WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Super Chapter 63, by Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou, Caleb Cook and Brandon Bovia, available now in English from Viz Media.
The Dragon Ball franchise has featured a lot of high-profile, sad deaths. However, over the years, the series has gradually moved away from making death permanent. Instead, many who have died -- including Kuririn, Vegeta, Goku and various other Z-Fighters -- have come back to life after a wish from the Dragon Balls. That's not to say every death in the franchise is impermanent, as Android 16 could not be resurrected after dying to Cell due to the fact he was purely robotic. Still, the Dragon Balls have generally taken the sting out of death. Now, Dragon Ball Super Chapter 63 has shown the saddest death in the franchise yet -- and it's not reversible.
While Merus is so far a character exclusive to the manga, the Angel -- who originally disguised himself as a member of the Galactic Patrol -- has proven a compelling character. Merus has over and over again proven his devotion to justice and protecting peace in the universe, so much so that in Dragon Ball Super Chapter 63 he dies for his ideals.
As he is an Angel, Merus is supposed to remain impartial in the affairs of the universe, meaning he isn't supposed to actually fight Moro directly. Because of that limitation, Merus opted instead to try and train Goku in the use of Ultra Instinct. The Angel partially succeeded, as Goku learned Ultra Instinct Sign, which serves as the gateway to the proper version of the form. However, since Ultra Instinct Sign isn't quite the full transformation, it proved immensely draining, which caused Goku to lose in his fight against Moro.
The energy-absorbing Moro then proceeded to stomp every one of the Z-Fighters in turn, using a copy of his powers inside Seven Three to gain a major advantage over the beleaguered warriors. Before Moro could finish them off, though, Merus appeared in front of the villain, seemingly ready to take him on.
In Dragon Ball Super Chapter 63, Merus does fight Moro, but he holds back, as his goal isn't to defeat the villain. Instead, he's hoping to complete Goku's training and give the Saiyan access to Ultra Instinct proper, which will allow him to defeat Moro and essentially anyone else he comes up against. This comes at a cost, though, as Merus -- to keep Moro from later copying Goku's abilities or those of the other Z-Fighters -- takes to the offense and breaks the jewels that allow the energy-absorbing villain to steal the powers of others. Since this violates the angelic law of impartiality, Merus starts to disappear.
Before he disappears for good, though, Merus explains to Goku that, while serving with the Galactic Patrol, he came to care about the universe, respecting the group's tenacity in the face of unbeatable foes. Merus found himself unable to stay neutral in the affairs of the universe, and so would rather die to give Goku the boosts he needs to defend the world in his stead. As Merus fades out, the Angel exhorts Goku to protect everything that he loves and holds dear.
Since the current arc has not yet concluded, it's unclear if Merus will be revived in some way -- or if that's even possible for an Angel who gets obliterated. The way Merus faded from existence was somewhat unlike anything seen in the franchise before, and it's entirely possible he and other heavenly beings aren't subject to the Dragon Balls in the same way. Plus, Merus -- at least according to Moro -- doesn't have "life energy," which would certainly throw a wrench in any possible resurrection. While there might be some form of reincarnation possible for the hero, the manga hasn't hinted at anything of the sort.
The reason that Merus' death is so sad is he had noble intentions and his death is permanent. As a result of his love for the universe, Merus cannot stand idly by as innocent people suffer. Instead, the Angel is willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect everything he cares about, knowing the law that requires him to be impartial is morally wrong. There's also no good indication this death is reversible, and so that makes it hit much, much harder than most Dragon Ball franchise deaths. Merus is gone, and even the franchise's deus ex machina can't bring him back.
Dragon Ball Super Chapter 64 releases Sept. 18.