The concept of death is quite malleable for most anime series, as mangaka tend to incorporate this element in differing yet compelling ways. For some series, a character’s death is a done deal and there’s no coming back once passed. However, others utilize this concept in a more versatile manner. Dragon Ball is one such franchise renowned for bringing back its characters and negating deaths altogether.
With the Dragon Balls, any character slain in battle can be revived by making a wish to the dragon Shenron, resulting in their deaths being reversed. Several characters have been resurrected through this method, though only a few come close to the amount of times Krillin had to be brought back. Being an ancillary character, Krillin tends to bear the brunt of most fights, ending up severely injured or deceased. Krillin has died a total of five times throughout the series’ run, with some of his deaths more sentimental and compelling than others.
5 Died of Old Age
Despite being non-canon, Krillin’s deaths in Dragon Ball GT are still worth considering since the story continues on from five years after the main storyline. A TV special was released midway through GT’s run, offering a glimpse into a century forward, centering the narrative around the life of Goku Jr. It is stated that every single one of the original characters has passed away except for Pan, indicating that Krillin had also long passed away.
Since Krillin dies of old age along with the rest of the cast, his final death is less than eventful to say the least. A few events may have taken place during the time between the Evil Dragons arc and the final episode of the series, yet nothing is explicitly stated. This indicates that Krillin simply died a natural death from old age.
4 Killed By Super Buu
After being revived for the second time, Krillin had to bite the bullet once more in the Majin Buu Saga. After successfully breaking out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Super Buu decides to grab a quick bite, targeting Krillin and his family that stood right outside the gates of the chamber. In an act of sheer bravery, Krillin stays back to stall for time while his family escapes. However, his sacrifice was in vain as Super Buu was able to defeat him in mere seconds, turning Krillin into a bar of chocolate and consuming him whole.
Krillin’s family met a similar fate as Super Buu caught up to them instantly, turning their bodies into chocolate and eating them up. The scene was nowhere near sentimental as the rest of Krillin’s deaths, primarily due to how quickly the events passed. Moreover, the nature of this death further made his passing amusing rather than distressing.
3 Killed By Frieza
Krillin’s sudden death at the hands of Frieza was a shocking turn of events, especially since he was one of the last remaining members of the Dragon Team. However, the death itself was less than eventful. There was no build-up leading to his demise, though he certainly did pass in an extremely gruesome manner.
However, Krillin’s death did have a few implications for the series, meaning that it wasn’t all in vain. The sight of his friend blown to bits is exactly what Goku needed to awaken the Super Saiyan mode, gaining access to an unfathomable amount of power. In a way, Krillin’s explosive death may have played a direct role in Frieza’s defeat.
2 Killed By Super 17
Krillin barely gets any screen time in the GT series, but that is probably because he’s killed off early on, only to be resurrected by the end of the series. The scene of his death is quite gut-wrenching as Android 17 slays him right in front of his wife and daughter, with Krillin taking his last breath in Android 18’s arms.
Being the first to die in the arc, one would assume that his death would have some sort of implication for the remainder of the arc. However, his death is practically in vain as nothing impactful comes about it, other than a compelling scene with Android 18 fighting back to avenge the sudden death of her husband. Krillin being killed has become somewhat of a running gag among the community, but this scene still has considerable sentimental value.
1 Killed By Tambourine
Being a tournament arc, the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai was never viewed as a threat to any of the characters, making Krillin’s sudden death all the more jarring. After the tournament concludes, Tambourine, one of Piccolo's sons, kills Krillin in a bid to steal Goku’s Dragon Ball. Goku reaches the scene a bit too late, arriving to witness Krillin’s lifeless body on the ground.
Since both Goku and Krillin are quite young, the scene of Goku holding his best friend’s lifeless body is compelling and moving. It set the perfect narrative for Goku to become enraged and set off to avenge his fallen friend. Being one of the first major deaths in the franchise, Krillin’s demise set a more serious tone for the series, making death a reality and a consequential aspect for the Dragon Ball franchise.