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This Shonen Hero was Headlined on April 2024.

NOTE:This page is dedicated to the late creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama (1955-2024).

Son Goku (born Kakarot) is the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise.

In Japanese, he is voiced by Masako Nozawa in the Japanese version of the anime, by the late Kirby Morrow in the Ocean English dub, and by Sean Schemmel in the Funimation English dub.

What Makes Him a Shonen Hero?[]

• Heroic/Honorable: Goku has saved the world countless times in order to protect his loved ones and the innocent from threats like Frieza, Majin Buu and Zamasu.
• Courageous/Reckless: Goku is never shown to be afraid to face a challenge or a threat.
• Energetic: Goku is very energetic, occasionally to the point of being hyperactive and coming off as childish compare to the more seriously-minded characters like Vegeta and Piccolo.
• Stubborn: Goku tends to face a challenge head-on despite being warned multiple times of how dangerous his approach is and how it will more than likely cost his life, thus making him strong-willed.
• Pursues a Big-End Goal: Goku has a big-end goal of becoming the strongest warrior in the world if not the entire universe.
• Hard-Working: Despite starting out as a low-class Saiyan with a very low power level, Goku gets stronger by training his abilities.
• Unintelligent: Goku is far from the brightest bulb in the box. He grew up in a forest away from society with no human contact or formal education and was solely raised by his adoptive grandfather Gohan.
• Optimistic: Goku maintains a positive attitude regardless how many times he gets put down.
• Idealistic: Goku believes that he and the Z-Fighters can defeat their enemies even though everyone else thinks it's impossible.
• Determined: Driven by his desire to be the strongest, Goku goes to great lengths to achieve this goal.
• Confident: Goku deeply holds high confidence in his strength.
• Self-Sacrificing: Goku dies two times saving his friends and family.
• Resilient: Goku occasionally fails in his fights and when he does, he gets up and tries again.
• Youthful: While currently in his 40s, Goku still maintains his childlike sense of wonder and adventure ever since he was a kid.
• Believes in the Power of Friendship: Goku values his friends and is highly capable of turning his enemies into his most reliable allies such as Piccolo and Vegeta.
• Oblivious to Love: As a kid, Goku was utterly unaware of Chi-Chi's romantic feelings for him due to his lack of knowledge pertaining to love and marriage.
• Possesses Plot Armor: Goku has survived through various perils and manages to barely survive, only dying two times and getting revived throughout the series.
• Spiky Hair: Goku is often recognized by his iconic spiky hair.
• Has Rivals and Mentors: He learns from various masters such as Master Roshi and King Kai and has Vegeta as his main rival. He also competed against many of his closest friends before such as Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo.
• Big Eater: Like many Saiyans, Goku is shown to have a humongous appetite.
• Short-Tempered: While not a common trait, Goku can lose his cool at times when witnessing his enemies’ cruelty, famously turning into a Super Saiyan for the first time upon seeing Frieza murder Krillin.
• Mischievous: Goku has his moments of teasing others, friends and enemies alike.
• Rebellious: Due to growing up away from civilization, Goku didn't care much for social norms, let alone authority, going as far as to fight against the Red Ribbon Army by himself as a kid.
• Tragic Past: Goku has experienced 2 traumatic events earlier in his life:
  • When Goku was around 3 years old, Frieza committed genocide against Planet Vegeta and its inhabitants, the Saiyans, prompting Goku's parents to send him to Earth.
  • While Goku was happily adopted by Grandpa Gohan, he unintentionally killed him when he turned into a Great Ape in a full moon, leaving Goku orphaned again. However, he wasn't aware of this truth until his first fight with Vegeta.
• Is a Blood Knight: Goku is mainly driven by his desire to fight stronger opponents.
• Forgiving: Goku is highly capable of forgiving most of his enemies, with Frieza being a notable exception.
• Is a Primary-Color Champion: While mainly orange (and do note, it has a redder shade than all similar gis), Goku's outfit has blue parts to it.
• Is a Challenge Seeker: Given his drive to get stronger, Goku wants to seek out in fighting stronger opponents and learning new techniques.
• Is a Neglectful Parent: Due to being busy with training his fighting abilities, Goku neglects his two sons Gohan and Goten to the point of missing the first seven years of his youngest son's life after dying.
• Is a Chick Magnet: While Goku is far from a casanova-type character (much rather the opposite, as he was so dense, he didn't even know what marriage meant and thought it means something to eat), when he was a kid, he has attracted multiple women in the series that isn't just his wife Chi-Chi having a crush on him, these include Suno, Princess Snake, Bulma (who is Vegeta's wife btw), and Helles.
• Is an Underdog: Goku was born with an extremely low power level, but through constant effort and training, he managed to become one of the strongest known Saiyans in history.
• Is a True Hero: While his love for combat can sometimes cloud his judgment, Goku will always put the lives of his family and the people of Earth before his own desires.
• Calls Out Attacks: Goku calls out most of his attack moves:
  • KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAAA!!!!
  • SPIRIT BOMB!!!
  • DRAGON FIST!!!!
• Is a Mascot with Attitude: Goku is brimming with energy, constantly challenging himself and others, and has a magnetic personality that draws people to him. His carefree yet determined spirit, along with his knack for getting stronger through sheer willpower, embodies a spirited, rebellious vibe perfectly. Plus, he's got the infectious enthusiasm that just screams attitude.
• Is a Shotoclone: Goku’s Kamehameha wave is a classic projectile attack, and his fighting style includes powerful uppercuts and kicks. Additionally, Goku wears an orange and blue gi.
• Street-Smart: Even though he has no formal education or experience in civilization, Goku has great survival instincts and is quick to learn from his experiences.
• Has a Battle Cry: Goku often yells when he is either fighting an opponent or training.
• Is a Kid/Teen Hero: Goku was around 12 years when he starts his journey.

External Links[]

• Goku on the Heroes Wiki
• Goku on the Near Pure Good Wiki
• Goku on the Dragon Ball Wiki
• Goku on the The Ultimate Good Wiki
• Goku on the Love Exalted Wiki
• Goku on the Superhero Wiki

Trivia[]

• He is the icon of Shonen Heroes Wiki and the Stub template.
• Goku is considered the codifier of the Shonen Hero archetype, since many shonen protagonists are inspired by him in some ways.

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Goku | Gohan | Vegeta | Trunks | Mr. Satan