Dragon Ballis one of the most iconic anime franchises around. Akira Toriyama’s creation has been loved around the world, spawning a ton of great sequels fans have continued to love for generations. One of the reasonsDragon Ballstands head and shoulders above most of its competition isits willingness to kill off characters.Sure, characters never reallystaydead in the series, but it doesn’t mean their sacrifices aren’t memorable.
Characters like Goku and Piccolo are always willing to lay down their lives for their friends, showing their bravery, loyalty, and willingness to do one of the hardest things possible. The sacrifices made by characters inDragon Ballarealways heart-wrenching.It’s never good to watch a character die, so their friends might live, and inDragon Ball,most sacrifices are entirely pointless. Not only do the characters who sacrificed themselves come back to life later, but they almost never take out their target in the first place.
10Android 16 vs. Cell
Episode 184 - “Cell Juniors Attack!”
Android 16 has one of the quickest andbest character arcs in the Cell Saga.He starts the series as a bloodthirsty Android built with the sole purpose of killing Son Goku. When Cell comes from the future, he’s smart enough to realize he has a new threat he needs to handle. Cell quickly became much stronger than 16, dismantling him piece by piece until there was nothing left but his head. Gohan wasn’t willing to truly hurt Cell, and 16 knew he needed some words of encouragement.
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16 gave Gohan the strength he needed to push forward. Without his advice,Gohan wouldn’t have been able to dig deepand find his inner strength. Cell stomps 16’s head like he’s putting out a small fire, ending the Android after he’s done giving Gohan a pep talk. It worked against Cell, as Gohan then had the determination and anger he needed to finally take Cell down.
9Nail and Kami
Episodes 77 and 141 - “The Fusion” and “The Reunion”
Nail and Kami are the rare cases inDragon Ballwhere characters don’t sacrifice themselves in battle. Piccolo absorbed both of them,becoming the strongest Namekian in existence in the process. When he’s on Namek, he finds Nail on the verge of death after the Frieza Force nearly killed him. He gives his last remaining strength to Piccolo. When Cell overpowers many of the Z Fighters, Piccolo knows he needs to fuze with Kami once again as well.
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Both Nail and Kami’s sacrificesgave Piccolo the strength he has today.Without Nail, Piccolo wouldn’t have stood a chance against Frieza, and the same can be said about Kami and Cell. Piccolo has been alone most of his life. While it isn’t the most traditional way of gaining company, by absorbing Nail and Kami, the now Nameless Namkian won’t have to worry about being lonely ever again.
8Chiaotzu vs. Nappa
Episode 24 - “The Power of Nappa”
Nappa and Vegeta were once the greatest threats the Z Fighters had ever faced. Raditz tried warning them of the upcoming danger, but nothing could have prepared them for the onslaught the Saiyans were bringing with them. Chiaotzu was nearly killed by Nappa. Instead of dying, he was able to sneak himself onto the bald Saiyan’s back and attach himself like a small bomb. Chiaotzu telepathically communicates with his best friendTien, telling him goodbye, before self-destructing.
Chiaotzu’s sacrifice is one of the most heart-breakingbecause it doesn’t do anything.Chiaotzu’s explosion kills himself but doesn’t leave a dent on Nappa. Nappa’s armor is completely intact, and he doesn’t even have a scratch on him. It’s a brutal death that’s entirely meaningless. In Chiaotzu’s defense, Nappa probably would have killed him anyway, so maybe trying to take Nappa with him wasn’t the worst idea after all.
7Future Gohan vs. the Androids
“The History of Trunks” TV Special
The future timeline where Goku dies of the heart virus is one of thebleakest storylines inDragon Ball Z.Future Trunks and Future Gohan are the only two people left from the Z Fighters after Androids 17 and 18 killed everyone. Even together, they’re no match for the Androids. Future Gohan knew that it was only a matter of time before the Androids found Trunks, but he didn’t want the young boy to become another one of their victims. Gohan knocks Trunks out before going to fight the Androids alone, dying brutally in the process.
Future Gohan saved Future Trunks and was able to give their timelines the tiniest sliver of hope. Had Gohan not laid down his life for his student and friend, the Androids would have killed Trunks before he could travel to the future andwarn Goku about the heart virusthat claimed his life in Trunks’s timeline.
6Goku vs. Cell
Episode 188 - “A Hero’s Farewell”
Goku’s fights against Cell were weird at best. He probably could have defeated Cell on his own, but chose to throw his very much unwilling son into the ring. Gohan never wanted to be a fighter, but as one of the world’s strongest, he didn’t have much of a choice. To make things worse, Goku even gives Cell a Senzu Bean so he can recover all of his strength. Goku helps Cell a lot while Cell is actively trying to kill his son and destroy the Earth, and eventually,Cell puts himself in a position to do both.
Goku realizes his mistakes much too late. He’s forced to teleport Cell off-planet to avoid an explosion, but the plan doesn’t work. Not only does Goku basically kill himself, but he makes Cell much stronger thanks to Goku’s Saiyan cells.Goku’s sacrifice was not only meaningless,but he was probably the second-greatest antagonist in the Cell Arc. If he was a better father, or a smarter fighter, he and Trunks might both have survived.
5Piccolo Saves Goku
Episode 95 - “Transformed at Last”
Goku’s Spirit Bomb is one of thebiggest memes inDragon Ball. It’s both Goku’s strongest attack and his least effective, as it rarely ever works. When Goku is fighting Frieza, he realizes he’s going to need more than a Kamehameha to bring down the tyrant. By channeling the energy of all living things on Namek, and the surrounding planets, Goku is able to throw a giant mass of energy right at Frieza. When the Z Fighters lower their guards,Frieza is able to shoot a Death Beam right at Goku.
Piccolo pushes Goku out of the way, wounding himself severely in the process. It’s a moment of quick-thinking from the Namekian as at this point in the series, Goku is the only one strong enough to fight Frieza. If Goku were to have been hit by the Death Beam,Frieza wouldn’t have died on Namek,and he probably would have gone on to destroy the Earth as well.
4Goku and Piccolo vs. Raditz
Episode 5 - “Gohan’s Rage”
Goku’s first death inDragon Ball Zwas a moment of pure sacrifice. His brother Raditz had just come to Earth and kidnapped Gohan. He told Goku, now revealed to be the Saiyan Kakarot, that if he wasn’t going to subjugate Earth with him, he’d kill his son. Goku then has to work with his long-time enemy Piccolo to take his brother down. It’s an incredibly memorable moment asGoku realizes that if he wants to kill his brother, he’ll have to die too.
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Goku’s first death is themost important event in the series for Piccolo’s character development.With Goku dead, Piccolo takes it upon himself to train Gohan, finding his first friend in the process. Gohan gets much stronger thanks to Piccolo, but more importantly, he’s the first person to see Piccolo for who he truly is.
3Tien vs. Cell
Episodes 152 and 153 - “Say Goodbye, 17” and “Sacrifice”
Tien’s Shin Kikoho is an awesome move against Cell.At this point in the series, Cell is nearly unstoppable. The Z Fighters are trying to buy as much time as they can to get stronger, and Tien decides to help them out. While he’s not strong enough to truly damage Cell, his Shin Kikoho (Neo Tri-Beam) is powerful enough to press Cell into the ground over and over again.
Tien never stood a chance against Cell,and that’s exactly what makes this sacrifice great. Because of Tien, both Android 16 and 18 were able to escape. Goku was also able to save Piccolo because of Tien’s powerful attacks. Tien’s ability to hold off Cell is one of the few sacrifices inDragon Ballthat meant anything. He doesn’t hurt Cell in the slightest, but he gives the Z Fighters a fighting chance against the monster.
2Piccolo Saves Gohan
Episode 27 - “Nimbus Speed”
Piccolo and Gohan have one of the best relationships inDragon Ball Z.With Goku dead, Piccolo acts asone of anime’s best father figuresfor the young Half-Saiyan. Even though he’s one of the first antagonists of the series, Nappa is a huge threat to the Z Fighters. Earth’s warriors are doing what they can to hold off the Saiyans, waiting for Goku, but it isn’t enough. Nappa is about to finally kill Gohan when Piccolo intervenes. He takes the attack that washeaded for Goku’s son and dies for Gohan.
It’s a heart-breaking moment as Piccolo finally reveals how much he cares for Gohan. He admits that Gohan was thefirst person to see him as a real person, thanking Gohan for being his first friend. Piccolo’s sacrifice is what finally changes him from bad guy to good guy, setting the stage for the rest of his character arc.
1Majin Vegeta’s Ultimate Sacrifice
Episode 237 - “Final Atonement”
Vegeta’s sacrifice is one of the most iconic in anime andthe pinnacle of his character arc.After growing to hate himself for living such a comfortable life, Vegeta accepts a deal from Babidi and becomes much stronger at the cost of his humanity. He fights Goku fairly evenly in one of thebest fights inDragon Ball, knocking Goku out cold and winning the fight once Goku lowers his guard. Vegeta realizes he’s taken the wrong path and looks to correct his course once and for all.
The episode title “Final Atonement” is perfect.Vegeta is truly atoning for his admitted sins.His sacrifice is the single moment where Vegeta is able to look at his past honestly. He finally appreciates his family for the life they’ve given him, and even Kakarot for being a great rival. The moment is made even more heart-breaking when Buu survives the blast, making yet another one ofDragon Ball’smost brutal sacrifices entirely pointless.
Dragon Ball Z
Cast
Dragon Ball Z follows Goku, who lives a peaceful life with his family until the arrival of Raditz, a mysterious warrior claiming to be Goku’s brother. This revelation unveils their true heritage as Saiyans, a formidable warrior race known for conquering planets.
