Dragon Ball: Why Master Roshi Can’t Fly

Master Roshi doesn’t know how to fly, nor has he ever attempted to in the Dragon Ballfranchise, but why? Since Dragon Ball Z, flying is a technique used by nearly all of the fighters. However, Master Roshi, arguably the most knowledgeable and experienced member of the Z-Warriors, still can’t fly.

Flying is an incredibly important skill in both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. With the exception of Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power (where flying was explicitly prohibited), the battles that Goku and Vegeta get themselves involved in take place at least partially in the air. Ever since the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, flying has become a commonly-used power, and at this point, it’s rare for there to be a fighter who can’t fly. Everyone from Yamcha to Goten can do it. Among those who can’t are Master Roshi and Yajirobe. Yajirobe hasn’t been relevant in years, and his power is so far behind everyone else that his inability to fly fits with the character — but that’s not the case with Roshi.

Why hasn’t Master Roshi used this ability? There’s no question that he’s powerful enough to pull it off. Roshi is one of the three strongest humans on Earth, the other two being Krillin and Yamcha. Chiaotzu, the weakest Z-Warrior, is even capable of flying, as is Gohan’s wife, Videl. Videl, who is just an ordinary human, learned how to fly from Gohan in the span of just one episode. So Master Roshi certainly could master this skill if he put his mind to it; the problem is that he simply has no interest in doing so.

Roshi’s reasons for avoiding flying are likely tied to its origin. In the original Dragon Ball anime, the main characters first encountered this ability when they saw it being used by Tien and Chiaotzu, who were disciples of Master Roshi’s longtime martial arts rival, Master Shen. It was Shen who developed this ability, and it has since been copied by Goku and his allies. But when Roshi first witnessed it, he referred to it as an “overrated” technique, an expected response considering that two have been rivals for decades. Goku and the others easily recognized its advantages and sought to learn it, while Roshi did not. This makes sense, when taking into consideration his rivalry with Shen. How could, Roshi, a proud master of the Turtle School, use a move from the master of the Crane School? So as a matter of pride, Roshi rejected the notion of flying.

Furthermore, by the time flying became so prevalent in the anime, Master Roshi was already a set-in-his-ways elderly martial arts master. Obviously Roshi has kept up his training and has made significant gains over the past few years, but he isn’t looking to expand his skillset and learn new moves. Also, the lazy Turtle Hermit is perfectly content with his peaceful life at Kame House. He doesn’t travel all over the planet like Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Z-Warriors who rely on flight to get around. For the most part, Roshi doesn’t travel, so when he does make appearances, it’s generally when Goku comes to him. For Master Roshi, flying has never been a necessity.

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