Contents
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Son Goku (悟空) |
| Alias(es) | Goku |
| Species/Race | Saiyan 6 |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Kame House; trained under Master Roshi and Son Gohan 19 43 |
| Occupation/Role | Martial artist; World Martial Arts Tournament finalist |
| First Appearance | Chapter 5 5 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full-power tournament combatant | 12–17 | Escalates from rapid hand-to-hand attacks to repeated, increasingly concentrated Kamehameha blasts during the final against Lin Chen; ultimately concedes after exhausting his stamina. 12 13 15 17 |
| Punch retraction refinement | 43 | Practices independently at Kami's Lookout after Son Gohan's instruction, making his retraction cleaner and more compact. 43 |
| Turning-punch refinement | 44 | Tightens his shoulder while turning as instructed by Son Gohan, producing steadier strikes with less scattered force. 44 |
| Force-exertion exercises | 47 | Continues a set of exercises taught by Son Gohan every morning and evening. 47 |
Appearance
Goku is a young martial artist who commonly wears an orange gi. During tournament matches, his clothing is visibly affected by the force of his movements and the heat of his ki attacks. 5 11 12
- Orange martial arts uniform. 5 11
- Fights with a low, balanced stance and an athletic, mobile posture. 12 14
- Sweats heavily and becomes visibly winded after repeatedly using high-output Kamehameha attacks. 15 17
Personality
Goku is friendly, direct, and enthusiastic about fighting skilled opponents. Upon meeting Lin Chen, he immediately introduces himself, assesses Lin Chen's methodical style, and hopes they can have a good match later in the tournament. 6
He treats competition as an opportunity to learn. Before the final, he studies Lin Chen's defensive habits, consults Krillin, and openly announces that he intends to fight at full strength. Even after losing, he asks Lin Chen to teach him the energy-control method used to catch his Kamehameha. 10 11 12 17
Outside combat, Goku is energetic and persistent in training. He regularly practices alone, volunteers for sparring, pushes himself to swim farther, and repeatedly drills Son Gohan's techniques until his form improves. 19 25 43 47
Abilities & Skills
Martial Arts
Goku is a fast, aggressive close-range fighter whose attacks combine punches, kicks, knees, elbows, and shifting rhythms.
- His footwork is faster than Krillin's during the tournament final. 12
- He adjusts attack angles and combinations after observing how Lin Chen defends. 13 14
- His offense becomes tighter as the fight progresses, reducing the gaps between consecutive strikes. 14
- He can sustain lengthy sparring sessions without showing obvious fatigue, including a forty-minute free-for-all with Lin Chen and Krillin. 32
Kamehameha
Goku can gather blue-white ki between his palms and fire it as a powerful energy wave.
- Uses a full-power Kamehameha against Lin Chen in the tournament final. 12
- Can compress the attack into faster, narrower, and denser beams. 13 15
- His strongest attacks can scorch clothing, gouge the tournament ring, and create shockwaves along their path. 12 15 16
- Repeated high-output use drains his stamina; by the end of the final, he cannot launch another attack. 17
- Lin Chen identifies Goku's energy control as less precise than the raw power of his energy wave. 17
Physical Strength and Endurance
Goku possesses considerable physical power and a demanding training routine.
- Carries large logs from the woods and fells multiple trees during Kame House training. 25 31
- Swims long distances despite having a less polished rhythm than Krillin. 25
- Continues training through push-ups, beach sparring, running, swimming, woodcutting, and martial-arts drills. 19 27 32
Technique Development
Under Son Gohan's guidance, Goku works on improving the efficiency of his strikes rather than only increasing force.
- Practices punch retraction to make follow-up attacks cleaner. 43
- Refines turning punches by keeping his shoulder tighter during the rotation. 44
- Learns exercises focused on exerting force and repeats them daily. 47
Relationships
- Lin Chen — Tournament rival who becomes a Kame House training partner. Goku respects Lin Chen's defense, fights him in the finals, concedes after exhausting himself, and asks to learn Lin Chen's energy-control method. 6 17 19 32
- Krillin — Fellow martial artist and Kame House trainee. Goku seeks Krillin's advice before facing Lin Chen and regularly trains and spars alongside him. 10 19 32
- Master Roshi — Mentor and caretaker at Kame House, who directs Goku's daily training and assigns him physical work such as clearing wood and chopping trees. 19 27 31
- Son Gohan — Goku's grandfather. Their reunion at Fortuneteller Baba's arena leaves Goku visibly speechless; Gohan later trains him at Kami's Lookout. 42 43
- Fortuneteller Baba — Oversees the Dueling Arena challenges completed by Goku, Lin Chen, and Krillin; she awards Goku sweet dried fruit after their five victories. 45
Story Role / Major Arcs
World Martial Arts Tournament
Goku enters the tournament as a confident competitor in an orange gi, quickly defeating an opponent on the main ring. He meets Lin Chen in the rest area, recognizes his steady, observational combat style, and looks forward to fighting him. 5 6
After Krillin warns him not to rely on brute strength alone, Goku studies Lin Chen before their final. He opens aggressively, repeatedly increases his attack speed and power, and fires several Kamehameha waves. Lin Chen withstands and adapts to the barrage; when Goku's stamina is depleted, he acknowledges Lin Chen as the winner. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Kame House Training
Following the tournament, Goku continues training at Kame House with Krillin and later Lin Chen. He eagerly initiates beach sparring, joins the group’s running, swimming, and woodcutting routine, and proposes a three-way free-for-all spar. 19 25 31 32
Reunion with Son Gohan
At Fortuneteller Baba's arena, Goku unexpectedly encounters his grandfather, Son Gohan. He freezes upon recognizing him and struggles to speak, then remains subdued on the journey back after Gohan departs. 42
Gohan subsequently invites Goku to Kami's Lookout, where he teaches him to refine punch retraction, turning strikes, and the efficient application of force. 43 44 47
Notable Quotes
“You fight very steadily. If we meet later, let's have a good match.” 6
“Then for this last round, I'll put all my remaining strength into it.” 17
“That way you caught the energy wave... can you teach me next time?” 17