Creation and Concept
When Akira Toriyama decided to create Dragon Ball, he used Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West as a prototype for his own series. Yamcha is most likely based on Sha Wujing, also known as Sha Seng, from this novel. Both are powerful bandits (Yamcha from a sandy desert, and Sha from a sand river), who eventually change their ways and help the heroes on their quest. A likely prototype design for Yamcha was the title character to Akira Toriyama's one-shot Pink. Although Pink is a female, she also is a bandit living in a desert hideout who has an animalcompanion and rides a flying vehicle similar to Yamcha's Jet Squirrel. After cutting his long hair for the first time in the series, Yamcha looks very similar to theDr. Slump character Tsukutsun Tsun, in both appearance and characteristics.
The main character in Akira Toriyama's 1986 manga, Mister Hō, looks exactly like Yamcha. It seems like both characters influenced each other, as Mister Hō was released during theRed Ribbon Army Saga of Dragon Ball and Yamcha does not get a look similar to that of Mister Hō until his hair is long again later in the series. Also, both characters share a similar personality, Mister Hō being very clumsy in the presence of a girl he likes.
Appearance
Yamcha's appearance changes throughout the series, mainly his clothes and hairstyle.[7][8]Yamcha started out the series with long hair and bangs. After settling down in the city, he cut his hair to fit in. Later on, he would grow his hair out again. Several of Yamcha's hairstyles are also used by Gohan at various points in his life.[9]Another of Yamcha's most significant appearance changes were the mysterious scars he got sometime during his three yearstraining for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Yamcha enjoys eating hard-baked Soba, a Japanese dish consisting of noodles. According to Android 19's scanner, Yamcha is 183 centimeters tall and weighs 68 kilograms, during the Androids Saga.[10] Series creator Akira Toriyama suggested that Yamcha would be a baseball player in anime filler material for Dragon Ball Z.[11] The first kanji Yamcha has on his clothes 樂 stands for "happy" or "music". After training with Master Roshi, he takes the "turtle" or "Kame" kanji "亀" as a sign of respect. Later, after training with King Kai, he wears both "Kame and "Kai" kanji. He wears them the opposite way Goku did ("Kame" on the back and "Kai" on the chest), except in Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might where he wears the "Kai" kanji on the back and "Kame" on the chest.
Personality
amcha is originally characterized as a deadly warrior, who fears nothing but talking to women. After befriending Goku and the others, his personality remains mostly the same, but becomes very caring and considerate of the people he protects. He is showcased as a courageous warrior who strives his very best to be the best, but is unable to reach this status, a fact that appears to plague him. He has a great network of information, recognizing Goku's Power Pole as Grandpa Gohan's during their first fight.
Yamcha is a huge fan of the World Martial Arts Tournament and has always wanted to compete and someday win;[13] it is likely this is why he has knowledge of famous fighters like Grandpa Gohan, Monster Carrot, Bacterian, and King Chappa. When ever the tournament date neared, Yamcha would always go through vigorous training and invent a new a technique like the Blinding Wolf Fang Fist, Neo Wolf Fang Fist, and the Spirit Ball. He is the second fighter to learn the Kamehameha since the beginning of Dragon Ball (the first is Goku). Sometime during his three years of training for the 23rd World Tournament, Yamcha got his face scarred.
In early Dragon Ball Z, he shows great pride in defending Earth from theSaiyans, and is willing to put his life on the line to stop them; which he evidently does. After returning from the dead, he prepares to battle the Androids. During this time he and Bulma break up for good (though they remain friends), and she ends up with Vegeta, which frustrated him. After seeing Vegeta's emotional reaction to Future Trunks' death, Yamcha forgave him and is later seen being friendly with Vegeta. Yamcha is also on good terms with Trunks and tells Future Trunks that his father really loved him.[14] About after being nearly killed by Dr. Gero, he takes more of a comical approach, and becomes all but useless in battle due to the ever growing power of the villains the Z Fighters face. It appears whatever passion for fighting he had disappears with the emergence of the Super Saiyans, who severely outclass him in fighting ability, and he eventually comes to accept this. Despite this fact, he remains a trusted ally and fights on occasion when needed. During the latter half of Dragon Ball Z, he retires from fighting, but continues training and goes off on his own. Yamcha expressed a strong desire to marry, which was the reason why he wanted to cure his fear of women.[15] He also expressed excitement at the thought of starting a family.[16] The Dragon Ball: Bouken Special book, released during theKing Piccolo Saga, says he is nervous around women except for Bulma. Future Trunks states during the Trunks Saga, in both the manga, anime, and video games, that Yamcha later fully got over his nervousness around women and that his promiscuity caused Bulma to break up with him in his timeline.
In the manga, Future Trunks states that after Bulma and Yamcha broke up, Yamcha found a new girlfriend. Although she never appeared in anyDragon Ball media, Yamcha's new girlfriend is mentioned at the end of the Cell Games Saga, when Shenron asks for a wish and Yamcha jokingly proposes he wish for a necklace for the said girlfriend. Despite originally saying it was his dream to get married and Trunks saying that he found love again, Yamcha appears to be single in Dragon Ball GT.
In an interview, Toriyama stated that the best cooks in the Dragon Ball universe are Ox-King and Yamcha.
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