I Made a King Kai Model Driving Around His Planet... Until Frieza Appeared

Do you remember the moment when Goku finally reached the end of Snake Way and arrived at King Kai's Planet?

In the middle of the vast universe was a tiny little planet with nothing more than a small house, a single tree, and a road circling the entire world.

For some reason, the very first time I saw it, it felt incredibly peaceful.

Ever since then, I've imagined what it would be like to sit in King Kai's little car and slowly drive around that tiny planet.

Of course, that's impossible.

But then I thought... if I can't go to King Kai's Planet...

Why not bring King Kai's Planet into the real world?

So, in this project, I'll show you how I built a display that recreates King Kai's Planet as faithfully as possible, complete with a miniature car that actually drives around the planet—just like in the anime.

Let's get started!

1. ESP32-S3-ZERO
2. MAX98357A
3. TMC2209
4. MOSFET LR2905 ( Logic-Level Gate Drive) 2 PCS
5. MP1584EN 2 PCS
6. STEPPER NEMA 42
7. RC SERVO MG995
8. Wireless Charger Module Circuit Board 2 PCS
9. Wireless Charging Coil Receiver Module 2 PCS
10. F6805ZZ Bearing 25x37x7 mm Flange Ball Bearing
11. Slip Ring M125F06
12. 10X3 MM Round Super Strong Neodymium Magnet 8 PCS

Note: This list includes the main components used in the project. A few small consumables and standard hardware (such as screws, wires, glue, and connectors) may not be listed individually.

The outer shell of the planet is divided into three separate pieces. This design makes the parts much easier to 3D print, requires far less support material, and simplifies both assembly and future maintenance.

I recommend printing these parts in PETG or ABS, as they provide better durability than PLA. Be sure to use green filament for the shell—the color already matches the grass, so you'll have much less painting to do later.

Print all three sections, remove any support material, and test-fit them together before moving on to the next step.

Some of the 3D-printed parts require M3 brass heat-set inserts to provide strong, durable threads for assembly.

Using a soldering iron, gently press each insert into its designated hole until it sits flush with the surface. Avoid applying too much pressure or heat, as this can deform the plastic.

Next, install the F6805-ZZ flange bearing and the stepper motor into the printed assembly.

Because of normal 3D printing tolerances, the bearing may not fit perfectly into its housing. Do not force it into place, as this could damage the printed part.

Instead, use a heat gun or a hair dryer to gently warm the bearing seat for a few seconds. The plastic will expand slightly, allowing the bearing to slide in much more easily. Once the part cools, it will firmly hold the bearing in place.

After the bearing is installed, mount the stepper motor using the appropriate screws, making sure it is properly aligned with the bearing before tightening everything securely.

The next step is to install the slip ring and the main drive gear.

The slip ring allows electrical power to pass through the rotating assembly without twisting or tangling the wires. This ensures the planet can rotate continuously while maintaining a reliable electrical connection.

The main gear is designed with two internal wire channels. Feed the slip ring wires through these holes before securing the gear in place. This keeps the wiring hidden, protects it from moving parts, and gives the finished assembly a much cleaner appearance.

Once the wires are routed correctly, install the main gear and verify that it rotates freely without pinching or rubbing against the wires.

In this step, we'll assemble the main rotating arm, which carries the wireless power system, magnetic drive, and servo mechanism.

Wind the Custom Wireless Charging Coils

Wind two custom transmitter coils for the wireless charging modules—one for King Kai's car and one for Frieza's pod.

Unlike a typical flat wireless charger, these coils are designed to fit on a curved surface. This allows the coils to follow the contour of the planet and stay as close as possible to the receiver coils inside the vehicles. The smaller the gap between the transmitter and receiver coils, the better the power transfer efficiency.

Install the Wireless Charging Modules

Mount both wireless charging modules onto the main rotating arm, then solder each custom transmitter coil to its corresponding module.

Route the wires neatly through the provided channels to prevent interference with the moving parts.

Install the Magnets

Glue two magnets into the mounting holes at the end of the arm using cyanoacrylate (super glue).

Important: Make sure both magnets are installed with the same magnetic polarity facing outward. If one magnet is reversed, the magnetic drive system will not work correctly.

Repeat the same process for the secondary arm.

Install the RC Servo

Finally, mount the RC servo onto the main rotating arm.

To route the servo cable cleanly through the arm, you'll need to temporarily remove the bottom cover of the servo, pass the cable through the opening, and then reassemble the servo before securing it in place.

Now it's time to install both the main rotating arm and the secondary rotating arm inside the planet.

The secondary arm shares the same pivot shaft as the main arm. Its angle is controlled by an RC servo through a gear mechanism, allowing the distance between the two arms to change during operation.

Align the Servo Before Installing the Gear

This is the most important part of the assembly.

The servo operates over a range of 0° to 180°. At 0°, the angle between the main arm and the secondary arm should be at its minimum.

Before installing the servo gear:

1. Power the servo and move it to its 0° position.
2. Rotate the secondary arm until it is almost touching the main arm (its minimum angle).
3. Install the servo gear while keeping both parts in these positions.

Correct alignment is essential. If the gear is installed at the wrong angle, the servo's motion will not match the intended arm movement.

Install the Counterweight

Attach the counterweight to the secondary arm using the specified bolts.

The counterweight helps balance the rotating assembly, reducing vibration and improving the smoothness of the mechanism during operation.

After everything is assembled, manually rotate the mechanism to ensure both arms move freely throughout the entire range of motion without binding or interference.

The control circuit for this project is assembled on a perfboard (prototype PCB) rather than a custom-designed PCB. This makes the project easier to reproduce without requiring professionally manufactured circuit boards.

Follow the schematic below and solder all components onto the perfboard. Take your time to keep the wiring neat, as a clean layout will make troubleshooting much easier later.

Tip: Before applying power, double-check all power connections, component orientations, and solder joints to avoid damaging the electronics.

Once the circuit is complete, verify that the power supply outputs the correct voltage and that all modules are connected according to the schematic before continuing to the programming step.

The firmware for this project is available on GitHub:

GitHub Repository:

https://github.com/dongvua90/Planet-King-Kai

Open the project in PlatformIO (Visual Studio Code) and connect your ESP32 board.

Programming the controller consists of two separate steps:

1. Upload the Firmware

Compile and upload the firmware to the ESP32 as you would with any normal PlatformIO project.

2. Upload the Filesystem Image

This project also stores audio files in the ESP32's filesystem. After uploading the firmware, you must upload the filesystem image as well.

In PlatformIO, select "Upload Filesystem Image" to copy all required audio files to the ESP32's flash memory.

Important: If you skip this step, the firmware will run, but the sound effects and voice clips will not work.

Once both uploads have completed successfully, restart the ESP32 and verify that the system initializes correctly.

Now it's time to assemble Frieza's pod.

Start by installing the four miniature bearings, which act as the pod's wheels. Make sure they rotate freely before continuing.

Next, install the wireless charging receiver module inside the pod and connect it to the receiver coil.

Glue two magnets into the bottom of the pod. These magnets are attracted to the magnetic drive hidden inside the planet, allowing the pod to follow the track as it moves around the planet.

Important: Make sure both magnets are installed with the correct polarity. If they are reversed, the pod will not be attracted properly and may not move as intended.

To make Frieza stand out even more, install a small LED in his hand. The 3D model includes a hidden channel inside Frieza's arm, making it easy to route the wires neatly through the arm and into the body without leaving any visible cables.

Once all of the electronics are installed, attach the bottom cover and assemble the rest of the pod.

The final step is painting. Feel free to paint Frieza as accurately as you'd like... I'm definitely not the right person to give painting advice! 😄 I'm pretty terrible at painting miniatures, so my finished model isn't exactly screen-accurate. Fortunately, once everything is moving around the planet, you hardly notice my questionable painting skills!

The assembly process for King Kai's car is very similar to Frieza's pod, with just a few small differences.

Start by installing the four miniature bearings, which serve as the wheels. Make sure they rotate smoothly before continuing.

Next, install the wireless charging receiver module and connect it to the receiver coil.

Glue two magnets into the bottom of the car, ensuring they are installed with the correct polarity. These magnets interact with the magnetic drive inside the planet, allowing the car to travel smoothly around the track.

King Kai's car also features two working headlights. Install two LEDs into the front headlight housings and route the wires through the built-in channels before connecting them to the wireless power receiver.

Once all electronics have been installed and tested, assemble the remaining body panels and secure everything in place.

Finally, paint the car using the colors from the original Dragon Ball design. After painting, your miniature King Kai's car is ready to drive around the planet.

You're almost done! It's time to bring everything together.

Begin by assembling all sections of the planet and securing them in place. Make sure the rotating mechanism moves freely and that no wires are pinched during assembly.

Next, install the house, trees, and the remaining decorative parts to recreate the iconic look of King Kai's Planet.

Paint the road around the planet and add the finishing details to the landscape. I have to admit... painting isn't one of my strengths, so please don't judge my artistic skills too harshly! 😄 Feel free to spend more time on this step than I did—I'm sure you can achieve a much better finish.

Finally, attach the base to the model. The base supports the entire structure and gives the finished display a clean, stable appearance.

With everything assembled, your own King Kai's Planet is complete! Power it on and watch King Kai's car and Frieza's pod travel around the planet, bringing one of Dragon Ball's most memorable locations to life.

Congratulations! Your very own King Kai's Planet is now complete.

Watching King Kai's car and Frieza's pod travel around the tiny planet brings back one of my favorite memories from Dragon Ball. This project started as a childhood dream, and I'm really happy that I was finally able to turn that imagination into something real.

If you'd like to see the complete build process, behind-the-scenes footage, and the finished model in action, be sure to check out my YouTube video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ItLUkoThYM

I hope this guide inspires you to build your own version or even create something completely unique. That's one of the things I love most about making—turning ideas that once existed only in our imagination into real, working creations.

If you build this project, I'd love to see your results! And if you have any questions or run into any problems during the build, feel free to leave a comment below. I'll do my best to help.

Thanks for reading, and happy making!