The Namekians from Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball share a profound connection with Egyptian mythology and it’s worth exploring for Vegeta fans.

SUMMARY

The Namekians were an important species in the Dragon Ball series, given the prominence of characters like King Piccolo, Dende, and Piccolo.
From the original Dragon Ball to the ongoing DAIMA, Akira Toriyama has explored the Namekians’ life in the series time and again.
The revival of the Namekians which was made possible by Vegeta, shares a connection with Egyptian mythology, which gives a new meaning to the scene.

The Dragon Ball universe has many species and worlds interacting with one another. Among all the different species, the Namekians have maintained an important presence throughout the series. Interestingly, there’s a connection between the Namekians and Egyptian mythology, which was pointed out by an X user.

The Namekians race in Dragon Ball anime | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

This connection adds a special meaning to a seemingly normal scene from Dragon Ball Super. But, before we explore this connection, here’s a quick overview of the Namekians and their importance in Dragon Ball.

The Namekians and their continued relevance throughout Dragon Ball 

The Namekians were introduced as early as the original series as one of the first antagonists. Their extraordinary powers made their presence in the story more intriguing to fans. Characters like King Piccolo, Piccolo, and Dende are some of the prominent characters from the Namekian race. Piccolo has become an indispensable ally of the Z fighters and even in Super, he is a part of Gohan’s family.

Bulma and Piccolo in Dragon Ball DAIMA | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

Dragon Ball DAIMA also delved into the connection between the Namekians and the Demon Realm. In this way, the Namekians have remained an integral part of the narrative. During the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, Vegeta stood up for the Namekians to repent for his atrocities. It was a great moment for fans as it subtly reflected how far Vegeta had come.

This meaningful scene shares some similarities with Egyptian mythology as pointed out by an X post , which makes it more impressive.

This post explains the idea behind immortality in Egyptian mythology. There are two key elements: the ba (personality/soul) and ka (life force). The Egyptians believed that the ba or soul could fly away. For someone to achieve immortality, there needs to be a reunion between the ba and ka. The mummies were a way to preserve the human body, where the soul and the life force could return.

Here’s how Egyptian mythology ties up with the Dragon Ball lore

Moro in a panel from Super manga | Credits: Viz Media

Moro separated the life force of the Namekians from their bodies. As a result of this, the Namekians were unable to survive as individuals as their souls or personalities were locked away by Moro. Their ba was separated from their ka. While Vegeta and Goku were initially defeated by Moro, they returned to defeat him.

At that time, Vegeta liberated the life force of the Namekians, making it possible for their bodies and souls to reunite. After this explanation, that scene from Super attains an entirely new meaning, highlighting the complexity of Akira Toriyama‘s ideas.