Since the original release ofDragon Ballas a manga in 1984, the franchise has become a global phenomenon. Such was the impact of the adventures of Son Goku and his friends on Earth, in space, and eventually in different dimensions that a lot of events inDragon Ball,Dragon Ball Z, and evenDragon Ball Superhave shaped the way shonen manga and anime appear today. Aside from over-the-top transformations and awesome fights, theDragon Ballstory also featured deaths that are impactful to the current status of the franchise today.
For fans and even newcomers toDragon Ballwho got used to seeing Goku and his friends always prevail against enemies, the prospect of death inDragon Ballmight not be as convincing as a storytelling tool. Interestingly enough, certain deaths in the franchise have affected the very foundations of futureDragon Ballstorylines. However, just which deaths have become the most impactful in the series?
Cause
Future Zeno erases Infinite Zamasu from existence
WhenZamasubecomes an insurmountable threat in the timeline of Future Trunks, the youngster goes to the past and pleads to Goku and Vegeta for help. As it turns out, Zamasu succeeded in killing all Supreme Kais, leading to the deaths of all Gods of Destruction. After absorbing Goku to become Goku Black, Zamasu has become the supreme ruler of his timeline. Zamasu becomes a timeline-level threat when his future counterpart comes to the present and fuses with Goku Black, creating the all-powerful Fused Zamasu. Despite Goku and Vegeta’s efforts, Zamasu would amass further power andbecome Infinite Zamasu, practically an unbeatable enemy.
Such was Infinite Zamasu’s strength that Goku had to call the omnipotent Future Zeno for his assistance, with the latter ending Zamasu’s threat by erasing him from existence. This death is already contentious due to its nature, as Goku was mere moments away from death before remembering he possessed Future Zeno’s “calling card” button. While it’s true that Future Zeno’s power display was a necessity to introduce the Universe Survival Saga, the meaning of “death” in theDragon Ballsaga was reduced further with the realization that even the most extreme threats could be erased by Goku’s new buddy Zeno.
Dragon BallEpisode 112, Chapter 147
King Piccolo kills Shenron before the Dragon Balls disperse, preventing anyone else from using it against him
None of thefinishing moves of theDragon Ballcastwould matter against the might of the wish-granting dragonShenron, making his summoning a focal point of a majority of the franchise. Such was Shenron’s power that King Piccolo used his Mouth Energy Wave attack to kill the dragon just before he dispersed the Dragon Balls. This way, no one can gather the Dragon Balls and use them against him. Such a move was unprecedented, as this death in the ongoingDragon Ballback then meant there was no way to resurrect Goku and Tien should they fail against Piccolo as Earth’s last hope.
When Goku finally kills King Piccolo, Kami decides there are still good people on Earth and resurrects Shenron. There’s no explanation as to how this happened until the Saiyan and Frieza Sagas, where it’s revealed that only by slaying the guardian can one permanently disable the Dragon Balls. This happened when Piccolo, who was connected to Kami, sacrificed his life to protect Gohan. And when Gohan and Krillin used Porunga and the Namekian Dragon Balls to revive Piccolo, so did Shenron resurface.
Dragon Ball ZEpisodes 119-120, Chapters 331-332
Future Trunks goes Super Saiyan, slices him to pieces, and dusts him off with an energy blast
Just when the Z-Warriors had started a normal life a year and a half since their visit to Namek, their fiercest enemies came to Earth itself for a counterattack. It didn’t help thatFriezawas stronger than ever with cybernetic parts, but an equally strong threat came in the form of King Cold who personally wanted to supervise Goku’s death and Earth’s destruction. With no Goku and no Super Saiyan to protect them, it may have been the end of life as they knew it. That is until a teenager with a sword appeared.
Not only did he prove himself strong enough to contend with Mecha Frieza, but he transformed into Frieza’s hated Super Saiyan before bisecting the villain and blasting him off to smithereens. While thisFuture Trunks introductionremained one of the most awesome inDragon Ballhistory, his arrival and ease of killing Frieza may have started the power-creeping problem in the franchise. Since then, what required Krillin’s death to accomplish (Super Saiyan) simply received casual upgrades as soon as the villain used their own power-up.
Krillin and Future Trunks destroy Doctor Gero’s laboratory
AmongDragon Ball’s villains, Cell remains one of the franchise’s deadliest and most infamousas his transformationsreflect his status as the Ultimate Lifeform. Thankfully, Krillin and Future Trunks destroya larval Cellin their presence in Dr. Gero’s lab, preventing any future threats. “Their present” is used deliberately, as another Cell becomes their feared opponent. It’s this Cell that Gohan eventually kills, although it’s the larval Present Cell that may have the more pivotal death. After all, this Present Cell jumpstarted the headache that is time-traveling Future Trunks.
It’s revealed that the Perfect Cell they fight came from a timeline where Another Future Trunks from the past kills the Future Androids but gets killed by Imperfect Cell. This Cell steals AFT’s time machine and goes to the present timeline where he encounters a different version of Future Trunks. After this Cell is killed, Future Trunks returns to his own timeline and kills his own timeline’s version of Cell, who in this case was still in his imperfect form.
Dragon BallEpisode 111, Chapter 146
Failure to fully seal King Piccolo caused too much strain on his body
Despite his status today as a side character,Master Roshihas become one of the most notable figures of the OGDragon Ballseries due to his martial arts prowess. Serving asthe mentor of Goku, Krillin, and other students, this immortal warrior has always been a dependable fighter when things got rough. Such was his prowess that Master Roshi almost sealed the dreaded King Piccolo in the Evil Containment Wave, only for him to narrowly miss the jar’s opening.
The failure of the move causes Master Roshi to die, and for King Piccolo to revel in the fact that he can use the Dragon Balls to restore his youth. This was terrifying at the time, as the death of Master Roshi meant it was truly up to Goku and Tien not just to avenge their master but to save the world. The act was also among the last fans would see of Master Roshi fully performing as a martial artist beforeDragon Ball Ztook place.
Dragon Ball ZEpisode 5, Chapter 9
Goku holds Raditz in place while Piccolo fires a Special Beam Cannon to both of them. Piccolo then finishes Raditz
One of the biggest shockers in the opening segments ofDragon Ball Zwas the reveal that Goku didn’t just have a brother in the form ofRaditz, but that they were both part of an endangered warrior race destined to become conquerors. Goku wasn’t just a gifted boy with a monkey’s tail that could go berserk, but all Saiyans had this property. WhenRaditz proved too strong for Goku and Piccolo to fight together, Goku made the sacrifice play so Piccolo could kill the villain with a Special Beam Cannon - even if it cost Goku his life.
While this act did allow Piccolo and Goku’s newborn Gohan to bond, the more important implication of this fight was the thematic transition that occurred in the series. After all, Raditz’s reveal upended the mythology of the iconic franchise, beginning its transition into a sci-fi fantasy martial arts hybrid that featured food pun-named aliens, cyborgs, and even gods.
Dragon Ball GTEpisode 64
Omega Shenron blasts him with a Negative Karma Ball, only to reappear after Vegeta buys them time. He vanishes again after the fight, after saying goodbye to his friends
Prior toDragon Ball Super,the anime-exclusiveDragon Ball GTwas poised as the definitive ending to theDragon BallSaga. Although starting as a callback to Goku’s childhood adventures,GTreaches its climax when the malice-infected Black Star Dragon Balls transform into its ultimate embodiment, Omega Shenron. Such was this villain’s strength that he had seemingly killedKid Gokubefore the hero miraculously made a comeback, finishing the villain with a universe-wide Super Ultra Spirit Bomb. When the real Shenron tells Goku it’s time to leave, the hero makes one last trip to thank his friends before sleeping on Shenron’s back. The epilogue teases a grandma Pan seeing a glimpse of Goku, now back as an adult, watching over the fight of Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr.
While Kid Goku makes a miraculous recovery in his fight against Omega Shenron, it’s implied that he indeed actually died at the time. The events of his revival were left ambiguous to viewers, as was Kid Goku’s conversation with Shenron before he left. Goku had apparently “never been this tired,” and asked if it was “already that time.” The ambiguity of Goku’s status in the ending allowed his character to transcend into a mythological status, makingGT’s contested ending still an appropriate one for the iconic character at the time.
Nappa launches a Bomber DX at Gohan, which Piccolo intersects
Whenthe Orange Piccolo and Beast Gohan transformationsmanaged to debut in the same film, one might think they’re a gag to the fact thatPiccolomay have been a more prominent father figure to Gohan compared to absentee Goku. This running gag goes way back, however, when Goku willingly sacrifices his life so Piccolo can kill Raditz and buy the Z-Warriors time to train against the upcoming Saiyans. While Piccolo initially uses this time to take Gohan under his wing to help him fight the Saiyans and eventually conquer the world, the Namekian shows a subtle fondness for the youngster.
This comes ahead when Nappa and Vegeta arrive on Earth, where Piccolo takes a strong attack meant for Gohan so the child can reunite with a resurrected Goku. Aside from cementing Piccolo’s status as a godfather figure to Gohan, this became a well-established redemption arc for the character. Piccolo sacrificing his life for his rival’s son wasn’t just payback for Goku’s mercy in their fight before, but perhaps caring for the planet he was supposed to conquer.
Dragon Ball ZEpisode 237, Chapter 467
He used the self-destructing Final Explosion in the hopes of destroying Majin Buu
When the Wizard Babidi tempts Vegeta with the power to finally defeat Goku, the Saiyan Prince accepts and succumbs to his evil desires. Unfortunately, this also happened at the expense of freeing Majin Buu, the galaxy’s most dangerous threat. By the timeMajin Vegetarealizes the error in his ways, his fight with Goku was underway and the monstrous being has already begun his rampage. After knocking Goku unconscious, Majin Vegeta decides to kill Majin Buu himself to stop this evil he caused to appear. Such wasVegeta’s renewed resolvethat he decided to use his Final Explosion to kill himself and Majin Buu.
Piccolo was the one to witness his decision, with the lone and brooding warrior commending Vegeta for his sacrifice. Unfortunately for Vegeta, his Final Explosion doesn’t manage to destroy Majin Buu. In terms of story, Vegeta’s death and Majin Buu’s survival would mark one of the rare instances of dread in the series, as one of the Z-Fighters' heavy hitters proved incapable of defeating Majin Buu. However, this episode also marked the best moment in Vegeta’s character development, as though his arc from way back in the Saiyan Saga has led to this moment. This was also pivotal at a time whenDragon Ball Zwas being positioned as the end of the series.
Dragon Ball ZEpisode 184, Chapter 407
Perfect Cell mercilessly steps on the head of Android 16, killing him
Despite being a large Android designed to kill Goku,Android 16 remained the most peacefulamong the Androids that Future Trunks once treated as the world’s greatest threat.Android 16even began to love life on Earth to such an extent that he was willing to self-destruct himself to destroy Perfect Cell. While he successfully destroys his body, Cell still manages to recuperate from severe injuries. After Perfect Cell unleashes his Cell Juniors to attack the Z-Fighters, he stumbles upon Android 16 and mercilessly crushes his head - killing him.
Before his death, Android 16 makes one last plea to Gohan:Protect the life he loved. The death pushes Gohan to the edge, forcing the young Super Saiyan to forget his pacifist ways and transcend into Super Saiyan 2. Toriyama’s original intentions of replacing Goku with Gohan are revealed here, as the latter is the first to tap into the ascended form and even destroy Cell. Unfortunately, Gohan reaching adulthood in the Buu Saga and beyond scraps this idea. While Gohan’s Beast Form inSuperis still hinted as the adult eventually surpassing his father, Goku remains in the spotlight of the series.
