🐲
  • In one of Akira Toriyama’s works, Dr Slump’s character Arale can be seen holding and endearing Shenron.
  • Shenron’s original design has evolved over the timeline of the Dragon Ball series, as his color has changed from green to a more yellow hue. 🖌
  • He can grant three wishes in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, whereas he can only grant one in Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Dragon. It should be noted that the Japanese version of Fusion Reborn mentioned two wishes, so the mention of three wishes was a dubbing error. In addition, the second wish was omitted in the English version (the intention was to use it to resurrect all those killed by Hirudegân).
  • With the events of the Majin Boo saga, Porunga’s abilities surpassed those of Shenron. Porunga became capable of resurrecting an unlimited number of people at the same time, including those he had resurrected before, without having to compromise by using the energy of two wishes for a single wish: the resurrection of several people. This allows the celestial dragon to continue granting up to three wishes per invocation.
  • He makes an appearance in many games such as Dragon Quest Monsters. 🕹
  • In Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai, it’s shown that his power can’t cross dimensions or timelines (which contradicts what’s said about the hyperbolic time chamber during the Fusion saga). Fusion Reborn also alludes to this when it states that he can’t grant the dragon team’s wish to prevent the dead from escaping Hell, as this is a problem that originated in the Netherworld, and although he’s able to bring dead souls back to their dimension, they’d only return. 👻
  • In Dragon Ball Fusions, Shenron can grant Tekka’s wish to change not only his appearance and voice (like the time patrollers in the Xenoverse series), but also his race or gender (which time patrollers can’t do, as they can only change their appearance and voice).
  • Shenron is both modeled after and named after the spiritual dragon of the same name in Chinese mythology. However, it should be noted that the name is mainly an adaptation for English localizations, as the dragon originally had no name in earlier Japanese editions of the manga. 📚
  • It’s also worth noting his name; it’s supposed to be pronounced “Sheh-n-roh-n” using a Japanese transliteration of its pinyin reading (which would be pronounced “Sheh-n-loh-ng”), while its Japanese pronunciation would be “Shinryuu”. Funimation dubbing, to this day, often mispronounces it “Sheh-n-rah-n”. 🎶
  • Another note: unlike the original Shenlong of mythology, although it shares its green color, the dragon of the mythical crystal balls has only four claws in total on each leg; in Chinese mythology, Shenlongs are considered dragons of higher rank, with five-fingered hands, distinguishing them from the others. 🐉

JOIN THE RANGS OF THE SHENRON CELESTI DRAGON 🐲

With our ultimate guide, we hope you’ve learned enough about Shenron, the most legendary and iconic dragon in the Dragon Ball series. Created by Akira Toriyama, he is the emblem of the saga, and even more, as he is also considered a mythical creature revered by all Asian people. 🌏
Don’t hesitate to tell us in the comments of this article if you liked it or if you want to add something, young Saiyan! Now it’s your turn to gather the crystal balls to summon him and grant the wish that’s closest to your heart! 🔮


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