The Namekians have played a key role in the Dragon Ball universe, from their peaceful existence to their involvement in some of the series’ most intense battles. InDragon Ball: Sparking Zero, several Namekian characters make an appearance, each bringing their own unique abilities to the table.
Whether it’s Piccolo’s iconic battles or Lord Slug’s menacing presence, these characters offer a variety of playstyles. While some are more powerful than others, every Namekian adds something special to the game, not to mention that the Dragon Balls are a Namekian creation, meaning that we owe the series’ namesake to them.
6Dende And The Namek Elder
You Didn’t Know They Were In The Game, Did You?
While these two Namekians aren’t playable characters, they are technically in the game, and you may use them to bring different scenes to life. Sure, it would be great to throw down as Dende, but the peaceful Namekian is more at home as a healer than a fighter.
The mode in question where you can use them is Custom Battle, something Sparking Zero has for players to create their own stories within the Dragon Ball universe. Dende even has a grown-up version for when the group needs to converse with the protector of Earth’s Dragon Balls.
There are other characters you can choose to use in that mode, like Bulma or the leader of the Angels, but the Namekians are the closest thing you’ll find to a civilian, making them ideal for a large number of scenes.
5Nail
A Loyal Warrior, If Outmatched
Nail, the guardian warrior of Namek, was one of the first Namekians to challengeFrieza during the Namek saga. In Sparking Zero, Nail brings solid, well-rounded combat abilities but lacks the raw power of the more advanced characters on this list, not to mention that his basic strikes and grabs look similar to what Piccolo is already doing.
However, something that always shined through with Nail is his style, making him feel like a completely different character than Piccolo, even though all Namekians look so similar. His ultimate attack is a great callback to his firm stance against Frieza, but other than that, there isn’t much more to this brave soul.
4Lord Slug (Giant Form)
Sluggish
Lord Slug, one of the oldest and most ruthless Namekians, can enter his giant form in his Sparking Zero iteration. Piccolo once had this ability, but only during the series; the two Piccolos present in Sparking Zero never did become that large, since it is something he did before the Z era and, recently, after attaining his Orange transformation.
While this form of Lord Slug makes him mightier and healthier, it also makes him far slower and removes a great part of the charm his base form had. Still, he has some use, particularly thanks to his immunity to grabs and most rush attacks.
3Piccolo
The Proud Warrior’s Early Days
Piccolo from the Saiyan Saga is a solid mid-tier character in Sparking Zero, slightly outshined by his more modern version. During this period in the series, Piccolo was still growing into his role as a hero, and his abilities in the game reflect this, as he hadn’t yet finishedhis training with Gohan, growing closer to the young Saiyan.
He has strong energy-based attacks, such as the Special Beam Cannon, which can pierce through most other blast attacks. His other attacks, like the Explosive Demon Wave, lack the range and utility that could make this a worthwhile version of the Namekian.
2Piccolo (Fused with Kami)
The Ultimate Namekian Warrior
Piccolo’s fusion with Kami is one of the defining moments in Dragon Ball Z, and in Sparking Zero, this version of Piccolo represents his peak strength. After the fusion, Piccolo becomes far stronger and more intelligent, gaining access to powerful abilities and superior combat techniques.
He still has access to his deadly Special Beam Cannon, which maintains the qualities ofhis older version’s ultimate attack, but it comes out way faster, letting him use it reliably to counter his foes. Since his older form and Nail all share similar movesets, this version of Piccolo is the most realized version of the fighter.
1Lord Slug
The Ruthless Conqueror
If you’re into the Namekians as a concept rather than being a fan of a particular character, then Lord Slug is the surprisingly better pick, rising over Piccolo. This is because, through his moveset, he has more things that make him uniquely Namekian, as opposed to Piccolo, who, while sporting a few signature moves, lacks some of the defining characteristics of the alien race.
One of these aspects is the throw, which uses the stretchy nature of Namekians to catch his opponent’s back after throwing them, to continue the punishment. This is something the Piccolo forms used to be able to do in the old Tenkaichi games, but sadly, he has lost his stretchiness.
The other purely Namekian aspect Slug presents is his ability to transform into a giant. As you’ve noticed, we already went over that form and why it isn’t all that great, but that is when looked at in a vacuum; when you use that form to finish your foes off, you’re mostly using the strengths of it without worrying too much about the negatives.
