Dead Tamagotchi
When a Tamagotchi dies, it’s the last part of its life cycle. You’ll see a special death screen that tells you your pet is gone. This is sad, but it’s part of the game.
On this death screen, you can look at some interesting things:
- How old your Tamagotchi got – maybe it lived a long time
- Its stats – like how happy it was or how well you fed it
After your Tamagotchi dies, you can start over if you want to. There are 2 ways to do this:
- Press the A and C buttons at the same time
- Find the Reset button on the back of your Tamagotchi and push it
The way death looks on the screen can be different depending on where you are. In Japan, it might look one way, whereas in English-speaking countries, it might look another way.
Newer Tamagotchis have something interesting. Instead of dying, your pet might run away. But don’t worry, whether it dies or runs away, it means the same thing in the game: Your Tamagotchi is gone and you can start over.
Remember, even though it’s just a game, it’s okay to feel a little sad when your Tamagotchi dies. Many people get attached to their Tamagotchis.
Why did my Tamagotchi die?
Tamagotchis can die for different reasons. Here are the main ones:
Care Mistakes
This is the most common reason. If you don’t feed your Tamagotchi, cure it when it’s sick, or turn off the lights when it’s bedtime (in older versions), it might die. How many mistakes you can make before it dies depends on which Tamagotchi you have. Newer ones let you make more mistakes. For the older Tamagotchis that have Ojitchi and Otokitchi (the grandpa and grandma), they die after 5 care mistakes.
Starvation
If you don’t feed your Tamagotchi for 12 hours, it might die. This counts as a care mistake, too.
Sickness
If your Tamagotchi stays sick for too long, or gets sick too many times while growing up, it can die. In old versions, three times was enough to kill it. In newer ones, it can handle four or five times.
Old Age
This only happens in older Tamagotchis. Each character has a set lifespan. As they get older, they need more food and attention. If you take good care of them, they might live longer. In the original Tamagotchi, most pets lived about 12 days, but some could live up to 25 days if you took really good care of them.
In newer Tamagotchis, pets don’t die of old age. They can live forever if you take good care of them. Some newer ones, like the Tamagotchi Pix, let the pet leave on its own after a long time, which is seen as a “good ending”.
Predators
In some special Tamagotchis like the Tamagotchi Ocean and Mori de Hakken! Tamagotchi, other creatures might attack your pet. If you don’t save it, it could get hurt or die.
The Grim Gotchi
In newer Tamagotchis, when your pet is close to dying, the Grim Gotchi shows up. You have 15 minutes to save your pet. You can use the spirit of an old Tamagotchi or take your pet to the hospital. If you can’t save it, 4 Grim Gotchis appear and your pet dies.
Some Tamagotchi releases have special ways of dying:
Tamagotchi Angel
If you turn off the lights when it’s awake, it gets attacked by Gaikotchi and gets sick. Do this too many times, and it might turn into Deviltchi.
Tamagotchi Ocean
If you don’t discipline your pet enough when it’s young, it will become a dead Tamagotchi. Also, if it gets sick too many times or if you feed it too many snacks, it could die.
Tamagotchi Osutchi and Mesutchi
If your pet gets too fat, it turns into Debutchi. Debutchi is hard to take care of and might die if you don’t help it lose weight.
Mori de Hakken! Tamagotchi
If your pet gets hurt by a predator and you don’t cure it, it might die. Also, if Mayutchi gets too hot or too cold for too long, it can die.
Debirutch no Tamagotchi
If your pet’s Devil Power stays too high for too long, you get a Bad End.
Tamagotchi CD-ROM
You can send your Tamagotchi home by clicking a button. It’s like resetting the game, but it counts as a death.
Tamagotchi (Game Boy version)
If your pet gets too stressed, it might die. If the stress reaches 100, it will definitely die.
Sega Saturn de Hakken!! Tamagotchi Park
This one has special rules about which pets can turn into other pets, and sometimes you might get a special poop character called Lucky Unchi-Kun.
Watch a video about what happens when your Tamagotchi dies:
Tamagotchi Death Screen
The Tamagotchi death screen is what you see when your virtual pet dies in the game. Here’s a list of various Tamagotchi versions and their associated death screens, to the best of my knowledge.
Please note that not all versions have detailed information available about their specific death animations and some may vary slightly even within the same version:
1. Original Tamagotchi (1996):
The death animation in the original Tamagotchi is a simple yet strong sequence that marks the end of a Tamagotchi’s life. When a Tamagotchi dies, the screen first shows the character looking unwell. Moments later, the pet transforms into a small ghost, which begins to float upwards on the display. As the spectral form of the once-beloved creature ascends, it leaves behind a small gravestone at the bottom of the screen, a poignant symbol of its passing.
The ghost continues its journey upwards until it vanishes from view at the top of the screen, leaving only the gravestone visible as a final reminder of the Tamagotchi’s existence.
2. Tamagotchi Connection (2004):
The Tamagotchi Connection features a more elaborate death sequence than its predecessor. When a Tamagotchi dies, it first appears sick on screen. The character then transforms into a ghost and moves to the center. A UFO descends, beaming up the ghost before flying away, leaving a twinkling star. This star becomes a winged, angelic version of the Tamagotchi, briefly floating on screen before fading. The sequence concludes by displaying the pet’s final stats and age.
3. Tamagotchi Plus Color (2008)
The Tamagotchi Plus Color features a more visually rich death sequence, thanks to its color screen. When a Tamagotchi dies, the character appears sick and transforms into a ghost. A large angel then descends from the top of the screen, accompanied by a halo of light. The angel embraces the ghost, and they float upwards, gradually fading away. As they disappear, a shower of stars cascades down the screen, adding a touch of beauty to the sad moment. The sequence concludes with the display of the Tamagotchi’s final statistics, including its age at death.
4. Tamagotchi iD (2009)
The Tamagotchi iD introduced a more dramatic and somewhat darker death sequence. When a Tamagotchi dies, the screen darkens and 4 skull-like figures, known as Grim Gotchi, appear in each corner. These ominous characters slowly approach the Tamagotchi character in the center. As they close in, the Tamagotchi transforms into a ghost and floats upward. The ghost then fades away, leaving behind a shower of stars. This sequence concludes with the display of the Tamagotchi’s final statistics.
5. Tamagotchi P’s (2012)
The Tamagotchi P’s features a poignant death sequence that blends elements from previous versions with new touches. When a Tamagotchi is about to die, a warning appears and the screen darkens. Four Grim Gotchis emerge from the corners, slowly approaching the character. The Tamagotchi then transforms into a ghost and floats upward. As it ascends, the ghost passes through a heart-shaped opening in the clouds, symbolizing its journey to the afterlife. The screen then transitions to show the Tamagotchi’s final stats and age.
6. Tamagotchi On/Meets (2018)
The Tamagotchi On/Meets presents a more elaborate and emotionally nuanced death sequence. When a Tamagotchi’s life ends, the screen dims and 4 Grim Gotchis appear in the corners, slowly approaching the character. The Tamagotchi then transforms into a ghost and begins to float upward. As it ascends, a rainbow bridge materializes, stretching across the screen. The ghost Tamagotchi travels along this colorful path, gradually fading away. Once the ghost disappears, a shower of stars cascades down the screen, creating a bittersweet atmosphere. The sequence concludes by displaying the Tamagotchi’s final statistics, including age and acquired traits.
7. Tamagotchi Pix (2021)
The Tamagotchi Pix features a unique and somewhat gentler death sequence that aligns with its more advanced features. When a Tamagotchi’s life comes to an end, the screen displays the character looking unwell. Instead of dying, the Tamagotchi decides to “move away” to pursue new adventures. A small suitcase appears next to the character, and it waves goodbye to the player. The Tamagotchi then walks off the screen, leaving behind a trail of footprints. After its departure, a photo of the Tamagotchi appears, showcasing its final appearance and stats, including its age and acquired traits.
8. Tamagotchi Nano (2010)
The Tamagotchi Nano features a straightforward death sequence reminiscent of earlier models. When a Tamagotchi Nano dies, the character on screen first appears sick or distressed. It then transforms into a small ghost, which slowly floats upwards. As the ghost reaches the top of the screen, it fades away, leaving behind a simple gravestone or a small star symbol. The screen then displays the Tamagotchi’s final age.
9. Tamagotchi Mini (2017)
The Tamagotchi Mini, known for its compact size and simplified features, has a correspondingly basic death sequence. When a Tamagotchi Mini’s life ends, the character on the screen briefly shows signs of illness or distress. It then quickly transforms into a small ghost icon. This ghost icon flashes on the screen a few times before disappearing entirely. After the ghost vanishes, the screen typically goes blank or displays a simple cross or star symbol to indicate the Tamagotchi’s passing.
10. Tamagotchi Ocean/Umino (1998)
The Tamagotchi Ocean (Umino Tamagotchi) features a unique death sequence reflecting its aquatic theme. When a Tamagotchi’s life ends in this version, the character first appears visibly unwell on the screen. Then instead of transforming into a ghost, the Tamagotchi sinks slowly to the bottom of the screen, mimicking a sea creature’s descent to the ocean floor. As it sinks, small bubbles rise from the character, enhancing the underwater effect. Once the Tamagotchi reaches the bottom, it may briefly twitch or move before becoming still. A small cross or X-shaped marker then appears above the sunken Tamagotchi, symbolizing its passing. The screen finally displays the character’s final age and stats.
11. Tamagotchi Uni (2023)
The Tamagotchi Uni features a more advanced and emotionally nuanced death sequence. When a Tamagotchi’s life comes to an end, the screen dims and 4 Grim Gotchi figures appear in the corners, slowly converging on the character. The Tamagotchi then transforms into a ghostly form and begins to float upward. As it ascends, a colorful, shimmering portal appears at the top of the screen. The ghost Tamagotchi enters this portal, which represents a gateway to the afterlife or another dimension. After the character passes through, the portal closes with a burst of twinkling stars. The sequence concludes by displaying a memorial screen showing the Tamagotchi’s final stats, achievements, and a small photo or icon commemorating its life.
Multiple Death Sequences in Tamagotchi Releases
Many Tamagotchi versions feature varied death sequences, typically determined by the quality of care and the cause of death. These often include “good” and “bad” endings.
In the Original Tamagotchi, a well-cared-for adult Tamagotchi lays an egg just before dying, representing a good end. The bad end occurs when no egg is laid, either due to neglect or death before reaching adulthood.
The Tamagotchi Angel introduced more complex endings. The good end sees the Tamagotchi sent to heaven, while the bad end results in it becoming Deviltchi. A special ending occurs if Chubby Angel, Tarakotchi Angel, or Oyajitchi Angel are raised twice in a row and die before evolving, becoming a faceless Lucky Unchi-Kun: a variant of the good end still resulting in ascension to heaven.
Tamagotchi Nano models often feature endings that depend on care quality and minigames played. The Jordy Tamagotchi uniquely has Jordy take on a full-time job after 72 hours, with this job animation playing indefinitely until reset. The Gudetama Tamagotchi stands out with nearly two dozen death screens, many specific to certain characters.
The Tamagotchi Color Generation brought significant changes. Starting with Tamagotchi iD, neglected adult Tamagotchi could run away instead of dying, leaving a crying letter expressing their desire for better care. Pre-adult neglect still resulted in death, with an Obaketchi appearing next to a shrine. The Tamagotchi 4U eliminated death entirely, featuring only the running away sequence. Tamagotchi m!x returned to death-only sequences, while Tamagotchi Smart reintroduced running away for prolonged empty fondness meters.
The Tamagotchi Uni introduced dynamic death animations influenced by Tamaverse Tickets. The Angel Festival ticket causes four Chestnut Angels to appear instead of the usual two, while the Monster Carnival ticket replaces the Chestnut Angels with Grim Gotchi characters.
How to Revive a Dead Tamagotchi
In most Tamagotchi versions, you can’t officially revive a dead Tamagotchi. Once your virtual pet dies, it’s typically game over, and you’re meant to start fresh with a new egg. However, there are a few interesting exceptions and workarounds:
- Some older models had a hidden “cheat code” that could resurrect a dead pet. This wasn’t an official feature, but rather a secret discovered by fans.
- Newer versions often have a reset button that lets you start over without waiting for your current pet to die.
- Certain models allow you to “pause” your pet’s life, which can prevent death if you know you won’t be able to care for it for a while.
- In versions with multiple characters, if one dies, you might still have others to care for.
- Some modern Tamagotchis have moved away from the concept of “death” entirely, instead having characters “return home” when their time is up.
It’s important to remember that the cycle of life and death is part of the Tamagotchi experience. Starting over with a new egg is often seen as a chance to try different care strategies and potentially raise new types of characters. While it can be sad to lose a pet you’ve cared for, the game is designed to be played multiple times with each new Tamagotchi offering a fresh adventure.
Death Prevention
In early Tamagotchi releases, death was an inevitable part of the Tamagotchi’s lifecycle. Even with perfect care, Tamagotchi would eventually die of old age. However, users could extend lifespans by pausing the device through the clock set screen or manipulating time to reduce daily awake hours. Lifespan varied based on the adult form and care quality, with some characters living significantly longer than others. As Tamagotchi aged, they required more frequent attention, making care mistakes more likely.
The Original Tamagotchi had a unique feature where extremely old pets became immune to care mistakes, dying only from scheduled illnesses. The Tamagotchi Angel could potentially live indefinitely if care mistakes were avoided, as it didn’t naturally fall ill. The Mothra Tamagotchi introduced a partial immortality mechanic for certain characters through specific feeding patterns.
Osutchi and Mesutchi models allowed users to avoid the death sequence by continually breeding new generations, though unmarried seniors would eventually die of old age.
Tamagotchi Connection/Plus Era: These models introduced more user-friendly pause functions. Most English versions allowed pausing by pressing A and B buttons simultaneously, while Japanese versions required using the clock screen method. The V5 Celebrity model offered a Travel Channel as a pause function.
Some versions in this era included a “Memory” feature, allowing players to summon the spirit of a previous Tamagotchi to save a dying pet once per generation. Certain models also introduced medicines to reduce the likelihood of illness from care mistakes.
The Senior Stage became a common feature, which could be avoided by marrying off Tamagotchi before they reached this age. However, some unique characters could only be obtained by allowing pets to enter the Senior Stage.
Tamagotchi Color models introduced the ability to summon an ambulance during the death animation, potentially saving the pet an unlimited number of times. Some versions, like the Tamagotchi 4U and 4U+, included a runaway mechanic for neglected adult pets, with a 24-hour window to search for and recover the runaway.
Later models like the Tamagotchi m!x, On, Pix, and Smart introduced various babysitting or pet-sitting options to help manage care. These features typically operated during specific hours and sometimes required in-game currency.
The Tamagotchi Uni brought a new twist with the Grim Gotchi mechanic. When a pet falls ill due to neglect, Grim Gotchi figures appear over time. If four accumulate, the pet dies, but players can summon an ambulance to save their pet if three or fewer Grim Gotchi are present.
Trivia
Fascinating Tamagotchi Death Trivia
- Did you know? In the Tamagotchi Connection era, characters would rise to the top of the screen, leaving their futon (traditional Japanese style of bedding) behind during the death animation.
- Some Tamagotchi Color models can trigger the death sequence while the character is asleep.
- The Mothra Tamagotchi allows neglected characters to lay an egg before dying, influencing future evolutions.
- On the Tamagotchi Angel, the ending achieved affects which characters can be raised in future generations.
- Keitai and Akai models offer a special tomb for 5,000 Gotchi Points, triggering an alternate death sequence with Chestnut Angels.
- Color screen generations adopted the Chestnut Angels escort as a standard feature in death sequences.
- The 2017 Tamagotchi Mini re-release was the first English version to keep the original Japanese death sequence.
- Tamagotchi On became the first color screen release in the USA to retain the original Meets death sequence.
- English-language releases often altered death sequences to avoid religious imagery.
- The original English Tamagotchi P2 used an inanimate sleeping animation for death, while re-releases switched to an animated unhappy sprite.
- My Tamagotchi Forever is the only raisable Tamagotchi game where characters “graduate” instead of dying.
- In Tamagotchi Uni DLC, angel characters are carried by 4 Chestnut Angels, while monster characters are taken by Grim Gotchis.
- Despite visual differences, the underlying programming for Tamagotchi death remains the same across all releases.
- Even when visuals were changed, many models retained the heart monitor-like sounds during death sequences.
- On the Mothra Tamagotchi, a character’s age at death can affect whether it lays an egg, impacting future character options.
