Death is an everyday occurrence in Dragon Ball, and it’s by no means unusual to see fans brushing off character deaths like they’re mosquito bites. With very few exceptions, main characters who die in Dragon Ball are almost guaranteed to come back. That said, this doesn’t mean death in Dragon Ball is haphazardly handled.

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For most of the series’ run, Toriyama manages to contextualize well. The nature of the franchise ensures that the titular Dragon Balls will bring back anyone who needs bringing back, but Toriyama often finds ways to remove the Dragon Balls from the equation, creating scenarios where a character’s death very much could have been it for them– something Dragon Ball’s drama reflects.

10 Bora (Red Ribbon Army Arc)

Anime Dragon Ball Upa Bora

It’s amazing to think just how much changes following Bora and Tao Pai Pai’s introductions. Dragon Ball begins to adopt more dramatic storylines, taking itself seriously in the process. Bora is the first major named character to die on-screen, and Goku is not able to avenge his death whatsoever, being defeated by Tao Pai Pai.

Bora’s death ends up being the driving force for the rest of the Red Ribbon Army arc, and the direct reason Goku ends up training with Karin. That the first major character to die in Dragon Ball ends up being Bora has weight as well. It speaks volumes about Goku’s character that he’d be willing to gather the Dragon Balls for a complete stranger.

9 Krillin (22nd Tenkaichi Budokai)

Where Bora’s death is shocking due to a character dying at all, Krillin’s death at the end of the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai is shocking due to how sudden and immediately impactful it is. Although he may not have been in the first story arc, Krillin is introduced fairly early in Dragon Ball. It doesn’t take long until he becomes Goku’s best friend and a mainstay.

Krillin’s death closes the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai on a very sour, very upsetting note. It transitions Dragon Ball even further with the advent of Demon King Piccolo, and from here on out, the series will only escalate in drama until the end of the Cell arc. Krillin’s death kicks off an important stretch of Dragon Ball history.

8 Muten Roshi (Demon King Piccolo Arc)

It’s interesting to note the comfortability with which Toriyama kills off characters in the Demon King Piccolo arc. Even though Krillin’s death would’ve been enough to carry a dark tone for the entire arc, both Chaozu and Roshi die back to back. Notably, Muten Roshi dies fully believing that the next generation will rise up to defeat Piccolo.

It’s a sad, but dignified end for the master martial artist. Even in failing the Mafuba, Roshi doesn’t let everything he’s believed in since the start of the series waiver. In many respects, his death here is what formally passes the torch onto Goku and Tenshinhan (the next generation of martial artists.)

7 Shenlong (Demon King Piccolo Arc)

Shenron Ressurection DBZ

Of course, Muten Roshi’s death wouldn’t be nearly as shocking if it didn’t include another more pressing death right after (not Chaozu’s). After having his wish granted, Demon King Piccolo does the unthinkable and kills Shenlong. For the first time in the series, the Dragon Ball are rendered completely useless.

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Unlike in later arcs, there’s no precedent for things like this sorting themselves out yet. In the moment, it really feels as if Goku and Tenshinhan are Earth’s last hope, with the Dragon Balls permanently gone, and Krillin, Roshi, & Chaozu all seemingly dead for good. It’s a dark turn of events, but one that keeps the arc gripping.

6 Son Goku (Saiyan Arc)

Goku-Died-Twice-In-Series

Regardless if someone entered the series with Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z, Goku’s death is a huge deal. He either dies after six full story arcs of being the series’ unkillable lead, or mere episodes into DBZ. Either way, it’s incredibly shocking and perfectly sets the tone for the Saiyan arc. This is a conflict that even Goku won’t get out of unscathed.

Goku’s death raises the stakes even further, basically removing any safety net out from under Goku. Goku’s death also directly ties into the expansion of the series’ cosmology, formally introducing the afterlife into the equation and making references to both heaven and hell in the manga (while outright showing hell in the anime.)

5 Piccolo (Saiyan Arc)

It isn’t often that Dragon Ball allows itself to linger on a moment, let alone an emotional one, but Piccolo’s death is masterclass writing on Akira Toriyama’s part. After an entire arc spent training with Gohan and slowly defrosting into a better person, the Piccolo Daimao ends up giving up his life to save his rival’s son.

It’s a loaded, genuinely beautiful moment that puts the Demon King to a fitting rest. It expertly transitions into Goku’s tranquil fury as he observes a field of bodies and pieces together the horror that occurred while he was away. As Piccolo sheds a tear for the first and last time, the Dragon Balls go with him and the Saiyan arc enters its darkest hour.

4 Vegeta (Freeza Arc)

If Vegeta stayed dead on Namek, he’d still be considered one of the greatest anime/manga characters of all time, even without a full-fledged rivalry with Goku. Vegeta in the Saiyan and Freeza arc is a very specific character, one who’s carrying quite a bit of baggage while also serving as Goku’s best literary foil yet.

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Vegeta dies begging Goku to defeat Freeza, to avenge the Saiyans, and while Goku still claims to hate Vegeta, he inherits the Prince’s pride for the final battle against the tyrant who wiped out his people. It isn’t as emotional as Piccolo's death in the Saiyan arc, but Vegeta’s death shows off some of Toriyama’s best storytelling, writing off one character while giving another stronger motivation.

3 Krillin (Freeza Arc)

Anime Krillin

This is arguably the most important death in all of Dragon Ball considering it directly led to Goku turning Super Saiyan. This death not only completely changes the series, it changes the landscape of anime and manga entirely, popularizing Super Saiyan-esque transformations. It works for Dragon Ball, if nothing else.

Krillin’s death, in particular, stands out as especially cruel. After seemingly defeating Freeza, Krillin is killed for good in a flash. It’s a tough, painful moment to watch, especially since the series in running under the presumption that no one is coming back anymore. Goku watching his best friend seemingly die for good is still one of the series’ best moments.

2 No. 16 (Cell Arc)

Android 16's severed head comforts Gohan in Dragon Ball

It goes without saying that the one major character who died and stayed dead is going to be included here. To be fair, calling No. 16 a major character may be something of a stretch, but he manages to survive most of the Cell arc, technically participates in the Cell Games, is one of the only characters to fight Cell, and is directly involved in triggering Gohan into a Super Saiyan 2.

Not just that, No. 16 is a lot like Bora in that while his character may not be strongly defined, he represents something for the lead at the time (Goku for Bora, Gohan for 16.) These two deaths fundamentally change the Son man. It certainly helps that 16’s death is one of the better adapted moments in the anime, as well.

1 Son Goku (Cell Arc)

Goku Sacrifices Himself To Save The World From Cell's Explosion

Goku’s death in the Cell arc can be hard for some fans to really care about these days considering the fact that he’s once again the series’ main character, but it’s an important death nonetheless for the original series. Toriyama is really saying goodbye to Goku– or at least genuinely trying to.

He’d backpedal with the Buu arc, but Goku’s death is handled fairly seriously and serves as Goku passing the torch onto his son. That it ends with Goku goofily killing Kaio to is a nice beat to write out Son Goku. It’s this death that ends up setting off a chain reaction that leads to the Buu arc’s mania.

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