What happened to Icarus in ‘Dragon Ball Z’?

Dragon Ball Z is one of the most well-known anime out there. Many have stated that it’s the series that introduced them to anime in the first place. It wasn’t without faults, though, and many mysteries still surround certain plots and characters. Mysteries like: What happened to Icarus?

Icarus, also known as Hire Dragon, was first seen in the original Japanese and uncut dub version of Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might in 1990. The dragon lives in a forest near Gohan’s house and meets Gohan when the latter saves him from a falling tree. The two form a bond, with Gohan calming Icarus when Shenron tries to bring the forest back to normal and a confused Icarus attacks him. Icarus is eventually given a cave dwelling near Gohan’s home so the two can spend time together.

Icarus is one of Gohan’s closest friends and one of the protagonists of the Garlic Jr. Saga (released in 1991). In the saga, he saves Gohan from Black Water Mist and later saves Maron from an attack by Bulma and Chi-Chi, who have been influenced by the Mist. He then makes an appearance in one episode of the Trunks Saga, and after that, he isn’t seen again. So what happened to him?

Despite appearing in a few non-canon films, the dragon isn’t seen again. His role in the Dragon Ball universe disappears along with him. There is one point he is acknowledged in the Great Saiyaman Saga, when Goten sees a dinosaur and says it reminds him of Icarus, but other than that, the playful dragon is not mentioned again. His character becomes one of the mysteries of the series, along with the disappearance of Launch and who the hell Frieza was selling planets to. Seriously, who buys planets?!