Action is a key factor in what makes Dragon Ball the popular franchise that it is. This doesn't apply solely to the off-the-wall battles that Goku and his friends find themselves in, but also those character-defining, crazy split-second, or even heartbreaking decisions they make, too.
A character can always talk a big game, but it's their actions that end up proving it, and Dragon Ball's characters have done just that over the years. Whether it's a flex of power or an act of redemption, these actions speak louder than words ever could. They do say talk is cheap, after all.
10 Yajirobe Slices Vegeta's Tail Off
Yajirobe isn't exactly the strongest or the bravest character in Dragon Ball history, but he has managed to come through in a pinch. While Yajirobe usually assists the Z Fighters by delivering the healing Senzu Beans to them, his greatest achievement actually comes during the tail end (no pun intended) of the "Saiyan Saga".
To help his friends against the Great Ape Vegeta, Yajirobe slices off the Saiyan prince's tail which forces him back to his normal form. Though scared and not nearly on the same power level as his allies, Yajirobe showed true courage to help them level the playing field.
9 Chiaotzu Self Destructs Trying To Take Out Nappa
Many of the Z Fighters don't survive during the Saiyan Saga, dropping like flies one by one before Goku is able to get there. Chiaotzu is the second one to die, as he and the others take on Nappa, but he goes out on his own terms and tries his best to at least take the Saiyan out with him.
Latching onto Nappa's back, Chiaotzu becomes a living bomb and self-destructs in an effort to save Tien and the rest of his friends. While it barely leaves a scratch on the large Saiyan, Chiaotzu's willingness to sacrifice himself this way shows just how much he wants to protect those around him, even if it costs him his life.
8 Krillin Breaks the Shut Down Remote To Spare 18
Krillin may not be the strongest fighter when compared to Goku or Vegeta, but his spirit and compassion are perhaps his greatest qualities. One such moment is when he has the shutdown remote for the Androids in the palm of his hand. With it, he could terminate Android 18 and stop Cell's plans to reach his perfect form, but instead, Krillin destroys the remote and spares her.
While this could be seen as a mistake since this action is what allows Cell to achieve his full strength, this moment isn't just a sign of Krillin's feelings for 18, but also his sense of mercy and willingness to see the humanity in the Androids. This is especially poignant when, previously, he wasn't even willing to spare an injured Vegeta when they had the chance to kill him.
7 Beerus Destroys Half A Planet For Almost No Reason
In the movie Battle of Gods, as soon as the god of destruction, Beerus, wakes up, he makes a beeline for Earth in the attempt to find the "Super Saiyan God". But in Dragon Ball Super his first appearance was a little different. Gorging himself with the delicacies from a planet of pig-like people, Beerus notes that the food is good but a little greasy, and as a result, Beerus obliterates half the planet in an instant.
Essentially Beerus destroys untold millions of lives over nothing. This single action makes it clear that this god will absolutely destroy whomever and whatever stands in his way for the smallest and pettiest of reasons.
6 Frieza's Pride Leads To His Defeat
If there's one word that describes Frieza's entire personality, it's "pride". His sense of arrogance and entitlement endures no matter what shape he's in, and it does him in during the end of his first battle with Goku. With his energy depleting fast, Goku gets bored and decides that continuing the fight is pointless. This ends up touching a nerve for Frieza, who attacks Goku only to have it backfire on him instead.
Sliced into pieces and begging for mercy, Goku ends up sharing his energy with Frieza. He attacks the Saiyan, only for Goku to finally finish Frieza off. This moment showcases both Goku's willingness to spare even the worst of enemies as well as Frieza's dangerous hubris.
5 Piccolo Shields Gohan From Nappa's Attack
Admittedly, Piccolo and Gohan don't have the best start to their friendship, considering that the Namekian kidnaps the boy moments after his father dies to train him to fight against the Saiyans. However, over the time they spent before the Saiyans' arrival, they did form a close bond, one that would cause Piccolo to give his life to save Gohan's.
Piccolo jumps in the way of an attack meant for Gohan, using his own body to shield him as Piccolo takes the full brunt of it, dying soon after. This moment would go on to define Piccolo's redemption as someone willing to risk everything for his friend.
4 Universe 9 Is Erased From Existence
The Tournament of Power's rules are simple: it's a giant battle royale where the last universe standing is the one to keep existing. The stakes are high even before it starts, but seeing the penalty for losing in action is truly something else.
Universe 9 is the first to be eliminated, as the Grand Zenos completely erase their fighters, their Supreme Kai, and their god of destruction from existence as the rest of the contestants look on with shock and horror. The most terrifying part is how the Omni-Kings treat it like nothing more than a game.
3 Frieza Destroys Planet Vegeta With Mad Glee
Frieza is a conqueror, plain and simple, but his motives for enslaving the Saiyan race go deeper than just another extension of his empire. Frieza hated the Saiyans and feared the legend of the Super Saiyan who could possibly defeat him one day. So, to secure his rule and eradicate the Saiyans, Frieza destroys Planet Vegeta.
At this moment, Frieza is flexing the immense power that only his first form has, not even bothering to transform just to further indicate how he sees the Saiyans as beneath him. To top it all off, this act of genocide ends up sending Frieza into mad laughter as he watches millions of lives be extinguished.
2 Super Buu Annihilates The Human Race Out Of Boredom
Sometimes apathy can be more dangerous than malice, and nobody embodies that better than Majin Buu (his evil half to be precise) who doesn't seem to take pleasure or sorrow from the many lives he takes. After Super Buu appears on Kami's lookout in search of Gotenks, Piccolo suggests that he wait for the fusion warrior to arrive by terrorizing Earth some more.
This act was all Piccolo could do to stall for time, but Super Buu ends up taking things way further by shooting a volley of ki blasts that basically make the Earth's population extinct in a matter of seconds. Apart from just showing how powerful he is, the scariest part is that Buu did this all out of sheer boredom.
1 Vegeta's Makes The Ultimate Sacrifice
Vegeta is no angel, given the list of his many faults. He's been a violent egotist who has ended many lives, whether they were innocent or not. But after his return to Earth and fathering a son with Bulma, Vegeta slowly but surely started to change for the better.
His redemption comes to a head during the Majin Buu Saga where he decides the only way to stop Buu is to sacrifice himself in one big explosion. He tells Trunks how proud of him he is before sending him off, and thinks to himself about all the people he's doing this for: Bulma, Trunks, and even Goku. Vegeta makes the ultimate sacrifice, proving just how far he's come since the Saiyan Saga.