Sacrifice "Sacrifice (Vegeta Saga episode)")

Tien Shinhan, crippled and grieving, refuses to accept Chiaotzu's death as meaningless. He fights Nappa with his one remaining arm but is battered relentlessly. Piccolo and Krillin attempt a surprise attack that briefly topples Nappa, but the counterattack requires Gohan to fire a Masenko. Paralyzed by fear and the memory of Tien's severed arm, Gohan runs instead of shooting.

Piccolo and Krillin resort to the Tri-Form technique, splitting themselves into three copies each. But with their power divided among the clones, none can inflict real damage on Nappa. From the ground, Tien watches his allies struggle and receives a vision of Chiaotzu urging him forward. Memories of their shared journey flood his mind: tournaments, battles, Chiaotzu's previous death and revival.

Tien drags himself to his feet and channels every remaining ounce of his life energy into a single, one-armed Tri-Beam. The blast strikes Nappa head-on but only damages his armor. Tien collapses and dies. Vegeta, intrigued by Krillin's desperate shout to Goku, connects the name to Kakarot and grants a three-hour window for the mysterious fighter to arrive, silencing Nappa with a glare when the brute tries to disobey.

Gohan freezes at the critical moment, and Piccolo and Krillin's Tri-Form clones prove too weak to challenge Nappa. Tien, remembering Chiaotzu's sacrifice and their lifetime together, gathers all his remaining life force into a final Tri-Beam. The blast is powerful enough to shatter Nappa's armor but not the Saiyan beneath it.

Tien's death raises the toll to three fallen Z Fighters. Vegeta, curious about the "Goku" that Krillin called out to, realizes this must be Kakarot and offers a three-hour break to see if this low-class Saiyan can provide a real challenge.

This is the first time Tien dies in the series, and his death mirrors the selflessness of Chiaotzu's moments earlier. Vegeta's decision to pause the slaughter stems not from mercy but from his desire to face a worthy opponent, revealing the Saiyan prince's obsession with combat superiority.