Tien Shinhan

Tien Shinhan
Dragon Ball character
Tien Shinhan (right) with Goku, drawn by Akira Toriyama and digitally colored by Shueisha.
First appearanceDragon Ball chapter #113 The 22nd Tenkaichi Budōkai, February 24, 1987 (Weekly Shōnen Jump 1987)
Created byAkira Toriyama
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesSuperhuman
OccupationFarmer[1]
Martial arts instructor
Abilities
  • Super strength
  • Super speed, agility, reflexes
  • Stamina
  • Flight
  • Energy sensing
  • Energy projection
  • Energy absorption
  • Durability
  • Telepathy
  • Telekinesis
  • Multiplication

Tien Shinhan (Japanese: 天津飯(テンシンハン), Hepburn: Tenshinhan), known as Tenshinhan in Japanese media and Viz Media's release of the manga, is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He made his appearance in chapter #113 "The 22nd Tenkaichi Budōkai", first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on February 24, 1987,[2] entering the World Martial Arts Tournament to defeat Son Goku and his fellow-students. However, he later teams up with them to defeat King Piccolo, accompanied by his best friend Chiaotzu. Tien becomes Goku's rival for a period and is notable for being the first person in the series to fly using Bukū-jutsu (舞空術, lit. "Air Dance Technique") and to use the Taiyōken (太陽拳, lit. "Fist of the Sun", "Solar Flare" in Funimation's anime dub) technique.

The character of Tien has received praise from reviewers of manga and anime. They praised his quest for redemption in the King Piccolo arc and his fights have been celebrated as dramatic, intense, and entertaining. Numerous pieces of merchandise have been released bearing his likeness including action figures, key chains, and capsule toys.

  1. ^ Interview with Akira Toriyama, Mandō Kobayashi, March 24, 2013.
  2. ^ "週刊少年ジャンプ 1987/02/24 表示号数13". Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved March 21, 2017.