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Goku is the fictional hero and main character of the Dragon Ball series, including the manga Dragon Ball, and the three anime series, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. The character is based upon the monkey protagonist, Sun Wukong, from the Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Goku is known for his cheerful, energetic personality, fondness for competition (specifically fighting) and eating, as well as his kind and loving heart and an adorable lack of common sense. He has remarkable intuition at seeing the good in others despite their actions, though his capacity for forgiving his enemies has occasionally caused him further trouble.

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According to the official Dragon Ball records (Daizenshuu), Goku stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and has spiky black hair and dark eyes. Goku's physique almost perfectly replicates his father Burdock's. His most common outfit is a red-orange martial arts uniform with a dark blue undershirt, boots, belt and wristbands. The front and back of this outfit displays the symbol of his training master, up through the end of the Freeza Saga.

Kakarot (カカロット) is Goku's name that he was given by his biological Saiyan family when he was born on Planet Vegeta. At first Goku rejects his heritage, but accepts it during his battle with Freeza. Only Saiyans refer to Goku by his Saiyan name and Vegeta refuses to refer to him as anything else, believing he should be proud of his Saiyan heritage.

Goku's original name fits in with the rest of his family; all the known members in his family are puns of vegetables that are related to each other. Goku's brother Raditz is a pun of the word radish while his father Burdock's name is a pun of the herb called burdock.

It is not revealed to the audience that Goku is a ruthless Saiyan warrior until the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. Kakarot was sent to Earth to exterminate the Humans and make the planet suitable for conquest. Kakarot is instead found by an old man known as Son Gohan who lives as a hermit on Mount Paozu, hundreds of miles away from the nearest city. Gohan, unaware of the boy's true Saiyan name, names him Goku. Goku was wild and unusually savage for a child, but one day during Gohan's travels, Goku falls out of his carrier and into a ravine where he suffers severe head trauma. The head trauma had scrambled his "programmed" Saiyan nature and Goku became an innocently naive child, completely uninfluenced by desire and the evils of the world, and also completely unaware of his original mission of destruction.

In the original series, Goku is first seen as a 12 year-old boy living alone in the wilderness. He is seemingly normal except for his naivety of the world, his great strength, and his tail. Goku also possesses a magical fighting stick called the Nyoi-bo, or Power Pole and the four-star Dragon Ball. As the Dragon Ball series progresses, he accompanies Bulma to search for the Dragon Balls. During their quest Goku confronts the desert bandit Yamcha, who later becomes his friend. Goku also meets his future wife Chi-Chi and the legendary Muten-Rôshi, in which he receives his flying cloud called the Kintoun (Flying Nimbus in the English dub) from. After the quest is finished, Goku begins to train with Muten-Rôshi and develops into one of the most powerful fighters on Earth. His fellow student Kuririn is a rival at first, but soon becomes Goku's best friend.

After Goku competes in but loses the Tenka’ichi Budôkai (21st Martial Arts Tournament), he leaves his friends behind once more and searches for the four-star Dragon Ball, which he believes contains the soul of his departed grandfather. Along the way he confronts the ruthless Red Ribbon Army. After defeating several top agents, Goku battles the deadly assassin, Tao Pai Pai.

Goku's next major opponent was Tenshinhan, a warrior trained by Muten-Rôshi’s rival, Master Shen. Goku and Tenshinhan face off in the finals of the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament. Both fought valiantly, but Goku was unfortunately defeated by chance. However, as it was with Yamcha, Goku and Tenshinhan don't remain rivals for long and soon become close friends.

Immediately after the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament, Piccolo Daimaō appears, and after killing Kuririn, sets out to destroy all martial artists on Earth to ensure his unchallenged rule. After a difficult series of battles, Goku eventually manages to defeat the demon and avenges Muten-Rôshi's and Kuririn's deaths. Moments before Piccolo's death however, he vows revenge and reincarnates himself in the form of an egg, which hatches into Piccolo Jr.

After the battle, Goku accepts the grueling training of Kami, the god of Earth for three years. Three years later, Goku participates in the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament, where he immediately marries Chi Chi. Piccolo Jr. arrives to fight Goku and to avenge his predecessor's death. In the final match, both Goku and Piccolo are severely injured. However, Goku prevails and defeats Piccolo, making him the champion of the 23rd Tenka’ichi Budôkai, and Goku finally claims the title of strongest under the heavens.

At the start of the Dragon Ball Z series, Goku has built a family with his wife Chi-Chi, and their son, Son Gohan. A new super powerful threat arrives on Earth by the name of Raditz, who introduces himself as Goku's older brother. Raditz reveals to Goku that he is actually a Saiyan who was originally sent to Earth to conquer it. Raditz easily defeats Goku and kidnaps Gohan, telling Goku that he must kill at least 100 humans if he wishes to see his son alive again. Piccolo then appears and offers to join forces in order to defeat Raditz. With the two of them greatly outclassed, Goku sacrifices himself, holding Raditz in place while Piccolo Special Beam Cannon. Raditz, the two killed by Piccolo's attacks.

Before dying, Goku learns that two more Saiyans, each much more powerful than Raditz, would be coming to Earth in one year. Once in the afterlife, Goku travels along Serpent Road to receive training from North Kaiō so he can gain the strength to battle the Saiyans. Goku arrives at his destination, where North Kaiō begins teaching him the skills necessary to defeat the Saiyan threat. Before the battle begins, Goku is wished back to life and begins the journey back along Serpent Road so that he can return to Earth.

Goku arrives late at the battle site, defeating Nappa with ease before confronting Vegeta. The battle leaves both injured but Vegeta remains a threat, Goku utilising the Spirit Bomb with Gohans help to finally defeat the Saiyan. Goku requests that Vegeta be allowed to live in order to someday have a rematch.

After healing from his battle with Vegeta, Goku travels to Planet Namek to aid Gohan, Krillin and Bulma who are in searching of the Namekian Dragon Balls. Goku arrives in time to save his friends and Vegeta from the Ginyu Force. Displaying the power he achieved training under intense gravity, Goku dispatches of the foes before facing their leader, Captain Ginyu. The injuries Goku recieves during this fight incapacitate him, forcing Vegeta to place him within a rejuvenation chamber so that he may aid them in a confrontation with Freeza.

Healed, Goku interrupts an ongoing battle before Freeza can kill Vegeta. Displaying impressive new strength, Goku manages to hold his own but Freeza eventually overwhelms him, forcing Goku to use the Spirit Bomb. Freeza survives however, injuring Piccolo and murdering Krillin which enrages Goku. Unleashing all of his power, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan. Now able to be a threat to Freeza, the battle rages on until Freeza decides to obliterate the entire planet. As the planet dies around them, Goku and Freeza continue to fight until Freeza is cut into two pieces by his own attack. Goku grudgingly spares Freeza some of his own energy to survive but the villain turns it against his benefactor, forcing Goku to destroy Freeza. Namek explodes, seemingly taking Goku's life in the process. When his friends attempt to revive him with Dragon Balls, the dragon reveals that Goku is still alive.

Goku returns to Earth, only to be confronted by a teenage Super Saiyan named Trunks, who is from a future where two androids (Jinzō'ningen) are destroying his world. Trunks provides Goku with a vaccine for a heart disease which claimed his life in Trunks' future timeline before the arrival of the androids. Goku spends the next 3 years training to face this new threat.

When the Jinzō'ningen appear, Goku battles Jinzō'ningen #19. During the fight Goku becomes gradually weaker, having contracted the heart virus later than predicted, with Goku having neglected to take the vaccine. Goku falls to #19 and is saved by Vegeta before being taken to Kame House where the vaccine is administered. After recovering from the illness, Goku learns that #17, #18 and #16 have been activated, causing Goku to train further in the Room of Spirit and Time with Gohan. During their training, a new threat emerges, Cell.

Determined to face Goku, Cell hosts a fighting tournament, the Cell Games. The day of the tournament arrives and Goku faces Cell in battle only to eventually forfeit in order to allow Gohan to fight. Cell's torment of Gohan's friends and family forces him to transform into a Super Saiyan 2 where he easily dominates Cell. Desperate, Cell begins to self-destruct, forcing Goku to step in and teleport himself and Cell to King Kai's planet where the explosion kills Goku. Cell survives and returns to Earth facing Gohan again. Gohan struggles to overcome until Goku spiritually gives his son support, allowing him to kill Cell. After the battle, Goku chooses to remain in the afterlife, believing himself to be the cause of many of the threats to Earth and his loved ones.

On the day of the revival of the Tenka'ichi Budôkai, Goku is given special permission to return to Earth for one day to participate, allowing him to again see his loved ones and his newest son, Goten. During the tournament, Goku is informed by Kaioshin of the imminent threat of the evil wizard Babidi and so leaves to face the new danger. Arriving at Babidi's ship, Goku and his allies are forced to face Babidi's henchmen, unwittingly proving power to the slumbering Majin Buu. Babidi possesses Vegeta who forces Goku to finally have a rematch bout until Buu is released from his rest. Before they can face Buu, Vegeta knocks Goku unconscious. Upon awakening, Goku assesses the dire situation and decides to train Goten and Trunks in the art of Fusion before his time on Earth runs out.

Goku faces Buu in battle, unveiling his Super Saiyan 3 form and overwhelming the nearly invincible Buu. The transformation consumes the majority of his remaining energy however and Goku is forced to return to the afterlife earlier than anticipated. Learning that Gohan is alive and training with Kaiōshin, Goku teleports to the Kai Planet, observing the battle on Earth through a crystal ball. With Gohan's training complete, he returns to Earth to face Buu but faces defeat after Buu's absorption of Gotenks and Piccolo. Rou Dai Kaiōshin transfers his life force to Goku to ressurrect him and allow him to aid Gohan in battle, armed with the Potara fusion earrings. Before he can fuse with his son, Gohan is also absorbed leaving Goku desperate until Vegeta is too revived. The pair fuse to create the super warrior, Vegetto.

Vegetto easily overpowers Buu before being purposefully absorbed by Buu to rescue his friends. The mystic nature of Buu's insides forces Vegetto's fusion to become unstable and separate back into Vegeta and Goku. They are confronted inside by an incarnation of Buu until Vegeta releases the absorbed Good Buu forcing an uncontrollable transformation, creating Kid Buu. Goku and Vegeta escape from Buu's body but Kid Buu quickly destroys Earth, killing all but Goku and Vegeta who are rescued by Kaioshin and teleported to the Planet of the Kais.

Buu eventually traces them and again battles the two Saiyans. They both try in vain to compete with Kid Buu until Mr Satan steps in, exerting his influence over the absorbed Good Buu which causes Kid Buu to spit out his better half. Good Buu battles with Kid Buu while Vegeta formulates a plan to defeat him, employing Goku's spirit bomb. With all killed by Buu revived, due to the Namekian Dragon Balls and persuasion from Mr Satan, the Spirit Bomb is supplied with ample energy which Goku uses against Kid Buu. Kid Buu amazingly blocks the attack until a final wish is used to restore Goku's full power, allowing him to force the Spirit Bomb forwards with a Kamehameha, disintegrating Kid Buu, settling his rivalry with Vegeta and restoring peace to the Universe.

10 years later, an accidental wish by Emperor Pilaf upon the Black Star Dragon Balls reverts Goku back into his childhood physical form. Goku is then tasked with returning all 7 Black Star Dragon Ball's back to Earth after they separate across the galaxy to prevent the destruction of Earth. During his journey, Goku encounters and defeats Baby, a creation of the race that owned Planet Vegeta before the Saiyan's arrived. Upon their return to Earth, Goku and his friends encounter Baby again who has possessed Vegeta and enslaved all life on Earth. Against Baby Vegeta, Goku's child-like state is easily beaten and he is almost killed, being saved by Rou Dai Kaioshin in his final moments. Believing Goku to be dead, Baby uses the Black Star Dragon Balls to wish Planet Plant back into existence in orbit around Earth and begins transporting all enslaved, Earth life there to become the new Tsufurujin race.

Meanwhile on Planet Kaioshin, Rou Dai Kaioshin upgrades Goku's power limit's by forcefully re-growing his Saiyan tail. Confident, Goku travels to Planet Planet and confronts Baby only to be beaten again. Defeaten, Goku stares up at Earth, its reflected moon-light causing him to transform into a raging Golden Oozaru before Pan calms him, allowing him to ascent into a Super Saiyan 4. Goku defeats Baby Vegeta, forcing Baby to flee Vegeta's body before Goku blasts him into the sun.

A badly beaten Trunks arrives at Goku's door revealing his attacker to be Android #17. Goku follows the orders given to Trunks and leaves for Hell, through a black-hole in the sky, where he meets Dr. Myuu, and Dr. Gero, who leave and seal the exit behind them, trapping Goku in the afterlife. To worsen matters, Cell and Freeza both appear. After a short fight, Cell and Freeza manage to drag Goku into the deepest part of Hell, where an old lady traps him within a block of ice.

A fault in the ice machine allows Goku to escape and incapacitate Freeza and Cell. Goku, still trapped in Hell, asks Enma Daiō for help, to which Enma responds that his powers are being blocked and he cannot release Goku. Piccolo and Dende then create another portal between the living world and Hell to allow Goku's escape.

Goku battles the newly fused Super 17, with the help of 18. Goku defeats Super 17, piercing his stomach with a Dragon Fist before finishing him with a Kamehameha.

Goku and his companions fight valiantly to defeat seven evil Dragons that have emerged from the Dragon Balls. However, after six of the seven are defeated, the One Star Dragon, Yi Xing Long, absorbs the other Dragon Balls into himself, forming Super Yi Xing Long (FUNimation dub: Omega Shenron). But there is hope. Vegeta arrives along with Bulma and uses a Bruitz Waves Generator to turn into a Golden Oozaru and transforms into a Super Saiyan 4. Desperate to end the Dragon's wrath, Vegeta suggests Fusion and him and Goku make Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta through the fusion dance. Gogeta nearly defeats Omega Shenron, but his fusion time ends before the battle can be finished. Goku then defeats Omega Shenron with an Genki Dama that consisted of all the energy of the universe, returning the Dragon Balls to how they once were and purging them of evil. Later, the real Shenlong appears and tells Goku and his friends that no more wishes shall be granted. Goku however, in exchange for one last wish, agrees to give up his place on Earth and accompany the Dragon back to the realm from which it came. The seven Dragon Balls are absorbed into Goku's body, and the dragon and Goku vanish.

Goku returns to Earth 100 years later to observe his great-great grandson named Goku Jr, fight Vegeta's great-great grandson Vegeta Jr. Seeing peace restored, Goku flies off on the Kintoun, forever ending the Dragon Ball series.

As a member of the Saiyan race, Goku has acquired through training, the ability to transform. By transforming his body, Goku greatly enhances his abilities from the previous state. Goku is the only Saiyan in the entire Dragon Ball series who achieves all known Saiyan transformations. These forms are listed in the order they were attained:

Oozaru

This form was a powerful but uncontrollable state common to all Saiyans where the user transforms into a large, ape-like creature, commonly referred to as a Great Ape. As a child, Goku was able to use this form, growing to a size that rivaled small buildings. In this form, Goku became an incredible force to be reckoned with but has no control over his actions at all, his mind overcome with a primal rage. This form was never used again by Goku after Dragon Ball due to his tail being removed but does make a brief appearance in Dragon Ball GT.

Super Saiyan

Goku was the first Saiyan in the series to achieve this transformation. After Freeza murdered Kuririn, seriously hurt Piccolo, and threatened the life of his son, Gohan, Goku was overcome with rage and the motivation to stop Freeza once and for all, transforming into a Super Saiyan. This transformation enabled him to access to a power that was fifty times his base power.

Ascended Super Saiyan/Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Goku achieved this form after training in the Room of Spirit and Time upon Kami's Tower by continuously increasing his power, forcing his body to grow to contain the energy. Though it granted him a huge power increase and he still retained his speed unlike the Ultra Super Saiyan form, he decided never using it in battle, instead preferring to perfect his regular Super Saiyan transformation.

Ultra Super Saiyan/Super Saiyan 3rd Grade

Other than displaying it to Gohan during training, Goku never actually used this form as he noticed the defects of the increased muscle mass. He discovered the weakness and chose not to continue the training Trunks and Vegeta did. He instead directed his methods on searching for a more effective form, thus reaching Full Powered Super Saiyan.

Super Saiyan, Full-Power
Goku learned to perfect the Super Saiyan form with Gohan, and first used it in battle against Cell. He discovered this mastery of the Super Saiyan while training with Gohan in the Room of Spirit and Time.

Super Saiyan 2
Goku first revealed this ability during his battle against Majin Vegeta in the Buu Saga. Though it is never seen where Goku learns this form, it can be assumed he unlocked this transformation while in the afterlife. The form granted Goku further enhancements in speed and strength from Super Saiyan, though physically he changed very little from the regular Super Saiyan.

Super Saiyan 3
This was the final transformation Goku achieved in Dragon Ball Z. Goku was the only character to ever use the form without having fused with another character first. He displayed this form first during the Buu Saga against Majin Buu and admits that he achieved it while training in the afterlife. The form was the strongest transformation available in the DBZ universe but consumed large amounts of Goku's energy, reducing his time on the Earth substantially. Again, the form augmented Goku's Super Saiyan 2 strength. In the manga, Goku says that in the Other World he could reach the full potential of Super Saiyan 3, but on Earth he lost energy and reverted back to his original form before he could defeat Buu. The full potential of Super Saiyan 3 is obviously very great because Vegeta noted that if he were to build his chi, or ki, he would be able to obliterate Buu.

Golden Oozaru
Goku achieved this transformation in Dragon Ball GT after being transformed into a child and having his Saiyan tail restored. This state allowed him to transform into a rampaging, mindless, Super Saiyan Oozaru with golden fur instead of brown/black. This form allows him to contain greater levels of power than ever before. The raw, animal rage combined with the increase in raw strength made him a terrible force of destruction. When his granddaughter, Pan, managed to calm the raging Goku, the Oozaru power was condensed and focused allowing him to transform into a Super Saiyan 4.

Super Saiyan 4
Goku achieved this form during his battle with Bebi Vegeta in Dragon Ball GT. After being calmed down in the Golden Oozaru state, his mind was allowed to focus, and he was able to control his power and transform into a Super Saiyan 4, shrinking from the Oozaru form down to his regular size.

Vegetto

The Potara Saiyan Fusion between Goku and Vegeta, Vegetto, is considered to be the most powerful being in Dragon Ball Z. He was created as a desperate plan by Rou Dai Kaiōshin, to stop the powerful Majin Buu. Goku's relaxation and Vegeta's strategic mind enabled Vegetto to be quite an intelligent character without being overcome by arrogance but still possessing the ruthlessness to kill Buu. During their fight Vegetto outclassed Buu in every way, usually toying with him and tormenting him. Although the fusion was thought to be permanent, Vegetto ends up separating back into Goku and Vegeta once inside Buu's stomach.

Gogeta

The result of a Fusion Dance performed by Goku and Vegeta, Gogeta is considered to be one of the most formidable characters introduced in the series. Unlike with Potara Fusion, the Fusion Dance creates a perfect fusion of minds and personalities between the participants creating a totally new individual with a unique personality. Gogeta is capable of using Super Saiyan forms including Super Saiyan 4. Unfortunately, at Super Saiyan 4, Gogeta's power is so great that the normal 30-minute duration of the Fusion Dance is cut to 15 minutes.

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Bukujutsu

This is the ability to fly using one's ki. Goku simply controls his energy and pushes out from underneath him allowing him to fly.

Genki Dama

Perhaps Goku's most powerful attack, the Genki Dama draws energy from all life and places it in a deadly ki ball. Goku uses this against many of his more powerful opponents. The downside is that he is quite vulnerable during its lengthy creation time. He can only perform this technique out of Super Saiyan. When he attempted to use it against Android 13, as a Super Saiyan, he absorbed its energy instead of throwing it, though it still fueled him to victory.

Jan-Ken

('Rock Scissors Paper Fist' in English) This is Goku's special attack in early Dragon Ball, but is soon replaced by the Kamehameha.ō' The user shouts "Jan Ken", then a name corresponding to the attack. "Jan Ken Gu", equals rock and will be a strong punch. "Jan Ken Chyoki", equals scissors and will be a poke in the eyes. "Jan Ken Pa", equals paper and will be an open palm strike.

Kaiô-ken

The Kaiōken or Fist of the Lord of Worlds is one of Goku's most popular attacks in the Dragon Ball series, this ability creates a blood-red energy aura around his body which allows Goku to multiply his speed and power by turning potential energy from the body into pure physical energy, often letting him work on an equal level against an initially more powerful foe. If the base Kaioken isn't enough to win, Goku can multiply its power 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, etc.

Kamehameha

Goku's signature technique that was taught to him by Muten Roshi, the Kamehameha attack, is a powerful, constant stream of energy hurled at an opponent usually through the hands. Goku has developed several other variations of this attack.

Ryū-Ken

Ryū-Ken is the first and only technique that Goku created himself. He charges his energy into his fist and it creates a shenron-like dragon that drives through the opponent. It is often referred to as the Super Dragon Fist. An exception to this was an Oozaru, instead of a dragon. This happened during Dragon Ball, when Goku defeated King Piccolo.

Shunkan Idô

An ability Goku learned on his way back to Earth from Namek on a remote planet called Yardrat. It allows him to teleport nearly anywhere instantly so long as he focuses on a specific ki signal at the desired location or can see where he wants to go. He places two fingers on his forehead to focus on a power signal.

Taiyōken

Also known as the Solar Flare (in the English anime translation) or Fist of the Sun. A technique learned from Tenshinhan that uses energy to reflect the full light of the sun at an opponent within close proximity, temporarily blinding them.

Zanzôken

Also known as the Nin-ju-Zanzôken or Double Shadow Attack, After-Image (English dub), this is when the user of this technique is able to move extremely fast over very short distances (usually a maximum of a few meters), leaving two rather misleading blurry after-images behind.

In the English versions of Dragon Ball, the voice actors for Goku and many other characters of the series have changed as a result of the series changing dubbing studios and requiring recasting.

Toei Animation

• Masako Nozawa

FUNimation (Ocean Group):

• Saffron Henderson (Kid Goku (1995 dub))
• Ian James Corlett (Adult Goku in Dragon Ball Z Season 1)
• Peter Kelamis (Adult Goku in Season 2)
• Kirby Morrow (Adult Goku from the end of the Cell saga (ep 144) to the end of DBZ)

FUNimation (in-house actors):

• Sean Schemmel (Adult Goku in Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball, and Super Saiyan 4 Goku in DBGT)
• Stephanie Nadolny (Kid Goku in Dragon Ball and "Kid" Goku Dragon Ball GT)

• There are many similarities between Goku and Superman. Both have similar origins (sent to another planet, homeworlds destroyed, found by a nice elderly person who raised him as his own) and powers (super strength, flight, nigh-invulnerability) and both characters have died and been revived.

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