Vicious Dragon Ball Injuries That Should Have Been Permanent

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has made a name for itself through the heightened battle sequences that punctuate so many episodes and present the heroes with lofty challenges where the fate of the world is at stake. It’s continually exciting to watch Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of Dragon Ball’s characters surpass their limits and put it all on the line for the greater good. Dragon Ball’s exaggerated antagonists usually mean that there’s tremendous fallout during the series’ biggest battles, and it’s not uncommon for there to be copious casualties when the dust settles.

Fortunately, Dragon Ball’s heroes have some helpful tools to help them quickly heal their wounds or even return from the dead, whether it’s the restorative powers of the Senzu Beans or a wish on the Dragon Balls. These are certainly convenient tactics, but they also ostensibly erase the intense turmoil that characters have experienced. There are certain Dragon Ball injuries, that while painful, might have left a greater impact or prompted rewarding character development if they were permanent.

10 Tien Loses His Left Arm During Earth’s Clash Against The Saiyans

Dragon Ball’s heroes have faced some tremendous threats since Dragon Ball Z’s introductory Saiyan Saga invasion. That being said, some of the series’ greatest losses and injuries are experienced early on in order to emphasize the true severity of Saiyan strength. Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Piccolo, and Tien all become cruel casualties during the battle against Nappa, but Tien is the only one who experiences an extra injury. Tien meets his end when he channels all of his energy into a tremendous Tri-Beam attack that barely damages Nappa’s armor.

Before this tragic conclusion, Nappa viciously strikes Tien and scorches and severs his left arm in the process. Tien’s Dragon Ball revival makes him whole again, and he’s no longer missing this arm, but a lost appendage could have turned into a compelling character-building exercise for Tien. Tien has always been a dedicated martial artist, and it’s likely that he would find a way to adapt to this disadvantage and grow stronger in the process. Additionally, Tien is in a unique situation in the sense that his Four Witches Technique allows him to grow extra limbs. He’d ostensibly be able to use this ability and still have three arms at his disposal, even if he’s missing one of his primary limbs.

9 Vegeta Suffers A Severe Blinding During His Inaugural Altercation Against Goku

Goku, Krillin, and Gohan’s battle against Vegeta is one of Dragon Ball Z’s best fights, despite how early it occurs in the series. It’s a well-paced clash that’s full of surprises, clever developments, and it becomes a true team effort instead of a scenario where Goku is consistently in control. Vegeta’s transformation into a Great Ape has chilling consequences, and he breaks the majority of Goku’s bones through his sheer brutality. Goku finds an opportunity to launch a powerful energy blast at Great Ape Vegeta, which hits him in his right eye.

Vegeta’s right eye is blinded even after he reverts from his Great Ape form, but it’s an injury that’s eventually healed after Vegeta tends to his wounds and utilizes a rejuvenating Medical Machine. A one-eyed take on Vegeta would have added an interesting dynamic to his character, and it would mean that he constantly carries the baggage of his Saiyan Saga defeat with him at all times. Vegeta would still be able to fight with just one eye, and it’d make his battle accomplishments even more impressive. He could even don an eyepatch and take on a whole new look.

8 Piccolo Willingly Sacrifices An Appendage When He Battles Against Imperfect Cell

Piccolo is extremely fortunate in the sense that his Namekian genes mean that he has the ability to naturally regenerate lost limbs. Piccolo frequently uses this technique to his advantage and there are several scenarios where he casually tears off one of his arms, only to immediately regrow a new one. Piccolo plays an important role early on in Dragon Ball Z’s Cell Saga, and he’s the first of the heroes who faces Cell’s wrath and unique skill set. Imperfect Cell uses his tail to siphon energy from Piccolo’s arm, which becomes quite withered, before Piccolo reveals that this has all been a part of his plan.

An interesting development would have been if Cell’s unusual DNA cocktail, which includes Namekian genetic material, was somehow able to overpower Piccolo’s abilities. The Cell Saga is full of harrowing moments, but it’d be incredibly powerful to see Piccolo try to regenerate his lost arm, only to learn that he can’t. A one-armed Piccolo from the Cell Saga onward would be a distinct dynamic to his character. He’d still be able to execute his signature Special Beam Cannon attack and his malleable Demon Hand technique means that his one remaining arm could at least reach extreme lengths.

7 Goku’s Dormant Heart Virus Should Have Become A Permanent Condition

One of the biggest bombshells to come out of Dragon Ball Z is Future Trunks’ grim revelation that his timeline’s Goku perishes from a debilitating heart virus. Future Goku’s death is by natural causes, which means that he can’t be revived by the Dragon Balls and participate in the battle against Future Androids 17 and 18. Future Trunks travels back in time to deliver essential heart medicine to Goku to prevent him from suffering from the same fate as his future counterpart. Goku’s heart condition is completely cured as soon as he takes this medicine, and it’s something that’s never addressed again.

Goku is a character who frequently seems overpowered and that there are no limits to what he can accomplish. A lingering heart condition would be a believable way to ground his strength to some extent. Dragon Ball could present Goku’s more strenuous transformations, such as Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Blue, Blue Kaio-Ken, and Ultra Instinct as life-threatening risks that exacerbate his weak heart. Goku could train and learn how to fight in a less taxing manner that keeps his heart safe and instead puts pressure on other elements.

6 Dr. Gero Gives Yamcha A Near-Fatal Chest Wound

Yamcha’s presence has increasingly dwindled throughout Dragon Ball, and he’s rarely someone who joins the battlefield against a new evil. Yamcha still has a lot to offer during Dragon Ball Z’s Android invasion, but he faces a rather traumatic injury when he comes in contact with Dr. Gero and Android 19. Dr. Gero, who is also an Android himself, has no patience for pleasantries and makes a striking entrance when he rams his hand through Yamcha’s chest and begins to absorb his energy. Yamcha is lucky enough to survive the encounter and recover from a Senzu Bean, which completely heals his wounds.

Yamcha has taken on battle scars from past encounters, the likes of which have stayed with him even after Dragon Ball resurrections. Oddly, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of his ghastly injury from Dr. Gero. A brutal chest scar or even broken ribs that slow Yamcha down and provides an explanation for why he progressively moves away from battles and steps out of the spotlight would be a better arc for his character. It’s also harder to mock someone who continues to carry intense battle scars.

5 Gohan Breaks His Arm During His Climactic Clash Against Cell

Gohan rises to the occasion and properly realizes his potential during the battle against Cell, in which he ascends to Super Saiyan 2 status for the first time. Gohan holds his own against Perfect Cell, but the villain still lands some decent hits against the young Saiyan. One of these strikes results in Gohan’s arm being so badly damaged that he can’t use it anymore. This leads to some karmic symmetry between Gohan and Future Gohan, the latter of whom loses his arm in his efforts to stop the Androids.

Gohan still manages to perform a powerful One-Handed Kamehameha that turns into an emotional Father-Son Kamehameha when Goku assists his son in this technique from the afterlife. Gohan’s arm is completely healed the next time he’s seen, but a more battle-worn version of the character might have been an interesting way to differentiate his adult self from his younger years. Gohan’s ability to remove the Z Sword with only one hand would be an even more heroic accomplishment, too.

4 Krillin Severs Frieza’s Tail While He’s In His Second Form

Frieza pushes Goku and the rest of Dragon Ball Z’s heroes out of their comfort zones as he cycles through multiple transformations before he reaches peak power. Frieza’s second transformation delivers deadly damage to Krilli, but the humble human is able to appropriately retaliate when one of his Destructo Discs slices Frieza’s tail in half. Frieza’s tail appears to slightly regrow when he transforms into his monstrous third form, but this injury still remains. Frieza’s tail is hardly his greatest weapon, but it’s still valuable in battle and he’s used it to strangle powerful opponents, such as Vegeta and Universe 2’s Jimizu.

A sliced tail would largely be a cosmetic injury to Frieza that doesn’t seriously impede him in battle. However, this is all the more of a reason why this injury should have remained permanent. A sliced tail would force Frieza to never forget that he’s previously been humbled and it would consistently show anyone new that he encounters that he’s not invincible, despite his reputation.

3 Frieza’s Second Form Brutally Gores Krillin

The heroes’ strenuous group battle against Frieza on Planet Namek is one of Dragon Ball Z’s fiercest fights. It’s a clash that’s rich in death and destruction and Goku narrowly survives before Namek’s annihilation. Krillin is arguably the weakest of the fighters who are locked in combat with Frieza and he faces some brutal injuries before the galactic tyrant proceeds to psychically implode him as a malicious way to mock Goku. Frieza’s transformation into his second form is an intimidating metamorphosis and his stronger state features two prominent horns that complete the ensemble. Frieza proves that these horns are far from ornamental when he aggressively gores Krillin in the chest, which breaks through his resilient Saiyan armor and leaves him on the brink of death.

Dende uses his inherent Namekian abilities to heal Krillin’s wounds and leave him reinvigorated for the rest of this ferocious fight. It’d be unreasonable for Krillin to go through the rest of the series with a gaping chest wound, but a vicious scar would at least act as a constant reminder of his near-death experience. Dragon Ball Super highlights that Krillin is still very much haunted by his encounter with Frieza, but lasting, permanent damage from this wound would better illustrate this point. Grisly scar tissue would function as a constant reminder regarding why it’s important to never let down one’s guard and why Frieza cannot be trusted.

2 Future Gohan’s Lost Arm Becomes One Of The Character’s Signature Traits

Future Gohan is a relatively fringe figure, albeit a character who has become surprisingly popular in Dragon Ball video games and expanded universe stories. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO even made an intentional effort to highlight this alternate timeline character in one of the game’s trailers. Future Gohan tirelessly trains Future Trunks in their combined efforts to save their fractured timeline from Future Androids 17 and 18. Future Gohan, in a desperate attempt to protect his student, ends up losing his left arm during a fight against the Androids.

Future Gohan’s injury has become a curious point of contention, since it’s sometimes treated like a permanent loss, while other stories feature the character with both limbs. There are multiple Dragon Ball video games that showcase Future Gohan with both arms following a Dragon Ball resurrection. This leans into the lore that characters gain new versions of their bodies, rather than the ones that they died in, when they come out of Other World. However, Future Gohan is much more interesting with only one arm and it’s a detail that helps further differentiate him from the prime timeline’s Gohan.

1 Goku Faces Debilitating Injuries During His Early Duel With Demon King Piccolo

Goku accomplishes some incredible feats in the original Dragon Ball, but he takes on a new tier of evil when Demon King Piccolo enters the picture. Demon King Piccolo presents Goku with a genuine challenge and the apex of their fight involves the villain blasting a rock at Goku that breaks his arm. King Piccolo believes that this will secure him the win, but Goku ultimately uses his remaining arm to deliver a one-handed Reverse Kamehameha that propels him through the air and allows him to burst through King Piccolo’s chest.

It’s incredibly inspirational to see Goku adapt to his injuries and still find a way to triumph. This could have become a challenging turning point for the character where he consistently learns how to fight with only one of his arms. Goku’s 23rd World Tournament battle against Piccolo Jr. even references this past fight when Piccolo pledges to not make the same mistake as his father, and he breaks both of Goku’s arms and legs. However, even in this scenario he’s able to come out ahead through the use of an inspired headbutt that knocks Piccolo out of bounds.