Of all of the characters in the Dragon Ball franchise, perhaps none have had a more important role than Kami. Given that his name literally translates as "God," it makes sense that his function throughout the first two entries in Dragon Ball is that of the Earth's guardian. This is the role that he's introduced in the series as having, but many fans are unaware of how exactly he got the job.
Kami, despite the belief that he and Piccolo were demons, was an alien Namek who long ago forgot his original name before becoming Earth's purely heroic guardian. This came after, of course, releasing all of his evil intent within the being known as Piccolo. Here's how Kami came to becoming Earth's guardian and what exactly the role entails.
How The Nameless Namekian Came to Earth Before Dragon Ball
Long ago, a Namekian child came to Earth in order to escape the horrendous natural disasters occurring on his home planet. The son of Katas, this Namekian would forget his own name in his ensuing isolation, though later media would suggest that his name was also Katas. His ship landed him in Yunzabit Heights, a harrowing area in the farthest corner of the Earth, where the alien boy grew up alone
An accident left him an amnesiac to his extraterrestrial origins, with later stories and legends from the humans claiming that the green creature and his evil offspring were demons. Hoping to be found by one of his mysterious kind and having an inkling of knowledge that he came from "above," the Nameless Namekian waited in vain for someone to meet him. Eventually giving up in his young adulthood, he left his makeshift home and explored the Earth. Seeing the hatred and violence on the planet, the Namekian's own heart became filled with rage and evil. When he competed with the mercilessly outclassed Garlic for the role of the successor to the Guardian of the Earth, the previous Guardian stated that the alien must first purge himself of his evil ambitions.
This split resulted in the birth of King Piccolo, who contained all of the evil within the Namekian's being. The good half was now known as Kami, who became the apprentice of the Guardian of Earth. This was why he had thought he was a shoo-in for the role because his evil heart and selfish desires initially kept him back. The main drawbacks of his division from Piccolo were that both of their impressive power levels, namely Kami's, were drastically reduced. Likewise, he was now linked to the evil Namekian's soul, so if one died, the other would die as well. Their deaths would also render the Dragon Balls, including the Black Star Dragon Balls, inert.
Kami's Role as Guardian of the Earth
Kami is the Guardian of the Earth, and many other planets in the Dragon Ball universe have guardians of their own. Despite their title, they are not necessarily any stronger than the beings who they guard, as shown by Kami himself. Though Kami would initially outclass Goku when he was just a boy in the original Dragon Ball, as the young Saiyan grew into manhood, he was far closer to and later surpassed the aging Guardian's power level. The Guardians' main role is simply to oversee a planet, with Kami reporting his findings to the Kais. They also have their own assistants, with Mr. Popo and Korin both aiding Kami in his job.
They can sense and see events transpiring upon their particular planet, teleporting to and fro and even traveling to the Other World if need be. They can also sense the ki of others within their range of power level and who hold similar offices. Given that anyone with a pure heart can become a Guardian, however, the title has and can be filled by mere mortals such as Kami himself.
Similarly, Dende would take on the role of Earth's Guardian after Kami fused back with Piccolo once and for all, though his pure heart seemed to again be more important than his also being a Namekian. The fact that this leaves Earth temporarily without a guardian isn't much of an issue, however, as again, the role is more of a benevolent title than anything substantial. It's also not to be confused with the even more nominal role of King of the Earth, which is occupied by the canine King Furry.
