Though their origins were initially thought to be earthbound and supernatural, the Namekians were eventually revealed to be a pivotal alien race in the Dragon Ball franchise. The most notable member of their race is Piccolo, a noble warrior who was once a fierce villain. On the other side of this coin was Kami, a Namekian who represented all that was good about Piccolo.
These characters spent the series transitioning from villain, hero and mentor, and were both vitally important to the eponymous Dragon Balls. Joining them in this role was Dende, who wielded great mystical might despite his age and size. Here's how the franchise's main three Nameks are all connected to each other and the Dragon Balls in some way.
Kami Is Piccolo's Dad...Sort of
Kami and Piccolo are both essentially the first Namek to appear in the series. These two were initially one singular, nameless Namekian who had become trapped on Earth as a youth. Even as he waited for his family to return and rescue him, he quickly grew in stature and power. This would cause him to seek out the guardian of the Earth at the time, hoping to take his place. This guardian sensed the evil in the being's heart, and refused to so much as fight him until he purged himself of this darkness. Doing so, the Namek expelled this evil, which became Piccolo, whereas the original Namek became known as Kami.
Unfortunately, Kami's life force was now tied with his evil doppelganger, as was one of his creations. The mystic Dragon Balls, when united, would grant a person one single wish, courtesy of the gigantic dragon Shenron. If Kami or Piccolo were to die, however, both beings would perish, rendering the Dragon Balls inert. The pair's first death would lead to the Z Fighters seeking out the original Namekian Dragon Balls to bring them back.
Piccolo Is Three Nameks In One
The being most associated with the name Piccolo is actually the clone/son of the original, who had transferred his life force to one last egg before succumbing to the wounds suffered at the hands of Goku. Like his father, this Piccolo initially had ambitions to conquer the Earth, with violence and vengeance being his only true emotions. Due to the original Piccolo's mutual amnesia with Kami from their time as the Nameless Namek, he and his son also thought themselves to be demons before their alien nature was revealed.
Piccolo sacrifices himself to save a young Gohan, who leads a voyage to his homeworld of Namek to use their Dragon Balls to revive him and Kami. Upon reaching Namek, he meets the fallen Namekian warrior Nail, who is oddly identical to him. Nail was the most powerful warrior on his planet, but even he was no match for Frieza. Hoping to aid Piccolo's fight against the tyrant, Nail allows Piccolo to fuse with him to be as he once was with Kami. This greatly improves Piccolo's power level, but doesn't seem to have much effect on his persona or influence on the Dragon Balls.
During the Android Saga, Kami, fearful of the power of the oncoming threat, agrees to unite with Piccolo once again. This was inspired by Piccolo's own vast change in heart, with the former villain having truly become one of the good guys. This not only boosts Piccolo's power even further, but removes the threat of the Dragon Balls becoming useless with Kami's death, as he is now one with Piccolo.
Dende Is Kami Now
Kami's permanent fusion with Piccolo temporarily leaves Earth without a guardian, but this role is soon taken up by Dende. Dende is a diminutive young Namekian whose appearance hides an incredible mystical potential. He was instrumental not only in speaking his native language to summon Porunga, the Namekian dragon, but also using his power to heal the fallen Z Fighters. When he replaces Kami as Earth's guardian, he uses another native Namekian ability to create Dragon Balls, restoring the Earth Dragon Balls that had been rendered inert because of Piccolo's fusion with Kami. Soon, he even begins wearing Kami's clothes and using his cane.
This recreation of the Dragon Balls and resurrection of Shenron intrinsically linked Dende with the legacy of the original Nameless Namekian. This does not extend, however, to a connection with the Black Star Dragon Balls in the now non-canon sequel Dragon Ball GT. These Dragon Balls were apparently made before Kami and Piccolo split, and if they are not reunited one year after a wish is made, the Earth will be destroyed. To erase their threat to the Earth once and for all, Piccolo eventually sacrifices himself to render them permanently inert. These events are officially replaced in continuity by Dragon Ball Super, however, where the somewhat background nature of Dende has him truly embracing Kami's former role.
