Goku is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga series. Sun Wukong, a key character in the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West, inspired him. Goku is introduced as a quirky, monkey-tailed youngster who learns martial arts and boasts superhuman power in Dragon Ball chapter #1, which was first published in Japan’s Weekly Shnen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984. He meets Bulma and joins her on a quest to find the Dragon Balls that grant wishes.
Initially thought to be an Earthling, he is eventually shown to be a member of the Saiyans, an alien warrior race with the birth name. As the monkey-tailed boy grows older, he develops into the universe’s most powerful warrior, defending his chosen home planet, Earth, from adversaries seeking to harm it.
When Goku is relaxed, he appears lighthearted and happy. But when he is battling, he becomes serious and strategic. He can focus his Ki and use it to unleash devastatingly powerful energy-based techniques, the most famous of which is his signature, in which Goku fires a blue energy blast from his hands. Goku, who is also pure of heart, is immune to evil waves such as the Devil Beam. He is one of the few people who can ride the magical cloud known as.
The fictional character of the manga series appears in most episodes, films, television specials, and OVAs of the manga’s anime adaptations (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super), as well as many of the franchise’s video games, as the protagonist. Goku has become one of the most famous and iconic anime characters in the world as a result of the series’ international success.
He has made cameo appearances in Toriyama’s self-parody series Neko Majin Z, has been the subject of numerous parodies, and has participated in special events outside of the Dragon Ball franchise. Due to the poor success of the original series outside, most Western audiences were exposed to the adult version of Goku appearing in the Dragon Ball Z anime. It was an adaptation of Dragon Ball manga volumes 17-42. Goku has received a mainly positive critical response, and he is widely regarded as one of the best manga and anime characters of all time.
Concept and development
Tangtong was Goku’s first incarnation in the Dragon Ball prototype Dragon Boy. Hong Kong martial arts films, like Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon (1973) and Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master (1978), were the original inspirations for the plot; Toriyama later stated that he had a young Jackie Chan in mind for a live-action Goku, noting that “nobody could play Goku but him.”
The Dragon Ball universe started out as a loose translation of Sun Wukong’s famous Chinese novel Journey to the West, with Goku as an alternate version of Sun Wukong. Their mischievous temperament and possession of the Power-Pole and Flying Nimbus are two things they have in common (which, in Japanese, have the same name as the source material).
Goku’s initial design by Akira Toriyama
To make the story more authentic to Journey to the West, Toriyama originally planned to make Goku a complete monkey in his first draught of Dragon Ball. Instead of the Flying Nimbus, the character was a whole human clothed in sailor garb who rode a flight mecha in Toriyama’s second draught. The final design was based on Toriyama’s third draught.
Sun Wukong is also the inspiration for Goku’s entire name. Because Chinese and Japanese use the same letters but different pronunciations, the name “Son Goku” is just the Japanese on’yomi rendition of Sun Wukong. “Sun/Son” is a common Chinese surname that roughly translates to “grandchild,” whereas “Wukong/Goku” is a Buddhist name that roughly translates to “perceiving air/awakened to emptiness.” Reading “Sun Wukong” with only the first and last characters using the Japanese kun’yomi rendering technique results in “Mago Gosora,” which was used as a prank in the original manga’s run by the World Tournament Announcer at some time.
Goku was revealed in postcards mailed to members of the Akira Toriyama Preservation Society a month before the Dragon Ball manga began.
On the last page of “Grand Finale,” the final chapter of the Dr. Slump manga, Goku made his first appearance, announcing Dragon Balls’ forthcoming debut.
What’s the birth name of Goku?
Kakarot, Goku’s Saiyan birth name, is a pun on the word “carrot.” Like most Saiyans, Goku’s family is named after root vegetables (burdock, leek, radish, and carrot), or even the word “vegetable.”
While Goku is a wonderful person in general, Akira Toriyama created him as a fighter who fights mostly for the pleasure of facing strong opponents. The anime tends to exaggerate Goku’s heroic qualities and that his original manga depiction of Goku has certain “poisonous” characteristics.
Akira Toriyama created his Super Saiyan condition with blond hair mostly so that his assistant wouldn’t have to spend as much time coloring Goku’s hair black, hence saving time. It killed two birds with one stone due to the impact of making Goku appear stronger.
Bruce Lee, a martial artist, had a big effect on Goku’s Super Saiyan form. His piercing eyes were inspired by Lee’s paralyzing gaze, according to Toriyama. His Super Saiyan form was also inspired by Lee, according to Dragon Ball Z anime character designer Tadayoshi Yamamuro. Tadayoshi stated that when Goku “first becomes a Super Saiyan, his slanting attitude with that scowling look in his eyes is all Bruce Lee.”
What Is “Goku Day”?
The Japanese Anniversary Association has verified and registered Goku Day as an official anniversary. What is the significance of May 9th? Because the date is written in Japanese in the order 5/9, and 5 and 9 can be read as “Go” and “Ku,” the numerals combine to form Goku’s Japanese kanji! As a result, May 9th was designated as Goku Day!
KEY STORYLINES
DRAGON BALL
For the first time in his life, Goku, now 11 years old, meets a new person, a woman named Bulma. He joins her on her search for the seven Dragon Balls, and the two embark on a series of adventures, meeting new people along the way, including Master Roshi, who polishes his martial arts and teaches him many crucial moves that he will utilize in the future. They collect six of the seven Dragon Balls together, but they lose them when they are kidnapped. By transforming into a Great Ape, he assists his companions in escaping incarceration. After that, he decides to take a break from his buddies and return to Master Roshi for training.
He meets Krillin, another student with whom he becomes pals, during this period. Goku competes in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, where he performs admirably but loses in the final round. After the competition, Goku travels around the world, having numerous adventures while searching for the Dragon Balls that his grandfather had left for him. Throughout his mission, he is always at odds with the mysterious Red Ribbon Army and their many spies sent to murder him.
Goku defeats the army on his alone, obtaining six Dragon Balls in the process. He enlists the help of a fortuneteller named Baba to locate the last Ball, who reveals to him where it is once he and his pals defeat five of her troops. Goku summons the dragon Shenron with the Balls and wishes to resurrect a friend. He keeps training and finally competes in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, but loses to Tien Shinhan in the finals.
Saiyan Saga
The life of Goku is disrupted when Raditz, his long-lost brother, arrives. Now living with his wife and little son, Gohan, Goku’s life is disrupted by the entrance of Raditz, his long-lost brother. Raditz informs him of his Saiyan ancestry and tells him that he was born to rule the Earth. When Goku refuses to carry out the job, Raditz kidnaps Gohan and orders him to kill a hundred humans or have his son slain.
Goku joins forces with Piccolo, and the two defeat Raditz with the help of Gohan, however, he dies in the process. Goku continues training for the impending arrival of additional Saiyans while traveling through the Other World. Many of his friends have been slain by the Saiyans, Vegeta, and Nappa by the time he arrives, and many of his friends have been slaughtered by the Saiyans, Vegeta, and Nappa. Goku effortlessly defeats Nappa, and after a long struggle, he defeats Vegeta. After the battle, he chooses to spare the injured Vegeta’s life.
Majin Buu Saga
Seven years later, he returns to Earth for a brief visit to compete in the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. He meets his youngest son, Goten, and becomes entangled in a battle against the evil magician Babidi, who orchestrates Gohan’s Super Saiyan energy steal. They attack Babidi’s spacecraft, and Babidi kidnaps Vegeta before pitting Vegeta and Goku against each other.
After a brief skirmish, Goku seeks to call a halt to the conflict so that the two can work together to kill Babidi’s monster, Majin Buu. Vegeta knocks him senselessly and then abandons him. He seeks Dende’s healing and teleports all of his companions to himself. And he teaches Trunks and Goten how to conduct the Fusion Dance, which would merge them into a far more powerful entity. After that, Goku uses his strong Super Saiyan 3 form to battle Majin Buu. He is able to hold his own against the monster, but he falls short of defeating it.
He is forced to return to the Other World due to the difficulty of keeping the shape. He uses a crystal globe to see the conflict between Majin Buu and the freshly born Gotenks. Gotenks does a good job, but he is unable to fight the monster and, like Gohan, is sucked into it. Goku is brought back to Earth thanks to a friend’s sacrifice. He and Vegeta join forces to form Vegito, which easily defeats the monster.
To save his friends and family, Vegito permits himself to be swallowed into the monster. It succeeds after a brief battle, and Vegeta and Goku revert to their original selves. Majin Buu is compelled to revert to his former form, Kid Buu. Kid Buu wrecks the planet, killing most of the inhabitants for a limited period of time before they are resurrected. To defeat Kid Buu, he uses the Genki Dama Technique to draw energy from the majority of sentient beings surrounding him.
DRAGON BALL: KING PICCOLO SAGA
Tambourine, one of King Piccolo’s sons, murders Goku’s companion Krillin. In an attempt to revenge on his friend, he is defeated by Tambourine since he is still weak from his fight with Tien. But in a later confrontation, a fully recovered Goku easily defeats him. After recovering from his defeat, an irate King Piccolo seeks for the Ultra Divine Water, which might either unlock his abilities or kill him. After surviving the Water, he travels to King Furry’s castle and murders another of Piccolo’s sons before challenging the King to a fight.
The two have a long and acrimonious fight in which they are both terribly injured. Piccolo is eventually killed by Goku hitting him in the chest. Piccolo spits out an egg containing his reincarnation, Piccolo Jr., with his dying breath. Goku, unaware of this, begins looking for a way to resurrect the dragon Shenron.
This leads him to Kami, the Guardian of Earth, and the eventual resurrection of all of Piccolo’s friends. In order to prepare for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, he begins training with Kami and Mr. Popo. Despite being severely injured, Goku defeats Piccolo in the final round and is declared the tournament’s winner. Goku marries Chi-chi, a young woman that he met while traveling.
DRAGON BALL: SAYIAN SAGA
Goku’s life is disrupted when Raditz, his long-lost brother, arrives. Now living with his wife and little son, Gohan, his life is disrupted by the entrance of Raditz, his long-lost brother. Raditz informs him of his Saiyan ancestry and tells him that he was born to rule the Earth. When Goku refuses to carry out the job, Raditz kidnaps Gohan and orders him to kill a hundred humans or have his son slain.
Goku joins forces with Piccolo, and the two defeat Raditz with the help of Gohan, however, the monkey-tailed youngster dies in the process. Goku continues training for the impending arrival of additional Saiyans while traveling through the Other World. Many of his friends have been slain by the Saiyans, Vegeta, and Nappa by the time he arrives, and many of his friends have been slaughtered by the Saiyans, Vegeta, and Nappa. Goku effortlessly defeats Nappa, and after a long struggle, he defeats Vegeta. After the battle, he chooses to spare the injured Vegeta’s life.
DRAGON BALL: ANDROID SAGA
When Goku returns to Earth after two years, he meets Trunks, the future son of Bulma and Vegeta. The boy forewarns him about impending events and gives him a remedy for a virus he will get soon. Cell, a new villain, emerges around this time. Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks head to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for intensive training; Gohan is revealed to be potentially more powerful than Goku there.
They exit from the chamber, and Goku begins preparing to fight Cell, as well as enlisting the help of a new Guardian of Earth, Dende, to produce fresh Dragon Balls to correct what Cell has done wrong. He confronts Cell in full strength at the Cell Games, but he is unable to vanquish his opponent. He relinquishes the match to Gohan, believing him to overcome Cell. As a result of Gohan’s actions, Cell seeks to self-destruct and destroy the world as a form of retaliation.
He intervenes and transports them both to King Kai’s world, ending in the deaths of both Goku and Cell, as well as King Kai. Goku, who is trapped in the Other World, inspires Gohan to confront Cell after he resurrects himself. The character demands that he be allowed to die after Cell is ultimately destroyed. Because he believes he is to blame for all the problems on Earth.
EQUIPMENTS USED BY GOKU
Senzu Bean:
Korin Tower is home to Senzu Beans. When eaten, all injuries are cured, and it may keep a person satiated for up to 10 days. However, eating too many can be hazardous. The results are noticeable right away. Senzu Beans, according to Yajirobe, have a fishy flavor. Senzu Beans have the ability to heal fatal wounds like Yamcha’s pierced torso.
Training Gi:
Goku sometimes exercises in weighted clothing and fights in a training gi. Many of his training outfits are orange martial arts gis (and occasionally Battle Suits like Vegeta’s). All of these garments are extremely durable and light (except for the weighted clothes).
Flying Nimbus:Â
Master Roshi gave Goku a flying cloud named Nimbus when he was a small child, and only the pure in heart can ride it.
Goku possesses a magic pole that can grow and retract to any length. He utilizes it frequently throughout the Dragon Ball series.
Every Version Of Goku From Weakest To Strongest
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Kid Goku
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Oozaru Goku
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Ultra Divine Water Goku
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Teen Goku
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Adult Goku
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Ginyu-Goku
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Goku (Kaioken)
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Pseudo Super Saiyan Goku
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Super Saiyan Goku
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10. Full Power Super Saiyan Goku
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Super Kaioken Goku
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Super Saiyan 2 Goku
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GT Kid Goku
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Super Saiyan 3 Goku
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GT Goku
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Super Saiyan Gogeta
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Super Vegetto
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Super Saiyan God Goku
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Golden Oozaru Goku
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Super Saiyan 4 Goku
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Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta
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Goku Black
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Super Saiyan Goku Black
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Xeno Goku
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Super Saiyan Blue Goku
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Super Saiyan Rosé Goku Black
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Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken Goku
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Mastered Super Saiyan Blue Goku
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Ultra Instinct -Sign- Goku
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Mastered Ultra Instinct Goku
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Vegetto Blue
But why do we like Goku so much?
The world’s fate rests on his shoulders, and he has been humanity’s final hope on several occasions. Son Goku is the archetypal warrior who always prevails at the end of a Greek tragedy, a powerful and pure creature who is good at heart and will always battle for his fellow man. Toriyama embodied the absolute good, all that man has to offer, in the manga, despite the fact that it was a bland, almost Manichean depiction.
In addition to his good disposition, the legendary Super Saiyan manages to transmit his good humor and innocence in each setting without jeopardizing the epicness that certain times warrant. In the world of manga and anime, this archetypal main character is quite prevalent; just look at Pirate Luffy in One Piece or Naruto in the same-named series.
Toriyama took a direct shot at people’s most sentimental and emotional aspect with Son Goku. We are presented with a balanced and fun figure who appeals to our inner kid and is not difficult to love, in addition to having seen him develop through his adventures, which always generates a deeper attachment. Dragon Ball fans are still hoping to see the anime around for a while, whether in his magical cloud or flying on his own, on Earth, or in Namek, blond or dark.
Other forms of media
Animation
Goku is the main character in a number of anime adaptations of the original manga, both in Japanese and English. Dragonball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Doctor Slump, and Dragon Ball Z: Abridged all make notable appearances. Masako Nozawa, Kirby Morrow, Sean Schemmel, and Lawrence Simpson are among the performers that have voiced him.
Film
Many live-action and animated film adaptations of manga and anime use Goku as the main character. He’s also starred in a number of made-for-TV and direct-to-video films. Masako Nozawa, Justin Chatwin, and Lawrence Simpson are among the actors who play him.
Computer and video games
Over eighty Dragon Ball-related video games feature Goku as a playable character.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In Dragon Ball, how old is Goku?
Goku is 11 years old boy when we first meet him in Dragon Ball. Throughout the series, the boy grows up and competes in the 21st World Martial Art Tournament before a three-year hiatus until the tournament’s 22nd edition. With these tournaments being three years apart, it’s plausible to infer that Goku is 18 years old when he competes in the 23rd tournament, defeating Piccolo and marrying Chi-Chi, after training with Kami and Mister Popo.
In Dragon Ball Z, how old is Goku?
Goku’s son, Gohan, is five years old in Dragon Ball Z, which picks up several years after the events of Dragon Ball. He dies as a 23-year-old man during the Saiyan Saga when he gives his life so Picollo can kill his brother Raditz. This is when the timeline can become a bit perplexing. While he is brought back a year later and would be chronologically 24, his physique remains the same as when he died at the age of 23.
Before the entrance of the Androids, Goku spends three years training with Vegeta, Gohan, and the other Z fighters after the conclusion of the next major arc, the Frieza Saga. Gohan and Goku enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in preparation for the Cell Games, where time works strangely. They are inside training for a year, thus their bodies appear one year older to them; nevertheless, a year has not yet passed chronologically, so Goku’s age syncs straight back up to 27 years old.
What is the real name of Vegeta?
Brief must be the last name of their family. However, the term Brief is never used to refer to anybody else in the family, and Bluma’s professional title is revealed to be “Dr. Bluma” in Dragon Ball Super. Videl’s full name isn’t “Videl Satan,” by the way.
What is the total number of times Goku has died?
Goku has died a total of two times, for those looking for a quick answer. Once when he was fighting Raditz, and once when he was fighting Cell.
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