Death has become something of an afterthought in the Dragon Ball universe. While it hasn’t always been a major threat in the series, only becoming an issue during the later phases of Dragon Ball, it used to have a little more weight than it does these days. Death acts in many narratives as a driving motivator. In the Freudian sense, thanatos is the human drive toward self-destruction and self-destructive behavior, while humans also fear the unknown of death. In Dragon Ball, the layers of the universe are peeled back so that there is less fear of death as it is a known and understandable thing. This is partially why Dragon Ball Super had to up the ante with the threat of non-existence.
Many characters have died throughout the course of Dragon Ball, and some characters have suffered a multitude of endings. Quite a few characters have died as collateral damage. Most of Dragon Ball’s major deaths have one thing in common, though: they were ultimately undone. With so much death and resurrection, the details can get lost on occasion. It is worth taking a good look at the major characters who have passed and the various ways these characters met their (temporary or permanent) demise.
10 Strongest Dragon Ball Z Energy Beam Attacks, Ranked
DBZ’s strongest energy beam attacks, from the Kamehameha to the Special Beam Cannon, also happen to be the most iconic special moves in anime history.
Grandpa Gohan Died Before The Series, But It Is Significant
Moments That Occur Off-Screen Still Impact The Characters Deeply
When the audience first meets Goku, the poor boy is living alone in the woods and is pretty self-sufficient. He can feed himself, keep himself clothed, and keep himself alive despite the many wild animals in his vicinity. Over the Pilaf Saga, we’re given glimpses of his grandfather (Grandpa Gohan), who died about six years before the beginning of the show. It is the end of the Pilaf Saga that would reveal what ultimately happened to him.
Goku mentions that a giant monster killed him, and also reveals that he was not allowed out during the full moon, but once went against that rule. Goku’s transformation into the Great Ape is what lets his friends know that Goku was responsible for the death of his grandpa, having killed him without even knowing. Goku himself would not learn about this until much later when he meets and sees Vegeta transform, which is probably one of the worst ways he could have found out.
Krillin’s Death Was Often A Catalyst For Goku
The Iconic Super Saiyan Transformation Was Sparked By Krillin’s Brutal Death
Dragon Ball: 10 Best Krillin Fights from the Entire Franchise, Ranked
Krillin is the strongest Earthling in Dragon Ball, and he’s displayed his power in many great fights.
Krillin has had the unfortunate luck of being killed in both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. As Goku’s childhood best friend, it’s obvious that Goku would have a strong emotional attachment to the little guy. Toriyama was so attached to his voice actor that he made Yajirobe just to keep them in the job! Both of Krillin’s major deaths were also huge moments for Goku, impacting Dragon Ball’s story in its entirety.
In the King Piccolo Saga, Krillin is killed by Tamborine at the very beginning. Tamborine kicks Krillin hard enough to snap his neck after he sets off to retrieve some objects for Goku, and this acts as a major catalyst for Goku to seek vengeance. Thankfullhy, Krillin is revived by the Dragon Balls for the time being, until he gets killed by Frieza in DBZ. The tyrant blows him up, and the resulting shock sends Goku into a rage that lets him achieve the first Super Saiyan transformation.
Master Roshi Went Out Like A Boss
Even Masters Must Meet Their Makers
The King Piccolo Saga had a shockingly high body count for Dragon Ball up until that point. This saga was a major turning point for the series as a whole, adding a certain layer of menace to the Dragon Ball franchise that it hadn’t depicted before. King Piccolo was an incredible villain for the cast to fight, to the point where Master Roshi feels the need to sacrifice his life to use the Evil Containment Wave on him.
Roshi’s Evil Containment Wave can capture any living thing and seal it away for eternity. The downside of this technique is that if the user doesn’t have enough energy, they will die regardless of whether the technique is successful or not. At this junction in the story, using the technique is almost surely fatal, but Roshi uses it against King Piccolo anyway. He nearly succeeds, but misses the opening of the container at the last second. Before he dies, he says that King Piccolo hasn’t won yet. While Roshi was revived by the Dragon Balls, King Piccolo had a lot more carnage to get through before his own demise.
Chiaotzu Was One Of King Piccolo’s Many Victims
Unfortunately, Chiaotzu Tends to Go Out With a Bang
Chiaotzu has a bit of a self-sacrificial streak as seen in both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. In the former, he attempts to use a wish on Shenron to wish for the destruction of King Piccolo but is foiled when the villain blasts him and ends his life. He dies again in Dragon Ball Z when trying to take Nappa with him by self-destructing. Often, Chiaotzu is in way over his head when it comes to the fights in the series, to the point where he starts to sit it out more often than not. However, he is a brave little guy and it’s clear that he will put himself on the line for his friends.
Even Shenron Can Die
While Shenron Felt Like an All-Powerful Being, Even He Couldn’t Escape King Piccolo’s Wrath
The King Piccolo Saga gave the audience a lot of moments where it felt like all was lost, but what he did after killing Chiaotzu resulted in one of the most hopeless moments in the entirety of Dragon Ball. After dispatching Chiaotzu, King Piccolo steps up to wish for his youth to be returned. Shenron, being the magical wish dragon bound to the duty of the Dragon Balls, grants this request.
As Shenron attempts to return to the Dragon Balls, King Piccolo kills him in order to render the Dragon Balls inert. This is one of those shocking moments in the earlier phases of the series that tends to get forgotten about. It was a major turning point in the entire conflict and robbed quite a bit of hope from the plot. Kami would go on to reconstruct Shenron later and this act wouldn’t be replicated, but it was an insane moment at the time of its occurence.
King Piccolo Probably Should Have Wished For Immortality
Goku Eventually Put King Piccolo’s Reign Of Terror to an End
Why Did Goku Give Piccolo a Senzu Bean at the End of Dragon Ball?
Goku giving Piccolo a Senzu bean at the end of Dragon Ball was one of his most impactful choices, but why did he do it?
King Piccolo is one of the few villains that ever got to wish on the Dragon Balls, and he made the choice to be restored to the prime of his life. Considering his overwhelming power, this isn’t a bad instinct, but it is a bit short-sighted. King Piccolo is assured of his place at the top of the proverbial food chain, so he wouldn’t feel the need to worry about this. Goku ultimately kills King Piccolo after destroying his “children.”
Goku is out for blood during his confrontation with King Piccolo and after a truly harrowing battle, he launches himself straight through King Piccolo and leaves him with a hole in his chest that would make DIO proud. This would be one of the last deaths that Goku would cause directly in the series. After this, his habit of letting his villains go becomes more of a recurring instance.
Raditz Never Getting Brought Back Was Wasted Potential
Considering His Appearance Marks One of The Most Drastic Changes In The Story, Raditz’s Absence is a Bit Puzzling
The skip from Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Z led to a lot of changes in the shōnen classic. Goku becomes an adult, a family man, and it is revealed that he is an alien. An alien with a brother. Raditz’s appearance in the show changed it from a fantasy to a sci-fi, and he was not here to play. Raditz came to earth as a conqueror, and he wanted his brother to join him.
When Goku doesn’t instantly agree to go with Raditz, Raditz kidnaps Gohan. This moment sparks the relationship between Goku and Piccolo as they team up to take him down. Raditz would ultimately be killed by Piccolo, as the Special Beam Cannon technique pierced both him and Goku (who was struggling to keep Raditz from avoiding the attack). Raditz’s death was also a bit of a waste as he was never brought back, leaving a lot of questions and missed opportunities for Goku to have another family member in the plot.
Goku’s Death At Piccolo’s Hands Was The First Stop In A Future Trend
Spoiler Warning: Goku Dies. A lot.
Piccolo has the dubious honor of being one of the few villains to kill Goku, despite the fact that he was a only a villain in name at the time. Goku ended up dying as a side effect of Piccolo shooting the Special Beam Cannon through both him and Raditz, but this would not be the last death Goku would experience. He was revived to fight Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga, but dies later as a sacrifice to defeat Cell after his plans with Gohan go awry.
The aforementioned death to Cell occurs when he teleports him off the planet as he threatens to blow up the entire Earth, along with himself. Instead, Goku takes him to King Kai’s planet where he explodes, taking everyone on the tiny planet with him. Goku would also die in the Future Trunks timeline from a heart disease, in another timeline to Zamasu taking his body, and momentarily dies to Hit in Dragon Ball Super. Goku always finds his way back though, and people never stop loving him for it.
Yamcha And Tien Would Both Be Casualties of The Saiyan Saga
While Yamcha and Tien Are Immensely Skilled Humans, The Saiyans Proved Too Much For Their Abilities
Dragon Ball’s Best Fighter Isn’t Even a Saiyan
Despite not being a Saiyan or having the ability to transform, Tien Shinhan is Dragon Ball’s greatest fighter.
Yamcha and Tien are both characters who are featured heavily with Goku throughout Dragon Ball, as both enemies and friends. They practically grew up alongside him, becoming more mature fighters, but they are officially out of their depth once Dragon Ball Z rolls around. Yamcha was first to die in the Saiyan Saga, as a Saibaman grabbed him from behind and blew him up, leaving him in a crater that will be memed until the heat death of the universe. Tien ended up dying after using the Tri-Beam on Nappa after Chiaotzu’s death, draining the last of his energy and dying from it. The Saiyan Saga body count was one of the highest in terms of main characters, but both Tien and Yamcha were revived with the use of the Dragon Balls.
Piccolo’s Death Was One Of The Most Tragic Moments In The Series
Piccolo’s Character Arc Spans All of Dragon Ball, and His Death Displayed Growth
Before Vegeta’s character arc took the spotlight, Piccolo was growing a heart after being put in charge of Gohan post-kidnapping him. In his quest to turn the boy into a great warrior, Piccolo grew a strong attachment to the son of his rival and ended up sacrificing his life to save him. He gets in the way of Nappa’s blast, saving Gohan from his ultimate demise.
Piccolo’s sacrifice for Gohan showed that he had fully arc’d into the Piccolo audiences know and love today. Piccolo is able to declare that Gohan was his first friend with his dying breath, solidifying this as a moment that would make grown people cry twenty years later. Piccolo’s death was a major moment as it also killed Kami, making the Dragon Balls inert, foiling Vegeta’s plans. This set of circumstances also necessitated the trip to Namek and officially opened up Dragon Ball the universe.
Vegeta’s Death On Namek Started His Heel-Face Turn
Similar to Piccolo, Vegeta’s Character Took a Journey and Death Was an Important Pit Stop
Vegeta is a fan favorite for a plethora of reasons. Beyond having a fun character, great design and great voice acting, his plot is incredibly compelling. Vegeta’s arc from villain to family man begins with his death on Namek. Frieza shoots a hole right through him and punctures his lung, leaving him bleeding out and gasping for air. As he dies, Vegeta tearfully explains to Goku the torture that living under Frieza’s rule has been.
This moment would directly lead to his sacrifice later in the Buu Saga, taking himself out with the hope of taking Majin Buu with him. Vegeta’s complex arc truly starts at this first death, as this is the moment where he shows a very different side of himself. It’s the first display of vulnerability shown by the Saiyan prince. Dying ultimately puts him on his road to redemption, even though it gets very bumpy along the way.
Frieza’s Death Really Should Have Stayed Permanent
Many Fans Feel That Frieza’s Constant Resurrections Lessen The Impact of His Death
10 Best Frieza Fights in Dragon Ball Super, Ranked
Frieza is one of Dragon Ball Super’s most vile villains, but he’s also someone who’s engaged in some of the series’ most thrilling fights.
The post-Namek saga is really where death truly stopped mattering in the Dragon Ball universe. But that wasn’t really true for the villains yet, as a newly rebuilt Frieza would find out after meeting his second Super Saiyan. Trunks ultimately ends up killing Frieza — despite Goku having had every chance to do it — slicing him into small pieces before destroying them with an energy blast. Frieza’s death (when taking his arc into consideration) is very anticlimactic for one of the best villains in the franchise. That, along with his popularity, probably led to him being revived. Frieza would come back to basically be Team Rocket in Dragon Ball Super, but before that he was carved into confetti by Trunks.
Android 16 Was The Straw That Broke Gohan
Android 16’s Death Allowed Gohan to Tap Into The Rage Needed For His Super Saiyan 2 Transformation
Goku’s entire plan for the Cell Games was to, eventually, throw Gohan into the ring in the hopes that Cell would push him into his enraged state. This was ultimately achieved when Cell crushed Android 16’s decapitated head beneath his foot. The nature-loving android giving Gohan a final speech about doing the right thing was killed mid-sentence before his eyes. This moment triggered Gohan’s iconic Super Saiyan 2 transformation, leading to some of the most brutal scenes in the franchise. Android 16 was ultimately a sacrificial lamb, not alive in the traditional sense, but his death was one that was just traumatizing enough to change Gohan.
Perfect Cell Got A Perfect Death
Cell Never Being Revived Allows For His Death To Truly Stick
Perfect Cell had a lot going for him as a villain, being one of the few who ultimately just ends up with the goal of defeating whomever he can in the pursuit of being the strongest. It’s almost a dark form of Goku’s own desire for self-improvement. He proves to be very hard to put down. Ultimately, his ability to regenerate is just incredibly powerful. He even comes back after blowing himself up, recomprising himself from a single cell like Ultimate Wolverine. This would bring him into an epic beam struggle with Gohan, culminating in the father-son kamehameha that would become one of the most iconic scenes in the entire franchise. Cell is obliterated and definitely is not wished back, though he does get a ton of fun lines in Dragon Ball FighterZ.
Majin Buu Destroyed The Whole Planet’s Population, Everyone Died At Least Once
In Terms Of Pure Destruction, Buu Was The Most Successful Villain in Dragon Ball History
It is an interesting state for an anime to be in when death matters so little, blowing up the planet feels like the logical conclusion. While not destroying the planet as a whole, Buu does wipe out the population with the Human Extinction Attack and his subsequent actions. With the exception of Goku, Vegeta, and Mr. Satan, Buu kills off the entire planet Earth. While everything and everyone was wished back by the Namekian Dragon Balls, this ultimately means that basically every character in Dragon Ball has died at least once. Mr. Satan himself is one of the very few exceptions to this rule.
