Summary
For a show that revolves around battles, it’s amazing how emotional fans can get while watchingDragon Ball. The show was a major part of many people’s childhoods, and it’s easy to see why fans found it so easy to root forthe hero to win against all odds against diabolical villainswho were in a class of their own when it came to pure strength.
Given how brutal the battles in the series were, there were times when some of the best characters inDragon Ballhad to make the ultimate sacrifice to save their friends and family. These moments were incredible to witness, butDragon Ball(and shonen anime in general) had a bad habit of cheapening these sacrifices and deaths by showing how little impact they had in the aftermath.
5Future Gohan
Took On The Androids On His Own And Was Brutally Executed
This entry may leave fans indignant, and understandably so. In many ways,Future Gohan’s sacrifice was integral to Future Trunks' character. Without the death of his mentor and friend, Trunks would never have received the push he needed to become a Super Saiyan. It was an integral moment that highlighted his power to the Z Warriors of the present timeline. Still, there’s no denying that Gohan’s decision to take on the Androids by himself was an error in judgment.
He and Trunks were the only defenders of Earth capable of putting up a fight against the Androids, even if they were miles ahead of them in power. While his heroism prevented him from letting Trunks put himself in harm’s way, it was ultimately his undoing and left Earth with a bleak future that could only have been overturned with Trunks going back in time to warn the Z Warriors of the incoming threat of the Androids.
4Son Goku
His Instant Transmission Saved The Earth, But Cell Came Back Stronger
It may be unfair to downplay Goku’s selflessness when he used Instant Transmission to save Earth from being blown up by Cell’s self-destruct attack. After all, his actions did essentially save the world at the cost of his own life, but Cell himself didn’t end his life entirely and managed to survive.
He came back stronger than ever,pushing Super Saiyan 2 Gohan to his very limitsbefore Goku’s son eventually willed himself to put all of his energy in one final Kamehameha blast and end Cell for good. To call this a pointless sacrifice would be a stretch, but the fact that Super Perfect Cell came out of nowhere and stole Goku’s thunder definitely cheapened Goku’s moment.
3Chiaotzu
Exploding On Nappa’s Back Did Nothing
Thebattle against Nappais one of the most brutal fights that the Z Warriors have gone through. This Saiyan was nowhere near as strong as Vegeta, but managed to solo all of the Z Warriors without any problems. Chiaotzu realized how hopeless this battle was and decided to make the ultimate sacrifice to take out this Saiyan for good.
He climbed onto Nappa’s back and exploded in a heroic blast, knowing that he couldn’t be revived with the Dragon Balls a second time. Yet, even after this heroic sacrifice, Nappa was standing and could still fight. This made Chiaotzu’s sacrifice completely pointless and sent the Z Warriors tumbling into a pit of despair that had no end in sight.
2Tien Shinhan
Used His Life Force To Unleash Numerous Tri-Beams, But Nappa Survived
After Chiaotzu’s death, Tien was incensed. The loss of his best friend cut deep, especially since Chiaotzu couldn’t be revived by Earth’s Dragon Balls. His rage exploded, and he decided to unleash all of his energy to hurt Nappa and kill the Saiyan. Even though the Tri-Beam took his life energy, that didn’t stop the martial artist from unleashing numerous Kikohos in a moment of pure desperation to kill Nappa.
This ultimately cost him his life, and even then, it wasn’t enough to take Nappa out. He was left standing after incurring some damage and shifted his attention to the other Z Warriors, which hammered in just how out of their league Earth’s greatest warriors were.
1Majin Vegeta
Blew Himself Up To Kill Majin Buu, Who Promptly Regenerated
Vegeta acknowledging the love he had for Earth and his family after letting Babidi possess him inDragon Ball Zwas a huge turning point for his character. Despite his best efforts to try and become the Prince of all Saiyans once again, he realized that he had changed, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
However, this realization came too late, withMajin Buu’s threatposing a massive risk to his family and friends. Realizing that he needed to do something drastic to take out this villain, Vegeta bid farewell to the closest people in his life and blew himself up in a massive explosion. Lesser warriors would have perished in this blast, but Buu’s regeneration was so powerful that he was able to reform even after being blown to pieces.
