Toriyama's decision to leave Yamcha/Tenshinhan/Chiaotzu dead the entire Namek arc

[precita]

Aside from a nice little reunion, their resurrection was pointless. Porunga should’ve had the same weakness as Shenron in that he can’t bring back someone that’s been brought back once already. That would leave Tien and Yamcha alive, but Krillin and Chiaotzu should’ve stayed dead. Krillin’s revival in particular really took away from Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation as well. Looking back at it now, it’d be a much more touching moment if Krillin stayed dead. That’s my opinion, at least.

There was no way they were going to leave Krillin dead. As for Yamcha he was still Bulma's boyfriend at the time, so it would have seemed odd if he didn't come back to life.

Tenshinhan could have decided to stay in the afterlife, he actually says that in the anime when they don't have enough wishes and he and Chiaotzu stay behind for another Namek year.

[Android 21]

Aside from a nice little reunion, their resurrection was pointless. Porunga should’ve had the same weakness as Shenron in that he can’t bring back someone that’s been brought back once already. That would leave Tien and Yamcha alive, but Krillin and Chiaotzu should’ve stayed dead. Krillin’s revival in particular really took away from Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation as well. Looking back at it now, it’d be a much more touching moment if Krillin stayed dead. That’s my opinion, at least.

There was no way they were going to leave Krillin dead. As for Yamcha he was still Bulma's boyfriend at the time, so it would have seemed odd if he didn't come back to life.

Tenshinhan could have decided to stay in the afterlife, he actually says that in the anime when they don't have enough wishes and he and Chiaotzu stay behind for another Namek year.

“No way,” why not? What else did Krillin have to offer to the series? All of these characters were just sitting on the sidelines, effectively benched for the rest of the series. They even could’ve made appearances from time to time in the other world with King Kai. It’s not even like death is a scary, mysterious thing in DBZ. The only loss is Krillin getting the girl, which is really not that big of a loss. Really, 18 could’ve been much more without being married off.

[Totamo]

Because Toriyama is a self aware writer. He treats his characters like storytelling tools, because they are. He can use them until they aren't needed than throw them away when he is done and replace them.


People have always taken his work more seriously than he ever did.

[Totamo]

Aside from a nice little reunion, their resurrection was pointless. Porunga should’ve had the same weakness as Shenron in that he can’t bring back someone that’s been brought back once already. That would leave Tien and Yamcha alive, but Krillin and Chiaotzu should’ve stayed dead. Krillin’s revival in particular really took away from Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation as well. Looking back at it now, it’d be a much more touching moment if Krillin stayed dead. That’s my opinion, at least.

There was no way they were going to leave Krillin dead. As for Yamcha he was still Bulma's boyfriend at the time, so it would have seemed odd if he didn't come back to life.

Tenshinhan could have decided to stay in the afterlife, he actually says that in the anime when they don't have enough wishes and he and Chiaotzu stay behind for another Namek year.

“No way,” why not? What else did Krillin have to offer to the series? All of these characters were just sitting on the sidelines, effectively benched for the rest of the series. They even could’ve made appearances from time to time in the other world with King Kai. It’s not even like death is a scary, mysterious thing in DBZ. The only loss is Krillin getting the girl, which is really not that big of a loss. Really, 18 could’ve been much more without being married off.

You actually believe Toriyama would have kept her around if She wasn't married. What happened to 17 again?

[Lord Beerus]

It was the right decision. Those guys would have contributed nothing on Namek against the Ginyu Force and especially against Freeza. Bringing them to Namek would have ultimately greatly jeopardized the entire reason for the cast going to that planet in the first place.

[Android 21]

There was no way they were going to leave Krillin dead. As for Yamcha he was still Bulma's boyfriend at the time, so it would have seemed odd if he didn't come back to life.

Tenshinhan could have decided to stay in the afterlife, he actually says that in the anime when they don't have enough wishes and he and Chiaotzu stay behind for another Namek year.

“No way,” why not? What else did Krillin have to offer to the series? All of these characters were just sitting on the sidelines, effectively benched for the rest of the series. They even could’ve made appearances from time to time in the other world with King Kai. It’s not even like death is a scary, mysterious thing in DBZ. The only loss is Krillin getting the girl, which is really not that big of a loss. Really, 18 could’ve been much more without being married off.

You actually believe Toriyama would have kept her around if She wasn't married. What happened to 17 again?

Well, I’m not saying all that. I’m just saying that if he did keep her around and alone, I think she’d be better off as a character instead of becoming Krillin’s trophy wife. But really, even if this scenario did happen, Toriyama probably would’ve married 18 off to someone, even if it was just some random tool that she used and abused for his money. But I still think even that would be preferable to Krillin. At least she’d have more of the focus whenever she appeared instead of most of it being given to Krillin.

[Totamo]

“No way,” why not? What else did Krillin have to offer to the series? All of these characters were just sitting on the sidelines, effectively benched for the rest of the series. They even could’ve made appearances from time to time in the other world with King Kai. It’s not even like death is a scary, mysterious thing in DBZ. The only loss is Krillin getting the girl, which is really not that big of a loss. Really, 18 could’ve been much more without being married off.

You actually believe Toriyama would have kept her around if She wasn't married. What happened to 17 again?

Well, I’m not saying all that. I’m just saying that if he did keep her around and alone, I think she’d be better off as a character instead of becoming Krillin’s trophy wife. But really, even if this scenario did happen, Toriyama probably would’ve married 18 off to someone, even if it was just some random tool that she used and abused for his money. But I still think even that would be preferable to Krillin. At least she’d have more of the focus whenever she appeared instead of most of it being given to Krillin.

What exactly was 18's character before marrying Krillin?

[Android 21]

You actually believe Toriyama would have kept her around if She wasn't married. What happened to 17 again?

Well, I’m not saying all that. I’m just saying that if he did keep her around and alone, I think she’d be better off as a character instead of becoming Krillin’s trophy wife. But really, even if this scenario did happen, Toriyama probably would’ve married 18 off to someone, even if it was just some random tool that she used and abused for his money. But I still think even that would be preferable to Krillin. At least she’d have more of the focus whenever she appeared instead of most of it being given to Krillin.

What exactly was 18's character before marrying Krillin?

She was a delinquent teenage girl turned killer cyborg. She wouldn’t be that now either way, but she wouldn’t be Krillin’s sidearm either. I’d prefer if she were her own character. Like Piccolo.

[ABED]

She's still her own character. She's no longer trying to kill Goku, but she does get Mr. Satan to agree to give her money if she threw the match.

[8000 Saiyan]

They wouldn't have been useful in the fight against Frieza.

[Totamo]

Well, I’m not saying all that. I’m just saying that if he did keep her around and alone, I think she’d be better off as a character instead of becoming Krillin’s trophy wife. But really, even if this scenario did happen, Toriyama probably would’ve married 18 off to someone, even if it was just some random tool that she used and abused for his money. But I still think even that would be preferable to Krillin. At least she’d have more of the focus whenever she appeared instead of most of it being given to Krillin.

What exactly was 18's character before marrying Krillin?

She was a delinquent teenage girl turned killer cyborg. She wouldn’t be that now either way, but she wouldn’t be Krillin’s sidearm either. I’d prefer if she were her own character. Like Piccolo.

I meant her personality and Piccolo became a babysitter so I don't know if that would be ideal.

[Zeru14]

The premise of DBZ 2 on Famicom is that only Piccolo died in the fight against the Saiyajin, so Yamucha, Tenshinhan and Chaozu all pack their and join Gohan and Kuririn. It is a pretty cool premise. Earths strongest Wulin all traveling together to the far away homeworld of the their former adversary who redeemed himself in death. Kicking lots of ass in the process.

I agree that Piccolo and Kami's deaths were the ones only necessary for the narrative, to set up the going to Namek story. Having Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu traveling to Namek and participating in the events that was transpiring there would've been fun to watch, seeing them work together as a team relying on techniques and strategy to get around enemies who were superior to them in almost everyway in their effort to get the Dragonballs. Another bonus is that Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu would've gotten the Potential Unlocked by Guru allowing them to stay power relevant. Going by Kid Gohan and Krillin's initial boost, Yamcha and Tien would've had a power level "over 10,000", while Chiaotzu(going by Saiyan Saga official power levels where his was 610)would've been over 6,000. Also seeing Yamcha and Chiaotzu in Battle Armor would've been nice(Tien would probably reject wearing it cause he wouldn't want to dress like Vegeta). By the time the fight with Frieza(1st Form) started official power levels state that Krillin's battle power was 75,000, so Tien's would probably be 85,000, Yamcha's 68,000 and Chiaotzu's 45,000.

[ABED]

One of the things that their deaths do in the Saiyan arc is give the story personal stakes. I prefer the cast of characters in the early Freeza arc to remain small. It allowed for the bonding between Gohan and Kuririn.

[precita]

Krillin is a major character in DBZ, he was never going to stay dead permanently.

What could of happened is not see the humans at all on King Kai's planet, only Piccolo went there...and the humans could have just been off-screen entirely till they got wished back. Think of how we didn't see Krillin when Freeza killed him until he was wished back, or how we saw nothing of Vegeta when he died to Buu until they decided to bring him back