Shut Down Remote

Dr. Gero created the Shut Down Remote as a failsafe in case his Android creations ever turned against him. The device was kept near the main gate of his laboratory, doubling as a light switch to conceal its true purpose. Unfortunately for Gero, this precaution proved insufficient. After Androids 17 and 18 were reactivated, they feigned obedience long enough for 17 to snatch the remote from the doctor's hand and crush it. Gero claimed he could simply build another, but he never got the chance.

Using schematics retrieved by Future Trunks and Krillin from the ruins of Gero's laboratory, Bulma and Dr. Brief constructed a replacement remote. Bulma revealed an important limitation: the device only worked within ten meters of the target Android. Krillin was given the remote with the mission to shut down Android 18 before Cell could absorb her and achieve his Perfect Form.

In one of the series' most emotionally significant moments, Krillin found himself unable to use the remote. His growing feelings for Android 18 made him unwilling to strip away her autonomy, and he chose to destroy the remote instead, giving her a chance to escape. This decision, while disastrous for the immediate situation (it allowed Cell to become Perfect), ultimately led to Krillin and 18's future marriage. In Cell's original timeline, Future Trunks successfully used the remote to deactivate the Androids before destroying them.