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It’s an interesting question pertaining to Tenshinhan’s identity. Although he is considered human by many fans, there’s always been a great to-do over that third eye of his... Is it merely a fun physical quirk Toriyama decided to give him? Or is he perhaps something more than a fellow Homo sapien? Here, the “argument” is divided into two parts with evidence supporting each case.
1. Tenshinhan is an alien from outer space.
Daizenshû 7 states that Tenshinhan descends from a race of aliens. These companion guides to DB have all been written by a staff to whom Toriyama gave his blessing, and therefore their content is to be taken as fact within the series. Being alien/of alien descent helps explain Tenshinhan’s third eye and his ability to use such techniques as “Shishin no Ken” and “Shiyôken,” both of which are reminiscent of moves performed by Piccolo, who is an established alien.
Even though, in the series, the rest of the DB cast don’t wonder whether Tenshinhan is really human or not, just the fact that the Daizenshû says he’s an alien as an “afterthought” is enough proof. Plenty of authors elaborate on their stories and characters outside the main tale, in the form of short stories, anecdotes, and guide/info books. The statement in the Daizenshû is simply an example of this.
Tenshinhan’s line from the Ocean DBZ dub, “You just wait ‘til it grows back!”, in reference to his arm after Nappa knocks it off, doesn’t help. No normal human can re-grow his limbs, duh. XP
2. Tenshinhan is human.
Characters in the series never comment about Tenshinhan being an alien. And after all, in this world, the people submit to a king who happens to be a dog. Dinosaurs and dragons live on this version of Earth, as well as anthropomorphic beings (Oolong and Puar) and people who look like Kuririn (no nose) and Chaozu (okay, yeah, his design is based on a zombie-esque creature from East Asian mythology, but seriously: ‘nuff said).
Many of the characters in Dragon Ball, including Son Goku, are based on figures from the Chinese legend Journey to the West. The Sci-fi elements in DB were added much later -- aliens from outer space, time travel, etc. Tenshinan was pushed to the background as the Saiya-jin and other otherworldly beings took center stage, so it is possible that Toriyama didn’t give extensive thought to his origins. The basis for Tenshinhan’s character remains rooted in Journey to the West and mythology concerning the third eye.
Also, if he was an alien, Toriyama would not have cast him aside like he did his other human characters. Snap.
Aaand, the results are in: No one seems to know what Tenshinhan is, not even Toriyama, it seems. Seriously, I think this issue should be left up to personal opinion. I can’t seem to shake my long-held belief that he’s human, because it just seems cooler that way. I enjoy the idea that Tenshinhan has gained enlightenment, which is symbolized by the manifestation of an actual third eye.
So, I guess that means the only reason this section exists is for the mad crazy controversy it creates within the fandom. XD Everyone has their own opinion, which is cool. If you’d like, please feel free to send me an e-mail about this because I’d definitely like to hear your thoughts on the matter. <3
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