Son Goku

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Son Goku (孙悟空)
Alias(es)	Kakarot 28
Species/Race	Saiyan 30
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Son family; Earth's defenders
Occupation/Role	Martial artist and protector of Earth 32
Status	Alive 195
First Appearance	Chapter 28

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Kaioken	28	Returns from King Kai's training and uses Kaioken to evade Great Ape Vegeta, doubling his speed and strength.
Super Saiyan	55	Awakens the form after Gohan recreates an apparent vision of Krillin's death; immediately overwhelms Frieza.
Super Saiyan 4	113	Defeats Janemba in Hell after pushing his Saiyan power to a new extreme.
Super Saiyan 3	126	Uses Super Saiyan 3 against Janemba, gaining enough speed and power to punch through Hell's barrier.
Demon Realm Super Saiyan 4	194	Reaches Super Saiyan 4 through the Demon Realm's power; his hair becomes magenta and his eyes dark red. 194
Refined Super Saiyan 4	195	Further balances the form with divine power, correcting its initially ape-like proportions and surrounding himself with white, divine-looking light. 195

Background / History

Son Goku had already died alongside Raditz before the story's opening events, having been caught in Piccolo's attack. While in Otherworld, he trained under King Kai as Earth prepared for Vegeta and Nappa's arrival. 1 28

He returned during the Saiyan conflict and used Kaioken against Great Ape Vegeta. Although Vegeta attempted to exploit Goku's arrival to escape, Gohan severed Vegeta's tail and ended the transformation. 28

After learning that Frieza threatened Namek and would eventually threaten Earth, Goku chose to confront him rather than remain uninvolved. Gohan helped him awaken Super Saiyan by using a spirit-based illusion of Krillin's death; Goku then took over the battle against Frieza. 31 54 55

Following Namek, Goku trained with Gohan and Piccolo, fought Android 13, Janemba, Cell, and Majin Buu, and continued to develop increasingly advanced Super Saiyan forms. 34 72 126 142

He later entered the Demon Realm conflict, where he awakened Super Saiyan 4 and defeated Gomah's attacks through overwhelming ki control. 194 195

Appearance

Goku is commonly seen in an orange martial arts uniform, with distinctive wild, crab-like black hair. 28 72

• His Super Saiyan form gives him upright golden hair, turquoise eyes, and a sharper, colder bearing. 55
• Super Saiyan 3 lengthens his golden hair and removes his eyebrows, giving him a fiercer appearance. 113
• His Demon Realm Super Saiyan 4 form has longer magenta hair, dark-red eyes, and a more feral physique. 194
• While refining Super Saiyan 4, he is enveloped in silver-white light and regains more proportionate arms. 195

Personality

Goku is fundamentally protective of those around him. He accepts responsibility for threats connected to his past and insists on confronting dangers such as Frieza rather than leaving them for others. 32

He is also intensely drawn to strong opponents. Frieza's power excites him rather than deters him, and he repeatedly treats battle as a way to test his growth and improve his martial arts. 30 59

Despite his love of combat, Goku is an experienced and perceptive teacher. His training guidance helps Gohan understand martial arts beyond raw strength, and his combat experience lets him read and neutralize opponents' attacks. 35 72 139

Abilities & Skills

Ki Sensing and Flight

Goku can sense distant ki signatures and travel through the air at high speed.

• Located Krillin and Yamcha on Namek despite their suppressed ki. 50
• Detects and responds to powerful opponents quickly in battle. 28 139
• Uses flight to fight and maneuver across planetary and interplanetary battlefields. 28 72

Kaioken

A technique learned from King Kai that explosively raises Goku's physical performance.

• Doubles his strength and speed when activated. 28
• Allowed him to evade Great Ape Vegeta immediately after returning to Earth. 28

Instant Transmission

Goku can teleport directly to distant ki signatures.

• Used Instant Transmission to reach Janemba before Pikkon could arrive. 111
• Can employ it tactically to enter battles or intercept threats. 111

Kamehameha

Goku's signature energy-wave technique.

• Used against Frieza after transforming into a Super Saiyan. 59
• Fired a deep-blue Kamehameha powerful enough to break through Gomah's defenses and split dimensions. 195
• Uses rapid Kamehameha barrages to disrupt pursuing opponents. 72

Super Saiyan Transformations

Goku has repeatedly advanced his Saiyan power through training, battle, and emotional breakthroughs.

• Super Saiyan was awakened through rage after Gohan's intervention. 55
• Super Saiyan 3 grants immense speed and power, enough to rupture Hell's barrier. 126
• Super Saiyan 4 manifests through Demon Realm power and draws on the Saiyans' primal nature. 194 195

Martial Arts Mastery

Goku's combat skill allows him to fight efficiently even without relying on raw power.

• Redirects force and adapts his position during exchanges with Android 13. 72
• Maintains a selfless, empty mental state that lets him react to Cell's attacks before they land. 139 140
• Can suppress or tightly control his ki rather than letting destructive power leak into the surroundings. 72 195

Relationships

• Son Gohan — His son. They train together, and Gohan helps Goku awaken Super Saiyan during the battle with Frieza. 34 54 55
• Chi-Chi — His wife and Gohan's mother; she often objects to Goku exposing Gohan to dangerous martial arts conflicts. 34 62
• Piccolo — Former enemy turned trusted ally and training partner; Goku spars with him and shares responsibility for Gohan's growth. 34 100
• Vegeta — Saiyan rival. Their relationship begins in conflict, but Vegeta continues to measure himself against Goku and seeks to surpass him. 28 171
• Krillin — Goku's longtime friend and “good brother.” 62
• Raditz — His older brother; Raditz openly identifies himself and Goku as brothers. 62 142
• Gine — His mother, revived and reunited with him on Namek. 62
• Bardock — His father, whom Goku meets for the first time during the Super Dimensional Battle. 199
• Pikkon — An Otherworld martial artist who fights alongside Goku against Janemba. 111

Story Role / Major Arcs

Saiyan Conflict

Goku returns from Otherworld after King Kai's training to aid Earth against Vegeta. He uses Kaioken against Great Ape Vegeta, while Gohan ultimately removes Vegeta's tail and ends the immediate threat. 28

Namek and Frieza

Goku travels to Namek, reunites with the others, and becomes a Super Saiyan with Gohan's help. He then takes the lead against Frieza and fulfills Vegeta's request for a Saiyan to defeat the emperor. 51 55 59

Android and Cell Conflicts

Goku protects Vegeta from Android 13, later confronts Cell with a refined selfless fighting state, and uses a powerful energy wave to stop Cell's attempted self-destruction. 72 139 142

Otherworld and Majin Buu

Goku fights Janemba in Hell, develops Super Saiyan 3, and later works with Trunks against Majin Buu. His Dragon Fist appears to end the battle, though Buu survives through absorption. 126 129 130

Demon Realm

After others are restored to adulthood, Goku takes over the battle against Gomah and achieves Super Saiyan 4. He withstands Gomah's strongest attacks, destroys his energy sphere with a Kamehameha, and creates the opening for King Piccolo to claim the Demon King position. 194 195

Notable Quotes

“Those things may have started because of me, so I'll deal with them too.” 32

“Now, let me see just how much you've improved.” 129

Trivia

• Goku's Saiyan name, Kakarot, is still used by Vegeta and other Saiyans. 28 30
• He recalls his grandfather warning him not to go outside during full moons because of Great Apes. 28
• Goku is initially more concerned with meeting powerful opponents than frightened by Frieza's reputation as the Emperor of the Universe. 30
• He meets Bardock for the first time during the Super Dimensional Battle and immediately feels familial warmth toward him. 199