Despite Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z being adapted from the same manga, there is a drastic shift regarding which characters receive the most focus within the different series. While Goku remains as prominent as ever, many former main characters find themselves shoved to the side in favor of new additions to the cast. Some of Goku's oldest friends, like Master Roshi, Oolong, and Paur, were practically excised from the story entirely, apart from background appearances.

The reason so many classic characters became less prominent is because Gohan, Piccolo, and Vegeta made themselves franchise staples in Dragon Ball Z. These three took over the supporting cast, and only a few older members were capable of keeping up with them. While this is self-evident, it can also be seen in the number of episodes they appeared in compared to their more retro counterparts.

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