Tien is is a disciplined, reclusive and heavily devoted martial artist. He was originally a student of the Crane School who desired revenge against Goku for defeating his mentor, Mercenary Tao, but realized he was on the wrong side with the help of Master Roshi. He changed his demeanor and became one of the most respected warriors on the planet. He is very stern and serious, not cracking jokes and goofing around as often as most of the other Z-Fighters. Tien spends most of his time training.