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The anime community has yet to find a character more iconic than Goku, and it’s hard to imagine anyone who would surpass him. Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballis highly influential, and almost every shonen protagonist has been influenced by Goku in some way or the other. While most of them are righteous and heroic, the same can’t be said about Goku when we take a look at his journey.
There are many instances that make us question Goku’s heroism and some fans even wonder if the tag of an ‘anti’ hero fits him better. So, let’s dig deep to find out what makes this such a prominent debate and if Goku is better described as an anti-hero.
Goku’s love for fighting puts him in the grey area inDragon Ball
ThroughoutDragon Ball, Goku has saved the world many times. He has faced sinister villains, kept them at bay, or outright defeated them for the greater good. He takes his strength quite seriously and continues to train to grow stronger. But before the cool Saiyan transformations or his thunderous attacks, what fans remember about Goku is the warmth he exudes and his kind-hearted nature.
If it wasn’t for his friendly demeanor, he would be an anti-hero outright,as explained by this X thread. There’s a hint of naivete in his actions, as he doesn’t think things through, but rather depends heavily on his instincts. The innocence and the simplicity are in stark contrast to his astronomical powers, and for him, there seems to be no upper limit to how much he can grow.
Akira Toriyama: Goku Would be a Character “Who didn’t say anything” Had I Not Created a Fan-Favorite Dragon Ball Character
This incessant desire to get stronger and face challenging opponents is not very heroic of him. Goku’s passion for fighting sometimes supersedes rationality, even when he knows that someone poses a great threat to the world, he would let them live for a great fight. His selfishness makes fans debate if he’s more of an anti-hero.
Here’s what sets Goku apart from a typical hero
Compared to many other characters inDragon Ball, Goku is morally sound and can instinctively distinguish right from wrong. And still, he makes questionable decisions sometimes, citing selfish motives as the reason. The best example of this is howhe chose to let Vegeta liveand even convinced Krillin to do it.
Goku Can Never be Better Than Vegeta When It Comes to This Aspect and Dragon Ball DAIMA Proves It
Vegeta was one of the few people who challenged him, and his desire to fight Vegeta again made him make a decision that could prove to be a threat to the world. Similarly,he never completely restrained Friezaor Piccolo, even though both of them posed a great threat to theDragon Balluniverse.
In this way, Goku sometimes chose the thrill of fighting over looking out for the world. However, he also sacrificed himself to save the world inDragon Ball Z. As selfish as he can be at times, none of it diminishes the good he has done. Therefore, the title of an anti-hero fits him better for all his heroic and somewhat villainous deeds.
TheDragon Ball seriesis available to read on the MangaPlus app and website.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
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Akira ToriyamaDragon BallGoku
