Dragon Ball is one of the most iconic manga and anime franchises in the world and one of the most influential shonen battle manga of all time. With climactic fights and desperate struggles for the fate of the world, Dragon Ball has found an audience even with those who aren't fans of anime.
While Dragon Ball was written for a somewhat younger demographic, it was often a violent series with plenty of deaths. While the gore in this series is obviously tuned down, there are a lot of moments in Dragon Ball that are violently graphic.
8 Taopaipai Beats General Blue With His Tongue
During the era of early Dragon Ball, most enemies were not very intimidating. That changed with the introduction of the Red Ribbon Army, and while many of its officers were sometimes goofy, they could also be quite dangerous. General Blue, for example, spent quite a while hounding Goku and his friends while looking for the Dragon Balls and even had them on the ropes for a time.
He ultimately failed to defeat them and was set to be executed for his failure. General Blue attempted to fight the mysterious assassin Taopaipai in order to save his own life. However, Taopaipai's martial arts skills were far too much for him, and he was killed with a single strike from Taopaipai's tongue.
7 Vegeta Finishes Off Nappa
As the partner of Vegeta, Nappa showed himself off as a powerful adversary, killing Chiaotzu, Tien, and Piccolo in short order. However, he met his match in Goku, who easily defeated him. When Nappa attempted to attack a weakened Krillin and Gohan, Goku used the Kaioken to stop him, breaking his back.
Paralyzed, Nappa begs Vegeta for help. However, instead of helping him, Vegeta throws him into the air and obliterates him with an energy blast. This kill's brutality comes from Vegeta's callousness and willingness to kill someone he considered an ally.
6 Vegeta Slaughters Burter And Recoome When They're Down
The Ginyu Force were one of the strongest challenges Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin had to face while on Namek. However, the tables were turned once Goku arrived, and the Ginyus found themselves on the back foot. Goku quickly defeated Recoome and took care of Burter not long after.
Though Goku didn't hold back, he didn't go as far as killing them, leaving them alive. However, Vegeta had no intention of giving them mercy and killed them before they could become a problem. The brutality of these kills comes from how Vegeta killed the two of them while they were completely helpless.
5 Goku Kills Drum In One Blow
Goku was not always a merciful fighter. When he was younger, he had to face off against the demons spawned from the Demon King Piccolo, an evil being that aimed to rule the world. While Goku was initially no match for the monstrous beings, a short training regimen with Korin gave him the strength to fight back.
Goku arrives in time to stop Drum from killing Tien, facing off against Drum himself. Drum attempts to use his speed to step behind Goku, but Goku catches him and gets him with a single kick to the face. Goku's kick is so powerful that he splatters Drum's head, killing him instantly.
4 Vegeta Blasts Zarbon From The Inside
Vegeta went on a rampage on Namek, killing many of Frieza's men, including Cui and Dodoria. When Zarbon arrived, Vegeta was given his first challenge, as Zarbon's second form quickly made short work of him.
Vegeta survived, however, and thanks to the boost in strength given to him by his Saiyan blood, was able to more than match Zarbon in a rematch. Vegeta finished Zarbon off by shoving his hand into his abdomen and firing off a massive energy blast, killing him from the inside.
3 Piccolo Blasts A Hole In Goku And Raditz
The beginning of Dragon Ball Z is one of the most iconic events in the entire series. The revelation of Goku's brother, as well as the fact that he is an alien, rocked every fan's understanding of the series. The following fight between Goku, Piccolo, and Raditz is also one of the most well-known moments in the series' history.
Goku and Piccolo are outmatched against Raditz, but by using strategy and tenacity, the two are able to drive him to a corner. In the end, Goku holds Raditz in place while Piccolo fires his Special Beam Cannon right through the both of them. This scene is one of the goriest moments in Dragon Ball and is incredibly memorable.
2 Cell Absorbs Thousands
Not all deaths in Dragon Ball occur after an intense, superpowered fight. Sometimes innocents get caught in the crossfire and are murdered by the various threats that haunt the world of Dragon Ball. Cell is one such example, being a biomechanical creature that can absorb humans into his own body.
Hungry for power, Cell rushes from city to city, absorbing hundreds of humans at a time, becoming more powerful as he continues to kill. The absorption isn't instantaneous either, as the victim slowly melts away until clothes are the only thing left behind.
1 Super Buu Ends Humanity In An Instant
Capricious, whimsical, and violent, Buu is one of the most dangerous adversaries in Dragon Ball history, even if he isn't the strongest. Buu's childish nature makes him hard to deal with, and when he becomes Super Buu, he becomes more dangerous and volatile than ever before.
In an attempt to stall Buu's fight against Gotenks, Piccolo tells Buu to go out and kill the rest of humanity first. However, Super Buu shows off his insanity and power by killing all of humanity without even leaving the lookout. The Human Extinction Attack is one of the most devastating moments in the series and easily one of the highlights of the Buu Saga.