Dragonball Z: The Drama!

[Forgotten Hero]

We all know DBZ is like a Soap Oprah. Full of drama! So the question I will pose is: What is your favorite dramatic DBZ scene or line and why?

One of my favorites would be when SSJ Vegeta is fighting Android 18. Everyone is watching them fight, and are very impressed. Except for Piccolo! He knows it is a losing battle for Vegeta! Trunks turns around to see the fight, as Vegeta is starting to take a beating! The more Vegeta is getting his ass beaten, Trunks' fear grows and grows, and his face changes from confidence to complete despair! Even when I watch it now, I saw it for the first time six years ago, my heart rate goes up and I get more and more worried about Vegeta until the shit hits the fan!
18 breaks Vegeta's arm. I freaked out, the first time I saw this I cried! Vegeta was my favorite character back then, so yeah.
Trunks goes nuts! He rush 18, even though he couldn't do anything.

That is just one scene from my point of view.

[SSJ2bardock]

We all know DBZ is like a Soup Oprah.

Really sorry for pointing this out like that, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

[Forgotten Hero]

Ah crap!
Better edit that!

[SSj_Rambo]

My favorite dramatic scene is when Goku uses the Genki Dama against Kid Buu. The scene was so drawn out and emphasized that the drama just built with every second the scene continued. It's also one of my favorite scenes in the series, the drama in the voices and the music is so good that I put the clip on my Zune just to listen to it.

My other favorite dramatic scene is when Piccolo died to save Gohan from Nappa's attack. It is just as suspenseful as the time Goku killed Kid Buu, but this scene had more of an intensely dire dramatic sense to it. This scene was also a bit drawn out, but with it's phenomenal music score it was perfect. Each second made me more and more captivated, I knew what was going to happen but I just couldn't believe it. Even after the scene ended the narrators dire tone in his voice kept the dramatic effect, it wasn't until the ending animation started (which happens right when this video ends) that I was able to exhale.

[Forgotten Hero]

Those are all good scenes, quite the norm, but great scenes

[Kroni_Hunter]

Krillin getting killed and Goku turning Super Saiyan was a good one,

also the scene where vegeta gets killed and basically opens up to goku begging him to kill freeza.

Theres anothere good vegeta scene in movie 12 where he gets beat up by Janemba. He practically starts tearing up and tells goku that when he was in hell he had no body to train with, while goku kept getting stronger it was like he had just given up on everything.

[Pain]

Vegeta giving Son Goku the "Freeza Feared The Saiyajin" speech, before dying.

Vegeta exploding.

Vegeta going Super Saiyajin.

Son Gohan going Super Saiyajin 2.

Piccolo dying after saving Son Gohan.

Son Goku destroying Kid Boo.

[Wojak]

Mr. Satan being thirsty in the desert, I almost cried.

Just kidding.

A dramatical scene was when Goku had to choose between taking Mr. Satan and Dende with himself rather than taking Gohan and the others with him in Buu Saga.

Another dramatical scene was when Goku was heart sick and was fighting Android 19/C19/Jinzoningen 19 or whatever, and screamed to the others as he was getting drained of energy "HELP ME!" (if I remember correctly).
And also when he took a senzu bean during the fight. Both those events were out of character of Goku and very dramatic. He was desperate.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

Future Gohan being overwhelmed by the Androids in the rain was one of the darkest scenes ever.

[Pain]

I'm surprised that Forgotten Hero didn't say that.

[Forgotten Hero]

Future Gohan being overwhelmed by the Androids in the rain was one of the darkest scenes ever.

Yes it is! You think he is winning until it starts to rain...

I'm surprised that Forgotten Hero didn't say that.

I still cry when I see that seen, jk
But it is depressing to watch.

[Terra-jin]

Goku's plea to Kuririn to save Vegeta always moved me. You do have to watch the Japanese version for it. Kuririn is ready to kill Vegeta when Goku begs him to spare Vegeta. With all his heart Goku cries out to save the one thing he values most - a terrific fight. Goku was never as happy as when he has a worthy opponent.
The way he pleads with Kuririn to grant him this one selfish desire in an otherwise completely selfless life is beautiful. It shows that Goku is not that ever benevolent protector, but that he has desires of his own.
Even more beautiful is that Kuririn recognizes this, and despite knowing that he might put the entire planet in danger, he decides to give his best friend what he wants for a change. "You've given us so much; for you I'll spare Vegeta" (or something to that effect).

That puts a smile on my face everytime I see it

[Forgotten Hero]

Goku's plea to Kuririn to save Vegeta always moved me. You do have to watch the Japanese version for it. Kuririn is ready to kill Vegeta when Goku begs him to spare Vegeta. With all his heart Goku cries out to save the one thing he values most - a terrific fight. Goku was never as happy as when he has a worthy opponent.
The way he pleads with Kuririn to grant him this one selfish desire in an otherwise completely selfless life is beautiful. It shows that Goku is not that ever benevolent protector, but that he has desires of his own.
Even more beautiful is that Kuririn recognizes this, and despite knowing that he might put the entire planet in danger, he decides to give his best friend what he wants for a change. "You've given us so much; for you I'll spare Vegeta" (or something to that effect).

That puts a smile on my face everytime I see it

That is a great scene, to bad we don't a real rematch. Granted Goku does fight Vegeta in the Buu arc, but the fight was very force. It wasn't friendly.
Plus thank god Vegeta was spared! He was really important to protecting the earth.

[SSj_Rambo]

My favorite dramatic scenes in the movie are (1) When Goku consumes the Genki Dama to destroy Super Android 13 (2) When Goku tells Gohan to let loose and then he does in DBZ movie 9 (3) When Goku cries over Android 8's body in DB movie 4 (4) When Goku assumes all of the power from the other Z Senshi and defeats Broly in DBZ movie 8 (5) When Goku and Vegeta fuse in DBZ movie 12.

*Honorable mention in the series goes to Goku as he transports himself and Cell to Kaio-sama's planet.*

On a side note...

There's really two different kinds of drama in Dragonball. There's the intense Carmina Burana style dramatic scenes (Cell's death, Goku going SSj, etc) and theres the emotional drama (Vegeta as he tells Goku of that he must destroy Freeza as he dies, Vegeta's breakdown in DBZ movie 12...wow, Vegeta is a drama queen). I personally love the intense action/death scenes in the series over anything else, but to me the emotionally dramatic scenes are just as loved.

Without the depth of emotion that is seen in the emotionally dramatic parts of the show, Dragonball would be comparable to shows such as Pokemon. Not only would Dragonball lose it's depth, the story would become so Black & White: without the emotional drama (which is usually brought on be either Vegeta, Goku, 16 or Gohan) all of the characters would seem pretty one sided and we would be able to understand the characters after only a few episodes. Vegeta's sob story while he was dying on Namek gave us a look into how Vegeta was not just a ruthless killer displaying the exact opposite traits of Goku, but someone with a story and someone who developed over years to become who he was, and not just a one sided bad guy.

The drama created by 16's pep talk to Gohan (this is one of the most un-realized dramatic scenes in the series because of how a few seconds later one of the greatest scenes in the show occurred) made Gohans transformation differ from the generic "the bad guy's too strong...oh wait, now I'm stronger than he is!" resolution to such conflicts as the whole Cell Games dilemma. 16 showed that instead of how most shows of this genre handle such a problem, characters in Dragonball don't just always happen to save the day at the last minute by some unexplained miracle, their abilities have to be achieved and worked for, and sometimes people can't do it alone.

[Forgotten Hero]

Cool, great read

[Kid Trunks]

My favorites are:

1. Goku meeting Goten for the first time.

2. Goku telling everyone that Vegeta and Gohan are dead.

3. Future Trunks finding Future Gohan's body lying in the rain.

Edit: Almost forgot:

4. Goku meeting his Grandpa at Baba's palace.

[Forgotten Hero]

My favorites are:

1. Goku meeting Goten for the first time.

2. Goku telling everyone that Vegeta and Gohan are dead.

3. Future Trunks finding Future Gohan's body lying in the rain.

Yeah those are all cool scenes.
I wish they explored Goku and Goten some more. Give them more of a relationship!

[MyVisionity]

Goku's plea to Kuririn to save Vegeta always moved me. You do have to watch the Japanese version for it. Kuririn is ready to kill Vegeta when Goku begs him to spare Vegeta. With all his heart Goku cries out to save the one thing he values most - a terrific fight. Goku was never as happy as when he has a worthy opponent.
The way he pleads with Kuririn to grant him this one selfish desire in an otherwise completely selfless life is beautiful. It shows that Goku is not that ever benevolent protector, but that he has desires of his own.
Even more beautiful is that Kuririn recognizes this, and despite knowing that he might put the entire planet in danger, he decides to give his best friend what he wants for a change. "You've given us so much; for you I'll spare Vegeta" (or something to that effect).

That puts a smile on my face everytime I see it

This is probably one of my favorite scenes in Dragon Ball ever. The background music that plays just happens to be my favorite also, so that makes the scene that much better. I love how you can see Kuririn really struggle with his decision; you can see it in his body language when he's holding the sword. I like how he recalls "Tenshinhan, Yamucha, and Chaozu" and how they were killed fighting the Saiyajin. Everyone from Vegeta to Goku to Kuririn were perfect in that scene, and it really was a great way to end that saga.

[AnzuMazaki]

Every single death ANY earth fairy (even half saiyans and androids) that were realated to Goku ever had.

[Velasa]

Obviously things involving Pic come to mind, but really the first scene I thought of was in the Android saga when everyone is running through the city looking for the androids, and Yamcha runs across them without knowing it... god, that scene was so horrible and I remember just sitting there and staring in horror. It just came out of nowhere and then there was a hand right through the Kame sigil, and god he was bleeding everywhere and after a while he stopped struggling.. the lighting was sharp and everything was so dark and horrible. the fire, and the darkness, and all that blood... damn. I remember Son's face when the rest of the senshi finally got there. Intense, man.

I've always been really drawn to the scene where pic first sets foot on the soil of his home and is just taking a moment to look around, but I don't remember if I've ever actually seen this in Japanese.

Another one, hmn..... well, obvious answers would be Mirai Gohan's death and Piccolo's death in the Sayiajin saga. Though when it comes to the Mirai movie, the shot before Gohan's death where he knocks Trunks out and leaves alone to die has always had the same strength of impact on me as when he actually dies, because that moment is when the decision is made.

Son Goku kicking the shit out of Nappa and calling out the names of each of his dead friends has always been a good one, though I also haven't seen this in Japanese, just in English (where everyone but Pic is omitted) and in the manga. I love when he gets that anger flowing in his body- when you can see that he really cares about his friends, and that it hurt to loose them like that.

I might come up with some more later.