Goku is the chief character of the Dragon Ball franchise and has been since the beginning of the series. As Dragon Ball evolved into a worldwide phenomenon, he's been often compared to another nigh-unbeatable hero from a fantasy franchise: Superman. But there are far fewer similarities between Goku and Superman than there are between Goku and a different American icon. The American-made character Goku is most like isn't Superman from DC Comics -- it's Homer Simpson from The Simpsons.
A member of the Saiyan race raised on Earth, Dragon Ball hero Goku developed into a spacey but sweet young man. Driven by his need for challenge and a naturally adventurous attitude, Goku has become one of his universe's most powerful forces. Homer is one of the titular members of The Simpsons, a modern American family from the suburban town of Springfield. Despite his boorish and lazy demeanor, Homer is also a friendly and well-intentioned goof, who always overcomes temptation and personal desire to do right by his family. While the two may not have many similarities on the surface, they're actually far more alike than one would expect.
Both are driven by base instincts, most notably their hunger: Goku's Saiyan metabolism allows him to consume massive amounts of food, while Homer's appetite knows no bounds. Both men have proven surprisingly durable against damage, surviving injuries that would otherwise wipe out any other man. They've both suffered heart diseases at points in their lives, with Goku surviving thanks to medicine from the future while Homer received triple bypass surgery. They've both effectively died at some point throughout their respective series, only to come back to life -- either through the use of the Dragon Balls (like Goku) or through direct divine intervention (Season 16's "Thank God, It's Doomsday").
Both Homer and Goku typically mean well with their choices and actions, but are so defined by their baser instincts that they can endanger their friends and loved ones. For Goku, this means starting fights that could risk the fate of the planet instead of fighting just to win -- all because his Saiyan drive for combat forces him to pursue a good brawl above all else. Meanwhile, Homer's lazy nature has led him to cut corners that have resulted in sheer chaos taking over all of Springfield. Both are quick to fight and to forgive, with both Goku and Homer typically trying to befriend everyone they meet.
Perhaps their biggest similarity comes with their relationships to their families. Both have stay-at-home wives -- Chi-Chi for Goku and Marge for Homer -- that do their best to put up with their husband's mistakes and faults. Both men ultimately love their wives completely, as they do their children. Both even have intelligent kids -- Gohan for Goku and Lisa for Homer -- who surpass them mentally and are suggested to have the potential to fully change the world for the better. And even though they may not fully understand their children, they deeply care about them and try to do right by them.
While neither of them may be the smartest characters in their respective franchises, Homer and Goku are both good-natured figures at heart, and the center of their respective universes. It's interesting that both of them have remained incredibly popular for decades at this point, and are global icons in the world of animation.