It's a common sentiment among anime fans that death in Dragon Balldoesn't mean anything. For the most part, this criticism does ring true. The Dragon Balls being able to bring anyone back to life, with increasingly fewer restrictions and rules, does remove a lot of the dramatic weight that comes with death in Dragon Ball – but not all of it, and not so much where characters dying can't still pack a punch. In fact, one of the last deaths in Dragon Ball Z remains heartbreaking for what it represents.
