10 Saddest Sacrifices in Dragon Ball, Ranked

Thanks to its power system, many Dragon Ball characters often return to life from death. But that doesn’t mean some of the sacrifices characters like Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and others made in the anime have no emotional value. They have had to make multiple life-threatening decisions to protect the ones they care about. Those sacrifices still carry heavy memories for fans, capable of making a grown man tear up.

So here we’ve picked 10 such sacrifices from the series and ranked them based on how sad they are.

10 Tien Shinhan vs. Piccolo – Tien’s Desperate Attempt

Though it’s placed at the bottom of the list, Tien Shinhan’s desperate attempt to stand against King Piccolo is still one of the series’ saddest sacrifices. He knew that the fight was never going to go his way. But still, he kept on fighting, carrying the hopes of everyone who had been affected by the Demon King.

At one point, he pushed himself absolutely to the limit and tried to use the Evil Containment Wave, a technique that could cost the user their life. But it was interrupted midway, and Tien just had to keep fighting in a battered state. Since he didn’t actually die, however, Tien’s desperate attempt ranks 10th.

9 Bardock vs Frieza – Bardock’s Last Stand

Bardock’s sacrifice hits harder because he had no one to back him up or support him while he went up against Frieza alone. After discovering Frieza’s plan to wipe out the Saiyan race, Bardock desperately tries to warn his fellow Saiyans, but he is simply ignored. It was extremely sad from his POV.

His entire race, his home planet, and the future of his family were at stake. So he had no choice but to jump into a fight that he knew he wasn’t going to win. But since many viewers already knew that Planet Vegeta would get destroyed anyway, the shock factor wasn’t there, resulting in it ranking 9th.

8 Gohan vs. Beerus – Gohan Shields Videl & Pan

It’s hard to hate Gohan. He is one of the most lovable characters in the entire series. That’s why, when even he had to put himself in danger to protect Videl and her unborn daughter, Pan, it was quite tragic. He did know that he couldn’t do anything against the God of Destruction’s rampage, but still.

The way he fought for his family, as a father and as a husband, not just as a fighter, increased the emotional value of this moment. However, he later came out alive, and Videl and Pan were also safe. Thus, it ranks 8th on the list. Still, the moment is capable of tearing anyone up.

7 Goku vs. Cell – Goku’s Self-Sacrifice

Though Goku dies multiple times throughout the series, this particular death of his came off as especially more disheartening than some of the others. In a classic shonen move, he teleported Cell to a different planet along with him when Cell was about to self-destruct and blow Goku’s planet apart.

But since fans already had a hunch that he might come back later in the storyline, the emotional impact was a little less compared to some other moments, resulting in it ranking 7th on the list. That said, when the moment happened, many fans were left wondering: was this truly the end of Goku’s journey?

6 Chiaotzu vs. Nappa – Chiaotzu’s Self-Destruct

On paper, Chiaotzu giving his life in one final attempt to protect his friends sounds extremely sad, and it certainly was. When he realized that neither he nor the other Z Fighters could stop Nappa, he bid farewell to Tien Shinhan before latching onto Nappa and blowing himself up.

The scene was quite painful to watch. That said, we had to rank it below the top 5 because even with his final charge, Nappa didn’t receive much damage. Also, fans had not yet formed as strong an emotional connection with Chiaotzu as they had with some of the other characters further down this list.

5 Android 16 vs. Cell – Android 16’s Final Words

Despite being created as a weapon, the way the series portrayed Android 16 as a gentle and humane character really made fans love him. Therefore, when the time came for him to face his fate against Cell, it was truly sad. This was a bitter pill to swallow, to say the least.

Especially when he used his last breath to encourage Gohan to fight back, it sealed the deal and earned this moment a place among the top 5 saddest Dragon Ball sacrifices. His death also directly triggered Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 transformation, which remains one of the most iconic moments in the series.

4 Future Gohan vs Android 17 & 18 – Future Gohan’s Last Stand

As already established, Gohan’s character writing is arguably among the best in the series. Thus, fans were not ready to see him go down against Android 17 and 18. But why does it rank this high on the list? It’s because of his connection to Future Trunks.

Unlike sacrificing himself to save the planet or the universe, Gohan made his last stand to protect Trunks and give him a chance to survive and carry on the fight. He had always been Trunks’ protective figure. But unfortunately, there wasn’t a happy ending for him. His death simply left Trunks scarred.

3 Piccolo vs. Nappa – Piccolo Shields Gohan

Piccolo’s entire character arc came to a bittersweet conclusion in this particular fight. Although he was initially introduced as a villain, during Goku’s absence, he became Gohan’s mentor and gradually formed a close bond with him. So much so that he sacrificed himself to save Gohan from Nappa.

His final words are what actually made this moment rank in the top 3 of the list. He admitted that Gohan was his first friend. Despite being a character who had mostly been treated as a threat or a villain, the confession hit hard. Gohan’s tearful reaction made the moment even more painful.

2 Vegeta vs. Majin Buu – Vegeta’s Final Stand

Needless to say, Vegeta is mostly driven by his self-centered ego. But perhaps for the first time in the series, he stopped caring about himself and tried to protect the people he had grown to care for on Earth, his family, and everyone else. He knew that his pride wouldn’t be enough to stop Majin Buu.

The thing he cared about most had to be sacrificed this time: his life. The way he even knocked Trunks out to prevent him from seeing his death, and the way he said goodbye to Piccolo, were truly devastating to watch. Therefore, it easily ranks 2nd on the list.

1 Goku vs. Raditz – Goku’s First Death

The very first time fans witnessed that even the series’ protagonist could die sacrificing himself to protect his loved ones, it completely shocked the fanbase and changed the tone of the franchise. It was another instance of a character giving their life to protect their son.

But eradicating Raditz’s threat was far more important to Goku than his own survival. That’s why, when Goku held Raditz in place and stood in the path of Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon, it was genuinely hard to even look at the screen. Therefore, it secures the #1 spot for the saddest sacrifice in Dragon Ball.

Some quick info on the Dragon Ball anime:

CREATOR	Akira Toriyama
STUDIO	Toei Animation
GENRE	Action, Adventure, Fantasy
WHERE TO WATCH	Crunchyroll

Well then. What are your thoughts on the ranking? Did you wish some other character sacrifice had made the list? If yes, then which one? Let us know in the comments below.

The Dragon Ball anime series is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.