Dragon Ball Z featured plenty of strange and unexpected combinations, like Namekian Fusion and the Potara Earrings. But the most bizarre fusion that ever appeared was in a brief segment from a videogame. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai introduced the concept of Cellin to the Dragon Ball franchise, creating the unlikely combination of Cell and Krillin.
The videogame includes a story mode that covers the events of Dragon Ball Z through the Cell Saga. The game also consists of three special "what if" storylines, which imagined timelines where Vegeta and Frieza won. But the most unexpected was "Aim For Perfect Form!/A Cold-Blooded Assassin," centering on Cell. At this point in the timeline, Imperfect Cell had defeated Piccolo and Android 16 and had cornered Android 17, while Vegeta and Trunks were en route from their training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. After successfully becoming Semi-Perfect by absorbing his android brother, tracks down Android 18 and tries to absorb her as well.
In the canon storyline, Cell was successful and achieved his Perfect Form as a result. However, in the side-adventure, Krillin does his best to save the day and pushes Android 18 out of the way of Cell's tail. As a result, Android 18 is able to escape while Cell accidentally absorbs Krillin instead. The transformation quickly diminishes the power of a horrified Cell, who is transformed into "Cellin" -- a tiny, orange version of Perfect Cell, with Krillin's distinct six-dots across his forehead. He looks more like a Cell Jr. than Perfect Cell, and his voice -- though still trying to be menacing -- is undercut by Krillin's naturally lighter tone.
Severely weakened by the process, Cellin is confronted by two unexpected challengers: Yamcha and Tien. Although Yamcha fails to get revenge for the loss of Krillin and Cellin moves in for the kill, Yamcha is able to weaken Cellin enough for Tien to prepare a massive Tri-Beam. This blast is strong enough to kill Cellin in one hit-- which wakes Perfect Cell from his nightmare. Revealed to have all been a dream while Perfect Cell waited for the beginning of the Cell Games, the sequence ends with Cell eagerly awaiting his own coming battle.
It's an oddly humanizing moment for Cell, suggesting that, despite his massive power level and absurd ambitions to wipe out most forms of life in the universe, Cell is still concerned about some things -- like having to deal with being Krillin. The dream element explains why the fusion with Krillin happens despite it going against the previously established rules of Cell's absorption ability -- it's a dream, so of course, it doesn't work like it's supposed to.
The fact that it's a Tri-Beam from Tien that kills Cellin -- the same attack Tien used to keep Semi-Perfect Cell at bay within the canon timeline -- makes it all the better. It reveals Cell has a genuine fear, lending a forced element to his bravado. It's a brief moment that's not even canon within the tweaked timeline of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai, but Cellin is still a bizarrely memorable and unique aspect of the Dragon Ball franchise.
