For the most part,Dragon Ballis a straightforward series that doesn’t have too many shocking moments. It’s a series centered on characters fighting each other and doing their best to get stronger, a pretty simple and straightforward premise. When shocking moments do occur, it makes them all the more jarring for their rarity.Some of the most shocking moments inDragon Ballhappen out of nowhere, taking a normal scene and flipping it on its head in an instant.
Though many ofDragon Ball’smost shocking moments happen after a long hard-fought battle, that’s not universally the case. Some incredibly harrowing moments come completely out of nowhere, blindsiding fans and leaving a lasting impression. SomeDragon Ballmoments were just so unpredictable that they leave the viewer in complete and utter shock.
10Future Gohan Dies Brutally
Future Gohan’s Death Was Horrific
The Future Timeline was the darkest inDragon Ball.It featured a world where most of the Z Fighters died to Androids 17 and 18. Not only did they all die, but they were all murdered pretty coldly. Nobody was murdered more brutally than Gohan, who lost his life in the fight against the Androids. Not only did the Androids kill Gohan, but they toyed with him as he died. Future Trunks was knocked out by Gohan before the fight so that he couldn’t interfere.
Future Gohan also saved Future Trunks' life by knocking him out, giving him a chance to return to the past for help. Before he was able to recruit reinforcements, he had to find his master’s lifeless body alone in the rain.It’s easily one of the most jarring and most shocking moments inDragon Ballhistory.
9Frieza Impales Krillin
Frieza Toyed with His Enemies Maniacally
Frieza was so much stronger than all the Z Fighters, bar Goku, that it was ridiculous.He was stronger in his base form but chose to evolve just to mess with his opponents. While Namek was already a planet-sized nightmare for Krillin, he experienced the worst treatment at the hands of Frieza himself. While they were buying time for Goku to come help, Frieza bullied Krillin and Gohan together. He turned into his second form, grew horns, and used them to impale Krillin.
He jerked Krillin around while he was impaled too, causing incredible damage to his organs. When he was done toying with Krillin, he levitated him in the air and detonated him like a bomb. WhileDragon Ballis no stranger to killing good guys and bad guys alike,they never showed a character so helpless like they did with Krillin and Frieza.
8Kid Buu Blew up the Earth
Other Villains Tried It, Kid Buu Really Did It
Kid Buu was the first character inDragon Ballto actually blow up the Earth. Every villain since Vegeta has set the Blue Marble in their sights when they can’t defeat the Z Fighters,but Kid Buu was the first one who actually pulled it off.Not only did he destroy the Earth in one of themost tragic anime events of mass destruction,but he also killed most of the Dragon Team too.Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, and more were left behind on Earth when Kid Buu decided to destroy it.
Luckily for Goku and his friends, they were able to bring the Earth and everyone who died back to life with the Dragon Balls. They were also able to defeat Kid Buu for good, saving the Earth until Golden Frieza destroyed it a couple years later.
7Future Trunks Gets One-Shot by Cell
Cell Came Back with a Vengeance
Future Trunks has been the recipient of a lot of trauma.He’s had to watch his entire timeline get murdered by the Androids and even saw the death of his mentor, Future Gohan, up close and in person. When Gohan fails to finish Cell off, the bio-android is able to threaten the entire Earth with his self-destruction ability. Goku sacrifices himself to stop him, but it doesn’t work. He comes back, even stronger this time thanks to his Saiyan genes, and fires off a random Full Power Death Beam at the Dragon Team.
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It goes right through Trunks' chest, mortally wounding him and eventually killing him.Trunk’s death came out of nowhere. The heroes were just celebrating their victory, now their back on the battlefield with two fewer fighters to help them stop the catastrophe that is Cell.
6Spopovich Brutalizes Videl
One of the Most One-Sided Fights inDragon Ball
Videl was never a very strong fighter. She went into fights a little too confident of her ability, probably stemming from the lies her dad tells abouthispower level.When Videl went to fight Spopovich in the Martial Arts Tournament, she got brutalized.It was easily the most one-sided fight in the series, and that’s including Frieza vs. Krillin. Spopovich takes his time to manically pick Videl apart. He even does so in front of all her friends and family without an ounce of remorse.
To Videl’s credit, she gets up several times when other people in her position would’ve stayed down. She tried to fight Spopovich over and over, but at some point, it was just too late. Spopovich was imbued with Babidi’s powers, making him much stronger and much more sadistic at the same time.It was the perfect recipe for one of the most shocking moments inDragon Ball.
5Vegeta Gets Married
The Prince of all Saiyans Gets… Domesticated?
Vegeta is the Prince of all Saiyans. He’s one of the strongest, proudest warriors in the universe who listens to nothing but his own warrior spirit.When it was revealed that Vegeta actually married Bulma, nobody could believe it.Vegeta has only ever cared about getting stronger so that he can fight Goku and beat him. With Bulma and Trunks in his life, his priorities surprisingly changed.He gave up on solely focusing on getting stronger and realized what having a family meant to him.
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He stopped training altogether when Bulma was pregnant with their second child, choosing to be by her side instead of pursuing strength yet again. While he was initially upset that Bulma picked out Bulla’s name without him, he gets over it.He’s become a protective husband and a decent father as well, fulfilling one of the best character arcs inDragon Ball.
4Guldo Gets Decapitated
One of the Only Decapitations inDragon Ball
Dragon Ballis no stranger to battle. It’s more than comfortable showing protagonists and antagonists dying in equal measure, but Guldo’s death was different. Vegetadecapitated him,leaving zero chance for the Ginyu Force member to recover. It was one of the most insanely quick moments inDragon Ball,as Vegeta came out of nowhere to cut off Guldo’s head with a single chop.Even Guldo couldn’t believe it, looking up at Vegeta with his head on the ground shocked.
Characters have been impaled, imploded, and beaten, but never decapitated. It’s a shocking move fromDragon Ballthat wasn’t recreated again until Cell beheaded Android 16. Even then, it was just a robot’s head rolling on the ground. Guldo was a real life alien who lost his entire head in an instant, creating one of the most memorable moments in the series on Namek.
3Vegeta Sacrifies Himself
Vegeta’s Character Arc Reaches Its Peak
Vegeta had a lot of conflicting emotions during the Buu Saga. He was at a crossroads. Starting his family life meant leaving his warrior pride behind, a pride that had been the cornerstone of Vegeta’s personality. When Babidi sensed Vegeta’s inner doubt and hatred, he gave him more power at the cost of his sanity and humanity. Eventually, Vegeta realizes what he’s done. With Goku’s help, he realizes that his real enemy isn’t Kakarot but the evil wizard trying to destroy the world.
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Vegeta knows that to kill Majin Buu, he’ll need to use every bit of himself.In one of the most beautiful moments of self-sacrifice,Vegeta lays down his life in order to destroy Buu.It doesn’t work, but it does show that Vegeta has become a man worthy of praise. He put down all of his arrogance and pride and put his friends, and family, first.
2Dr. Gero Assassinates Yamcha
Dr. Gero and Android 19 Were Terrifying
When Dr. Gero and Android 19 first made their appearance inDragon Ball,they were terrifying. They were hunting people indiscriminately and killing anyone they saw. While the Z Fighters were looking for them, they continued their slaughter. For better or for worse, Yamcha was the first person to find them. He thought they were regular civilians evacuating from the Androids and had no idea that he was looking at his actual enemy.
Dr. Gero took Yamcha by surprise and began to drain his energy.Before Yamcha could call out for help from his friends, Dr. Gero impaled him with his hand, stabbing Yamcha directly through the midsection.The rest of the Dragon Team felt Yamcha’s Ki fade and eventually found the pair of Androids. Yamcha’s death was one of the most shocking moments inDragon Ballbecause of how terrifying it was.
1Future Trunks Demolishes Frieza
Multiple Shocking Moments All at Once
Future Trunks coming to the main timeline to kill Mecha Frieza was several shocking moments in one. For starters, it revealed that Frieza didn’t die on Namek, that Frieza had a father, and that Frieza was now in a Mecha form. It also revealed Future Trunks' existence, the existence of a brutal future timeline, and that Goku would soon die from the heart virus. It was almost too much to take in at once. Out of all the shocking moments within this shocking moment,the most jaw-dropping event was whenFuture Trunks destroyed Frieza without batting an eye.
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The Super Saiyan made short work of the same person who had just killed most of the Z Fighters not months earlier.With his sword, Burning Attack, and God Breaker, Future Trunks was able to kill Mecha Frieza and King Cold before they could wreak havoc.He was also able to warn the Z Fighters of the impending Android threat that would come in three years' time.
