Obaketchi, the first death screen.
Death is the final stage of the Tamagotchi Life Cycle. Following the death sequence and upon the appearance of the death screen, the user's Tamagotchi is lost. The user can view their Tamagotchi's final age and stats and then typically restart the Tamagotchi either by pressing A and C together, or by pressing the Reset button on the back of the unit.
Often, the death sequence is changed between Japanese and English releases, and modern releases have included the possibility of the Tamagotchi running away instead. However, the effects of it running away and dying are identical.
Causes[]
There are several factors that may lead to the death of a Tamagotchi. The following are the most common:
- Care Mistakes are the most common factor. Mistakes in the Care of a Tamagotchi, such as not feeding it, curing it when sick, or turning the lights out when it goes to bed for older releases, not only influence what character the pet grows into, but also how long it will live. For some releases, allowing too many care mistakes to accumulate will trigger the death sequence, while on others, it depends on whether or not the Tamagotchi gets sick following a care mistake. The threshold of how many care mistakes needed to trigger this has increased with modern releases. On releases that feature the Senior stage, Ojitchi and Otokitchi will die after five care mistakes.
- Starvation is a factor somewhat independent from care mistakes, though most releases count this as a care mistake - on some releases, letting a Tamagotchi remain at zero hunger for twelve hours will result in death.
- Sickness is another current common factor. Leaving a Tamagotchi ill over an extended period of time or letting it get sick a certain number times in a single growth stage (excluding the baby stage) can result in death - three on most vintage releases, four on the Connection releases, and five on most Japanese modern releases.
- Old Age is a factor limited to older releases. In this case, each Tamagotchi character has a specific lifespan dictated by how long it takes for an adult's third natural sickness to occur, and how it's cared for will determine if it is expanded or shortened. As the lifespan grows longer, the Tamagotchi will become much more needy for food and attention, and it will be easier to accumulate care mistakes, until it eventually passes away. In the Original Tamagotchi, for example, the average Tamagotchi lifespan is around 12 days, with the lowest around age 7 and the highest around age 25.
- This factor has been negated on modern releases; the age counter stops when it reaches 99, but adults will now live perpetually as long as the user takes good care of them and prevents care mistakes. Additionally, on the Tamagotchi Pix, as well as most Tamagotchi Nano models, the character will also leave on their own after an extended period of time, though a departure in this way and not neglect is usually a "good ending".
- While Ojitchi and Otokitchi can die from care mistakes, any release that lists a Tamagotchi's cause of death in the memorial section will classify it as having been from old age.
- Predators is a factor limited to the Tamagotchi Ocean, the Mori de Hakken! Tamagotchi, and several Tamagotchi Nano releases. In these cases, the Tamagotchi is attacked by another creature, and the user must intervene to save it. Failing to do so may result in injury or death.
- The Grim Gotchi is the penultimate symbol of death on many modern releases. If any of the previous requirements to trigger death happen, the Grim Gotchi will eventually appear, and the user will have 15 minutes to banish it. Banishing of a Grim Gotchi may occur by using a previous Tamagotchi's spirit or by bringing the Tamagotchi to the hospital via the "ambulance" button. If the user fails (or is unable to), the Grim Gotchi will trigger the death sequence. From the Tamagotchi m!x onwards, when the death sequence is triggered, four Grim Gotchis will appear.
On some releases, additional factors may appear that are unique to them:
- Tamagotchi Angel: Turning off the lights while the Angel is awake will cause it to be ambushed by Gaikotchi and become sick. If this is done too many times, or when the Angel is at an old age, it will trigger the ending sequence - adult characters that have lived long enough will go through a good end, otherwise the Angel will become Deviltchi.
- Tamagotchi Ocean: While the Tamagotchi is in the child and teen stage, if the Discipline meter is not filled to at least 5/7 before evolution, it will die. Additionally, four illnesses, whether from being attacked by a predator or any care-related reason with more than 6 hours prior to evolution will also result in death. Feeding too many snacks and altering the clock have also been known to trigger it to die prematurely. The Tamagotchi may also die randomly when they are about to evolve; contrary to popular belief, this is not related to the heart drop rate and is completely random.
- Tamagotchi Osutchi and Mesutchi: Having a Tamagotchi reaching the max weight will result in the character becoming Debutchi, who would have very limited access to the care options, almost guaranteeing care mistakes if not reverted back to access to these options again by playing minigames to reduce weight. It will also die after 24 hours if not reverted back even if it survives the care mistakes happening during the time. The transformation into Debutchi itself is also a care mistake. Also, severely neglecting a teen character (assuming they recieved no care mistakes before that point) will result in the evolution of Sutebotchi and Tsuketchi, who cannot marry despite also being Adult characters, and they will also die from old age.
- Mori de Hakken! Tamagotchi: If the Tamagotchi is injured by a predator and is not cured for a long period of time, it will eventually die. Also, allowing Mayutchi's temperature gauge to completely fill or deplete and remain that way for a long period of time will eventually result in death.
- Debirutch no Tamagotchi: If the Tamagotchi's Devil Power remains above 90 for too long or hits 100, a Bad End will occur. Additionally, Clione Deviltchi's Good Friend ending will occasionally feature a Chestnut Angel.
- Tamagotchi CD-ROM: While analogous to the reset button on the actual virtual pets, sending a Tamagotchi home through the Restart button in the options menu functions identically to the normal death sequence - a UFO will pick the Tamagotchi up and leave behind exhaust in the form of a starlike angel, albeit with a sad expression, and the Tamagotchi will leave their postcard in the scrapbook. Clicking the angel serves as a shortcut to the Tamagotchi's postcard as usual, and Tamagotchi sent home manually will have different messages than they would when departing on their own will.
- Tamagotchi (GB): On the Game Boy version of Tamagotchi, stress plays a key factor in death. If the stress levels are or exceed 50, the chances of a Tamagotchi dying are greatly increased and will always die if stress reaches 100. Additionally, Tamagotchi can be sent back home via a rocket, which also counts as a form of death albeit, with a UFO icon on the Memory room instead of a multi-colored heart.
- Sega Saturn de Hakken!! Tamagotchi Park: Each adult Tamagotchi can lay a specific type and color of egg. Maskutchi, Zuccitchi and Pengotchi cannot evolve into Oyajitchi, Sekitoritchi and Sonictchi respectively while the first member of their kind to be raised is still alive. If the same type of adult or special Angel is raised twice in a row, there is a chance that the next Obaketchi to spawn in the Cemetary will be locked into becoming Lucky Unchi-Kun when hatched.
Multiple Sequences[]
Some Tamagotchi releases will have multiple possible death sequences, and which sequence happens is determined by how well it was cared for and what triggered its death. Most commonly, death sequences differentiate between "good" and "bad" ends. For example, on the original Tamagotchi, it will show the Tamagotchi laying an egg just before it dies if it was cared for well through its adulthood, while no egg is laid if it either dies from neglect or dies before reaching adulthood.
Tamagotchi Angel[]
In addition to the good end (being sent up to heaven) or bad end (becoming Deviltchi), if Chubby Angel, Tarakotchi Angel, or Oyajitchi Angel are raised twice in a row and die before evolving, they become a faceless Lucky Unchi-Kun. This version of Lucky Unchi-Kun is a special variant of the good end and still results in the Angel being sent up to heaven.
Tamagotchi Nano[]
Many of the Tamagotchi Nano models feature different endings that are obtained depending on if the character has been neglected for too long or if the character has been well cared for a certain amount of time. Typically, there is a good and bad ending sequence, but some models may have multiple endings that are affected by what minigames are played. The Jordy Tamagotchi has Jordy take on a full time job after 72 hours, with the job animation playing indefinitely until the nano is reset. The Gudetama Tamagotchi features nearly two dozen death screens, many of which can only be gotten by certain characters.
Color Generation[]
Beginning with the Tamagotchi iD, the Tamagotchi could either die or run away if neglected for too long. If the Tamagotchi has not reached adulthood, they would die and the screen would display an Obaketchi next to a shrine inside the house. If the Tamagotchi is an adult, they would run away and leave behind a crying letter telling the user that they ran away and want to be taken better care of next time. In the Tamagotchi 4U, a Tamagotchi can't die - Instead, it runs away showing the letter screen.
The Tamagotchi m!x returns to only having a death sequence for all stages of the Tamagotchi life cycle. Following releases would continue this except for the Tamagotchi Smart which also features a running away sequence if the fondness meter is left empty for too long.
On the Tamagotchi Uni, the death animation will change if certain Tamaverse Tickets are active:
- Angel Festival: Two additional Chestnut Angels will descend with the usual pair to take away the Tamagotchi.
- Monster Carnival: The Chestnut Angels that descend will be scared off by a couple of Grim Gotchi, who will take the Tamagotchi away instead.
Effects[]
The death screen in Tamagotchi On.
Once the Tamagotchi dies, none of the icons on the screen will be able to be selected, and on some releases, the clock screen will be inaccessible. Death screens on the Tamagotchi usually show a gravestone with Obaketchi floating next to it. However, in other regions the screen may differ such as the Tamagotchi Connection series where on the English releases instead of a gravestone and Obaketchi it depicted an egg with wings.
On early modern releases, Obaketchi floating next to an altar is seen, and on later modern releases the death screen commonly consists of a gravestone in a field, with Obaketchi next to it crying. However, on the Tamagotchi Smart and Tamagotchi Uni it instead shows simply Obaketchi crying with a plain black background. On most releases, the user can check the Tamagotchi's final statistics (only its age and sometimes weight for most vintage release, and its name and Generation on modern releases). Pressing A and C together will trigger a new egg to appear, restarting the cycle.
On releases that count Generations, the tally will revert back to Generation 1. On the Tamagotchi Osutchi and Mesutchi, the TMP will return to TMP1, regardless of the previous Tamagotchi's TMP.
On all of the Tamagotchi Connection models from the Version 1 through Version 4.5, all items and Gotchi Points are lost. The Japanese models (Keitai Kaitsuu Tamagotchi Plus onward) all retain items and Gotchi Points. From the Version 5 onward, items and Gotchi Points being retained after death became the standard across all regions. On releases with travel, all locations unlocked will be retained (with the exception of the Gotchi King's Castle on the Tamagotchi Plus Color and Hexagontchi).
On some releases, once the new egg is hatched, a photo of the previously deceased Tamagotchi will appear in the Notebook icon under the "Memory" or "History" section. For releases that include m!xing, including the Tamagotchi m!x and Tamagotchi On, all genetics will be lost.
Preventing Death[]
Vintage Generation[]
For many vintage era releases, such as the original Tamagotchi, death is inevitable. Therefore, even with perfect care, the Tamagotchi will still die of old age, and once it starts dying, the process cannot be stopped. However, it is possible to extend the lifespan by pausing it through the clock set screen or changing the clock so that it spends less time awake per day. Although this process will result in increasing the Tamagotchi's age, the total running time is still the same.
The Tamagotchi's overall lifespan is based on both what adult it evolves into and how well it's cared for; for example, Tarakotchi will often die within three days of evolving, while Mametchi can live for 20 days or more. As it ages, it will deplete its Hungry and Happy meters faster, making care mistakes more likely.
On the original Tamagotchi, once the heart depletion rate drops below 15 minutes, it is no longer possible to make care mistakes since additional calls for attention reset the care mistake timer. When this occurs, the only way for the Tamagotchi to die is via sickness, which occurs at fixed intervals. This state can be forced to occur by manipulating the clock to increase the Tamagotchi's age by several days after it starts to become more demanding, since the heart depletion rate is recalculated every time the age increases.
On the Tamagotchi Angel, because sickness does not naturally occur during the Angel's lifespan, as long as care mistakes are avoided (and hearts are not allowed to remain empty for 12 consecutive waking hours) the Angel can live indefinitely. Additionally, the Tamagotchi Angel shares the same aging mechanism as the original Tamagotchi, meaning it is possible for the Angel to enter a state where care mistakes can no longer occur.
The Mothra Tamagotchi does not use the same aging mechanism as the original Tamagotchi and the Tamagotchi Angel, but features partial immortality - each character except for Baby Mothra and Mayura can be fed a specific number of snacks to enter a state where they will no longer get sick or begin to lose hearts faster, meaning that they can live for as long as care mistakes are avoided. Feeding them more snacks will make them start aging again and leave them highly susceptible to sickness.
While Tamagotchi can also die from old age on Osutchi and Mesutchi, by marrying two units and give birth to babies, one can continue running these two models without seeing the death sequence. However, if they enter Senior Stage without marrying or evolve into Sutebotchi and Tsuketchi, they cannot marry anymore and are left to die from old age.
Tamagotchi Connection/Tamagotchi Plus[]
For the Tamagotchi Connection toys (including the Tamagotchi Connection Version 1 through Version 4.5, Tamagotchi Music Star, Tamatown Tama-Go, Tamagotchi Friends, Dream Town Digital Friend, and the 2005 version of the Tamagotchi Mini), the unit can be paused by pressing the A and B buttons together. The Tamagotchi will stop in place and the word "PAUSE" will appear above its head (the Mini will show an exclamation mark instead). This does not work on any Japanese release; the clock screen method must be used instead.
For the Version 5, or V5 Celebrity, the user can use the Travel Channel as a pause function. The channel is free to use on all English versions, while the Japanese versions require Gotchi Points to use it. Additionally, pressing the A button 100 times during the first part of the death sequence will stop the Tamagotchi from dying or running away.
If a Tamagotchi has previously died on the Keitai, Akai, Entama or Uratama, a portrait of them will appear in the "Memory" section of the Notebook icon. Selecting them will allow the current Tamagotchi to pray to them. If the user's current Tamagotchi is about to die, the user can have it pray again, and the spirit of the previous Tamagotchi will appear and save the current Tamagotchi from death. This can only be done once. These releases also feature medicine that reduces the likelihood of care mistakes making the Tamagotchi sick for the remainder of the current growth stage, while the Entama and Uratama also include the Petite Medicine, which reduces the sickness counter by one for each dose taken.
Most of the models in the Connection/Plus era have a Senior Stage. As these models all have marriage (as well as the in-game matchmaker, allowing for a single device to have marriage too), one can avoid entering this stage by marrying their Tamagotchi and starting the next generation. However, once in Senior Stage, the matchmaker will not appear anymore, but the Tamagotchi may still marry another Senior Tamagotchi from another device, which most notably results in Oyajitchi, who can only be obtained in this way.
Color Generation[]
The ambulance being called in the Pix
On the color releases, if the player selects the clover icon during the first part of the death animation, they will be able to summon an ambulance to drive the Tamagotchi to the hospital and save it. This can be done an unlimited amount of times at no cost. From the Tamagotchi iD to the 4U+, if the Tamagotchi is an adult and is planning to run away, they will stop packing up and flowers will appear in the backyard.
On the Tamagotchi 4U and 4U+, if a Tamagotchi tries to run away, leaving it idle for a long period of time will cause it to leave. However, if the user chooses "Scold" after the animation starts, it will leave immediately; choosing "Talk to" three times will prevent it from leaving. When it does leave, a letter will appear on screen. In the first 24 hours following the runaway, the user is given an opportunity to search for it. If "Yes" is chosen, an animation will play of the neighborhood being searched before the Tamagotchi is found in a tent at the park and returning home. If "No" is chosen or if 24 hours have elapsed, pressing A will show a crying letter on the screen displaying a message, and the Tamagotchi cannot be brought back. On Tamagotchi Smart, both the running away and death sequence can be stopped by tapping the housecare option.
On the Tamagotchi m!x and Tamagotchi On, the Tamagotchi can be sent to the play room/hotel from the hours of 7 AM to 7 PM, or visit their parents' house from the second generation on from 7 AM to 5 PM. Like the Travel Channel on the Japanese V5, it costs Gotchi Points to use the hotel, and the Tamagotchi will become unhappy if not picked up from the hotel before it closes. The parent's house is free and does not cause unhappiness if not picked up by the user. On the Tamagotchi Pix, the Tamagotchi can be looked after by a sitter who comes to their house instead, but they must also be picked up before 7 PM. On the Tamagotchi Smart, Smaspitchi is able to take care of the user's Tamagotchi between 7 AM and 6 PM, but will become unhappy if left alone with them afterwards.
The aforementioned housecare options cannot be used if the Tamagotchi character has either one of the empty hunger or happy meter or both - the player must first care for their Tamagotchi before doing so.
On the Tamagotchi Uni, if a Tamagotchi gets sick as a result of a care mistake, there is a chance that the Grim Gotchi will appear instead. More of them will show up over time until there are four, at which point the Tamagotchi will die - the ambulance can be called by pressing any button while there are three or less Grim Gotchi on the screen. The first, fifth and tenth ambulance calls across any number of generations will award care icons. From the child stage onwards, the user's Tamagotchi can be babysat by Sitter Poketchi between 7am and 6pm, but will begin to lose happiness if they are not picked up before then.
In the Anime[]
Episode 9 of Anime TV de Hakken!! Tamagotchi shows the passing of a Ginjirotchi, surrounded by his friends in the hospital. His spirit leaves his body as an Obaketchi that's invisible to everyone, and he is shortly after escorted by Chestnut Angel through the gates of the Tenshitchi Capital, where it becomes Ghost Jr, and then Ginjirotchi Angel.
No anime adaptations in the modern era have explicitly shown death. There have been a few instances where death is implied, but the Tamagotchi believed to have passed ends up being completely okay moments later.
Gallery[]
Vintage[]
Connection/Plus[]
Nano[]
Color[]
Trivia[]
- Although extremely rare, it is possible for Tamagotchis to die in their sleep. The Tamagotchi Connection era feature a unique animation in which the character can be seen rising to the top of the screen, leaving their futon behind. Several colour models can also trigger the death sequence when the character is asleep, but the standard sequence is used.
- On the Mothra Tamagotchi, if neglected to death after reaching a sufficient age, the character will lay an egg before dying. If the character died of sickness, it will not lay an egg. The Mothra Tamagotchi is one of the only known vintage releases where a laid egg can affect what characters can be raised - Mothra Leo can evolve into Moll & Lora or Lucky Haka-Kun if its parent was any of those three characters (and in Mothra Leo's case, met the care requirements that cause eligible descendants to evolve).
- On the Tamagotchi Angel, the ending achieved affects which characters can be raised - Lucky Unchi-Kun requires certain criteria to be met in previous generations (such as achieving a good ending from Ginjirotchi Angel).
- On the Keitai and Akai, purchasing a special tomb (高級墓) for 5000 Gotchi Points will trigger an alternate death sequence, where Chestnut Angels appear and escort the Tamagotchi to the afterlife, and the standard tombstone is replaced with the special tomb. In the color screen generations, Chestnut Angels also appear to take the deceased Tamagotchi away this way.
- The 2017 rerelease of the Tamagotchi Mini was the first English Tamagotchi to not alter the death sequence and screen from the Japanese version. This was followed by the Tamagotchi On, the first color screen in the USA, retaining the original death sequence and screen from the Meets.
- Despite heavy alteration in English-language releases (mostly due to censorship that bans religious contents such as the depiction of spirits and ghosts), the programming of death remains the same in all releases.
- In the original release of English Tamagotchi P2, the Tamagotchi is seen with an inanimated sleeping animation (with beds if applicable) during the death sequence, without the flashing skull icon in the Japanese Version or English P1, though the heart monitor-like sounds are still present. This isn't the case with the re-releases, though.
- Also in the re-releases, the Tamagotchi is seen with an animated unhappy sprite instead of an inanimated one from the original releases.
- Tamagotchi cannot die in My Tamagotchi Forever; instead they graduate and leave home, making it the only game where a Tamagotchi is raisable to lack this sequence.
- Raisable character exclusive to the Angel Festival and Monster Carnival DLC for the Tamagotchi Uni have a slightly altered death sequence.
- Angel characters will be carried away by four Chestnut Angels instead of the standard two.
- Two Grim Gotchis will chase away the Chestnut Angels carrying away monster characters and take them instead.
See also[]
- Tamagotchi Angel
- Debirutch no Tamagotchi (Devilgotchi)
| Tamagotchi Terminology | ||
|---|---|---|
| General Functions | Care • Health meter • Meal (Rice) • Snack • Training • Poo • C-click reaction (Close Up) • Shop • Notebook | |
| Growth | Egg Stage (Cocoon) • Baby stage • Child stage (Young Forms) • Adult stage (Personality stage) • Post-adult stage • Sickness • Death • Tamagotchi Life Cycle • Generation (First Generation) • Evolution • Tamagotchi Family | |
| Other Features | Bonding • Tamacom • Bump • Marriage • Gotchi Points • Skill Points • Jewelry • M!xing • Tamagotchi Power • TamaTomo • Color Changing Foods • Color Genetics and Combinations | |
| Species | Tamagotchi (Subspecies) • Gaiatchi • Humans • Predator • Tama Pet • Tamagotchi Comrades | |
| Tamagotchi Lore | Tamagotchimoji • Tamagotchi Vehicles (UFO) | |
| Tamagotchi Device | Batteries • Debug (Tamagotchi Programming) • ROM Testing | |