Death may not matter in the grand scheme of Dragon Ball, but it almost always has weight. When a major character died in the original series, Toriyama would always try to present it with some drama. Even characters like Choazu end up with some of the most memorable deaths in the franchise. On the other hand, the core nature of the Dragon Balls ensured that characters can keep coming back after they’re killed.

This, of course, also applies to Son Goku, Dragon Ball’s main character. While he doesn’t die as often as some supporting players, the series does use his death for drama often enough across the entire franchise. Goku has died a few times over the course of the original series, but GT, Super, and Online have all featured brand-new deaths for the Monkey King.

Updated on March 8, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Dragon Ball's Son Goku is arguably one of the most iconic anime characters of all time. Like many Shonen protagonists, Goku has had countless near-shaves with death. However, he's also actually died on several occasions (even though he's eventually resurrected somehow). As such, we've updated this article with some more relevant information.

Goku's Heart Is Stopped By Piccolo Daimao

Dragon Ball

This death is technically contentious, and Goku doesn’t stay “dead,” but Demon King Piccolo straight up stops Goku’s heart. For all intents and purposes, Goku actually did briefly die. Piccolo killed him and Goku just got lucky. It’s questionable storytelling at best, but the drama is good and this is really the only time Toriyama does such a major fakeout death.

Unlike other deaths, this has no real lasting effect, but it clearly was never meant to. Piccolo kills Goku for some drama and his heart sparks back up. That’s technically the kind of "death" that most anime viewers are used to — it's going to take a lot more than this for the hero to die. That said, fans often wonder where Goku’s soul went, if anywhere, while he was briefly deceased, especially considering the existence of the Other World.

Goku Sacrifices His Life To Stop Raditz

Dragon Ball Z

Goku’s actual first death and the one that matters, the main character giving his life to kill his brother is shocking regardless if fans are watching Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z first. Following the former, it’s the sudden death of the hero – a character who otherwise seemed invincible. In the case of the latter, the main character dies mere episodes in, shocking in and of itself.

There’s nothing like a life-threatening Full-Nelson to let your brother know you not only hate him, but also wish he never came to Earth. Piccolo’s Makankosappo is actually pretty brutal in action, piercing through Raditz’s body and into Goku. It’s a gruesome end for Goku, making for one of the series’ most iconic moments as a result. Luckily, Goku lives long enough to learn that his son is still alive before Kami takes his body away.

Goku Becomes A Victim Of The Heart Virus

Dragon Ball Z

The future is not kind to Son Goku. After defeating Frieza and becoming the legendary Super Saiyan, Goku returns to Earth to die from heart failure. It’s twisted in a grounded way. After following Goku for eight story arcs, Trunks reveals that he’s meant to die unceremoniously in the future. It’s a reminder that Goku is human at the end of the day.

This being Dragon Ball, though, Goku’s death ends up leaving the main cast completely unprepared for when the Artificial Humans start wreaking havoc shortly after. It’s debatable just how much Goku would be able to help, but he at least knew about the Room of Spirit and Time & could teleport at this point. Although the heart virus doesn't have many notable symptoms other than fatigue, it seems that being a Super Saiyan makes Goku even more vulnerable to this particular infection.

Goku Sacrifices His Life To Stop Cell

Dragon Ball Z

Easily one of the best deaths in the series, Goku sacrificing himself is a moment that sums up his heroic character perfectly. When push comes to shove, Goku can be selfless because he is kind and knows that only he can do certain things. Of course, his tender goodbye with his son and friends is immediately juxtaposed by him killing Kaio & Bubbles along with himself.

But that humor is part of Dragon Ball and Goku’s charm, and at a time when Toriyama really intended to say goodbye to Son Goku, this makes an appropriate death for the character. Toriyama would later go back on his decision and bring Goku in as the main character again, but that doesn’t make his death in the Cell arc any less powerful. Besides, noble sacrifices are the lifeblood of Shonen anime series.

Goku Fights To The Death With Vegeta

Dragon Ball Online

Akira Toriyama notably penned the timeline for Dragon Ball Online, and it ended up featuring the fates of several characters. Most relevant to fans were the outcomes of Goku and Vegeta, Dragon Ball’s longtime rivals and current best buddies. Recognizing their old age and the passing of their prime, Goku and Vegeta head out into outer space to settle the score one last time.

From there, they’re never heard from again. It’s an understated conclusion to not only their lives, but their arcs and their rivalry, as well. The only downside is that this death is tucked away within Dragon Ball Online and most definitely won’t be rearing its head as Goku’s final death – should such a thing ever even manifest. That said, dying in a video game doesn't really count, even if it was written by the original mangaka himself.

Goku Is Instantly Killed By Goku Black

Dragon Ball Super

It seems like Toriyama just can’t pass off the chance to kill off Goku in alternate timelines. Incensed that a mere mortal would be able to rival the power of the Gods, Zamasu decides to learn everything he can about Goku, switch bodies with him, and then kill him outright. Goku Black even goes so far as to kill Goten and Chichi in the anime, infuriating Goku.

Of all of Goku’s deaths, this is probably the most uncomfortable to think about. Here he is, one of the strongest men in the multiverse, farming like any other day. Suddenly, Goku’s not in his own body, he’s immediately killed, and Goku Black starts terrorizing the multiverse. It’s scary to think Goku quite literally couldn’t fight back, but at least the original Goku was spared from this horrifying fate.

Goku Hires Hit To Assassinate Him

Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball Super isn’t the follow-up to Dragon Ball the series deserved, but it does consistently knock its slice-of-life and downtime episodes exceptionally well. It’s hard to deny just how much fun Dragon Ball Super’s filler tends to be, often better than the actual main arcs. The Hit mini-arc isn’t quite on that same level, but it offers some decent worldbuilding and some much-needed time with Hit.

Hiring Hit to assassinate him, Goku finally gets the chance to test out Hit’s skills. Of course, Hit won’t stop until Goku is killed so Goku is, as expected, killed when his opponent's invisible blast of Ki energy strikes his heart. He anticipates this, though, and it’s he’s back to life by the next episode. Son Goku’s come a long way from getting his heart stopped by Piccolo, but fans are hoping he's going to be around even longer.

Goku Ascends To A Higher Plane Of Existence

Dragon Ball GT

Something interesting happens during Dragon Ball GT’s final fight. Goku is seemingly killed before very mysteriously appearing with the universal Genki Dama in his hands. There’s something incredibly ethereal about what little there is of GT from that point on. Goku is almost divine, beyond everyone around him. He’s no longer a Goku that we as an audience can fully understand.

It’s certainly out there for Dragon Ball, but as this was intended to be the series’ final goodbye, it’s appropriate that Goku’s farewell is given so much fanfare. As Vegeta tells Pan to cherish what traces of Goku they have left, audiences are left to reflect on Son Goku, Dragon Ball, and all the adventures they've watched happen.