Tao Pai Pai

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Tao Pai Pai
Japanese	桃 白 白
Romaji	Tao Pai Pai
Anime Name	Mercenary Tao General Tao (FUNimation early dub)
Manga Name	Tao Pai Pai
Alternate Name(s)	Taopaipai General Tao Pei
First Appearance	Issue #xx
Appears in
Race	Human
Family Tsuru-Sen'nin (Brother)
DB Character Listing - Category

Tao Pai Pai is a fictional character in the manga and anime Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z. He is the Crane Hermit's younger brother and a highly skilled assassin-for-hire. Tao Pai Pai has been known by a number of names in the various English versions of the series. He is called "General Tao Pei" in the cancelled late-1980's Dragon Ball anime dub by Harmony Gold, "Taopaipai" (all one word) in the Viz adaptation of the manga, "General Tao" in the FUnimation Productions dub of Dragon Ball Z, and "Mercenary Tao" in FUNimation's dub of the Dragon Ball anime.

Tao Pai Pai's Japanese seiyū is Chikao Ohtsuka, and in the FUNimation dub he is voiced by Kent Williams. Tao Pai Pai has an uncanny resemblance to Hong Kong actor Yuan Wah. [1]

[edit] Biography

Tao Pai Pai is responsible for the death of General Blue, whom he kills with only his tongue. He is sent by the Red Ribbon Army to assassinate Son Goku and retrieve the Dragon Balls. He catches Goku at the Karin sanctuary. He easily kills Bora, who had previously held off the Red Ribbon Army single handedly. Goku provides more of a challenge, but Tao Pai Pai defeats him with the Dodon-Pa technique. Goku is saved only by the Dragon Ball in his shirt. Tao Pai Pai returns three days later to retrieve the Dragon Ball. Goku, however, received special training during the three days, and proves to be far too strong for Tao Pai Pai. Tao Pai Pai tries to kill Goku with a grenade, but Goku deflects(kicks it straight up) it back at him, seemingly killing the assassin.

However, Tao Pai Pai is rebuilt as a cyborg by his older brother, and competes in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai, brutally defeating Chaozu. He fights Tenshinhan next, and cuts his chest with a knife, leaving the warrior with a scar. Tenshinhan disarms and defeats him shortly after.

In the anime, Tao Pai Pai makes a later (and very possibly non-canonical) appearance in DBZ during the Cell Games Saga as a henchman for a rich gangster named Mr. Vodka, who has hired him to gather the Dragon Balls so he may wish for immortality to protect himself from Cell and build a new empire. Goku shows up to gather the two Tao Pai Pai has collected, but Goku is disappointed at himself for having nothing to offer Tao Pai Pai in return. The assassin then poses a challenge to Goku: If Goku can disassemble three complex puzzle rings by dawn the following day, then he will be awarded the Dragon Balls. If he cannot, however, Goku must surrender the ones he has with him. Tao Pai Pai then offers to take Goku's shirt (which contained Goku's gathered Dragon Balls) while Goku works on the puzzles, and while Goku was distracted with the puzzle rings, Tao Pai Pai steals Goku's Dragon Balls and drove far away throughout the night with the gangsters. After Goku solves the puzzle rings, he simply uses his "Instantaneous Movement" to find Tao Pai Pai and the gangsters. The naive Goku was unaware there was any ill-will on the part of Tao Pai Pai, and is given the Dragon Balls without any resistance. Tao Pai Pai is somewhat afraid of Goku because he thought he would try to kill him again. He also worked as a bodyguard for a man who was trying to build a shelter to protect himself from Cell, but ran away after catching sight of Gohan.

[edit] Video Games

Taopaipai was featured as a playable character in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, and returns in the sequel Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2. He is also a boss during the Dragon Ball quest in Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, as well as Dragon Ball: Advance Adventure.