Summary
TheDragon Ballfranchise has a legacy that few other properties can match, especially in the anime industry. The story has withstood the test of time, gracing fans' televisions for approximately the past 40 years with some of the most culturally significant moments in the industry’s history. As such, the characters have had just as much of an impact on the legions of dedicated fans.
However, as beloved as these characters are, there is one glaring criticism of theDragon Ballfranchise that plagues it to this day; that of death not having much meaning in the overall story. While many have died throughout the series,they keep coming backvia the Dragon Balls or other reasons, so let’s look at how a death at the end of the franchise could be the perfect way to endDragon Ball, as well as who it could be.
Story Arc
Saiyan Saga
In the almost 40 years of the run ofDragon Ball, there have been very few characters, if any at all, who are ascaptivating as the Saiyan Prince Vegeta. In fact, he is such a beloved character that, despite only being made a deuteragonist relatively recently inDragon Ball Super, he has long since been viewed as such by fans of the series. In many polls, he has even beaten out the main hero, Goku, as the best character in the series.
Starting his journey as a heartless villain who destroyed entire civilizations, Vegeta eventually found his new home on Earth and came to love the planet as his own, even sacrificing his life for it. This is precisely why many fans believe that Vegeta’s death at the very end ofDragon Ballmay perhaps be the single greatest and most poignant moment in the series. His previous sacrifice in order to stop Majin Buu is already remembered as one of the high points ofZ, but to have a permanent one at the end would leave every fan with tears in their eyes.
Trunks… Bulma… I do this for you. And yes… even for you, Kakarot…
Vegeta’s character arc isunanimously regarded as the bestin the entire franchise, with many stating that it met its highest point when he sacrificed himself against Majin Buu in order to save the planet. However, in typicalDragon Ballfashion, he was brought back to life. While pretty much every fan was happy with this, it undoubtedly did take away from the gravitas of him giving his life so he could save everything that he came to love.
However, once the series inevitably returns, a similar sacrifice at the very end of the series would be deeply moving to see. Fans are already waiting with bated breath for the Black Frieza arc, where the heroes will have to face off against the best villain in the franchise, with most fans stating that Vegeta should be the one to deal the finishing blow to the Galactic Tyrant, since he has lost the most at his hands. If this is the last arc in the series, then Vegeta being the one to ultimately defeat Frieza but sacrificing himself in the process would be the best way to end this character’s journey.
Emperor Pilaf Saga
On the other hand, Goku’s death would be far more culturally significant and shocking to see. While Vegeta has undoubtedly become one of the focal points of the story with howDragon Ballis currently,Goku has been the center of the franchisesince its inception as the one to initiate the entire thing with his adventure to find the mysterious Dragon Balls.
Since then, he has become the primary defender of Earth and Universe 7 as an incredibly powerful warrior who has become the only mortal to achieve the inherent state of the Angels. While Vegeta’s death at the end of the franchise would be a real tearjerker, the splash that Goku’s end would create would be one of the most significant events in media.Dragon Ballhas become one of the most recognizable and beloved franchises of all time, with many people even growing up with Goku and being with him at every step of his journey.
The reception for this would likely also be overwhelmingly positive, ascould be seen inDragon Ball GT. While that part of the franchise was met with a lot of criticism, its ending is remembered quite fondly, with Goku flying away peacefully and becoming one with the Dragon Balls. Similarly, ifSuperreturns and has a similar moment in its very final story arc, it would be just as poignant.
For many fans, death has become more of an afterthought within the series due to how convenient resurrection is as a concept. Not only have many heroes gotten another lease on life because of the Dragon Balls, but some of the franchise’s most popular villains have also been brought back, as can be seen with Frieza and Cell. However, the franchise could end with the permanent death of one of the main heroes, which would stick with fans for years to come, and none would have a greater impact than Goku himself.
