Resurrections are a staple of Dragon Ball, an easy way to bring back beloved characters who met their fates at the hand of one of the many nefarious villains. There are times it's overused, washing away what was a very poignant and meaningful moment, while on other occasions it was a necessity.
The most surprising part of resurrections in the series is how few times they've been used on villains. It's almost exclusively a heroes thing as most villains tend to fade off once they've served their purpose (besides one) or end up turning to the side of good as Vegeta and so many others have.
10 Trunks– 2 Times
Both Future Trunks and Kid Trunks have met their end once, one at the hands of Cell and the other from Buu when he blew up the planet. Future Trunks' death had far more of an impact, leading to Vegeta going all out against Cell and solidifying their bond as father and son. The latter death was more of an also-ran moment, a catch-all for Buu's display of pure power. By that point in the series, you knew all the people who died were going to come back, making the entire display moot in the end.
9 Master Roshi– 2 Times
Very few people got revived in the original series, Master Roshi being one of the only main characters to receive the treatment after he failed to seal Piccolo Daimao away with the Mafuba. This was one of the first times the Balls had been used to revive someone, making the moment feel earned. The second time he was brought back was during the Buu arc after being turned to chocolate and consumed by the pink blob, a far less stellar way to go out.
8 Android 17– 2 Times
Neither of Android 17's revivals has had the same level of impact as some of the others here. He never grandly sacrificed himself, nor did he have the typical turn into a good guy moment as his fellow android did.
His deaths came from Buu's destruction of the planet and when Cell died, due to being inside of him. Thankfully, his character goes through some nice strides in Dragon Ball Super, making his revivals well worth it.
7 Yamcha– 2 Times
People think of Krillin when they think of jokes in the Dragon Ball universe, but that title is always going to belong to Yamcha. From Dragon Ball Z onward, he's treated as nothing more than chump who can't even get the dignity of being killed by the main villains. The Saibaman incident he was revived from being the most notable moment. His second resurrection came during the Buu saga where he was snacked on unceremoniously.
6 Tenshinhan– 2 Times
Forever underused, Tenshinhan has met his fate twice, one of which was during the Saiyan saga during a fight that doesn't get nearly enough credit for how good it is. His last ditch effort against Nappa after losing his arm was fantastic, nearly as good as how his partner met his end. It was the moment where the intensity of the series truly ramped up. The second time was a little less stellar as he'd fallen into sideline territory during the Buu saga.
5 Vegeta– 2 Times
Few characters have had as poignant and fitting deaths as Vegeta, proof that the overuse of Dragon Balls isn't always a bad thing. The first time he was brought back as was after Frieza killed him, letting the Saiyan Prince show his first glimmer of good.
The speech he gives before being put out of his misery is top-notch. Somehow, his self-sacrifice against Buu is even better. It's the character coming full circle and still one of the best moments in the entire series.
4 Goku– 2 Times
For the main hero of the show, Dragon Ball Z did a good job of making Goku fallible, having him lose fights and even die on occasion (far from the case in Super). The first time he's brought back is after Piccolo takes out both him and his brother Raditz with Makankosappo in a scene that lets you know the Saiyan arc was going to build off the maturity that had been building since the Red Ribbon Army arc. The second time was after he sacrificed himself during the Cell Games.
3 Chaozu– 3 Times
For someone that has never been much more than a side character, Chaozu's had some pretty emotional send-offs, none more so than when he blew himself up to stop Nappa. It's a scene that's highly underrated and still holds up well today. That wasn't the first time he died heroically either. In Dragon Ball, he was taken out by King Piccolo just before he could wish the demon away. The third time was a little more lackluster as it came with the Earth's destruction at Buu's hands.
2 Piccolo– 3 Times
For as popular a character as Piccolo is, the man dies an awful lot. Three of the deaths have led to him coming back, once during the Buu saga and twice while saving Gohan. The first of those sacrifices was against Nappa, solidifying not only that he was a good guy now along with the strong bond he had forgerd with Goku's son. It's a touching moment that for whatever reason they decided to rehash during the Golden Frieza arc. The entire scene felt like it was nothing more than pandering to the audience with nostalgia (just as most of that movie is).
1 Krillin– 3 Times
If you've ever watched the series at all, you know who was going to end up number one on this list. Krillin is forever the punching bag for many villains, a fact that plays out just about every arc of Dragon Ball Z. The main baddies always pummel him before Goku or someone comes to save the day. He's downed by Tambourine (Piccolo's son), blown up by Frieza, and eaten by Buu. The only villain that never seemed that interested in killing him was Cell.