"I can transform myself better than what my brother is capable of. You ask for it."
– Kuralla, The Strongest Rivals
Summary[]
Kuralla (also known as Kura) is the main villain in the movie Dragon Ball Z: The Strongest Rival and the movie Dragon Ball Z: Fight! 10 Billion Power Warriors!. He is the older brother of Freela. Much like his brother, he can push his body through transformations, but he also can increase his battle level through them[1]. Also like his brother, Kuralla gains a bio-mechanically final form, but is gained from merging with the Big Getdestar[2].
Personality[]
The first we see of Kuralla is hin spectating the destruction of Planet Begeta. He has an air of professionalism and pragmatism, very much unlike his brother, whom he has a distaste for, and orders Sauza not to fire at Kakarod's space pod, denouncing Frieza's pride and arrogance that delayed his own plans to control several stars by that day, and his oversight that allowed a baby Saiya People to escape the planet. However, he states that the baby is none of his concern as that quadrant was entrusted to Freela, not him, but also believes this tactical blunder will cause Freela to lose, a notion which would be correct, as Sangoku would become a Super Saiya People and defeat Freela.
Despite Kuralla's distaste for Freela, he still regards his bloodline very highly and has some degree of faith in his brother, showing disbelief that a lower Saiya People managed to kill his brother, and also feels the need to fix his brother's mistake and destroy the Saiya People the same way he destroys stars, when he discovers that a lower Saiya People from Earth did in fact kill his brother. He even states his goal is not to avenge Freela, but rather to destroy the Saiya person who disgraced the pride of his clan, and succeed where his brother failed.
Unlike how Kuralla usually tries to be a better version of his brother and repeatedly denies being like him, he's comically almost the same as his younger brother, only a little bit more mature and competent given he is the older brother. Like Freela, Kuralla likes torturing and making people he don't like suffered[1]. Also like Freela, Kuralla is extremely over-confident, arrogant, self-centered, merciless and lacks of empathy to others, as if he ever does not selfish to himself[1], and hardly displays the same pragmatism as he did during his introduction. Unlike his famous US counterpart, and comically like his younger brother, Kuralla barely cares or respects his henchmen, if not he just treats them like slaves[1]. He even called his his henchmen stupid when they said the possible Super Saiya People and his son were dead[1]. This disrespect is so terrible that even the leader of his henchmen also doesn't respect him as well[1].
In spite of this, he seems at least somewhat competent as a commander, knowing not to waste his time with a baby lower Saiya People in a quadrant entrusted to his brother and was aware that Goku didn't die from the eye beam and has some respect for Goku, wanting to say Goku did good before claiming he's the strongest in the universe.
Power[]
Kuralla is extremely powerful, he was capable of heavily damaged Son Goku and finished Piccoro by an energy beam, he was capable of fighting on par with a power-boosted Goku[1]. His stats can be multiplied very high with his transformation[1]. It's shown in the movie that in his transformed state, Goku couldn't be able to keep up with him even when he used Kaio-ken[1]. However, Kuralla in his transformed state is no match for Goku in his Super Saiya People form[1]. In spite of this, Kuralla insists he is not like his brother Freela and quickly launches a Supernova powa ball that made Goku struggle heavily, but Goku eventually overpowered the attack.
According to Goku, Kuralla can destroy stars[1]. Also according to Kuralla while seeing the Sun, he can't be defeated by the Sun's power[1]. However, it turned out to not be fully true as he was later seemingly destroyed by the explosion of both Sun and his ultimate technique, and the Sun was completely unharmed[1],
Surprisingly, he was able to survive his own attack and the power of the Sun, so the above statement wasn't fully bluffing, as he returned as a more powerful man.
Abilities[]
- Flight - The most basic ability in this series, Kuralla can flight easily by himself[1].
- Energy Projection - Also the most basic ability in this series, Kuralla can charge and shoot energy attacks by himself[1].
- Transform - Kuralla can change his body's appearance to suppress his power like Freela, but Kuralla can transform himself better than what Freela is capable of[1].
- Resurrect - After merging with the Big Getdestar, Kuralla can regenerate himself by connecting his body's piece together or recreating them[2]. This ability works as long as his body is not broken into small pieces[2].
Techniques[]
- Destruction Beam - A purple eye laser shooting his enemies. He used this technique to attack Goku, but he was still alive[1]. It is rumored in the FUNnimation dub that no one ever survived this technique[3].
- I told you I’m not like my brother - A giant fireball attack that is used when Son Goku off his guard. This energy ball is the same energy ball that Freela used to destroy Planet Bejita, with the only exception that Kuralla can charge to its full power much faster than his pest brother[1].
Transformations[]
Kuralla in his transformed state
- Final Transformation - A transformation of Kuralla which is an actual power-up transformation unlike his brother's transformations. In this form, his body grows much bigger, grows horns and his chest grows armor-like thing, but most importantly, his face grows a mark that really makes him cooler than his brother. It's supposed that his transformation is inspired by the Predators. Which makes him comically like his younger brother since one of his forms is also supposed to be inspired by another alien race from another US movie.[4]
- Metal Kuralla - Kuralla after being reborn by the Big Getdestar, it's actually a piece of Kuralla's face controlling the entire Big Getdestar.[2] In this form, Kuralla can control materials inside the Star to form his new body and create his more powerful clones[2]. However, this is also the core of the Big Getdestar and also its weakness. Kuralla in this form is not really powerful, he couldn’t kill an exhausted Super Saiya People Goku and Bejita and can be harmed easily by their energy attacks[2]. The form's durability is very weak, considering the energy of exhausted Goku and Vegeta could make the Star and Kuralla damaged heavily[2].
Trivias[]
- Kuralla's name comes from the word kūra from meshi demo kūra.
- Disney either ripped off or was heavily inspired by Kuralla's concept when creating Cruella, as both are to varying extents some sort of a tyrant commanding their allies, both have a knack for cruelty, both were at one point presumed dead by burning, both seek to avenge the death of a family member and both had one or more shining makeovers with many different forms and both seek to rule something.