Power Level~150 (human peak assassin). Cyborg Tao: ~200 (estimated). Outclassed by post-Korin training Goku and Tien.
Signature MovesDodon Ray, Super Dodon Ray (Cyborg), Tongue Strike (lethal), Pillar Throw (transportation)
Advertisement
Mercenary Tao, also known as General Tao, is the world's deadliest assassin and the younger brother of the Crane Hermit Shen. A sadistic killer who murdered for both business and pleasure, Tao's introduction in the Red Ribbon Army Saga marked the first time young Goku faced an opponent he absolutely could not defeat.Mercenary Tao, also known as General Tao, is the world's deadliest assassin and the younger brother of the Crane Hermit Shen. A sadistic killer who murdered for both business and pleasure, Tao's introduction in the Red Ribbon Army Saga marked the first time young Goku faced an opponent he absolutely could not defeat. After Commander Red hired Tao to eliminate Goku, the assassin demonstrated his lethal efficiency by killing General Blue with nothing but his tongue, then tracking down Goku and defeating him with a single Dodon Ray through the chest — a near-fatal wound that required the Dragon Balls to heal. Tao's most iconic feat was his mode of transportation: he hurled a stone pillar into the air, leaped onto it, and rode it across the ocean for 2,300 kilometers like a surfboard, beating Goku to their shared destination. After Goku climbed Korin Tower and received Sacred Water training, their rematch ended with Tao's own grenade being kicked back into his face. Tao survived by spending his mercenary fortune on extensive cybernetic reconstruction, returning years later during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament as Cyborg Tao — half-machine, half-man, and completely consumed by revenge. He faced Tien Shinhan, his own nephew by Crane School lineage, and was easily defeated, stripped of his hidden weapons, and humiliated before the world. Cyborg Tao's signature attack, the Super Dodon Ray, was effortlessly dodged by Tien, who then knocked his former senior out of the ring with a single punch. Tao represents a transitional villain: terrifying against a pre-Korin Goku, but laughably obsolete by the power standards of the later series. His memorable design, his creative weapon usage, and his utterly ruthless personality make him one of original Dragon Ball's most effective antagonists.... Read more
