I got a question for you Dragon Ball bros and gals here in the thread: In every arc presented within any form of Dragon Ball media, what would you consider to be the most horrifying moment in the franchise as a whole?
For me, while the scene with Cell absorbing the human man in front of Piccolo was genuinely gut wrenching, I think the scene where Frieza impales and tortures Krillin on one of his spikes nearly made me tear up. I don't know why it is, but just seeing Krillin being violently thrusted around on the spike while everyone is forced to watch it happen and Frieza's cackling just adds a layer of terror and fear that Frieza instills upon those who stand in his way.
If we’re dividing by each arc.
I don’t think anything too horrific happens until Goku faces the RR Army and then literally punches all the through the mutant creations’ gut in Muscle Tower.
Before that, I mean, at best you could really just say random pervy jokes.
Then you get to Tao Pai Pai killing Blue with his Tongue, the murder of Krillin, and the reversal of Mafuba (as well as consumption), of Kami. You could also put in here Kami’s resolve, because similar to Tanjiro, he was fully prepared to kill himself. (Though this in itself always confused me. If they had a life link, why couldn’t Kami kill himself to kill Piccolo if he was truly filled with such resolve?)
Z is where things get serious, though. Saiyan Saga, I’d argue would be Vegeta killing Nappa. Namek (before Frieza), would be Vegeta’s murders of Cui, Zarbon, or Dedoria. Frieza himself? Krillin horn, yeah. Cell Saga, I’d argue the most horrific thing is Cell’s attempt to lure in 18 with her brother’s voice after she
watched him get eaten and was told he
drank thousands. It displays just how awful and low (and frankly, sick) Cell was as a creature.
Buu Saga would definitely be the slaughter on the Lookout. Both the Human Extinction Attack and him taking out his wrath on everyone there once he escapes the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. With GT, I think Baby’s slaughter of his own people “to see what being a Saiyan is like” and then threatening them to get under Goku’s skin via a Super Galick Gun is up there. (It should also be noted that they were also all part of himself, as well). Super 17’s arc was frankly really tame. The Shadow Dragons also aren’t really “horrific.” At least, not viscerally. I think the closest you’ll get is Naturon Shenron.
Super’s arcs—From Battle of Gods to U6vU7, don’t really have horrific elements. At least, none we aren’t used to. Blowing up the planet is terrible, but it’s less horrifying the 5th time compared to the first. The darkest thing I can really think of is Frost’s business. Which is dark, but it’s not overtly so and is a told, not shown. Goku Black’s murder of Goku’s family, Bulma, etc. with his own body is pretty horrific, though. Especially since he made sure to do so personally rather than incidentally.
Generally speaking, the Zeno’s are a terrifying concept—But like Frost, nothing’s done with them so you kinda don’t feel it. Because what they are is very much what the Collector in the Owl House is. Childish, uncaring, undying, god figures that can alter the world on a mass scale with no effort whatsoever. Their whim decides fate, and that whim is fickle—With no understanding or greater comprehension of anything beyond their basic desire to play.
Same with the Manga and Moro. Conceptually pretty dark, but overall not really delivering on that outside of his general cruelty and planet consumption. Elec selling his brother’s life for power is pretty dark, though, so you could argue something like that would count.
Dunno much on SDBH/XV/DBO-Exclusive Lore, so I couldn’t say.