Ah, Krillin, always getting into trouble, right? Talking about the times he kicked his ass in “Dragon Ball” is almost a tradition. Well, let’s take a look at this whole thing, but in a lighter way, without losing seriousness.
Let’s start by saying that, in anime, death is a very elastic thing. Some authors make it a definitive ending point, but others, like Akira Toriyama, from “Dragon Ball”, enjoy playing with the idea. The Dragon Balls are the key to this whole mess: they can bring the characters back to life, and Krillin is like the VIP customer of this service.
He’s not the main guy, so he ends up getting the worst of many fights. There have been five trips to the afterlife in total, with some farewells more emotional than others.
5. The Non-Canonical Farewell
First, we have “Dragon Ball GT”, which is kind of a parallel universe. In it, Krillin becomes old and dies of natural causes. This death is peaceful, without drama, like “he lived well and went in peace”.
4. Confrontation with Super Buu
Then we have the Majin Buu Saga. After coming back to life for the second time, poor Krillin tries to play hero against Super Buu. He stays behind to save his family, but ends up turning into chocolate and being devoured. This death was another “Yikes!” moment. than sadness, because of the speed and unusual way of getting from this to better.
3. Meeting with Frieza
Krillin’s death at the hands of Frieza was a huge shock. He was one of the last of Team Dragon still standing, and no one expected him to leave the scene like that, suddenly. The worst thing is that his death didn’t even have a suspenseful atmosphere, it was straight to the point and in a very brutal way. But look at the irony: it was precisely this tragic end that gave that little push for Goku to release the Super Saiyan for the first time. So, you can say that Krillin helped save the day, even if in a somewhat indirect way.
two. Problems with Super 17
In “Dragon Ball GT”, Krillin barely appears, but that’s because he dies right at the beginning, only to be resurrected at the end. His death in this series is heartbreaking. Android 17 does the job right in front of Krillin’s wife and daughter. He dies in Android 18’s arms, which gives the scene a very dramatic touch. Despite being the first to die in the arc, his death doesn’t change much in the story. However, Android 18’s reaction is very intense, and she sets out to avenge her husband.
1. Pandeiro’s Surprise
Now, going back further in time, in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, no one expected a tragedy. But then Pandeiro, one of Piccolo’s sons, came and killed Krillin right after the tournament. It was a blow, mainly because Goku and Krillin were very young. The scene of Goku finding his friend’s body is heartbreaking. This death gave a much more serious tone to “Dragon Ball”, showing that even heroes can have a tragic end.
And that’s how Krillin, our beloved supporting character, ended up becoming an example of how death in “Dragon Ball” can be surprising, sad, and even a little ironic. It’s a mix of feelings, and each of these goodbyes left their mark on the history of the series.
The Dragon Ball anime is available in full on Crunchyroll.
