Will we see a main character loss in the future?

[Beerus]

In terms of the entire series from Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Super, there have only been minor losses, even with the villains.

In other anime series as well as general TV series, a lot of them face the loss of main characters or at least prominent ones over time.

While we have seen some be removed from the series in one form or another, most have stuck around for a long time.

Do you think we will ever see another main character loss in the future? If so, who can you see being removed from the series and in what way?

 

[LividJay]

It's hard to say. I don't recall losing anyone in the main story line so far. but damn, if I didn't feel it hard in the History of Trunks. Everyone was gone.

 

[India Actual]

You have to ask yourself "What purpose will it serve?" Think about any of the main characters or supporting cast. Most either faded into the backdrop or are so integral to plots going forward that an extreme of either wouldn't make sense. If we see someone new come in to get built up to main importance or if we suddenly see Launch turn up again to become important then I'd get worried.

 

[Super Kami Guru]

I find it hard to view death in the db universe with any sincerity because, yeah, the villains end up dead and don't come back, but how many times have the "z warriors" died and come back? Even Goku. If they killed one off permanently it wouldn't seem very db-esque. I'd almost like to see it happen, just because you always know the end result is going to be "and they all went back to the way things were." It would be nice to see how db handled a bit of a sombre reflection on things for a change. Will it happen? Probably not, but it would be something interesting to see.

 

[LividJay]

I find it hard to view death in the db universe with any sincerity because, yeah, the villains end up dead and don't come back, but how many times have the "z warriors" died and come back? Even Goku. If they killed one off permanently it wouldn't seem very db-esque. I'd almost like to see it happen, just because you always know the end result is going to be "and they all went back to the way things were." It would be nice to see how db handled a bit of a sombre reflection on things for a change. Will it happen? Probably not, but it would be something interesting to see.

That's a good point and it really kind of ruins some aspects. "We can always use the dragon balls to bring them back!", is something we've heard way too many times. Also, what's the point of death if it''s almost like living on your home planet when you get there? It really cheapens it.

 

[Super Kami Guru]

Precisely! We saw in the Cell saga, Goku died, Gohan wept for him and it was a very sad moment in the episode, but then what? Almost immediately it's Gohan wins and we're seeing light-hearted Goku in the otherworld having a jolly old time, going to Grand Kai's planet, and so on. What's to make us feel as though there's been this great loss, when we're sitting here watching the character we've "lost" having a fine time? It just ruins the "death" aspect of DB.

...this should be canon:

Spoiler

 

[India Actual]

Precisely! We saw in the Cell saga, Goku died, Gohan wept for him and it was a very sad moment in the episode, but then what? Almost immediately it's Gohan wins and we're seeing light-hearted Goku in the otherworld having a jolly old time, going to Grand Kai's planet, and so on. What's to make us feel as though there's been this great loss, when we're sitting here watching the character we've "lost" having a fine time? It just ruins the "death" aspect of DB.

...this should be canon:

Spoiler

Some deaths should be permanent. Yeah, sure we have the dragon balls, but there should be impact felt, people should be hurt, distressed, go through some s***! Gohan was 11 years old and he was directly responsible for his father having to sacrifice himself and potentially NEVER return but like @Super Kami Guru said we get a jolly ol' time in the afterlife. Goku widowed a pregnant woman for crying out loud and everyone was just dandy! They shouldn't just go on a couple day trip to make a wish and make everything just the way it was again. Death breaks the ones you leave behind and some people never recover from the loss. You know what I need a drink!

 

[Beerus]

I need to watch more TFS, I missed out on a lot of good ones. lol

 

[Super Kami Guru]

Yes you should! Some top quality stuff from TFS, they really do good work for a fan project. The movies, as well, I absolutely loved the Bardock movies from TFS. Absolutely hilarious, and yet they still manage to honour the db storyline as much as possible.

Some deaths should be permanent. Yeah, sure we have the dragon balls, but there should be impact felt, people should be hurt, distressed, go through some s***! Gohan was 11 years old and he was directly responsible for his father having to sacrifice himself and potentially NEVER return but like @Super Kami Guru said we get a jolly ol' time in the afterlife. Goku widowed a pregnant woman for crying out loud and everyone was just dandy! They shouldn't just go on a couple day trip to make a wish and make everything just the way it was again. Death breaks the ones you leave behind and some people never recover from the loss. You know what I need a drink!

I would love to see it, I really would. The pain of genuine loss, the impact it actually has on families and characters, and the shifting dynamics it creates. We get a brief glimpse in the future Trunks timeline, but that's an alternate reality, so even that has no real oomph to it. It's just...meh, they're dead, see them in a bit.

 

[India Actual]

This discussion is really relative to a certain something and I have more to say on it. Except I can’t because it would ruin things for people who haven’t done something specific. *cough*

 

[Super Kami Guru]

We do have spoiler tags you could use

 

[LividJay]

One thing I'll add is that there should be some enormous cost to using the DragonBalls to bring someone back to life, or maybe just in general. Or maybe the cost should match the wish like, sort of like in alchemy (such as in Full Metal Alchemist).

 

[India Actual]

Ok here goes.

Spoiler: HUGE spoilers

If you decide to read past here and haven’t read Part 5 of my fanfic be warned. So in the story there exists the same duality that we’ve been discussing here. Mira keeps coming back and while he isn’t being wished back but more correctly from his first “death” he was just reconstructed by Towa. Death shows little to no consequence in that instance.

However, since Sorrel met her brutal demise at his hands at the end of the story I am attempting to instill some real world effect into the narrative. She can’t be resurrected under normal conditions because she was killed by a demon. Will regular dragon balls work? We don’t know that. Only thing we know for sure that will work to revive her and anyone else they killed are the super dragon balls. Which getting them should be a very difficult if not nigh impossible task that Korian and Shihori have to undertake.

In regards to them specifically there’s consequences for her death. They’re hurt and if I dare say damaged from the experience. Korian lost the only woman he has ever loved that he has known almost his entire life. The mother of his daughter, his teammate in combat, his everything. He’s emotionally shattered and he doesn’t know how to cope. The mantra at the end of “Whatever it takes” is not only a positive but telling in the regard of what lengths will he go to get her back? What won’t he do? Now think of Shihori, she’s a 13 year old girl who is very close knit to her family. He mother was a huge part of her world and she was taken away from her by someone she had a chance to stop but couldn’t. Could she feel a little responsible for her weakness and not being able to kill Mira before he inflicted such lasting damage? I would venture to say that her putting on a happy face at the end and visualizing her mother is nothing but a coping mechanism to hide some very deep rooted trauma. She’s a damaged person now and who knows how that will manifest in the future?

I wrote it all this way with the attempt to give Dragon Ball some consequence and remove the trope of it’s always going to be a happy ending. Maybe in this case it’s not. Even I don’t know and they’re my creation. Korian and Shihori will be leaning on one another for support going forward but ask yourselves this, is that the best course of action? Can someone just as messed emotionally as you truly be of any help to your own inner demons?

Thank you and I hope you enjoy this insight.

 

[India Actual]

Does anyone have any thoughts going forward one what I previously mentioned? Perhaps anything to add lasting consequence to Dragon Ball in general?

 

[GogetaBlue]

well they have dragon balls so they can just wish them back.