Son Goku

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Son Goku (孙悟空)
Alias(es)	Kakarot 12 13
Species/Race	Saiyan
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Earth’s defenders; trains alongside Li Lin and the other fighters
Occupation/Role	Martial artist and defender of Earth
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Super Saiyan	9	Transforms while sparring with Trunks shortly after returning to Earth.
Improved fighting strength	16	A year of repeated sparring with Li Lin substantially increases his strength, though Li Lin still notes that Goku has not reached Full Power Super Saiyan.
Post-recovery power increase	28	Awakens from his heart-disease collapse with enough power to cause an earthquake while testing his strength over the ocean.
Hyperbolic Time Chamber training	29 46	Enters the chamber with Gohan to gain a year of training in a day; the results have not yet been shown.

Background / History

Son Goku returns to Earth in a spherical spaceship after his time away from the planet. He reunites joyfully with Gohan and his friends, then learns that Li Lin has already killed Frieza. The appearance of both Li Lin and Trunks leaves him surprised, but his curiosity quickly turns toward testing their strength. 8

Trunks privately tells Goku about the future Android threat. Rather than panic, Goku agrees to spend the following year training with Li Lin, seeing the vastly stronger fighter as an opportunity to improve. 9 10

Although Li Lin initially lacks even basic Ki control, Goku explains the fundamentals to him. Li Lin masters the subject immediately, which both shocks Goku and motivates him further. 11

Appearance

Goku is a strong-built man who returns to Earth wearing a dusty, unusual outfit after traveling in space. 8

• Has black hair and dark eyes in his normal state.
• In Super Saiyan form, his hair stands upright and turns gold, while his eyes become blue. 15
• His arm muscles become more pronounced after transforming. 15
• Emits a golden aura and powerful shockwaves as a Super Saiyan. 15 19

Personality

Goku is cheerful, approachable, and deeply attached to his friends and family. Returning to Earth, he calls it home and is visibly happy to reunite with Gohan and the others. 8

He is intensely battle-driven. Powerful enemies and unfamiliar fighters excite him rather than frighten him; he eagerly seeks training with Li Lin, reacts enthusiastically to Cell’s threat, and refuses to concede defeat even when completely outmatched. 10 16 29

Despite his carefree nature, Goku protects others when they are in danger. He immediately attacks Dr. Gero after seeing the destruction of the city and orders Krillin to bring the critically wounded Yamcha to safety. 18

His greatest weakness in this period is his neglect of his heart-disease medicine. He continues fighting Android 19 despite worsening symptoms, ultimately collapsing after his energy is drained. 18 19 20

Abilities & Skills

Super Saiyan Transformation

Goku can transform into a Super Saiyan, multiplying his power, speed, and physical presence.

• First shown transforming alongside Trunks during their brief spar. 9
• Uses the form against Li Lin after being overwhelmed in base form. 15
• Initially dominates Android 19 before his heart condition limits his performance. 19
• His Super Saiyan power is still far below Li Lin’s during their first full spar. 15 16

Ki Control and Perception

Goku can sense energy signatures and manipulate Ki in combat.

• Recognizes powerful energy signatures, including Gohan’s ability to sense his arrival. 8
• Teaches Li Lin the basics of Ki control and perception. 11
• Uses Ki to fly and engage opponents at high speed. 8 19
• Can perceive major changes in strength, such as the power of Cell and other fighters. 29

Kamehameha

Goku uses the Kamehameha as a concentrated energy-wave attack.

• Fires a close-range energy wave at Li Lin during their spar, launching him into a mountain. 14
• Uses a Kamehameha against Android 19, but the Android absorbs it through his palm. 19
• Must avoid Ki attacks against Android 19 once he learns of its energy-absorption ability. 20

Martial Arts and Combat Instinct

Goku is an experienced close-range fighter with quick reactions and strong tactical instincts.

• Effortlessly parries Trunks’s sword strikes with two fingers during their first meeting. 9
• Evades and counters Li Lin’s initial attacks during their spar, exploiting Li Lin’s lack of real combat experience. 14
• Rapidly overwhelms Android 19 in close combat before his illness worsens. 19
• Continues seeking stronger opponents and training methods rather than relying on others to resolve crises. 29

Equipment / Items

• Senzu Beans — Receives a bag from Yajirobe before the Androids’ arrival. 17
• Spherical spaceship — Used to return to Earth following his time away from the planet. 8

Relationships

• Son Gohan — His son. Goku warmly reunites with him upon returning to Earth and later brings him into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, believing Gohan’s potential exceeds his own. 8 29
• Chi-Chi — His wife, who cares for him during his recovery from the heart disease. 28
• Li Lin — Training partner, friend, and overwhelmingly stronger rival. Goku eagerly trains with him for a year, suffers a decisive defeat, and remains excited by the prospect of further improvement. 10 14 16
• Vegeta — Fellow Saiyan and rival. Goku argues that Vegeta should not challenge Li Lin before becoming a Super Saiyan, then later helps arrange Vegeta and Trunks’s Hyperbolic Time Chamber training. 12 30
• Trunks — Future visitor who warns Goku about the Android crisis. They test each other in a short Super Saiyan spar before Trunks explains the future. 9
• Piccolo — Ally who often provides strategic judgment. Piccolo recognizes Goku’s abnormal condition against Android 19 and later agrees to oversee Earth while Goku trains. 19 29
• Krillin — Longtime friend and ally. Goku entrusts Yamcha’s rescue to Krillin during Dr. Gero’s attack. 18
• Android 19 — Opponent whose energy absorption exploits Goku’s weakened condition and forces Li Lin to intervene. 19 20
• Dr. Gero — Enemy whom Goku attacks after witnessing the devastation of a city. 18

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return to Earth

Goku arrives after Frieza’s defeat and meets Li Lin for the first time. He also receives Trunks’s warning about the Androids and begins preparing for the future crisis. 8 9 10

Training with Li Lin

Goku teaches Li Lin the basics of Ki, then spars with him. He uses Super Saiyan but is decisively defeated; nevertheless, the defeat strengthens his admiration for Li Lin and leads to a year of continued training between them. 11 14 15 16

Android Conflict and Heart Disease

Goku confronts Dr. Gero and Android 19 despite failing to take his medicine. His heart disease sharply reduces his strength, and Android 19 absorbs his Kamehameha and drains his energy until Li Lin rescues him. 18 19 20

Recovery and Hyperbolic Time Chamber

After recovering, Goku learns of Cell and the Androids’ threat. Determined not to depend on Li Lin’s uncertain whereabouts, he chooses the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and takes Gohan with him for accelerated training. 28 29

Trivia

• Goku cannot explain Trunks’s warning effectively, so Piccolo summarizes the Android threat for the group. 10
• Li Lin considers Goku Earth’s strongest fighter when they first agree to train together. 10
• Goku’s explanation of Ki control is described as awkward, despite his exceptional combat ability. 11
• He considers a powerful enemy such as Cell exciting rather than purely alarming. 29