In a remarkable, seemingly overnight transformation, Master Roshi went from a retired fighter to a dependable member of the Z-Warriors in Dragon Ball Super. In Dragon Ball Z, it was proven that the Turtle Hermit was even weaker than Yajirobe and Chiaotzu. Having been relegated to comedy relief and an occasional source of martial arts advice for Goku, Master Roshi remained on the sidelines throughout Dragon Ball Z.
Considering that the main characters left Master Roshi far behind in the original Dragon Ball anime, there wasn’t much of an expectation for him to get involved each time the Earth was threatened. Instead, those burdens fell on characters like Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan. The same was true for Dragon Ball Super, which is when things became interesting for Master Roshi. Surprisingly, Master Roshi was on hand when Gohan rallied the Z-Warriors to fight Frieza’s army of alien invaders. And in the Tournament of Power, his assistance was invaluable. It’s hard to say what would have happened had he not defeated Universe 4’s Ganos, who was rapidly growing in power.
Master Roshi’s ability to outlast Tien and Krillin and take down a handful of their opponents during the tournament was indicative of just how far he’s come since Dragon Ball ended. This sudden boost of power has naturally raised some questions about where it came from, especially since Master Roshi was near the bottom of the power scale in the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. Exactly how it happened was hinted at by a line from Goku in Dragon Ball Super episode 89 when a mind-controlled Roshi fought Tien and Goku. After observing some of his feats, Goku speculated that his former mentor must have been training in secret to have gotten this strong.
Master Roshi’s Secret Training Made Him More Powerful
Since Roshi was excluded from so many battles over the years, Goku’s idea is the only one that can make sense of the gains Master Roshi has made. Apparently, the Z-Warriors have been leaving him out all this time simply because they weren’t aware of the training he’s been doing behind their backs. At an unspecified time in the Dragon Ball timeline (but presumably, after his power level was scanned in the Saiyan Saga), Roshi must have resumed his training and began his gradual climb up the ranks. That means that when the Z-Warriors were fighting the androids, for instance, Master Roshi could already have started his secret training by that point.
Several years of the character practicing his techniques and getting stronger without anyone knowing it is the only working explanation for Master Roshi’s massive power level retcon. Based on what was seen of him in Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power, his training has paid off so well that Master Roshi has regained his standing as one of the strongest Earthlings on the planet, a status shared only by Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien. If he keeps it up, he could be called on by Goku the next time powerful allies are needed.
