Fan of the Dragon Ball universe? Are you looking to learn more about Master Karin ?
We explain everything to you in this ultimate guide, totally dedicated to this rather special character...
Master Karin is a hermit who lives at the top of the Karin Tower, which bears his name. This place is a gateway that links the Earth to the palace of God, the Almighty. Master Karin has a tree that gives life to the famous senzus, beans that instantly regenerate the person who eats them.
In this article, you will discover:
- The characteristics and personality of Master Karin.
- His full biography.
- Some additional anecdotes.
Ready for this new ultimate guide? In this case, let's find out together who Master Karin is! 😀
APPEARANCE: WHAT DOES KARIN LOOK LIKE?
First interesting anecdote concerning this character, you should know that the author of the manga Akira Toriyama used his cat as a source of inspiration. He drew him while he slept. This is the reason why Master Karin always has her eyes closed . As we saw in our ultimate guide to Beerus, he also influenced the design of the God of Destruction! 😼
Master Karin therefore takes the appearance of a white cat, equipped with a staff which gives him the appearance of a wise man.
THE PERSONALITY OF MASTER KARIN
At first glance, Master Karin seems to be a very strict and disciplined teacher. That said, he's actually very nice. In Dragon Ball , Goku gave up on the idea of stealing the holy water while Karin was sleeping. The latter was very impressed by this proof of honesty and kindness. This is why Karin agrees to train Son Goku. 💪
If you want to know more about the famous hero of the Dragon Ball series, we invite you to consult this ultimate guide dedicated to Son Goku !
Finally, as Tortue Géniale mentions, Karin likes to play tricks and is often very teasing. Also, he doesn't seem to like dogs .
FULL BIOGRAPHY OF KARIN
BEFORE DRAGON BALL
Karin is an immortal being who must be at least over 800 years old at the time of the events of Dragon Ball. He can be considered a divinity. He lives at the top of the famous Karin Tower . This is very large and forms the link between Earth and Heaven, the kingdom of the Almighty. 🌎
Karin is recognized as a great master of martial arts and is very respected. He has an incredible reputation and it shocks many people the moment they notice his appearance. Indeed, despite her cat-like build, Karin is very powerful . Karin was sent to Earth to assist the Almighty. Such an important role...
In his youth, Awesome Turtle climbed the tower to meet Karin, so that the latter could teach him martial arts. It took him no less than three years to catch up with Karin and obtain the famous sacred water. 💧
Generally speaking, Karin is a secondary character who makes rare appearances.
KARIN IN DRAGON BALL
RED RIBBON SAGA
It is the quest for the four-star ball that will bring Son Goku to the foot of the Karin Tower. The dragon ball in question is held by two indigenous inhabitants, Bora and Upa , Indians. Bora is grateful to the saiyan and tells him the story, the legend of this incredible tower. According to him, it is so high that even flying machines cannot reach its summit. 🚀
Bora adds an element that will motivate Goku. If someone manages to climb the tower and drink the sacred water that Master Karin holds, they will see their strength and speed increase considerably. ⚡
Goku therefore climbs the tower and once at the top, meets the master cat. The latter also shows him the senzus tree , beans that heal wounds instantly. In addition, eating a bean suppresses the appetite for around ten days. (It would therefore be very caloric)!
Master Karin reads Goku's mind and quickly detects that his soul and intentions are pure. He challenges Goku to drink the water, if he can take it from him.
The challenge is significant because Karin dodges and is very fast. Goku fails to catch him, despite a chase lasting several minutes to the top of the tower. At the end of the day, Goku collapses from fatigue. At night, he hesitates to cheat and drink the water while Karin sleeps. However, he won't do it to remain fair. 👍
Karin announces that only Awesome Turtle managed to take her water, and that it took 3 years . The next day when he wakes up, Goku sees Karin throwing her things from the top of the tower, including the 4-star ball. The Saiyan goes down as quickly as possible to the bottom to retrieve it, and goes back up the entire tower. Goku will manage to reach the summit in 3 hours , while the first time lasted a whole day.
Finally, after three days of pursuit and ascent, Goku managed to thwart Karin's vigilance and take this famous sacred water from her. He drinks it but doesn't feel any difference. Karin confesses to him that it's just tap water . It is in fact the intense effort of climbing and pursuit that will have improved his abilities. Goku is indeed stronger and faster than before. The saiyan thanks the cat master and goes back down to face the mercenary Tao Pai Pai . 👊
SAGA OF KING PICCOLO
When the demon Piccolo appears, the danger is great. Awesome Turtle, Krillin and Chaozu will lose their lives during this saga. Goku, injured, is carried by Yajirobé to the top of Karin Tower. 🤔
The master reveals the existence of true water which releases the inner power of its drinker. However, the path to get there is very dangerous. He refuses Goku to try the adventure. Despite everything, understanding the stakes and the threat that Piccolo creates, he ends up accepting.
After a long journey, Goku and Yajirobé reach this ultra divine water . Goku's friend will drink a drop and realize that the taste is extremely painful. He begs his friend not to touch it. Goku ignores the warning and takes a full gulp . After a long session of suffering, he gains power and feels capable of challenging Piccolo. Master Karin is very surprised and proud of Son Goku's progress. 😎
Throughout the rest of the series, whether Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Super, Master Karin will occupy a supporting role and make a few rare appearances. He remains permanently at the top of his tower, tending the senzus tree .
The saga of King Piccolo is fascinating and considered one of the best moments of the Dragon Ball series. If you want to know more about this formidable and ruthless antagonist, we invite you to discover the ultimate guide dedicated to the demon Piccolo ! 😉
Cult antagonist of the series, King Piccolo is undoubtedly the most formidable adversary.
HOW POWER IS MASTER KARIN?
In Dragon Ball, Karin is a very powerful being. Basically, it still took Awesome Turtle three years to catch it. For Goku, it was three days. During the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament , Karin announces that Son Goku is stronger than him. 💪
If we take into account the human scale, Karin remains one of the most powerful beings on the planet.
He would later be overtaken by several fighters like Krillin and Ten Shin Han .
Master Karin has a legendary reputation. Many martial arts fighters hear about him and respect his power . Very few people consider climbing the Karin Tower because it is a very dangerous event. 💀
This image gives us a glimpse of what the cat of Akira Toriyama, the author of Dragon Ball, must have looked like...
MASTER KARIN’S MAIN TECHNIQUES
Here are the few attacks that we know about the famous Master Karin... You will see that he sometimes has surprising techniques! 😀
Flight : He is able to fly through the air thanks to his ki.
Afterimage : He moves so quickly that he leaves an image behind him.
Lightning : Master Karin is capable of unleashing powerful thunder to repel those who climb his tower by cheating. This technique strongly resembles Shenron's Dragon Thunder.
Telepathy : Karin is able to communicate through thought. He can read the minds of people he communicates with.
Far Vision : Karin is able to observe/visualize lower realms. It's a somewhat special form of telepathy that allows him to see through thought.
Ki Sense : The act of feeling ki. It gauges someone's power level very easily. We see him make this estimate during the Cell saga, when Goku comes to visit him. The saiyan asks him if he thinks he can beat Cell. To which he will answer yes.
THREE ANECDOTES ABOUT KARIN
Like many other characters in the series, Master Karin has her fun little secrets . We have listed the three most interesting anecdotes about the character below! 😉
- Its name is said to be derived from K'arin , the Japanese name for Chinese quince. Its tower, the "Korin Tower", is a pun on a type of fried dough cake called "karinto". This fits with the common idea of characters being named after foods. It is much better known to Western audiences as Korin, a sort of pun on corn, as opposed to its Japanese name, Karin.
- Karin hates dogs . Probably because he looks like a cat!
- Master Karin has some similarities with Mew from Pokémon : both are anthropomorphic cats that walk bipedally and can talk. It's possible that it even influenced Mew, as Dragon Ball first aired in 1986, a decade before Pokémon, which first aired in 1997.
The famous Pokémon Mew could have been created from Master Karin's design. Indeed, the resemblance is there!
DO YOU LIKE THE DRAGON BALL UNIVERSE? EXPRESS YOUR ATTACHMENT TO THIS CULT SERIES!
We hope you liked this article about the famous Master Karin . This wise cat is quite special and very endearing. 👍
Remember that this character will have trained Goku effectively. It is partly thanks to his teaching that the Saiyan was able to defeat the terrible demon Piccolo .
If you love Master Karin, you owe it to yourself to own her figurine ! We offer you this cult model which has already convinced many fans. His qualities ? Precise, realistic details and impeccable quality!
And above all... see you soon for a new ultimate guide! 😉
