Pu'ar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pu'ar | |
|---|---|
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| Japanese | プーアル |
| Romaji | Pūaru |
| Anime Name | Puar |
| Manga Name | Pu'ar |
| Alternate Name(s) | Pu-erh Squeeker Pool Plume Pual Pualuu |
| First Appearance | Issue #7 DB Issue#7 DB Episode #5 |
| Appears in |    |
| Race | Shapeshifter Animal |
| Family
Unknown
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| DB Character Listing - Category | |
Pu'ar or Pu'er (known as Puar in the FUNimation dub) is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z manga and anime series. His first appearance was in issue #7 of the manga. In the early Harmony Gold English Dragon Ball dub from the 1980's, he was known as Squeeker (not Sparkles, as is commonly quoted), and was played by Cheryl Chase. Pu'ar was referred to as female in a handful of episodes.
Pu'ar is a soft-spoken shapeshifting blue cat and the constant companion of Yamcha. They worked as a team to rob anyone traveling through the Desert in which they lived. He also has an innate ability to fly (the first character in the series to do so) and is nearly always seen simply 'standing' in thin air at about human head height.
Pu'ar has the ability to change his shape into any form, even inanimate objects, and can hold that form for as long as he likes, although his strength is not increased by the change, and he can’t turn into something that can be used up, like fuel or food. Pu'ar graduated from the same shapeshifting school as Oolong, although unlike Oolong, he had completed all of the academy training and does not have Oolong's difficulties with maintaining his transformed state. He shows up quite a bit in the beginning, but becomes less of a presence as the series progresses.
There is some debate as to Pu'ar's gender in the anime and manga. Many fans assume that he is female because his voice is dubbed by female voice actors (Kathy Morse and Monika Antonelli in English and Naoko Watanabe in Japanese). The question of his gender is never addressed in canon directly, although Akira Toriyama has indicated in interviews that he had considered him male while writing the manga, also, in the Spanish version, since in Spanish every word belongs to a gender ("Amigo" meaning Male Friend and "Amiga" meaning Female Friend), Pu'ar is considered male. Some fans simply believe that since shapeshifters can take on any form they wish, gender is a non-issue for them.
During the very earliest sagas of Dragon Ball, Pu'ar would sometimes use his shapeshifting powers to help the protagonists on their adventures. (For example, disguising himself as another person, becoming a sharp object, etc.)
At Uranai Baba's Palace, they needed to find the last Dragon Ball, so Pu'ar teamed up with Upa to stop Dracula, which he did with ease. Pu'ar came out to help Yamcha when he was knocked unconscious and had his leg shattered at the 22nd Tenka'ichi Budokai, where he became a stretcher.
However, as the manga and anime progress (before even the start of Dragon Ball Z) he is eventually reduced to the role of a background character. As the driving theme of the manga/anime is mostly about fighting, Pu'ar can do little more than react to the horrors of the latest and greatest villain.
Pu'ar makes cameo appearances in Dragon Ball GT in episodes 40, "Piccolo's Decision" and 64, "Until We Meet Again...". By the end of Dragon Ball GT, Yamcha returns to his vagabond life roaming the desert with Pu'ar.
[edit] Alternate Timeline
Pu'ar is one of the few characters to survive in the "Trunks Timeline," as seen the The History of Trunks special. He is hidden in a submarine with Oolong, Muten Roshi and his Turtle.
