6. Krillin
Short of stature, big of heart – Krillin is the franchise’s perennial whipping boy, but he keeps right on coming back for more. Often cast in the mold of comic relief, his greatest achievement in Z was likely getting killed by Frieza – an act which finally pushed Goku to the brink and allowed him to ascend to the status of Super Saiyan. Yes, Krillin is prone to dying. Frequently. Miserably. Unceremoniously. It’s a testament to his bravery that he hadn’t packed it in after about the second or third death, despite his lacking physical talents and propensity to go pop.
To make up for his shortcomings (zing!), Krillin is one of the more crafty combatants in the arena, often using deception and misdirection to his advantage. He also sports the Destructo Disk, one of the slickest looking special attacks of all. It rarely connects with anything that isn’t a mountain, but it’s at least worth maximum style points. Hapless, helpless… Krillin is a truly relatable character, in many ways. He represents our own failures and fears in life; taking it all in stride and getting back up for one last fight.
