Dragon Ball is a fun series filled with light-hearted characters, yet arguably the most light-hearted out of the bunch is secretly the most tragic.

Dragon Ball is a famously light-hearted series, with the only moments of intensity being derived from its action, which is usually more thrilling than anything else. What the series decidedly isn’t, however, is a tragedy. Despite that, one of the series’ main characters is destined to a fate filled with nothing but tragedy, even though they are arguably the most light-hearted of the bunch: Master Roshi.

Master Roshi is a character who’s been at the heart of Dragon Ball from the very beginning. It was Roshi who invented Goku’s signature attack the Kamehameha, it was Roshi who first trained Goku and Krillin, and it was Roshi who consistently held the Z-Fighters together even in the darkest of times.

Not only was Roshi someone the current Dragon Ball heroes could always count on, but Master Roshi has also been protecting the planet from evil threats for hundreds of years. It might be obvious that Roshi is old, but it’s not immediately obvious exactly how old, as he had been alive for roughly 300–350 years by the time of his introduction. And, more shocking (and tragic) of all, is that Master Roshi will be alive long after most of the Z-Fighters have died – for another 1,000 years, at least!

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In the days leading up to Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power, Master Roshi tells Goku and Krillin to venture into the mysterious Forest of Terror, where they will undergo yet another martial arts lesson. Within the forest, Goku and Krillin will face their deepest fears, and they must overcome them while also being sure to find and deliver something called a Paradise Herb to Master Roshi once their lesson is complete.

In the end, Goku and Krillin overcome the obstacles the forest presents them with, and they’re successful in retrieving the Paradise Herb for Master Roshi. Upon bringing him the Paradise Herb, Master Roshi quickly consumes it, saying that now he can live for another 1,000 years.

Master Roshi Will Either See Everyone He Cares About Die, or Be Killed in Battle

Eating the Paradise Herb makes one effectively immortal – albeit 1,000 years at a time – but it doesn’t make them invincible. Sure, they won’t die of natural causes, but if someone falls in battle, the Paradise Herb will not save them. This means Master Roshi’s only two options are outliving everyone he’s ever loved while enduring eternal life as a perpetually old man, or being killed in battle.

This means Master Roshi’s only two options are outliving everyone he’s ever loved while enduring eternal life as a perpetually old man, or being killed in battle.

There is no option to pass away peacefully, content with the knowledge he’s passed on. Master Roshi will either die violently or slowly watch everyone around him die one at a time.

For someone as light-hearted as Master Roshi, who exists in a fun and action-packed series like Dragon Ball, this insight is decidedly sobering. Thankfully, the truth behind Master Roshi’s secretly tragic life isn’t put on full display (though the fact that he hasn’t aged a day between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT is alarming). However, if fans know when and where to pay attention, they’ll see that Master Roshi, a classic Dragon Ball hero, is secretly the series’ most tragic character.