Before Goku, before Krillin, before any of the Super Saiyans and androids and galactic emperors Dragon Ball built its back half around, there was the old man on the island with the sunglasses and the turtle. Master Roshi — the Turtle Hermit, inventor of the Kamehameha wave, perhaps the longest-running character in the entire franchise — appears in this cel set pointing in a direction only he can see, white beard flowing over the signature orange changshan that has anchored his look since the character’s first manga appearance in 1984. Roshi is one of the handful of Dragon Ball characters to run continuously from the original 1984 manga through every arc of Dragon Ball Z and into Dragon Ball Super four decades later, and his cel appearances across Toei’s mid-1990s hand-painted window carry the specific weight of a character the franchise refuses to retire.
Dragon Ball Z Original Production Cel – Master Roshi
