Summary
Dragon Ballisone of the greatest shonen manga of all time, exploding in popularity in the West to become one of the first breakout anime hits outside of Japan. It paved the way for other shonen anime to make a mark overseas and continues to hold a soft spot in the hearts of many fans. The fact thatDragon Ball Supermanaged to attain so much popularitydespite releasing so many years after the end ofZis a testament to its enduring popularity.
The stakes in the series have always been high, even with death being reversible courtesy of the Dragon Balls. However, the manner of some of these killings is still hard to swallow, showing just how desperate the heroes get against cruel, unrelenting foes who are willing to put it all on the line to achieve what they desire.
5Krillin (2nd Time)
Died In Episode 95 Of Dragon Ball Z (Transformed At Last)
After Goku launches his Hail Mary, the Spirit Bomb, on Frieza, the heroes believe that this conflict has finally been put to rest. However, even after such a powerful attack,Frieza survived and unleashed his rage on the group. After connecting with a Death Beam on Piccolo, Frieza used his immense power to bind Krillin and make him explode in one of the most sudden and tragic death scenes in the series.
Goku had no idea that the Namekian Dragon Balls could be used to revive Krillin, and was enraged at the idea of losing his best friend for good. This causes him to blow his lid and trigger the iconic transformation that has gone on to shape the trajectory ofDragon Ballever since. The dawn of the iconic Super Saiyan was a treat for fans, who couldn’t wait to see Goku unleash his rage on the tyrant who’d taken away his friend in such a cruel, emboldened manner.
4Vegeta
Died In Episode 86 Of Dragon Ball Z (The End Of Vegeta)
There’s no denying thatVegeta is a heinous individual for much ofDragon Ball Z, and it wasn’t until the death of his son at the hands of Perfect Cell that he came into his own as a slightly empathetic character. However, despite his villainous nature, fans couldn’t help but feel bad at the dishonorable nature of his demise when he bit off more than he could chew against Frieza.
For the first time, Vegeta threw away his pride and shed tears, weeping and begging his rival to take revenge for the atrocities Frieza committed against the Saiyans. It’s a powerful moment that goes to show just how much sadness Vegeta harbors deep within him and is a huge reason why so many fans love this character even more than Goku.
3Chiaotzu (2nd Time)
Died In Episode 25 Of Dragon Ball Z (Sacrifice)
Most people got into the series withDragon Ball Z, but hardcoreDragon Ballfans were in awe of the changes Akira Toriyama made to the series afterthe defeat of Piccolo Junior during the World Martial Arts Tournament. Power was more prominent than technique, and Nappa showed the sheer gulf in power between the Z Warriors and the all-powerful Saiyans.
One by one, each warrior who crossed Nappa died a disgusting and dishonorable death. Perhaps the worst casualty here was Chiaotzu, who blew himself up in a last-ditch attempt to take out the Saiyan only for Tien and the rest of the gang to realize that this explosion barely did anything to incapacitate Nappa. It was an insulting moment for Chiaotzu’s legacy that just made his death seem like a waste.
2Future Bulma
Died In Episode 47 Of Dragon Ball Super (SOS From The Future: A Dark New Enemy Appears!)
Dragon Ball Superhad to adhere to current censorship guidelines if it wished to be aired to a broad audience. UnlikeDragon Ball Z, a lot of gore from Super was done away with, although this was easy to get over. It helped that the anime didn’t shy away from showing dark moments when the situation called for it, such as Future Bulma’s death at the hands of Goku Black.
TheFuture Trunks arc inDragon Ball Superstarted with a lot of promise, even if the ending didn’t land like most people wanted. However, watching Trunks lamenting the loss of his mother at the hands of an unknown antagonist who turned out to be the spitting image of Goku himself was a chilling moment that set the stage for an arc that finally upped the stakes in a manner thatDragon Ballfans always wanted to see.
1Goku
Died In Episode 5 (Gohan’s Rage)
The first few episodes ofDragon Ball Zblew the minds of most people who’d been following the series from the very start.Not only was Goku an alien, but he was also supposed to conquer Earth. His brother Raditz appeared to make him join the side of the conquerors once again, only for Goku to refuse and watch helplessly as this powerful fighter kidnapped his child.
This led to Goku and Piccolo teaming up in a bid to try and take out this Saiyan, which makes for a tough battle since the duo were completely out of their depth against the might of this fighter. In the end, Goku had to restrain Raditz and sacrifice his own life to take him out, being impaled by Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon in one of the most shocking moments that kicked offDragon Ball Z.
