Shenron
Shenron is the Eternal Dragon of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga (1984) and anime, a vast green Eastern-style dragon who appears when all seven Dragon Balls are gathered and grants a wish.
| Also known as | Shenlong, Eternal Dragon, Shen Long |
|---|---|
| Type | dragon |
| Tradition | Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) |
| Category | Literature |
| Earliest source | Dragon Ball, by Akira Toriyama, Weekly Shōnen Jump (Shueisha), chapter 1; first summoned on the page in 1985, 1984 |
| Wings | No |
| Breathes fire | No |
| Guards treasure | No |
| Nature | Ambivalent |
The Story
Dragon Ball begins when a teenage inventor named Bulma meets Goku, a monkey-tailed boy with enormous strength, and tells him about the Dragon Balls. Seven orange balls marked with stars are scattered across the world. Whoever gathers all seven and speaks the right words can summon the dragon Shenron and have a wish granted. Bulma wants a perfect boyfriend; others want much worse.
Shenron is first summoned in the series' opening story arc by the scheming Emperor Pilaf, who wants to rule the world. Before Pilaf can speak, the shape-shifting pig Oolong blurts out a silly wish of his own, and the world is saved by a joke. That first scene set the pattern for the series: the Dragon Balls are the prize many villains chase, and Shenron's power, including bringing the dead back to life, drives many plots.
Appearance and Powers
Shenron is a gigantic, long, serpentine green dragon with red eyes, four short legs, and no wings. When summoned, the sky turns dark and he rises from the balls in a column of light. He has a deep, formal voice and grants wishes within limits set by his creator. In the original story he grants one wish, then the balls scatter and turn to stone for a year. Later in the series, his powers are expanded to grant more than one wish.
Origins and Sources
Shenron is the Japanese reading of the Chinese shénlóng, "divine dragon." His look comes straight from Chinese dragon art: a wingless, flying, serpent-like body with a long-whiskered face. Toriyama loosely based Dragon Ball on the Chinese novel Journey to the West, and the idea of a wish-granting dragon draws on East Asian traditions in which dragons control rain, wealth, and fortune. In the story, the Dragon Balls and Shenron are created by Kami, the guardian of Earth.
Legacy
Dragon Ball and its anime adaptations, starting in 1986, became some of the most popular Japanese media in the world, and Shenron's summoning is one of the most recognized scenes in anime. The series later introduced other wish dragons, such as Porunga of Namek. For the real dragon behind the name, see dragons across cultures.
Related
- Shenlong: Shenlong, the "spiritual" or "divine" dragon, is the Chinese dragon that raises clouds and sends wind and rain for the good of people, one of four classes of dragons in a scheme of Buddhist origin.
- Lóng (Chinese dragon): The lóng is the Chinese dragon: a long, scaly, usually wingless creature with four clawed legs that rules rain, rivers, and seas and became the emblem of the emperor and of Chinese culture.
- Mushu: Mushu is the small, wisecracking red dragon of Disney's animated film Mulan (1998), voiced by Eddie Murphy, a demoted family guardian spirit who tags along to protect Mulan in hopes of winning back his post.
- Haku: Haku is the river spirit of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001), who appears as a boy and as a flying white dragon, and who helps the girl Chihiro survive in a bathhouse for spirits.
- Chinese Dragons
- Dragons Across Cultures
Sources and Further Reading
- Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball, vol. 1 and 2 (Shueisha, 1985; English edition, Viz Media)
- Dragon Ball anime series (Toei Animation, 1986–1989)
Cite this entry: “Shenron,” Draconika Encyclopedia of Dragons, https://www.draconika.com/dragons/shenron.