When it comes to Dragon Ball, some fans watch the show for its humor. Others keep coming back thanks to its adrenaline-pumping action. But, for some sad saps, the show is one they can’t avoid because it pulls at their heartstrings.
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Dragon Ball is not known for its angst outright, but the franchise has featured a slew of deliciously dark moments.
Here at ComicBook, we are going through just a few of the most traumatizing moments Dragon Ball has brought to fans.
So, go grab your tissues now. You are going to need them.
Krillin First Death & Impalement
When Krillin dies for the first time in Dragon Ball, fans who were unfamiliar with the manga didn’t know if Goku’s bald friend would come back.
And, after seeing the hero’s gut-wrenching reaction, they could only hope Krillin would be brought back to life. The child’s death was a dark one as Krillin was killed senselessly under King Piccolo’s cruel order.
Sadly, Krillin goes on to experience a series of dark moments in the franchise. When Dragon Ball Z comes around, the Earthling can’t hope to keep up with Freeza as the space tyrant levels up. Eventually, the baddie spears Krillin with one of his horns, flinging him around just to hear the kid’s screams.
Future Gohan’s Death
The timeline Future Trunks comes from is a horrifying one that no one should ever want to visit.
The post-apocalyptic world saw its Saiyan lineage all but end, but Future Gohan did his best to train up Trunks. The pair were constantly hunted by Androids 17 and 18, and the pair finally caught up to the two. Gohan knocked out Trunks to save the boy, allowing himself to fight the pair whilst injured. Fans then watched as Gohan was incapacitated and blasted with energy beams until he died. When Trunks awoke, he finally found Gohan’s corpse lying in a puddle of blood, and it triggered the boy to go Super Saiyan for the first time.
Piccolo Kills Raditz & Goku
Piccolo hasn’t always been an ally to Goku.
In fact, the character was created to destroy the hero. As the reincarnate of King Piccolo, the green-skinned alien wanted nothing more than to bring Goku down. But, when Dragon Ball Z finally picked up, Piccolo was forced to work with Goku to protect the Earth from the latter’s brother.
Raditz was ready to raze the planet in Freeza’s name and even steal his brother’s son. So, to keep Gohan safe, Goku pushes Piccolo to fight against Raditz. To kill the Saiyan, Piccolo winds up landing the final blow, but Goku takes it to as a sacrifice to ensure his older brother would be critically hit.
Chiaotzu’s Sacrifice
During the Saiyan Saga, things looked more than bleak for the Z-Fighters.
Goku was dead for so long, and his friends were left to train for the imminent arrival of Vegeta and Nappa. When the two Saiyans did land, the Z-Fighters learned how woefully underprepared they were to fight the new warriors.
Yamcha was killed with ease, and the rest of the fighters could not even land a hit on Nappa. When the Saiyan threatened to unleash an attack which could blow them all up, quiet Chiaotzu rose up and took the blast’s brunt to save his friends. Tien’s sidekick died as a result, but Nappa was left standing as he laughed over the weakling’s attempt to stop him.
Android 16’s Death
When androids were introduced in Dragon Ball Z, the fighters were not meant to become so popular. They were intended to become full-on villains, but the arrival of Cell put a damper on those plans. While Androids 17 and 18 fought viciously along with the Z-Fighters, Android 16 tried to be as pacifistic as possible. The kind-hearted man was one fans came to love, so it was jarring to see Android 16 get blown to pieces by Cell. As the alien walked forward to end the character’s life, Android 16 passed on his gentle dying words to a stunned Goha. And, when Cell brusquely stomped on Android 16’s decapitated head to kill him, Gohan reached a new rage which helped him go Super Saiyan 2.
