Tien

Tien Shinhan is born with the traits of the Three-Eyed clan, including a third eye that once allowed mystical powers. He is raised in the Crane School under Master Shen and heavily influenced by Tao Pai Pai. There he learns techniques such as the Solar Flare, Dodon Ray, and Tri-Beam, as well as Tao’s defensive skills. With Chiaotzu, he spends his early life conning villages before encountering Goku.

Tien formally enters the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament with Chiaotzu. He defeats Yamcha, breaking his leg in the process, then overcomes Jackie Chun after recognizing him as Master Roshi. In the final, he narrowly defeats Goku when an accident allows him to land after Goku. He refuses Master Shen’s orders to kill, severs ties with the Crane School, and begins forging respect with Goku and the others.

When King Piccolo appears, Tien attempts to learn the Evil Containment Wave to stop him but fails due to a damaged container. He is nearly killed by Drum until Goku intervenes and defeats both Drum and Piccolo. At the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, Tien defeats the cyborg Tao, receiving a scar in the process. He fights Goku again, using the Multi-Form technique, but is ultimately defeated. He later aids in freeing Kami and protects allies during Goku’s battle with Piccolo Jr.

Years later, Tien trains under Kami with Yamcha, Krillin, and Chiaotzu to prepare for the Saiyans. In battle, he defeats a Saibaman but loses an arm against Nappa. After Chiaotzu sacrifices himself, Tien uses a final Tri-Beam in desperation and dies from exhaustion. He later trains on King Kai’s planet with Chiaotzu and Yamcha, even defeating members of the Ginyu Force in filler episodes. He is eventually revived by the Dragon Balls.

When new androids appear, Tien leaves Chiaotzu behind for safety. He fights briefly but is overpowered and choked by Android 17. Later, when Cell reaches his semi-perfect form and attempts to absorb Android 18, Tien intervenes. He stalls Cell by using repeated Neo Tri-Beams, sacrificing nearly all his life energy until Goku rescues him. He refuses to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, acknowledging his limits, but fights against the Cell Juniors and later supports Gohan with energy blasts during the final battle against Cell. After Cell’s defeat, he chooses to leave the group and train in solitude with Chiaotzu.

During Majin Buu’s destruction of Earth, Tien and Chiaotzu survive the Human Extinction Attack. Tien intervenes to save Gohan, Dende, and Mr. Satan from Buu, but he is swatted aside and rendered unconscious. He dies again when Earth is destroyed but is later revived. In the final confrontation, he donates his energy to Goku’s Spirit Bomb, which defeats Kid Buu.

After peace returns, Tien farms and continues training with Chiaotzu. Launch briefly pursues him but leaves when their lifestyles clash. He later attends Bulma’s party, where he attempts to fight Beerus alongside the others but is quickly defeated.

When Frieza is revived, Tien joins the defense of Earth but leaves Chiaotzu behind. He kills many of Frieza’s soldiers with a Tri-Beam, is injured by Captain Ginyu in Tagoma’s body, and later watches Goku and Vegeta defeat Frieza. He is saved when Whis reverses time and witnesses Frieza’s final destruction.

Tien then opens his own martial arts dojo. When a woman named Yurin manipulates his students, he defeats her alongside Goku and Roshi, then accepts her as a disciple. He agrees to join the Tournament of Power, intending to use the reward to rebuild his dojo. He spars with Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan to help sharpen Gohan’s potential before the event.

During the Tournament of Power, Tien blinds opponents with the Solar Flare and eliminates Za Priccio with a Neo Tri-Beam. When Universe 2’s sniper Hermila targets his teammates, Tien creates multiple copies of himself to track him down. He sacrifices himself to eliminate Hermila, dragging him off the arena in a double elimination. Beerus praises his effort, and Krillin reassures him. Tien later gives energy to Goku’s Spirit Bomb against Jiren and watches the rest of the battles until Universe 7’s victory.

After returning to Earth, Tien rebuilds his dojo with Chiaotzu and Yurin, continuing his life as a martial artist and teacher.

Appearance: Tien Shinhan is a tall and very muscular bald-headed man with a bulky physique. His by far most prominent feature is his third eye, which he has inherited from his alien ancestors. The third eye is indeed real, as he has proved at several occasions that he can both move it around and close it. Another noteworthy trait of his is the large scar on the right side of his chest, starting at his collarbone and running all the way down to his abdomen; Tien received this scar at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament during his fight against his former mentor, Mercenary Tao, who caught him off guard with his illegal Hidden Blade attack, scarring him for life. Tien wears a formal outfit which primarily consists of a black vest that has the kanji "Ten" on the front, a tan colored shirt, a pair of tan colored pants, a brown-red kilt, black boots and a white sash.

Personality: Tien Shinhan’s personality is shaped by strict discipline, independence, and unwavering resolve. In his early life under the Crane School he is cold, prideful, and ruthless, but exposure to Goku and Roshi’s teachings shifts him toward honor and integrity. He becomes stoic, serious, and devoted to constant self-improvement, often training in solitude with Chiaotzu.

He has little interest in fame or comfort, choosing a path of isolation and martial purity. His loyalty to Chiaotzu is absolute, and his willingness to sacrifice himself in battle reflects his selflessness. He is cautious, pragmatic, and realistic about his limits, but never allows fear or weakness to stop him from acting. By later years he grows into a mentor figure, strict with his students but fair, embodying the ideals of discipline, restraint, and personal responsibility.

Techniques: Flight - The ability to fly without the use of ki.

Domination Blast – A combination of many energy waves, much more powerful than the average ki blasts and fired at a very rapid rate.

Kiai – A technique where the user affects the air currents around him with ki to produce powerful shockwaves in order to strike the opponent at mid-range.

Dodon Ray - Unlike most other energy attacks, it seems to be something of a superheated beam shot from the finger.

Neo Dodon Ray - Tien bends his elbow down as he charges a yellowish-orange energy sphere on the tip of his index finger. Then, he draws his arm back and fires a large Dodon Ray at the opponent, inflicting great damage.

Ultra Dodon Ray - The user fires a powerful Dodon Ray from their finger that is even stronger than Chiaotzu's Super Dodon Ray.

Super Knee Uppercut – A diving knee attack to break the opponent's leg, causing an extreme amount of damage.

Hammerhead – A flying headbutt technique.

Multi-Form Technique - To perform it, the users power up and splits into two, then those two split clones into four. Unlike the Afterimage Technique, these are tangible clones, not just imprints left by speed. This technique has a quite obvious weakness, however. The four clones are created by the user's energy level divided into four. After using the technique, the clones are usually four times weaker than the user individually.

Machine Gun Punch – Tien swings his arms so fast they appear to be windmills on his shoulder and pummels his opponent uncountable times.

Volleyball Attack – Tien uses his opponent as a ball and makes them fly with two hits before giving a final blow to stamp them into the ground.

Ki Blast Cannon – Tien holds out both palms, one behind the other. He then charges up and fires a beam similar in appearance to a large Dodon Ray.

Four Witches Technique – Tien temporarily grows two extra arms from the back, seemingly under the shoulder blades. This allows him to attack with twice the intensity that he would normally be capable of.

Mystery Ray – Tien fires a straight white beam from his third eye.

Multi-Form Attack – Tien uses the Multi-Form to split himself into four identical copies and then, at the same time, each copy fires a Ki Blast Cannon.

Meteo Brute Combo – Tien creates a copy of himself, and then both attack the opponent with the Machine Gun Punch at the same time.

Tri-Beam – Tien forms a vaguely diamond-shape "tunnel" with the hand's by keeping the fingers on each hand together, overlapping the index finger on the one hand with the pinky of the other hand, and overlapping the thumbs. The object being focused on gets zoomed in on and visualized inside that diamond, then he shouts "Tri-Beam, ha!" while releasing the large yellow beam from the hands.

Spirit Tri-Beam - After concentrating all of his remaining energy in his right hand, Tien brings it forward to form half of the Tri-Beam stance, firing the attack in a brilliant blast.

Neo Tri-Beam - First, Tien puts his hands together by the tips of his fingers and thumbs, then he opens them up and zooms in on the target through the "triangle" in between his hands. Once he gathers enough energy, he shouts "Tri-Beam, ha!" and fires Tri-Beams at the opponent while repeating "ha!" multiple times, how many depending on how much he repeats the attack. However, the major drawback of the technique, as with the original, is that it drains Tien's life force, greatly harming and being able to kill him with repeated use. The attack does damage 100x greater than the user's own power.

Solar Flare – The user places their hands close to the center of their face with the fingers spread toward their eyes. The user then calls out the name of the technique, which provokes a white light to fire out and blind everything watching except the user, since they are projecting the light.

Final Solar Flare – A technique where Tien uses a Solar Flare followed by his Mystery Ray.

Afterimage Technique – An ability to move so swiftly that an image of the user is left behind.

Kamehameha Deflection - The user forms a hand seal, focusing their energy around their body, and, judging the timing of the Kamehameha, the user releases a kiai which deflects the Kamehameha back in the direction of their opponent. Due to the shocking nature of the technique, it includes a surprise factor that catches the opponent off-guard, ensuring the collision of the energy wave.

Evil Containment Wave – A technique designed to seal demons away by sucking them into a container with a special "Demon Seal" ofuda on it. The move requires huge stamina and endurance to perform, if user does not have enough life force they will die soon after performing it, despite the success of the technique.

Tien's dojo resides next to some mountain town where they mentor 12 students alongside Master Roshi who pays them a visit to assist in their students' guidance. Shortly after an ex-student of the original Crane School, called Yurin, comes to the dojo, pretending she's interested in training under Tien, but really seeking revenge on him for ditching her behind when he and Chiaotzu left their original school. After she manages to take their students under her spell she causes them to be mindless "zombies" and attack the nearby town, Tien asks Goku (who came to invite Roshi and Tien to the Tournament of Power that will be held in 9:40 hours from then) to take him Chiaotzu and Roshi there so they could take care of his havoc causing students. Which they do. After the crisis is over, Tien takes Yurin as his student and agrees to Goku's recruiting request as he believes that if the Team Universe 7 will win, he'd get 10 million Zeni and he opting to use the money to rebuild the town his students harmed. Tien later learns Goku lied about the prize money and that Universe 7 would be erased if their team lost, though Bulma offered to pay if they won. After the Tournament of Power, Tien and his students work to repair the town with Yurin supplying them with refreshments as they worked.