InDragon Ball, Mr. Satan has a reputation among fans as a coward and a liar, in contrast with the strong man image that he has in-universe. However, it turns out Mr. Satan has a good reason for behaving the way he does, at least according to Akira Toriyama.
Mr. Satan is introducedas a glory hog and a weakling, at least by comparison to Goku and friends. There’s a pervasive sense that Mr. Satan doesn’t deserve the accolades he has received, and that’s exemplified by his cowardly behavior in truly dangerous situations. Mr. Satan somewhat redeems himself in the Buu arc, playing a key role in stopping Buu.
Mr. Satan’s Tragic Past Revealed
Mr. Satan Paid a Terrible Price for Overconfidence
In an interview with Akira Toriyama for the June 2014 issue of Saikyo Jump,as translated by Kanzenshuu, Toriyama revealed Mr. Satan’s past.
Toriyama: When Mr. Satan was young, he attendeda fighting dojo called “Satan Castle.”Through a combination of considerable power and good luck (his rival fighting opponent would get food poisoning, for instance), he quickly became world champion and wascalled “Mr. Satan” after the name of his dojo.
One day, at a bar in South City (where they were on tour), Satan and his martial-arts master made the mistake ofmaking fun of Tao Pai-pai’s hairstyle.His master was killed, and Satan was heavily injured. From then on, Mr. Satan solemnly swore never to fight anyone whose true identity he didn’t know, or anyone who seemed crazy strong.
It would seem that Mr. Satan had a run-in withGoku’s old enemy, Mercenary Tao, who killed Satan’s martial arts master and nearly beat the man himself to death as well. Overconfidence in his abilities led Mr. Satan to take on a foe he had no chance of winning against, and that tragedy scarred him for the rest of his life.
Mercenary Tao was only the tip of the over-powered iceberg for Mr. Satan, who would then go on to meet Goku and the Z Fighters, which only further drove home how many people out there were wildly stronger than him. Mr. Satan enjoys his reputation as the strongest, no doubt, but he knows the truth, and that fact terrifies him to no end.
Mr. Satan’s Tragic Past Is Never Hinted at in the Manga
This Scenario is Never Made Clear to Readers
This piece of Mr. Satan’s past definitely colors his actions throughout the manga. One can only imagine how truly terrified Mr. Satan was of Buu at first, and yet he managed to overcome that fear and build an actual bond with the mysterious Majin.
It’s a shame that this information didn’t make it into the manga, as it addsa layer of depth to Mr. Satan’s character.His actions, like attempting to bribe his opponents into losing, make a lot more sense when one realizes how psychologically scarred that incident left him.Mr. Satan can’t help but preserve his reputation, and he knows the potential cost of losing.
Mr. Satan is a more complex character than many fans give him credit for, and this backstory that Toriyama revealed only helps in that regard. Mr. Satan’s fear is totally justified, and it makes his acts of bravery in the series all the more impressive, knowing the fear that lurks in his heart. Mr. Satan truly is one ofDragon Ball’s best characters, even if some fans can’t see it.
