7 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Goku in Dragon Ball Super

Goku is one of the most beloved characters in anime, becoming a true symbol of action-packed battle stories. Fans have connected with him over the years, watching him develop from an inquisitive kid into a brave hero. He’s central to every Dragon Ball series, serving as the main character and the source of much of the action. However, fans still argue about which Dragon Ball series showcases Goku at his best.

The first two Dragon Ball series offered a complete story with a satisfying conclusion for Goku. It’s understandable that any continuation would have difficulty achieving the same emotional impact. While Dragon Ball Super isn’t the strongest installment in the franchise, it doesn’t treat Goku poorly, despite what many fans think. There’s a lot of misunderstanding surrounding how Goku is portrayed in Dragon Ball Super.

Goku Isn’t Naive & Ignorant During Battle

A frequent criticism of Dragon Ball Super is that it simplifies its characters, including Goku, reducing them to predictable tropes. A key part of Goku’s appeal is his humility – he stays grounded despite his incredible power, and genuinely enjoys a good fight without worrying about being outmatched. He often approaches others with kindness and openness. However, Dragon Ball Super sometimes portrays this as a flaw, especially when it causes trouble. For example, his relaxed attitude towards powerful beings like Zeno is often seen as a repeating mistake, a failure to grasp the seriousness of the situation. But these actions are usually motivated by a desire to help others and ultimately serve a greater purpose.

Goku’s kindness towards Zeno leads to a future alliance and the chance to protect their universe in the Tournament of Power. He also gives Moro a Senzu Bean as a final way to gauge the villain’s true nature – to see if Moro will accept help from the Galactic Patrol and surrender, or if he’s too far gone and must be defeated. Goku believes that his Ultra Instinct ability, along with Vegeta’s Forced Spirit Fission, will be sufficient to defeat Moro if he doesn’t pass this test.

Goku Still Cares A Lot About His Family

Goku isn’t known for being a romantic or expressing his feelings well. While he clearly loves his family and would do anything for them, he sometimes acts in ways that seem surprisingly distant. Throughout Dragon Ball Z and especially in Dragon Ball Super, he frequently sneaks away from his wife, Chi-Chi, and doesn’t always respect her wishes regarding their son. He often prioritizes training over being a present parent, particularly with Goten. Some fans point to moments in Dragon Ball Super, like when he forgot his granddaughter Pan’s name, as especially disappointing.

He also doesn’t seem to understand the physical side of relationships, like intimacy and the possibility of pregnancy, which is concerning. However, this isn’t the same as Goku from Dragon Ball Super appearing to neglect his family. Often, Goku’s actions that seem dismissive – such as stopping Goten from entering the Tournament of Power – are actually meant to protect those he cares about.

Goku Trains Under Even More Prolific Mentors

Goku becomes incredibly strong in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z thanks to his amazing teachers, like Master Roshi, Korin, Kami, and King Kai. Many fans assumed Dragon Ball Super would continue Goku’s success by simply building on what he’d already achieved. While Goku does reach new levels of power in Dragon Ball Super – like Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, and Ultra Instinct – these transformations don’t feel as well-deserved. Instead of intense training, they often happen through group ceremonies or rituals.

Goku often discovers new levels of power by chance, but he’s also worked hard with incredible teachers. In Dragon Ball Super, he trains with Beerus, Whis, and Merus, who each help him improve his abilities and break through his limits. While these training periods might not be as famous as his earlier adventures, they’re still essential for his development.

Goku Doesn’t Take Out Every Major Villain

Goku is the central character in Dragon Ball and often defeats the series’ biggest threats. This trend continues in Dragon Ball GT, and many assume Dragon Ball Super follows the same pattern. While Goku participates in most of Super’s major fights and is often the one who wins, it’s not always the case. He does defeat Frieza and Moro, but his victories aren’t as numerous as many fans believe. For example, though he survives a battle with Beerus, the fight ends early and Beerus wasn’t fighting at full strength.

During the Tournament of Destroyers, Goku intentionally loses to Hit, and Future Trunks ultimately defeats Fused Zamasu. Android 17 wins the Tournament of Power, though Goku plays a crucial role in Universe 7’s success. Gohan achieves a powerful new form called Beast, and Orange Piccolo also gains a significant power-up. Notably, Black Frieza is the one who defeats Gas, not Goku, Vegeta, or Granolah. While Goku is the central figure in Dragon Ball Super, he actually wins fewer battles compared to his appearances in Dragon Ball Z.

Goku Develops Powerful New Techniques

Watching Goku throughout Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, it’s clear he’s always learning. DBZ gave us iconic attacks like the Kaio-Ken and Spirit Bomb, and while Dragon Ball Super focuses a lot on new transformations, it’s unfair to say Goku stops developing his techniques. Sure, Vegeta and Gohan might pick up more new moves, but Goku still gains powerful advantages. Often, these come through evolving his existing attacks – we see so many upgraded Kamehamehas, like the Divine Kamehameha, that build on what he already knows.

I’ve noticed that Goku’s fighting style in Dragon Ball Super relies less on learning a ton of new techniques and more on perfecting the ones he already has. His God Bind and Energy Nullification are really useful for dealing with incredibly powerful opponents like Broly and even Beerus. Plus, his Instant Transmission gets a huge boost from godly ki. What’s really impressive is how he figured out how to combine the Kaio-Ken with his Super Saiyan Blue form – it shows just how well he understands ki control. He doesn’t learn as many skills, but the ones he focuses on are proof of his amazing ability.

Goku Isn’t Dumber Than He Used To Be

A lot of Dragon Ball fans dislike how Goku is portrayed in Dragon Ball Super. They feel he’s become overly naive and requires constant protection from others. While Goku has never been book-smart, he’s always been a quick learner in battle and surprisingly knowledgeable about the world. Dragon Ball Super often emphasizes his lack of intelligence in a clumsy way, like showing him using pictures instead of words on his grocery list or almost failing the written part of the Tournament of Destroyers’ exam.

Goku remains a bit clueless, but that’s always been part of his character. He often doesn’t understand simple things – famously, he once thought marriage was a type of food! Throughout Dragon Ball Z, his naiveté frequently causes trouble for those around him.

Goku Actually Grows Closer to His Saiyan Roots

Goku is an exceptional Saiyan who has raised the bar for others, but he grew up unaware of his heritage. He only discovered the truth about his Saiyan origins when his estranged, evil brother, Raditz, appeared. Initially, Goku saw Saiyans as cruel and violent, and he felt ashamed of his ancestry, wanting to prove he could be a force for good and redefine what it meant to be a Saiyan. While Dragon Ball Z largely resolved this internal conflict, some believe Dragon Ball Super takes a step backward. They argue that introducing Saiyans from Universe 6 and the concept of S-Cells weakens the unique identity and established characteristics of the Saiyan race.

Despite being a continuation of a long-running series, Dragon Ball Super still manages to deepen Goku’s understanding of his Saiyan heritage. He learns about his father, Bardock, through stories shared by others, which profoundly impacts him. This newfound knowledge challenges Goku’s previous assumptions about Saiyans, revealing they weren’t all evil. He fully accepts this part of his history and even integrates it into his most powerful form, True Ultra Instinct, rather than leaving it behind.

2025-10-30 03:43