Capsule

Capsules (カプセル Kapuseru), also known as DynoCaps or Hoi-Poi Capsules (ホイポイカプセル Hoipoi Kapuseru), were created by Dr. Brief of the Capsule Corporation, for the purpose of making objects compact and easy to transport.

Concept & Creation

The concept of the Capsules were first shown in Akira Toriyama’s one-shot The Adventures of Tongpoo, which was a precursor to the Dragon Ball series. The Capsules in The Adventures of Tongpoo work differently, they are small pill-like objects that had to be boiled in water to activate.

Overview

Throughout Dragon Ball, numerous objects, from airskis and hovercars, to entire homes, and even organic corpses and house plants, have been seen contained in capsules. The only things that have never been shown in capsules are living sapient organisms.

This single apparent limitation is explored in Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, where an optional side-quest has Gohan tracking down a spy in Capsule Corporation, Newman, who was trying to find the formula that Dr. Brief was using to create these capsules for Pod Corporation, one of Capsule Corporation’s major competitors. Also in this game, the Janitor of Capsule Corporation explains that he used to work as an inventor and once invented a capsule that went inside another capsule, and that the results were catastrophic. This info is also in its sequel Dragon Ball Z: Buu’s Fury, where an Orange Star High School teacher says at the end of his lesson that a capsule should never, ever been put inside another capsule. The Legacy of Goku II also pokes fun at the size of capsules compared with other technology as a woman notes that her cell phone is actually smaller than its Capsule noting the redundancy of storing small items in capsules bigger than the items they contain as it would be simpler to not store them at all (unless it is designed to protect the smaller items in question when not in use as Capsules are implied to be quite durable as there has never been any indication of Capsules breaking).

Capsules are identified by various classes, one of which is known to be ‘M’.^[4][5] Highly experimental prototypes of capsule appear in The Legacy of Goku II, the Golden Capsules that take the user back to the World Map when used in a city or a wasteland (it does not work inside buildings or caves). In the game, Dr. Brief lost 25 of them while he was conducting an atmospheric experiment and asks the Dragon Team to retrieve all of them. Once done, he allows the Z Fighters to keep and use one of the Golden Capsules as many time as they want.

Capsules are distributed by vendors throughout the Earth, although the pricing varies depending on what it contains. It is possible to have an object adapted to turn into a capsule. Capsules are also featured in various Dragon Ball video games as a mean of customizing playable characters. Although capsules are made on Earth by Dr. Brief, in the 2010 Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, Dr. Lychee uses one before Dr. Brief would have been born. It could, however, be possible that capsules were created using similar technology on other planet(s). Also given the fact the Tuffle where a scientifically advanced race and developed sophisticated technology such as Scouters and weapons capable of combating the Saiyans during the Saiyan-Tuffle war, it is highly likely they could develop Capsules or similar devices, or it is also possible that Capsule used by Dr. Raichi was his own invention, which may explain the Saiyan’s and Frieza Force’s lack of capsule technology, though they may have simply failed to grasp how Capsule technology could be used militarily, unlike the Earthlings who throughout the series have demonstrated the usefulness of Capsules in combat, allowing military organizations and other groups such as the Pilaf Gang, Red Ribbon Army, presumably Earth’s Military to carry large numbers of vehicles, weapons, and supplies on their person. Various members of the Z Fighters and their supporters have used capsule technology to assist them in defending the Dragon Balls and the Earth countless times throughout the series.

However, the Saiyans and Frieza Force might have come to utilize the technology had they realized its convenience and potential military applications as Vegeta is shown to recognize their usefulness through living around the Brief family, even carrying a large meal on a table for the Earth’s Resistance inside a capsule in the anime that was provided to him by Bulma in Dragon Ball Super thus Vegeta at least recognizes they can be useful for carrying supplies such as provisions. In the anime during her time on Namek, Bulma is thankful for her father’s eccentric habit of storing meals within vehicles stored in capsules such as the Motorcycle she was using while her friends were confronting Frieza, showing that certain items stored within capsules such as Vehicles, Houses, and refrigerators can contain other items increasing the capsule’s convenience and utility as a storage device, thus making them ideal from a logistical standpoint as they allow for the easy transportation of large numbers of materials (as one could essential store an entire armory full of equipment and weapons, or large supply of food, as well as portable shelters and vehicles which could also contain emergency supplies and in the case of buildings even creature comforts such as a kitchen, bath, restroom facilities) which organizations such as the Red Ribbon Army, Earth’s Military, and to a lesser extent Earth’s Resistance (as their access to capsules would be limited due to the apocalyptic circumstances in their timeline, relying on whatever remaining capsules they could salvage and/or that Future Bulma and Future Trunks could supply for use in their operations) would likely take full advantage of for military operations. Goku even found a capsule case used by Red Ribbon Army during his conflict with them which supports this idea.

The Time Patrol uses Capsule technology provided by Future Trunks’s Capsule Corporation to assist its members in protecting history. The Time Patrol has a Mix Shop where certain Capsules can be created using certain material for example a Senzu Essence Capsule can be created using Senzu Bean sprout to store concentrated Senzu Bean extract inside a Capsule which can be used by a Time Patroller to revive themselves if KO’d in battle much like how the Z Fighters use Senzu Beans (presumably the Time Patrol relies on these capsules instead of Senzu Beans as only Korin and his student Yajirobe possess knowledge of Senzu Bean cultivation which is implied to be a difficult and time consuming process). In fact the Time Patrol utilize Capsules in battle mainly for onsite medical purposes to restore health, ki, stamina, recover from a KO, or treat status aliments such as poison, though they can only carry four capsules in battle and are unable to use them during Expert Missions, as well as Tournaments with rules that do not allow the use of items. Time Patrollers can purchase premixed Capsules as an alternative to mixing or received them as mission rewards, as well as gifts or traded among Patrollers.

Outside of battle, by Age 852 the Time Patrol utilize Vehicle Capsules to carry vehicles which can be used to travel around more quickly than on foot and can be used by rookie Time Patrollers who have yet to obtain a Flying License in order to use Flight legally in Conton City (ironically they do not apparently require a license to operate said vehicles) as travel by Flight is faster than by foot or by Vehicle. Additionally Time Patrollers use them to conveniently store various items from Dragon Balls, clothing, accessories, various other pieces of equipment, unmixed materials and food can also be stored inside capsules to carry them though materials mixing is required to turn certain mix-able materials into specific capsules for example Senzu Beansprouts remain inert and unusable unless mixed, indicating that they are contained in capsules used for simple storage and differ from Mix Capsule used in mixing. Inert Mix Capsules do not contain anything and must be mixed with another material which turns them into a specific type of capsule based on the item it is mixed with and the type of mix capsule. Higher grade Mix Capsules tend to create capsules which have better effects. Though not stated it is implied that weapons used by Time Patrollers to perform certain skills are stored in capsules when not in use as weapon-based accessories (with the exception of Scouters) are purely cosmetic.

Earth Criminals such as Launch, Hasky, and Yamcha (during his bandit days) have used capsules to carry an assortment of weapons and vehicles which they use to assist them in their criminal activates. However even civilians can carry weapons in this manner as Bulma is known to keep weapons in capsules for self-defense during her search for the Dragon Balls In addition to normal civilian applications, Bulma has as been known to carry weapons (such as Guns and even a robotic exo-suit), Battle Armor (developed for use by Vegeta, Future Trunks, and the other Z-Fighters), and vehicles (from bikes, cars, aircraft, and spacecraft) used while on adventures with Goku and the Z Fighters showing that even a member of the Brief family has realized the combat applications of Capsule technology. Additionally both Bad Launch and Bulma have a habit of pulling out weapons to comically attack their friends (usually Goku, Krillin, and Master Roshi) when angered by their behavior which are implied to have been contained inside capsules as they tend to pull them out suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. In various video games like Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 and the Xenoverse series, Capsules are used as healing items or to provide other uses in battle. In Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Beat receives a capsule containing a Super Hero Robo given to him by Lulu as a reward for completing all SDBH Tutorial Missions. Beat and his allies can also equip item Capsules before battle which can increase the user’s Hero Energy, Miracle Bonus chance, boost Bond Power, Camaraderie, or Zeno won from battle. Additionally there is the CAA Special Ability ‘Battle Capsule which allows the user to deploy certain types of Battle Capsules which can effect certain stats (positively for the user’s team or negatively effecting the enemy team). In video games, Capsules serve as an convenient in-universe explanation how characters can store vast assortment of items on their person.

Contents

Capsule Corporation Capsules contain all kinds of products from hovercars to refrigerators.

Capsule Corporation’s line of capsules

Numbered

• 1 – Capsule House that Bulma and Goku stayed in near Skull Valley, the Kame House is one, and Bulma stays in one on planet Namek. Also the number on Trunks’ Time Machine.
• 2 – Electric Rice Cooker used by Tien Shinhan.
• 3 – Electric Rice Cooker used by Master Roshi.
• 4 – Silverstar 4, a hovercar used by Yamcha and Puar to track Goku, Bulma and Oolong from Fire Mountain to Pilaf’s Castle.
• 5 – Capsule Houses in Aru Village, but it is a hydrojet in Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies.
• 6 – Archeological Evacuation Robot
• 7 – Time Machine (as seen on its capsule, as well as on the machine itself in one frame; all other frames show number 1 on the machine). In Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!, the seventh Capsule is used by Videl and contains an airplane.
• 8 – Boat
• 9 – Motorcycle Goku used to save Bulma from the pterodactyl.
• 14 – Motorcycle Bulma used to go to Aru Village.
• 19 – Small Pirate Submarine

• 20 – Motorcycle similar to the ones in capsules 9 and 14, briefly seen in East City
• 21 – Mines^[6]
  • 21 – Quest Information Building^[1]
• 22 – Battle Information Building^[1]
• 23 – Team Reception Building^[1]
• 29 – Clothing Shop Building^[1]
• 030 – Accessory Shop Building^[1]
• 36 – Mai’s powersuit
• 39 – Mix Shop Buildings^[1]
• 43 – Messerschmitt KR owned by Goku and Chi-Chi.
• 61 – Airplane
• 67 – Hoverbike Bulma used on Namek (pink version),^[7] as well as in a cinematic in Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu (white version).
• 69 – Pilaf’s powersuit
• 80 – Submarine
• 82 – Submarine / flying vehicle
• 85 – West City Police scooter
• 87 – Jet-copter used by Bulma to go Kame House before Raditz’s arrival

• 88 – Skill Shop Building^[1]
• 096 – Spatiotemporal Delivery Service Buildings^[1]
• 103 – Airplane
• 115 – Airplane with the capabilities of having at least 4 passengers.
• 116 – A hot air balloon shown on the cover to the chapter “Onward to Fry-Pan…”
• 192 – Large airship with 8 seats and medium-sized area used to transport Goku and the others who were killed or injured after the fight with Nappa and Vegeta.
• 239 – Large plane used by Tien Shinhan to go to King Castle.
• 240 – Large plane

• 315 – A hoverboard capable of floating slightly above the ground utilized by the Time Patrol.^[8]
• 318 – An custom vehicle modeled after the Attack Ball capable of floating slightly above the ground utilized by the Time Patrol.^[8]
• 333 – ‘Penguin 333’ fridge. Seen in the Kame House in Gohan’s Metamorphosis.
• 339 – Airplane^[9]
• 340 – A rare custom vehicle modeled after the Flying Nimbus utilized by the Time Patrol.
• 341 – A flying vehicle owned by Bulma, and shown on a chapter cover.^[10]
• 462 – Item Shop Buildings^[1]
• 576 – A VTOL Plane flown by Krillin, Yamcha, and Bulma.
• 673 – A yellow van owned by Yamcha, and shown on a chapter cover.^[11]
• 881 – A custom hover vehicle used by the Time Patrol shaped like the pink pillar used by Mercenary Tao.^[8]
• 991 – Airplane
• 1138 – Capsule Corporation spaceship used by Goku. Number only shown in the toy version of the ship’s capsule.
• 2031 – Caps.Fridge^[12]
• 2150 – West City taxi
• 2402 – Great Saiyaman Watch^[13]

Unnumbered

Below are products whose Capsule number is unknown.

• Airski
• Car
• House
• House-Wagon
• Hovercar
• Motorcycle
• Airbike
• Coffin
• Closet
• Capsule Capsule (in Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II)
• West City Capsule (created by Bulma to capsulize West City in Age 820 in Dragon Ball Online)
• Super Hero Robo (in Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission)

Red Ribbon Army line of capsules

Below is the Red Ribbon Army’s line of known capsules.

Numbered

• 3 – RRA large fighter jet used by Goku to go to Jingle Village
• 4 – RRA tanks, seen when used against Ox-King’s Village
• 5 – RRA jet-copter
• 6 – RRA small fighter jets, seen the attack on the Ox-King’s Village
• 8 – RRA tanks, seen in Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
• 11 – RRA jet-copter
• 14 – RRA jet-copter
• 16 – RRA jet-copter
• 20 – RRA jet-copter
• 23 – RRA jet-copter
• 27 – RRA jet-copter
• 29 – RRA jet-copter
• 31 – RRA jet-copter
• 41 – RRA Armored Vehicle^[14]
• 55 – RRA jet-copter
• 57 – RRA jet-copter used by Scout 0-1
• 72 – RRA jet-copter
• 84 – RRA jet-copter, two of this number have been seen even though one was destroyed not long before
• 87 – Portable RRA house, Colonel Silver’s personal house
• 108 – Portable RRA house of Silver’s henchmen
• 112 – RRA jet-copter
• 115 – RRA jet-copter
• 157 – RRA jet-copter

Unnumbered

• Battle Jacket
• Ithaca M37 pump-action shotgun
• Red Ribbon Robot
• Thunder Rocket

Video Game Appearances

Capsules appear in the Legacy of Goku series as part of side quests. They are equipable items in the Budokai series and Dragon Ball Heroes, allowing its user to use different techniques and powers up. Special “Breakthrough Capsule” and “Memories of… Capsules” also appear in the Budokai series. A capsule is used to access to the menu in Dragon Ball: Origins 2.

In Dragon Ball Online, it is revealed that by Age 820 Bulma was able to devise a method to capsulize and store West City inside a Capsule when the city is targeted by remnants of the Frieza Force during the army’s invasion of Earth after the death of Mr. Satan (whom the Guard Troops leading the invasion mistakenly assumed he had killed Frieza). Thanks to Bulma’s Capsule-ization of West City it managed to survive the conflict.

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Capsules are used as healing items that can be used in battle by the Future Warrior to restore health, Ki, Stamina, heal certain status effects, and even revive the user if they are knocked out like a Senzu Bean. There are four item slots that each hold a single capsule (if used in battle any capsule of the same capsule assigned to that slot will replace it with one from the inventory after the battle is over, though if there are no extra capsules of that kind in the inventory then the slot will remain empty till another capsule is assigned to it). Capsules can be found during Parallel Quest missions, rewards for completing Parallel Quests & Master Training missions, received from NPCs, and/or purchased at the Item Shops in Toki Toki City’s Industrial Sector. It is also possible to create capsules by mixing Material Mix Capsules (empty capsules) with Material items that have been obtained and/or purchased. Mixing Materials causes the Material Item to be sealed inside the selected Material Mix Capsule. Healing capsules can be created via the Mix Shops located in Toki Toki City’s Industrial Sector. Unlike traditional capsules these capsules have symbols on them instead of being numbered.

In Xenoverse 2, Capsules return as healing items and function the same way as in Xenoverse. Additionally, the Future Warrior can obtain a Vehicle Capsule from Chronoa after defeating Raditz which allows them to summon a vehicle to ride over land in Conton City. It is the Warrior’s main mode of transportation before obtaining the Flying License which allows them to use Flight in Conton City, though Vehicle capsules can still be used after this.

In Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Capsules are utilized by the inhabitants of Hero Town and some can be used by SDBH players as items in Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Additionally Beat’s Super Hero Robo (one of the Capsule Corporation’s mass produced Machine Mutant Hero Robots modelled after Giru) that he receives from Lulu for completing all SDBH Tutorial Missions is contained within a capsule when not in use. Within SDBH, various Super Attacks, Abilities, CAA/TAA Special Abilities, and Ultimate Units are represented in-game as different colored capsules similar to the Budokai series. Additionally their is a type of CAA Special Ability called Battle Capsule where the user throws out 1 to 3 Capsules to cause certain effects either the user’s team or the enemy team depending upon where the capsules land. Like most CAA Special Abilities, Battle Capsules have different variations that differ in name and effect.

CAA Special Ability – Battle Capsule Variants

• Guard Capsule – A Battle Capsule used by Gohan (Adult), Krillin (Teen/Adult), Yamcha, Mr. Satan, and Pan (GT). From R2 (Round 2) onwards, toss 1 or more Capsules into either team’s Prep Area after the Prep Phase. User’s Team effect: Permanent +1500 to ally GRD. Enemy Team effect: Permanent -1500 to enemy GRD.
• Power Capsule – A Battle Capsule used by Goku (Teen/Adult), SSJ Gohan (Teen), Trunks (GT), Krillin (Adult), Yamcha, and Mr. Satan. From R2 (Round 2) onwards, toss 1 or more Capsules into either team’s Prep Area after the Prep Phase. User’s Team effect: Permanent +2000 to ally PWR. Enemy Team effect: Permanent -2000 to enemy PWR.
• Power Level Capsule – A Battle Capsule used by Mr. Satan, Videl, SSJ Gohan (Teen), SSJ Vegeta, Xeno Trunks, Krillin (Adult), Yamcha, and Chiaotzu. From R2 (Round 2) onwards, toss 1 or more Capsules into either team’s Prep Area after the Prep Phase. User’s Team effect: Permanent 1.2x ally PWR LV. Enemy Team effect: Permanent -20% to enemy PWR LV.
• Speed Capsule – A Battle Capsule used by Goku (Adult), Mr. Satan, Videl, Pan (GT), Super Saiyan Vegeta, Krillin (Adult), Yamcha, and General Blue. From R2 (Round 2) onwards, toss 1 or more Capsules into either team’s Prep Area after the Prep Phase. User’s Team effect: Permanent Decrease to ally CI (Charge Impact) speed. Enemy Team effect: Permanent Increase to enemy CI speed.
  • Mercenary Tao Capsule – Mercenary Tao’s personal Battle Capsule and Speed Capsule variant. From R2 (Round 2) onwards, toss 1 or more Capsules into either team’s Prep Area after the Prep Phase. User’s Team effect: Cancel changes to ally CI speed permanently. Enemy Team effect: Greatly increase enemy CI speed permanently.
• Stamina Capsule – A Battle Capsule used by Master Roshi, Krillin (Adult), and Yamcha. From R2 (Round 2) onwards, toss 1 or more Capsules into either team’s Prep Area after the Prep Phase. User’s Team effect: Recover 20% of ally STA permanently. Enemy Team effect: -20% to enemy STA permanently.

In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Capsule Corporation billboards advertising Hoi-Poi Capsules can be seen in cities and along roadways. The ads are in English which allows them to be read by first-person aiming view or Ki Sense view. During “Nam the Peddler“, Goku goes an a trading quest to assist Nam who had come to East Ravine to sell wares to get enough money to by food and water for his village. Goku ends up trading a fossil to an paleontologist for the Food and Water Capsules he had on him which contain enough food and water to supply Nam’s Village. Additionally Bulma’s Capsule House appears in the cave on Namek before she, Krillin, and Gohan abandon it though the cave is not destroyed by Vegeta. Capsule House also has its own Z-Encyclopedia entry in the Terms section.

Trivia

• Within the series, Capsules serve as a form of Hammerspace allowing characters to carry a large assortment of items, vehicles, and weapons on their person regardless of the objects size and mass. They also provide a convenient practical in-universe explanation as to how females like Bulma and Bad Launch can suddenly as if from out of nowhere pull out a firearm to comically attack other characters when angered or annoyed by the actions/inactions of their male counterparts such as Goku, Master Roshi, and/or Krillin.
  • This also applies to various Dragon Ball video games (from fighting games to RPGs), providing a convenient in-universe explanation how the characters are able to carry large numbers of items and equipment.
• In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, several buildings in Toki Toki City have numbers on them that indicate they are a type of Capsule House used by the Time Patrol as shops and other facilities used in their Time Patrol duties. This may explain how Toki Toki City is able to be rebuilt so quickly after Demigra’s attack as any buildings/facilities damaged during the attack could be replaced with spare buildings stored in capsules and/or that the building could be stored in capsules during emergencies such as Demigra’s aforementioned attack. These Capsules where presumably provided by Future Trunks’s Capsule Corporation, which is said to supply the technology, robot, Time Machines, gear, and items used by the Time Patrol.
  • In Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, this also applies to some building in Conton City.

Gallery

See also

• Breakthrough Capsule
• Memories of… Capsules

References

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