Summary
Dragon Ball Zis known for over-the-top battles, and, of course, character deaths that can hit really hard sometimes. Sure, people in DBZ die and come back all the time thanks to the Dragon Balls, but that doesn’t make some of these moments any less shocking.
Sometimes an unexpected death was an unexpected betrayal, like with Nappa and Vegeta or how everyone thought Cell was finally dead, but he showed up randomly, stronger than before. These deaths changed the series, making us expect the unexpected even though we knew the consequences wouldn’t usually last, as the deaths are easily undone with wishes.
10Nappa
Killed By His Prince/Partner Out Of Nowhere
Nappa was the definition of strength in the early days of Dragon Ball Z when we thought the saiyans were the biggest threat to planet Earth. But despite his overwhelming power and the fact that he killed most of the Z fighters, Nappa was never more than Vegeta’s lackey.
After being humiliated by Goku and completely outmatched, Nappa begged Vegeta for help. Instead of showing any loyalty, Vegeta casually tossed him into the air and obliterated him with a single attack. There was no hesitation, no second thought, just a cold-blooded execution. It was a brutal way to show Vegeta’s true nature early in the series.
9Future Gohan
The Catalyst For Trunks’ Super Saiyan Transformation
Future Gohan’s death was straight-up heartbreaking. In Trunks' ruined timeline, Gohan was the last remaining warrior, trying to hold off the Androids with only one arm. He took Trunks under his wing, training him to survive and turn into a Super Saiyan.
But when the time came,Gohan faced Androids 17 and 18 alone and was absolutely overwhelmed. Trunks woke up to find his mentor’s lifeless body in the rain, which was the moment that shattered Trunks, pushing him to become a Super Saiyan fueled by pure grief.
8Chi-Chi And Goten
Goku Black (Zamasu) Kills Both And Ascends To Godhood
Dragon Ball has had some dark moments, but this one was particularly cold-blooded on Zamasu’s part. In Dragon Ball Super, Goku Black didn’t just defeat his enemies; he wiped them out with no remorse, to become the strongest in the multiverse.
In one of the most disturbing scenes in the series, he killed Chi-Chi and Gotenafter using the super Dragon Balls to transfer his consciousness into Goku’s body. After learning about this, Goku from the original timeline used a Kamehameha that finally did something to damage Goku Black.
7Yamcha
This Isn’t Surprising, But How He Died Is
At this point, everyone knows about Yamcha’s death because of how many memes come out of it. His death wasn’t tragic, but it was so humiliating, to the point of shocking fans. During the Saiyan Saga, he was feeling himself a little too much, thinking a Saibaman wasn’t a real threat.
He was wrong. The little green dude jumped on him and self-destructed, leaving Yamcha face-down in a crater. His lifeless body, arms spread out, became the most meme-worthy death in anime history. It wasn’t the saddest, but it was definitely the most iconic in the worst way possible.
6Chiaotzu
Blew Himself Up But Wasn’t Really Effective
Chiaotzu had a lot of heart, but when it came to power, he was way out of his league in the saiyan saga. During the battle against Nappa, Chaiotzu made a desperate move. He latched onto Nappa’s back and self-destructed, hoping to kamikaze him out of existence.
It was supposed to be a noble sacrifice to save his friends, except it didn’t work at all. Nappa just stood there, completely unfazed and Chiaotzu ended up dying for nothing, leaving Tien devastated and making this one of the most pointless deaths in Dragon Ball Z.
5Dende
Frieza Really Did Dende Dirty
Dende might not have been a fighter, but he was the support that carried the Z Fighters during the Namek arc. His healing abilities gave them a fighting chance against Frieza and helped power up Vegeta through a Zenkai boost. That’s why Frieza killed Dende in an instant, just to stop him from healing the Z fighters.
Frieza just casually lifted a finger and erased him, with no qualms over Dende being a child. This cold execution of someone who wasn’t even a threat to Frieza was shockingand showed why Frieza was the most terrifying villain in the series.
4Cyborg Frieza And King Cold
Some Dude From The Future Just Murdered The Strongest Antagonists
For a moment, Frieza coming back as a cyborg seemed like the ultimate nightmare, as even the destruction of Namek couldn’t stop him. He was back and full of rage, ready to destroy Earth. Then, out of nowhere, some guy with purple hair from the future shows up and kills him in seconds.
Before anyone could even process what was happening, Future Trunks made quick work of Frieza, cutting him to pieces and vaporizing him in seconds. If that wasn’t enough, Trunks then took down King Cold just as easily. The sheer speed and ease with which he ended two of the strongest villains in DBZ was mind-blowing at the time.
3Trunks
Cell Comes Back And One Shots Trunks
Trunks' death was one that no one expected. After Gohan punches Cell so hard, he vomits Android 18, Cell decides to self-destruct and take the planet with him.
Fortunately,Goku teleports the exploding cell away from the earth at the expense of his own life. No one really expected Cell to heal from his own death and as soon as he teleports back to Earth using instant transmission, with one devastating blast, Cell took out Trunks like it was nothing and was back stronger than his perfect form.
2Goku
Goku Has Died Multiple Times But This One Was The Most Memorable
Goku has died multiple times throughout Dragon Ball Z, but his most impactful death came during the Cell Games. After Gohan pushed Cell to the edge, he decided to blow himself up and take everyone with him. With no other option, Goku made the ultimate sacrifice. He teleported Cell to King Kai’s planet, taking the full force of the explosion with him.
What madethis death hit hard was how unexpectedly calm Goku was about this death. He smiled, reassured Gohan, and then vanished, dying once again. It’s even more shocking when you realize that the sacrifice was for nothing as Cell regenerated himself.
1Super Buu Killing Everyone
The Human Extinction Attack Straight Up Eradicates Everyone
Most villains in Dragon Ball Z want to destroy the world, but Super Buu actually did it in the most casual way possible. After getting fed up with the Z Fighters, Buu unleashed the Human Extinction Attack, a massive energy wave that erased almost every human on Earth in an instant.
What made this moment so chilling was how effortless it all was. There was no buildup, no heroic last stand. Buu just raised his hand, fired off a bunch of energy blasts, and wiped-out billions like it was nothing. It was one of the rare times when Dragon Ball Z truly made a villain feel unstoppable.
