Nail is one of the minor but memorable supporting characters in the Dragon Ball Z anime. By the time Majin Buu is defeated, most fans have long forgotten about him, but for the short time he was in the spotlight, he was a pretty cool character. He was essentially the strongest Namekian on Planet Namek and served as the personal bodyguard to Guru, who was also his father and all of the other Namekians.

Nail bravely stood his ground to protect Guru from Frieza, even though he was completely outmatched. Frieza toyed with him, trying to extract the password for the Namekian Dragon Balls.

After being brutally beaten and humiliated, Nail reveals to Frieza that he was only stalling for time so Dende could make a wish to help the Earthlings.

What makes Nail especially memorable is what happens after his defeat. Frieza leaves him slightly alive, and Piccolo later finds him dying on the ground. Nail then offers to fuse with Piccolo, allowing him to become stronger. Although Piccolo had already powered up significantly on King Kai’s planet, it still wouldn’t have been enough to take on Frieza without Nail’s help.

Sure enough, the fusion gives Piccolo the power to stand toe-to-toe with Frieza—at least for a while. Unfortunately, Frieza continues to evolve through multiple transformations, eventually outclassing Piccolo until Goku arrives. Interestingly, the English dub portrays Nail as a separate presence inside Piccolo’s mind, often offering commentary. However, if I remember correctly, in the original Japanese version and the manga, it was more of a one-sided fusion—Piccolo simply absorbed Nail’s body and essence, not his conscious mind or soul.