Nappa... the Invincible?

"Nappa... the Invincible?" is the eighteenth episode of the Saiyan Saga and the eighteenth overall episode of the original Saban dub for the Dragon Ball Z series. It aired in first-run syndication on February 15, 1997.
==Summary==
Nappa continues to power up and his power level skyrockets. Again, at random, Nappa chooses Tien Shinhan and engages him in battle, though his strength has become so much that with a mere punch, he severs Tien's arm. Then valiantly tries to fight back, but is viciously pummeled. Determined not to let another comrade fall, Krillin rushes to Tien's aid, but Nappa blasts a hole in the ground to stop him, apparently killing Chiaotzu in the process.
Chiaotzu, however, catches Nappa off guard and latches himself onto the Saiyan's back, slowly powering up in the process. Nappa smashes his back into several rocks to damage Chiaotzu, but Chiaotzu refuses to let go. As a last resort, Nappa flies towards some spiky rocks in an attempt to impale Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu telepathically communicates with Tien and bids his farewell before self-destructing. Nappa, however, emerges from the explosion unharmed, having put up a defense at the last minute, meaning Chiaotzu sacrificed himself for nothing.
With Yamcha and Chiaotzu gone, it seems as if Goku, who has just passed the halfway point of Snake Way, is truly Earth's last hope against the Saiyans.
While Goku continues to fly across Snake Way towards the Check-In Station, he senses that things on earth are not going very well. On Earth, enraged over the loss of Chiaotzu, Tien unleashes a furious attack on Nappa, but is unable to best him, especially with his one remaining arm. Nappa quickly turns the tables and pummels Tien, who refuses to give up. Trillin almost intervenes, but Piccolo stops him, preferring to wait for Nappa to let his guard down before attacking. Vegeta scoffs at their plan, but Piccolo cockily warns him that he will not be smiling once Goku arrives, gaining Vegeta's interest.
Nappa flies into the air and rockets towards Tien for the kill, but Piccolo and Krillin launch a surprise attack which topples Nappa. Gohan, unfortunately, becomes scared of Nappa's furious face, particularly after remembering the loss of Tien's arm, and runs for cover instead of firing a Masenko at Nappa. Piccolo and Krillin desperately fire at Nappa, but he dodges and rejoins them in the air, turning his attention to them. Piccolo and Krillin decide to use the Tri-Form technique against Nappa.
==Major events==
*Chiaotzu self-destructs in a vain attempt to kill Nappa.
==Trivia==
*In the Saban dub, when Nappa punches Tien's arm off, Tien yells "You just wait 'till it grows back!". This was an attempt by the censors at Funimation and Saban Entertainment to tone down the severity of his injury, as Piccolo has been shown before to grow his limbs back. Tien, obviously, does not have this ability.
*Likewise, Tien, remembering that Chiaotzu has previously been brought back to life by the Dragon Balls, shakes his fist and screams, "Now it's gonna be a lot harder to wish him back!" As far as Tien knows, it's impossible to wish him back; he does not yet know about the Namekian Dragon Balls and their ability to revive the dead multiple times.
==Gallery==
==External links==
*IMDb page for "Nappa... The Invincible? (1997)"
*Review of the episode's censorship
*Review of the episode's censorship
==Site Navigation==
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Category:Dragon Ball Z episodes
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