Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Dragon Ball‘s Goku is one of the most celebrated heroes in the Shonen world. His name is always in the top ranks in terms of popularity and strength. However, even Akira Toriyama knows that Goku is different from other heroes than people perceive at first glance.
The one trait of Goku that sets him apart is not a pleasant one, but something that could result in the protagonist being called selfish. Yet, one faction ofDragon Ballfans has always known this not-so-secret trait.
Why Akira Toriyama Does Not Consider Goku a Righteous Hero
Inan interview,Akira Toriyamaadmitted that Goku has always had one flaw that makes him different from any other Shonen protagonist.
Son Goku from Dragon Ball doesn’t fight for the sake of others, but because he wants to fight against strong guys.
It is a well-known fact that Goku is always in search of a powerful opponent. In fact, he will go out of his way to find a worthy fighter, no matter how far he has to go. This is part of the reason why Goku is so powerful. He is constantlyseeking out more powerful opponentsand fighting them, which raises his skills and defense power exponentially, in comparison to training alone.
“At that moment, he clearly felt love”: Bulma isn’t the Only Dragon Ball Character Vegeta is Ready to Put His Pride Aside for
While this could be seen as a positive trait, there is another side of the coin that shouldn’t be ignored. Goku fights villains not because he has to save others, but because he needs to get a thrill out of the battle.
Toriyama is Annoyed by the Portrayal of Goku inDragon BallAnime
Akira Toriyama knew what he was doingwhen he created Goku. He created a character who has plenty of faults and has a battling obsession over all else. He never meant for the protagonist to have a spotlessly clean image.
However, theDragon Ballanime completely reversed Toriyama’s character planning. Toei made Goku look like a righteous hero who values saving others and the Earth above all else.
So once Dragon Ball got animated, at any rate, I’ve always been dissatisfied with the “righteous hero”-type portrayal they gave him.
It seems like Akira Toriyama had desperately hoped that Toei would be able to catch the subtle nuances of Goku’s character but had to lose it soon enough. He also claimed that by the end of the day, he couldn’t make the staff grasp the poisonous elements of Goku that slip in and out among the shadows.
Vegeta fans on the other handhave been stating this exact reason against Goku for years. Goku’s obsession with battles is visible to everyone, and Vegeta enthusiasts have picked up on it as well. In the meanwhile, Akira Toriyama’s anger at the staff seemed to pacify once it was clarified that Goku’s character might have been modified by Toei because the anime was targeted towards children and darker concepts would not have made the cut.
“They’re both haughty, egotistical, arrogant”: Akira Toriyama Used One Dragon Ball Character to Improve Vegeta and it Wasn’t Goku
The author then hilariously commented that while he often mixes ideas to draw things for children, he has no idea which one will be a hit. Instead, the ones that he thinks are the least enjoyable are the ones that often become a hit among fans.
You can readDragon Ballon Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1556
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
