- The franchise has many, many examples, but one of the most memetic is Cell in Dragon Ball Z.
- He's so ridiculously overconfident in the power of his "perfect form" that he's perfectly willing to sit still for four minutes while Vegeta powers up his ultimate attack. He doesn't realize there's no way he can simply No-Sell a ki blast that powerful until a half-second before the attack hits, where he actually exclaims "Oh shit!" (in English!) in the German dub. A nicely spliced version of the whole scene can be seen here
. When the smoke clears, Cell is revealed to have barely sidestepped the attack at the last possible second, and he admits the blast would have killed him in one shot if it hit square-on.- In the Italian version, the censors wouldn't allow Cell to swear. So they made him so surprised and bewildered by the sheer power of the attack coming at him that he just stares like a deer in the headlights.
- Also happens when he's fighting Super Saiyan 2 Gohan. After screwing around with Gohan, Cell reveals he hasn't powered up yet and proceeds to do so. He then hits Gohan with a full-powered punch to the face -- which has no effect.
- Cell also reacts this way as he realizes that he has absolutely no chance of winning. The narrator in the sub even says that for the first time, Cell is feeling fear, and regrets awakening Gohan's hidden power. He gets another moment after he throws up Android 18 and losing his perfect form, and another one when he realizes that Gohan was going to kill him.
- It happens again when Tenshinhan pulls a You Shall Not Pass! on him and stops him with his Kikoho.
- Heck, he was prone to this from the time of his first appearance. He gets the jump on Piccolo enough to disable one of his arms, and Piccolo "surrenders", but asks Cell to grant his final request and reveal who he is. Once he has complied with stating everything Piccolo needs to know, the latter tears off his useless arm and regenerates it at full health. Remember that at this point, Piccolo is much stronger than Cell; the latter's only advantage was the element of surprise, which he had just lost.
- Not to say that Cell is only on the receiving end of "Oh, Crap!"s — Cell also loves to inspire Oh Crap reactions in others. For example, after he explains his plans for the "Cell Games" to Trunks:Cell: I just can't wait to see that look of panic and fear.
Trunks: [reacts in shock]
Cell: That's it! That's the look! - There's also a less-popular, but equally awesome one with Cell. In his fight with Goku, seemingly against everything the main character stands for, Goku floats above Cell charging his trademark attack (mirroring the then-villainous Vegeta's actions earlier in the series by challenging Cell to either take the attack head-on or dodge it and allow Earth to be destroyed). At first, Cell thinks it to be a trap, but he keeps going. With every syllable, both Cell and all the outlookers look more and more dumbfounded at this desperate move, with Cell thinking it must be a bluff, especially since Cell doesn't actually need to breathe and thus would survive if he dodges. But then, just before release, Goku uses Instant Transmission to teleport away...right in front of Cell's face. Which contorts into an Oh Crap expression right before it gets blown off, along with most of his upper body.
- Lastly, as he's getting disintegrated by Son Gohan's Kamehameha, Cell has an incredible◊ "Oh, Crap!" face, followed by his exclamation that he is perfect.
- He's so ridiculously overconfident in the power of his "perfect form" that he's perfectly willing to sit still for four minutes while Vegeta powers up his ultimate attack. He doesn't realize there's no way he can simply No-Sell a ki blast that powerful until a half-second before the attack hits, where he actually exclaims "Oh shit!" (in English!) in the German dub. A nicely spliced version of the whole scene can be seen here
- Piccolo has this moment during his fight with Cell when he is about to attack him with a Kamehameha beam.
- Another good one is near the beginning, where Vegeta manages to cut off Oozaru Gohan's tail. His look of relief that he's finally stopped a major threat to him (the only one remaining, as he'd already incapacitated Goku) is very quickly replaced with an Oh Crap look as he realizes that a giant ape is now about to fall on him. And unfortunately for him, Gohan is still a full-size (although hairless) Oozaru when he hits. This leaves Vegeta vulnerable to Krillin, who normally would be a minimal threat to Vegeta even with Yajirobe's Absurdly Sharp Blade.
- Dr. Gero's face just before Piccolo instantly knees him in the jaw.
- Kid Buu gets this look on his face when he realizes he's about to get hit by Goku's giant Spirit Bomb.
- And then he gets an even bigger one when he realizes that he doesn't have the strength to throw it back again.
- There are a number of these during the final Frieza fight on Planet Namek. Frieza trying to stop the Spirit Bomb that eventually blows him up (but fails to kill him), Vegeta suddenly realising how screwed they are moments before Frieza kills him in a suitably over-the-top fashion, Goku's reaction when realizing, after Frieza cut a huge fissure on the planet that Goku barely avoided, that Frieza's 50% of his power overpowering Goku was no bluff, and last but not least, Frieza's reaction to Goku going Super Saiyan for the first time.
- Before then, Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin, Dende all had a massive Oh Crap moment when they saw Frieza after the dragon balls were turned back to stone, ruining his plan for immortality. Even before then, Gohan, Krillin, and Dende had Oh Crap expressions when Vegeta arrived and they still had one wish left on the dragon balls.
- Everyone almost crapped themselves when Frieza announced that he was going to undergo his final transformation.
- Frieza reacts badly when he just realizes Goku had a reason for holding his arms in the air for so long while taking a beating…
- After everyone thought Frieza was dead by the Spirit Bomb and got a very nasty surprise when they saw that Frieza was very much alive and pissed.
- Frieza realizing truly how royally screwed he is against Super Saiyan Goku as his energy begins rapidly depleting in his 100% form. Also, the moment when Trunks reveals that he is a Super Saiyan as well — and then proceeds to shut down Frieza's best attacks (even his planet-killing Death Ball) without even breaking stride. And the look on his face before Trunks cuts him in half is truly satisfying.
- Frieza also had this expression when Goku fired back after he tried to shoot him in the back.
- Before the battle with Frieza, Captain Ginyu had a massive Oh Crap expression when he realized how much more powerful Goku was compared to him. He has another one when he couldn't get Goku's battle power, after he did a Grand Theft Me, past the 23,000 mark. Goku also had a moment after he realized that his body had just been hijacked.
- Jeice and Burter have a series of these as they slowly realized how powerful Goku truly is.
- Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin are left in a state of disbelief when Recoome took all of Vegeta's heavy attacks and only has Clothing Damage.
- Frieza's father, King Cold, puts on a terrified stare as he realizes that his begs to Trunks for mercy have fallen on deaf ears and that he's about to be blasted to pieces by his second God Breaker.
- During the Buu Saga, Gohan and Goten are training, with Goten throwing rocks at Gohan. Gohan barely dodges one and has Oh Crap face #1. After a while, Goten asks if he could change into a Super Sayian like Gohan. Gohan brags about all the work it took for him and Goku to become a Super Sayian, only to have Goten go Super Saiyan like he was turning on a light. Cue Oh Crap face #2
- The Supreme Kai reacts with horror when he sees that Buu is back in his original form.
- Earlier, Supreme Kai reacts in equal horror as he realizes that Vegeta is the fighter Dabura was referring to when he said Babidi found a new recruit.
- Chi-Chi gets one shortly after she slapped Super Buu in the face before she was turned into an egg and killed.
- Goku gets this expression after Gohan is absorbed by Buu.
- In the original Dragon Ball, Goku has quite a few of these. First being just before Jackie Chun used the Thunder Shock Surprise attack on him at the 21st Martial Arts Tournament, Major Metallitron getting his head blown off and still moving, Buyon deflecting his Kamehameha with his blubber, Tien being able to grow two extra arms, and Mercenary Tao and King Piccolo surviving direct hits from the Kamehameha.
- Of course, Goku subject this to many people. Giving one to Jackie Chun when he showed that the could produce a Kamehameha equal in power to his, every time he turns into a Great Ape, the Red Ribbon Army's default reaction when they hear his name, Mercenary Tao when he realizes that Goku surpass him. And again when he realizes that Goku kicked his grenade back to him. Tambourine after he beats the crap out of him, King Piccolo when Goku is able to fight as his equal and realizes that he cannot block Goku's final attack, and Piccolo Jr when he revealed that he can fly.
- When the group finds the calling card of King Piccolo in the wake of Krillin's death, Master Roshi is horrified as he recognizes it.
- Master Roshi causes King Piccolo to have a massive Oh Crap expression when he revealed he knows the Evil Containment Wave.
- Not to mention any time anybody brings out a Rice Cooker, the object he was originally imprisoned in.
- In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Vegeta practically soils his tights when he learns Beerus, the God of Destruction and the one being in the entire universe that he actually fears, is on his way to earth. This soon after he learns that Beerus was able to beat a fully-powered Super Saiyan 3 Goku by flicking his finger. Frieza had the same reaction when he sees Beerus in the next movie.
- In Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', everyone has one when Frieza decides to drop all pretenses and go straight to his final form. Most notable is Master Roshi, who instantly drops his muscular form and declares that now's the perfect time to split.
- Frieza mostly reacts to Goku's continued ability to stand up to his attacks with frustrated Angrish, but he does have a moment of pure terror when he looks over and sees Beerus the Destroyer watching the fight. Of course, Beerus isn't there to help Goku, and tells Frieza to do as he pleases... just don't get his ice cream dirty.
- Bulma says this verbatim when she taunts Frieza and turns to Gohan only for him to explain to her that Frieza has become so powerful that not even the assembled Z Fighters have a hope of beating him.
- In Dragon Ball Super, there is Goku's first meeting Zen'o, the ruler of the multiverse. Beerus and his brother Champa wig out and go to great lengths to appease him, and then along comes Goku, addressing one of the most powerful entities in the universe so informally that Beerus and Champa both start to freak out. Then when Goku lifts Zen'o up like a small child while shaking hands with him, both Gods of Destruction practically crap their pants in fear of reprisal. Thankfully, Zen'o appreciates Goku's candor and the two become fast friends.
- After Universe 9 loses the Tournament of Power, the Zenos keep their promise and prepare to erase them. The warriors of U9 (barring the unconscious Trio de Dangers) and its Supreme Kai Roh have enough time to react in terror before they're killed by the gods.
- Adding to this, everyone else fighting, as well as the rest of the gods and Angels (sans Quitela and Mojito) have this reaction after witnessing U9's erasure, making it clear that the promise Zeno made was real all along.
- A funny example comes from Dragon Ball Super: Broly where Goku and Vegeta decide to instant transmission away from a rampaging Broly, but not before leading him right in front of the spectating Frieza. Cue “Oh Crap!” and a deliciously satisfying No-Holds-Barred Beatdown for the Evil Emperor.Goku: Have fun, Frieza! (Goku and Vegeta get the hell out of here)
Frieza: (Yelps) What are you doing?! I am the mighty Lord Frieza!!! (Screams in horror as Broly starts beating the shit out of him)- The entire fight with Broly is a continuous Oh, Crap! moment for Vegeta and Goku. Each time they think they have him beat, Broly becomes back with even more rage and power. Vegeta's thoughts gradually go from "this is a nice warmup" to "this is becoming a nuisance" to "we're in trouble" to "we have to do something or he will kill us both!"
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero:
- The poor bastard Red Ribbon henchmen who delivers the news to Gohan that they’ve captured his daughter Pan and he better come quietly — has this reaction to Gohan’s triggering Super Saiyan in pure rage causing a massive crater and Gohan’s own house to collapse with the mook just left groveling for his life in comical fashion.
- Gamma 2 has a particularly glorious one◊ when he attempts a Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs on Orange Piccolo which proves to be very ineffective. Keep in mind this Sentai-esque Android has been a Smug Super up until this point, whereas after Orange Piccolo does a complete No-Sell of his attacks and gives him a “Pathetic” Disapproving Look Gamma 2 just looks stricken with terror before Piccolo gives him a Megaton Punch defeating him instantly.
- This also causes a Mass "Oh, Crap!" from the rest of the Red Ribbon army with Magenta and Carmine having a Screw This, I'm Outta Here.
- The Z-Fighters and Gammas both have this reaction to Cell Max emerging from the Red Ribbon army base like Godzilla.
- Cell Max himself has this reaction to Beast Gohan’s Makankosappo/Special Beam Cannon drilling through his skull.
