Goku, as well as the Dragon Ball series, are considered shonen icons. Decades after the initial release of the series, the characters and stories are still considered to be some of the best the genre has to offer. Dragon Ball often serves as an inspiration to other artists and writers who create shonen stories.
Although the series has utilized some of the most popular tropes and cliches of the genre, Goku continues to be one of the most unique characters anime fans have seen. Despite Goku's overwhelming strength, his backstory and personality continue to make his journey fascinating.
10 Goku Is An Alien From Another Planet
Goku is an alien from another planet. Aside from the monkey tail he had for most of the Dragon Ball series, Goku looks human. Though he isn't human at all. He is a Saiyan, a powerful and destructive race. As long as his tail is attached to him and there is a full moon, Goku is able to turn into a giant ape.
9 Goku Was Originally Evil Before Hitting His Head
When arriving on the planet, Goku was a vicious and mean child. His Grandfather Gohan had a difficult time controlling him. Goku was the type of person who delighted in carrying out his assigned mission of destroying all life on Earth.
One day, he accidentally hit his head. According to Gohan, he was a sweet and innocent boy afterwards. Goku has one of the most ridiculous and unique hero origin stories.
8 He Was Engaged At A Young Age
Goku got engaged to Chi-Chi when he was a small child. She became quickly infatuated with him, but Goku only agreed to marry her because he thought marriage was some kind of food. Most shonen protagonists take ages to get into a romantic relationship, making Goku stand out. He forgets about his promise to marry her until she reminds him when they reunite at the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. Goku just goes along with it, even though he still barely understands what exactly he is agreeing to.
7 He's Been In Several Anime
Goku has been a major character in many series, including Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super. None of these are short anime, either. Goku is hardly the type to stand aside and allow someone else to hog all the fighting to themselves, not to mention he is still as popular as ever. It only makes sense that he has been in the spotlight for so long.
6 Goku Is Naive To Most Of World's Workings
When living with Grandpa Gohan, Goku didn't see other people as they were far away from society. Thanks to this, Goku failed to learn the basics of social interaction, as well as the workings of most technology.
In fact, his isolation made it difficult for him to discern genders and understand the concept of beauty. Even as an adult, he fails to see things the same way most people do, such as when he expressed his opinion on kissing to a shocked Vegeta, who wondered how Goku was still married.
5 He Is Always Excited To Fight Regardless Of The Stakes
Goku's main priority is to have a good fight against powerful opponents. Regardless of the villains' evil intentions, which often include a lot of casualties or the destruction of the planet. Goku never wants to take the easy way out. Even after hearing about the apocalyptic future the androids could bring, he refused to destroy them and their creator preemptively. He is more than willing to give any enemy a fair shot. The poor residents of Earth have to suffer because of his incredibly selfish needs.
4 Goku Forgives Far Too Easily
Goku is the most forgiving protagonist, as he was capable of forgiving even the worst monsters. When Goku had Raditz by the tail, he was far too quick to accept a rushed and insincere apology, releasing him although Piccolo warned him that was a mistake. Goku even managed to forgive Buu despite the fact that he killed his friends and family, including his wife. Holding no grudges, he requested that Buu would be reincarnated as a good person. That said, if he weren't so forgiving, he wouldn't have so many allies.
3 Goku Isn't The Greatest Husband Or Father
Goku is viewed as such a terrible husband and parent that even the English voice cast have outright said that he's far from ideal. Goku spent a large chunk of Gohan's childhood jobless, and dragged his son into fights despite Chi-Chi's protests. He even accidentally sent his wife flying through a wall when he forgot his own strength. One of his most ridiculous actions involved telling his son to fight Cell, right after healing the already powerful enemy with a Senzu bean in order to make the fight "fair."
2 Death Is Barely An Inconvenience For Goku
Thanks to the Dragon Balls, Goku has absolutely no fear of death. Using their power, Goku and his allies have brought countless back to life. Goku has died on more than one occasion, and never seemed particularly bothered by the sacrifice. This is mainly because Goku has plenty of different ways to train and grow stronger, even in death.
1 He Never Battles An Inner Demon
It's very common for shonen protagonists to have an inner demon. This inner demon allows them to tap into a secret reserve of power in order to overwhelm their foes with devastating power. They often lose control of this power, and can only wield it after confronting said demon.
Goku approaches this trope in an odd way. During his childhood, he did have the ability to transform into a giant ape during the full moon, but the power doesn't originate from a separate entity. It’s easy for his friends to stop him when he does transform, since many of them are capable of destroying the moon or removing his tail.