Why Master Roshi intentionally stepped out of the ring to lose to Tien in the 22

Why Master Roshi intentionally stepped out of the ring to lose to Tien in the 22nd world martial tournament?

Master Roshi (Kame-Sennin) intentionally stepped out of the ring to lose to Tien in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai because:

1. He wanted Tien to change

At that time, Tien (Tenshinhan) was still training under Master Shen, who taught him to be cruel and merciless.
Roshi’s goal was to help Tien realize that the Crane School’s teachings were wrong.

By fighting him seriously and then giving up, Roshi showed that:
        •        He wasn’t the enemy
        •        Violence isn’t everything
        •        Strength is not just about power but also character

This helped Tien start questioning his own master.

2. He didn’t want Goku to fight dangerous enemies too soon

Roshi thought Goku was too young and innocent, and he didn’t want him growing up fighting deadly opponents.
If Roshi beat Tien, Goku would have to face much stronger enemies very soon.
So he let Tien win, hoping to delay Goku’s path into dangerous battles.

3. Roshi’s real mission wasn’t to win the tournament

His real goal was:
        •        Guide young fighters
        •        Prevent evil martial arts from spreading
        •        Protect Goku from harsh fights
        •        Help Tien break free from the Crane School

Winning wasn’t important to him.

4. Stepping out was his way to teach a lesson

Instead of beating Tien, he showed him:
        •        Mercy is strength
        •        Honor matters
        •        You can choose your own path

This moment is actually why Tien later becomes a good guy.


1. “If Roshi beat Tien, Goku would have to face much stronger enemies soon” — who are these enemies?

Roshi wasn’t referring to a specific person.

He meant the world of dangerous martial artists and assassins — the world that the Crane School belonged to.

At that time:
        •        Master Shen’s school trained assassins, not just fighters
        •        Tien and Chiaotzu were on the path to becoming killers, not competitors
        •        Shen wanted Tien to kill Goku in the tournament

If Roshi defeated Tien, Master Shen would become furious, and:

Goku would be dragged into deadly, real-life fights with assassin-level warriors, not safe tournament matches.

Roshi wanted to delay Goku from entering that dark world too early.
Goku was still a child with a pure heart — Roshi didn’t want him exposed to killing and hatred yet.

So the “much stronger enemies” means:
        •        Crane School assassins
        •        Shen’s advanced students
        •        People who fight to kill, not for sport

Not specific named characters, but a whole dangerous path.

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2. If Master Roshi hadn’t stepped out, could he defeat Tien?

YES. Roshi absolutely had a real chance to defeat Tien.

Here’s why:

(1) Roshi was still one of the strongest humans alive

Even though he looked old and goofy, he was:
        •        The winner of the previous Tenkaichi Budokai
        •        Stronger than Tien in experience
        •        Smarter in martial arts
        •        A genius strategist
        •        Able to use techniques Tien did not know how to counter

Tien respected him deeply during the fight, realizing Roshi was far more powerful than he expected.

(2) The fight was almost even

Before Roshi stepped out of the ring:
        •        Tien was sweating
        •        Tien admitted Roshi’s strength surprised him
        •        Roshi countered many of Tien’s attacks easily

Tien was not dominating.
They were very close in power.

(3) Roshi’s ultimate techniques were dangerous

If Roshi fought seriously, he had:
        •        Max Power (Full Power Roshi)
        •        Kamehameha at full strength
        •        Bankoku Bikkuri Sho (Thunder Shock Surprise)
        •        Extremely advanced martial arts knowledge

Tien would struggle against full-power Roshi.

Conclusion:

👉 Roshi could win, but he chose not to.

⸻

3. Why Roshi chose to lose on purpose

Roshi stepped out because:
        •        He wanted Tien to grow morally, not be crushed
        •        He wanted Goku to fight Tien, not killers
        •        He didn’t want the Crane School to escalate violence
        •        He didn’t care about winning tournaments anymore

His goal was to influence people’s hearts, not to win trophies.

Tien later realizes this and becomes a good guy because of Roshi’s actions.


so in the time 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, master roshi also stronger than goku?

Short answer: Yes — during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, Master Roshi (Kame-Sennin) was still stronger than Goku overall, mostly because of experience, technique, and control, not raw power.

But the gap was much smaller than in the 21st tournament.

Let me break it down clearly 👇

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✅ Was Roshi stronger than Goku at the 22nd tournament?

Yes, but only slightly, and mainly in skill, not physical power.

✔ Goku’s raw power > Roshi

Goku had:
        •        Higher speed
        •        Higher strength
        •        Higher stamina
        •        Better potential

Tien even said Goku’s power was unbelievable.

✔ But Roshi’s combat experience + technique > Goku

Roshi had:
        •        300+ years of martial arts mastery
        •        More refined ki control
        •        Techniques Goku had never seen
        •        Superior strategy and timing
        •        Psychological understanding of opponents

Power ≠ victory in Dragon Ball at this stage.
Technique and timing mattered more.

So Roshi could still beat young Goku using skill, like he did in the 21st tournament (as Jackie Chun).

⸻

⭐ Roshi himself said he was still stronger than Goku

In this arc, Roshi tells Tien:

“Goku is not ready yet. There are still many things I understand that he does not.”

This means:
        •        Roshi believed he was still the superior martial artist
        •        Even if Goku’s physical stats were higher, Goku lacked discipline and technique

⸻

🤔 If Roshi fought Goku seriously in the 22nd tournament, who would win?

Roshi would still win, BUT:
        •        It would be extremely close
        •        Goku’s raw power is higher
        •        Roshi wins only by using advanced experience and special moves

Something like:

➤ Goku’s strength:

90

➤ Roshi’s experience/technique:

100

The fight would look like this:
        •        Goku stronger physically
        •        Roshi smarter, more technical
        •        Goku making mistakes
        •        Roshi predicting and countering
        •        Roshi using special techniques
        •        Goku learning during the fight

But overall:

👉 Roshi would barely win

That’s exactly why he stepped out — he wanted Goku to fight Tien, not him.

⸻

🎯 Why Goku surpasses Roshi soon after

After the 22nd tournament:
        •        Goku trains with Korin
        •        Goku drinks the Ultra Divine Water
        •        Goku fights King Piccolo
        •        Goku trains with Kami

After all that:

➡ Goku becomes much stronger than Roshi
➡ Roshi becomes “too weak” for the new level

But at the 22nd tournament?

✔ Roshi > Goku

(but only because of technique and experience)