There are few anime series that have as stellar of a reputation as Dragon Ball, which has been able to stay relevant for decades. It’s been exciting to see a large resurgence in the shonen franchise over the past few years and new additions to the Dragon Ball canon continue to happen.
Dragon Ball is highly enjoyable, but it does suffer from protagonist problems at times with its hero, Goku. Goku has accomplished some amazing feats and saved the world numerous times, but he’s not infallible and he succumbs to a number of serious mistakes through the course of the series.
10 He Abandons His Friends And Family To Train Uub
The Dragon Ball series is so impressive for the way in which it allows Goku to slowly age over the course of the series and introduces his extended family into the mix. However, a huge surprise happens at the end of Dragon Ball Z.
After Goku learns that Uub is the good reincarnation of Buu, he decides to go and train him to be the world’s nest great fighter. It’s an honorable decision, but it comes as a surprise considering Uub is still a stranger to Goku, yet he abandons his family and friends in favor of this new pupil.
9 He Forgets About His Heart Vaccine Medication
A major turning point in the Dragon Ball series is when Future Trunks arrives to warn Goku and company about the impending Android invasion. However, another important reason for Future Trunks’ time travel is that he knows that Goku will die from a rare heart condition, so he comes bearing the antidote.
Curiously, Goku basically forgets about his medication until it’s nearly too late. When he does eventually take the medication he’s still incapacitated for many episodes and Vegeta has to pick up the slack. It’s a problem that could have easily been avoided.
8 He Doesn't Completely Destroy The Red Ribbon Army
Dragon Ball tells a big story that spans Goku’s entire left and so it’s always exciting when threats from his past can come back to haunt him during his adult years. One of the biggest challenges that a young Goku faces in the original Dragon Ball is the Red Ribbon Army.
Goku decimates the organization, but he still leaves some important members alive, chiefly Dr. Gero. Gero’s existence leads to the creation of the Androids, Cell’s reign, and Future Trunks’ broken timeline, all of which could be avoided if he was more thorough during his youth.
7 He Gives Cell A Senzu Bean
There are plenty of transformations and tools that offer crucial assistance in battle. They may not always be in rotation, but the Senzu Beans are a handy item that completely heals a worn out fighter’s strength. Goku is absolutely dominating Cell during the Cell Games, but he’s determined to let his son square off against him because he’s so confident in his increased strength. In an effort to level the playing field, Goku even gives Cell a Senzu Bean so he can heal for his battle.
Goku’s concern with being fair is such a foolish and arrogant decision.
6 He Repeatedly Trusts Frieza
Of all of the powerful villains that have showed up in Dragon Ball, it’s Frieza that gets the most attention and has been given repeated opportunities to get revenge on Goku and company. Goku’s naivety is one of his biggest faults and he demonstrates this repeatedly with Frieza. When Goku attempts to spare Frieza on Namek it nearly results in his death.
Additionally, he decides to recruit Frieza for the Tournament of Power, which has its share of benefits, but it results in his resurrection, which could lead to even bigger problems in the future.
5 His Treatment Of The Potara Earrings
It’s a very thrilling moment in Dragon Ball Z when the concept of fusion is introduced. Fusion allows two strong fighters to merge together and combine their strength to overcome a more powerful enemy.
Goku ultimately fuses with Vegeta, but his initial plan is to fuse with Gohan. Goku decides to throw Gohan the Potara Earring, which leads to Gohan not only missing the catch, but getting absorbed by Buu in the process. If Goku just used instant transmission to reach Gohan then their plan wouldn’t have been a failure and Super Buu would have never formed.
4 He Listens To Raditz and Lets Him Go
Dragon Ball Z hits the ground running, not only with the news that Goku is actually an alien, but that he has an evil brother who’s arrived on Earth to finish him off. Raditz is the first big foe in the series and he tries to appeal to Goku’s sense of reason.
This succeeds and Goku lets his guard down. This turns out to be a fatal blow for Goku, which sets Earth back in a major way. However, it also leads to Vegeta, Nappa, and Frieza learning about the Dragon Balls, which introduces a whole new level of danger.
3 He Spares Buu So He Can Fight Gotenks
Buu is a serious threat in Dragon Ball Z and he’s one of the few villains that succeeds in his goal to annihilate the Earth’s population. Goku and company have to resort to some new tactics to overcome this enemy, but it could have been easier. Goku debuts his new Super Saiyan 3 form and even though it’s more powerful than Buu, he doesn’t go all out against him.
Goku’s reasoning is that he wants Goten and Trunks to learn the basics of Super Saiyan 3, fuse into Gotenks, and fight him themselves. It’s another misguided strategy with mixed results.
2 His Teleportation Of Cell
The final battle against Cell amounts to some of the most surprising moments in all of Dragon Ball. It looks like the Z Warriors will be successful, only for Cell to remain alive, like a cockroach. Gohan finally extinguishes the threat, but Goku has to learn the hard way how impressive Cell’s regeneration abilities are.
In an altruistic move, Goku chooses to use his instant transmission ability to teleport a self-destructing Cell off of Earth and to King Kai’s planet. Goku could heave easily teleported back to Earth and not sacrificed himself, or King Kai, in the process.
1 He Causes The Tournament Of Power
Dragon Ball Super covers a lot of ground, but the longest arc in the series is devoted to a giant multiverse competition known as the Tournament of Power. This tournament is done purely for the entertainment purposes of the two Zeno, but the consequences of universe erasure are intense.
Goku inadvertently inspires the Zeno’s to think of this competition and then he doesn’t try to talk them out of it. In fact, Goku’s involvement in the tournament puts a huge target on Universe 7 right from the start.