Summary
- Goku's consistent personality is seen as a flaw by critics, but his childlike charm has made him a beloved character.
- Critics argue Goku's focus on fighting overshadows everything else, but his desire to improve inspires fans worldwide.
- Despite being considered simplistic and aloof, Goku's influence on the anime genre and fans worldwide makes him a great character.
The Dragon Ball franchise has gone down in the history books as not only the most iconic Shonen anime, but perhaps even the most iconic anime of all time. Over the years, some of the biggest franchises in the industry have paid homage to the series and, more specifically, to the legendary protagonist that legions of fans have fallen in love with over the years; Son Goku.
Goku is undoubtedly one of the few faces of anime that are known on a first-name basis around the world and has left a legacy so strong that most Shonen anime protagonists take after his personality in one way or another. However, over the years, many fans and detractors of Dragon Ball have chastised him as being a bad main character for several reasons, so let's take a look at whether or not this is actually the case.
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Is Goku A Bad Protagonist?
A Look At These Claims
|
First Appearance |
Dragon Ball, Episode 1, "The Secret of the Dragon Balls" |
|---|---|
|
Debut Date |
February 26, 1986 |
|
Story Arc |
Emperor Pilaf Saga |
Goku made his debut in the very first episode of the Dragon Ball franchise as the main character who the story would follow on his many journeys. Right off the bat, one of the biggest claims made against Goku as a good protagonist is that his personality has largely remained the same ever since his first appearance. This means that Goku hasn't changed much from when he was a child in the original Dragon Ball series.
This is a foundational problem that many have with him. By having him remain exactly the same as he always was, even in his adulthood, Goku has remained very childish and aloof, with many arguing that he's just outright stupid, recalling instances throughout the years of him doing or saying very questionable things. This exaggerated aloofness is at its worst in Super, when he had no idea what kissing was despite having 2 sons, or even recently in the manga, when he forgot who Pan was.
This is perhaps the biggest complaint critics have about him, as the standing of a character is brought down significantly because of cheap humor done to get a quick laugh out of the audience in place of good character writing. In fact, even lifelong fans of Goku hate this about him and hope to see Goku return to having a comparatively more serious disposition, as he did in much of Dragon Ball Z.
Moreover, many don't take well to the fact that Goku's love of fighting and self-improvement is what he puts over everything else, even the well-being of others. The most egregious example of this is when Gohan had to step in to fight Cell, prompting Goku to give the villain a Senzu Bean to get him back to full strength, much to the chagrin and confusion of everyone else. Finally, people claim Goku to be a bland character who has a very simple personality and has all the traits that are just considered to be morally good for people to like him, resulting in a character who is far too simple and plain.
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Addressing All Claims
Why Goku's A Great Character
Goku is easily one of the most beloved characters in fiction. Although the complaints seem to paint him as very one-note and simple, the easiest rebuttal to that is that not every character needs to be extremely layered and complex to effectively fulfill their roles in a story. Sure, he hasn't had a ton of growth since his time in Dragon Ball, but if the personality of the protagonist changed, fans would no longer identify them as being the same.
His childlike and approachable personality are some of the greatest things about him, being so influential and foundational to the genre that people still champion him as one of the greatest fictional characters ever to this day. In fact, the creator of one of the most complex and important anime of all time, One Piece's Eiichiro Oda, often wears the importance of Goku and his influence over his own story on his sleeve, even modeling the main character Luffy after many of Goku's personality traits.
Even a low-class warrior can surpass an elite, with enough hard work.
Also, Goku embodying the typical 'good guy' traits of kindness, compassion, and naivety can't be used as a way to call his personality overdone since he was one of the first such characters in the entire anime industry to be completely pure. This also bleeds into his aloofness. While, admittedly, there are a few instances that make Goku seem far too stupid and negligent, it doesn't take away from how good of a character he truly is.
Goku's desire to get stronger is perhaps one of the greatest things across all fiction when it comes to instilling some form of discipline in the viewers. Many people use his resilient spirit to improve facets of their lives, whether in the world of Dragon Ball or real life. As for the examples given about him putting his need to fight stronger opponents above all else, Goku never did it with the wrong intentions, only to better himself as much as possible, even showing disdain and anger at his opponents if they were outright evil, knowing that at this stage he has to do everything he can to defeat them.
When Gohan fought Cell, Goku only gave Cell the Senzu Bean because of his full and unwavering confidence in Gohan's abilities, something no one else could understand. It was a gamble that paid off, since even Goku couldn't defeat Cell had they continued their battle. So, all in all, Goku, while being a silly and simple character, is the farthest thing from a bad one, inspiring generations of fans across the globe and even other writers as one of the greatest fictional characters of all time.
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
Dragon Ball Z
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1989 - 1996
Dragon Ball Z is a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation and a sequel to the 1986 Dragon Ball series. It continues the adventures of Son Goku as an adult while also paralleling the life of his son Gohan. Son Goku typically defends the Earth from villains like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. The series is followed by Dragon Ball GT and then Dragon Ball Super.
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Creator
- Akira Toriyama
- Number of Episodes
- 291
