Some anime series take some time to find their footing or reach a sizable audience, but Akira Toriyama’s shonen juggernaut, Dragon Ball, has been at the forefront of its genre for several decades with no end in sight. Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has evolved into multiple different series that span through manga, anime, feature films, video games, and more, yet a constant through them all is that the optimistic Goku frequently places himself in the position of hero.
Goku’s uplifting outlook can be just as inspirational as his strength, but the confident Saiyan is far from invincible, and he’s still faced considerable setbacks against dangerous enemies. Goku is usually capable enough to handle a problem, but this formula can also result in Goku overestimating his capabilities.
10 He Thinks His Body Is Strong Enough To Handle A Debilitating Heart Condition
Goku and the rest of the characters in Dragon Ball most commonly have to worry about an untimely death due to the perpetual dangers that threaten Earth. However, Dragon Ball Z features a surprising dose of reality during the invasion of the Androids. Future Trunks travels through time so that he can provide Goku with the necessary medicine to cure the heart virus that takes him out in Future Trunks’ timeline. Even after receiving the medication, Goku doesn’t take his health as seriously as he should. He believes that he’s more resilient than the virus, which just isn’t true.
9 He Is Exicted For The Tournament Of Power But Underperforms
The Tournament of Power is an epic free-for-all battle royale between dozens of the very best fighters from across the multiverse. The Tournament of Power is deeply engaging, but the competition itself happens under very tense circumstances where the erasure of universes is at stake. No one wants to head into this tournament, but Goku’s trademark excitement over a worthy challenge ultimately leads to the Zenos calling the Tournament of Power into action. Considering that the only reason that Universe 7 isn’t erased is because of Android 17 and not Goku, he overestimates his ability in this tournament.
8 He Decides To Stay Dead Because He Believes His Power Attracts More Enemies
Death is never easy to accept, and it can be an even more complicated process in Dragon Ball due to how characters can perish and come back to life multiple times thanks to the powers of the Dragon Balls and other elements. A shocking turn of events takes place when Goku’s family and friends attempt to revive him, only for him to refuse the offer.
Goku’s reasoning is that he believes his presence on Earth only invites greater dangers. This is an honorable gesture on Goku’s part, but it also gives his role on Earth an inflated sense of importance.
7 He Keeps Super Saiyan 3 A Secret & Saves It
It’s easy to generalize Dragon Ball into flashy Super Saiyan transformations. New and surprising levels of Super Saiyan and beyond are still in high supply in the series, but Super Saiyan 3 remains a bit of a rarer oddity in the canon. Goku’s reveal of Super Saiyan 3 comes by surprise, and it turns out that he’s had this skill for a while, waiting for the right moment to unveil it. Goku’s decision to bide his time and not immediately use Super Saiyan 3 before Buu is at full strength only prolongs the problem in major ways.
6 He Thinks The Kaio-Ken & Spirit Bomb Will Be Enough To Handle The Saiyan Invasion
Training and the mastery of new techniques are a vital components of how characters grow stronger in Dragon Ball. The looming Saiyan invasion is particularly suspenseful because Earth needs to defend itself while Goku rushes back to the planet from the afterlife. Goku not only comes back to life but also comes prepared with both the Kaio-Ken Attack and the formidable Spirit Bomb, courtesy of his training under King Kai. Goku fully believes that these new skills will be enough to defeat the Saiyans, but in reality, he couldn't win without the combined help of Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe.
5 He Thinks He Can Beat A God Of Destruction On The First Encounter
Dragon Ball Super kicks off in an epic way with the debut of new tiers of celestial deities, like Angels and Gods of Destruction. The arrival of Beerus coincides with the awakening of Goku’s powers as a Super Saiyan God. Goku, even with this boost, is still nowhere near the level of a God of Destruction, but he still rages on against Beerus.
This clash of power becomes so immense that their attacks nearly destroy the planet, which is something that Goku fails to seriously consider. He’s so focused on an impossible win that he ignores the rest.
4 He's Too Cocky In His First Fight Against Hit
Dragon Ball Super brings forward new enemies with unprecedented power, but it also expands the series’ scope through the introduction of the multiverse. Goku and the rest of Universe 7 get some extended opportunities to test their strength against Universe 6’s best. This includes the galactic assassin, Hit, who comes equipped with a devastating Time-Skip technique. Goku is quite cocky during his early exchanges with Universe 6, and he rushes into battle with Hit, only for it to appear that he’s been assassinated. Goku eventually learns Hit’s secrets, but their first fight is embarrassing.
3 He Thinks Instant Transmission Will Be Enough To Solve Cell's Self-Destruct Coup
Goku continues to master special techniques throughout the entirety of the Dragon Ball franchise, but Goku’s Instant Transmission, courtesy of the Yardratians, becomes one of his most helpful skills. Instant Transmission is practically equatable to teleportation, provided Goku has an energy source to lock on. A desperate Cell triggers self-destruction, which leads to some quick thinking on Goku’s part. Goku uses Instant Transmission to move Cell off of Earth and onto King Kai’s planet. The strategy works and costs Goku his life, but he underestimates Cell’s regenerative resilience which allows him to survive the encounter.
2 He Believes The Evil Containment Wave & Fusion Can Conquer Fused Zamasu
Dragon Ball Super’s threat of Goku Black, who turns out to be Fused Zamasu, is one of the most debilitating and confusing obstacles that the heroes have ever faced. Goku and company struggle to come up with a viable strategy to defeat an enemy who’s achieved immortality, but they have a few ideas. A sizable amount of time is spent on Goku mastering the Evil Containment Wave, only for this technique to merely become a distraction to Zamasu. Additionally, Goku desperately turns to fusion with Vegeta, which also isn’t enough to stop Zamasu.
1 He Tries To Defeat Granolah On His First Encounter
Dragon Ball Super’s anime has been concluded for some time, but the manga is still going strong and has continued the series’ story in some enlightening ways. The latest struggle involves a vengeful and powerful Cerealian named Granolah. Goku and Vegeta both master new transformations and techniques but continue to struggle under Granolah’s excellence. The fight against Granolah continues, and it’s unclear who will win, but Goku fails to knock him out during their initial encounter. It seems like the revelation about Bardock, and other factors, will ultimately be Granolah’s undoing.