Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has been at the forefront of the shonen genre for more than three decades and it remains an iconic piece of anime programming. Audiences are enthralled by Goku’s heroic efforts to save the planet that he loves, but the anime has also gradually grown grander in scope and tackled more mature storytelling.
Many characters come and go in Dragon Ball, but Goku continues to be the series’ focal point. Audiences have had hundreds of episodes to get to know Goku, but there’s still a lot about the signature Saiyan that fans get wrong.
10 Goku Is Not The Strongest Character In The Series
The bulk of the characters in Dragon Ball have acquired unbelievable strength, but most of the series positions Goku as the ultimate hero. Goku is frequently the one who gets to take out the villain and will be the first to debut a new height in Saiyan power.
It’s therefore easy to extrapolate that Goku is also the strongest character in the series, especially when so many individuals are left to marvel at his strength. However, the latest entry in the series, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, allows Vegeta to surpass Goku. The new transformations that Gohan and Piccolo acquire presumably put them at comparable strength to the Saiyan, too.
9 He Never Learned About His Father, Bardock
A formative detail about Goku’s upbringing and development is that his earliest years in life were under the care of his adoptive guardian, Grandpa Gohan. Goku’s biological father, Bardock, perished by Frieza’s hand alongside most of the Saiyan population, and the character’s appearances have been reserved to flashbacks.
Dragon Ball gives the audience more information about Bardock than it does Goku and the character always seemed content to leave this in his past. Recent chapters of the Dragon Ball Super manga feature Goku learning a ton about his father and that the two of them are more alike than he realized.
8 Goku Isn't Beyond Executing His Enemies When It’s Necessary
Goku is very representative of the ideals of a typical shonen hero, which means that he frequently leans into rehabilitation over execution. Goku has an admirable track record when it comes to the villains that he’s been able to reform into allies, but sometimes these threats are just too far gone.
A lot of heroes also subscribe to a policy where they won’t take any lives. This wouldn’t be out of place for Goku, but he’s actually killed more individuals than he’s redeemed. Sometimes Goku only takes a life as a last resort, but he’s also been known to get overtaken by his emotions and retaliate in anger, like when he takes out Tambourine.
7 He Still Loves Chi-Chi, Despite His Attitude Around Her
Dragon Ball prioritizes action above all else, but it’s still able to fit in some tender romances between several of its characters. Goku and Chi-Chi build a beautiful family together, but the finer details of their relationship have always been one of the greater mysteries in Dragon Ball.
Goku is often at odds with Chi-Chi over their contrasting plans for their children’s futures. Goku also tends to sneak around Chi-Chi and avoid conflict. Goku isn’t the most intuitive or receptive when it comes to romance, but that shouldn’t be confused as a lack of love. When push comes to shove, Goku will always be there for Chi-Chi.
6 Goku Can Grow Back His Tail
Goku’s tail is one of his most defining features back in the original Dragon Ball before it’s even revealed that he’s a member of a warrior race known as Saiyans. The Saiyan’s tail is a necessary tool for them to transform into a Great Ape, but this process becomes less impressive after Super Saiyans enter the picture.
Goku’s tail is removed by Kami at the end of the original Dragon Ball, which is a gesture that’s viewed as a permanent process. However, Goku actually regrows his tail in Dragon Ball GT with the help of Old Kai so that he’s able to transcend into a Golden Great Ape and a Super Saiyan 4.
5 He Hasn’t Won Many World Martial Arts Tournaments
Competitions are a popular trope in the battle shonen genre and Dragon Ball has turned its World Martial Arts Tournament into its most popular tradition that runs through each of the series in the franchise. Goku is a regular participant, especially during the original Dragon Ball, but he only emerges as the victor in one of these celebrations.
Goku defeats Piccolo to become the winner in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, but he doesn’t go on to regularly dominate the proceedings despite his supreme strength. Goku even ties for first place in the afterlife’s Other World Tournament.
4 Goku Still Has The Flying Nimbus
It’s hard to remember a time in Dragon Ball when abilities that the characters now take for granted, like flight, were beyond their skill range. One of Goku’s primary means of transportation before he learns how to take to the skies is his Flying Nimbus, a convenient cloud that allows pure-hearted individuals a ride.
Goku appears to give his Flying Nimbus to his children, who both make use of it. The Peaceful World Saga addendum in the manga also features Uub with Goku’s nimbus. However, it appears that Goku is still the Nimbus’ primary owner since he’s able to call it forward in both Dragon Ball GT and Super.
3 Vegeta Is Not His Best Friend
Some of the strongest bonds in Dragon Ball are built out of bitter rivalries. Goku and Vegeta are two characters who have repeatedly tried to kill each other, yet they’ve also grown into the ultimate means of motivation as they continually reach new milestones.
Goku and Vegeta have been through a lot together and have even shared a body through fusion, so it wouldn’t be strange to assume that they’re best friends. However, Krillin and Goku remain the best of friends and their time together in Dragon Ball Super only underscore this. They may not be partners in battle as much as they used to be, but their ties go deeper than that.
2 The Idea That He’s Abandoned His Saiyan Roots For Human Ideals
Goku is repeatedly tempted by other Saiyans to abandon his values and turn Earth into one of the Saiyans’ many casualties. It’s believed that Goku is such an exceptional character because he possesses the strength of a Saiyan, but his upbringing on Earth gives him human values.
He even identifies under his “Earth name,” Goku, instead of his biological name, Kakarot. Goku used to view his aggressive Saiyan roots as a detriment, but his tense battle against the Heeter Force’s Gas helps him understand that it’s important to embrace his heritage. Goku emerges as a more confident fighter who incorporates the best of both worlds.
1 His Decision To Leave His Family And Friends At The End Of Series Is Out Of A Sense Of Duty
Dragon Ball is full of memorable moments, many of which come from Goku, but all of the respective series in the franchise struggle with relatively abrupt endings. Goku’s actions at the end of Dragon Ball Z and GT continue to receive criticism because it comes across that Goku flippantly turns his back on his friends and family in pursuit of stronger opponents and new challenges.
In reality, Goku realizes that these are sacrifices that he needs to make in order to keep the planet safe for the future generations of his family. It’s selfless, not selfish.