Dragon Ball Needs Son Goku, But Also Has to Get Rid of Him

Dragon Ball has been with me since my early school days. I have watched the anime and read the manga multiple times, and Son Goku has always been, and remains, in the spotlight. The powerful Saiyan can handle every opponent – no matter how strong they are.

Dragon Ball Super and the way Son Goku was presented there became a major blemish for the franchise. I believe most people would agree that watching the main character in such a state of regression is no fun at all. It just sabotages the whole show, but history has shown that without Son Goku, Dragon Ball may not make any sense either.

Son Goku has to go

Why should Akira Toriyama get rid of his main character? Truth be told, the answer is quite simple. Son Goku's regression in Dragon Ball Super spoils the entire experience. It's difficult to enjoy reading manga, watching movies, or anime if the main character is extremely irritating.

We would sure view it differently if the show was the first in the series. However, with so many events already done in the timeline, with Son Goku being an established hero. Goku on the screen seems to have forgotten how to fight, which is simply disappointing. The other way around isn't better either. Son Goku from Dragon Ball Z exudes composure and shows respect even towards the most despicable villains. However, in Super he can behave like a fool.

Dragon Ball Super, Kimitoshi Chioka, Fuji TV, 2015

The poor design of the main character has a negative impact on the entire production, no matter what show we are talking about. Son Goku's presence dominates over the rest of the cast. This also goes beyond the media mentioned earlier. For instance, in the game Dragon Ball FighterZ, there are as many as six variations of Son Goku, not including different versions of Gogeta, Vegito, and Bardock.

This demonstrates that Dragon Ball equals Son Goku, but we still need to find a way to remove this character from the universe. If the manga artist has no idea how to develop their main character and has to resort to cheap tricks such as resetting Son Goku's progress or starting from scratch in certain areas, then, in my opinion, creating such series completely misses the point. Fans only get irritated because, although the opponents are getting stronger, the protagonist seems stuck.

Son Goku has to stay

However, getting rid of Son Goku wouldn't be an easy task. For the same reason I just wrote "Dragon Ball equals Son Goku." In the past, Akira Toriyama wanted to replace the Saiyan with his son – Son Gohan. The Cell Saga was supposed to finally end Son Goku's adventure, as shown by the beginning of the Buu Saga, where Gohan was brought to the fore.

Dragon Ball Z, Daisuke Nishio, 1995

We all know how that ended. Fans got what they wanted – the return of the previous main character. Fortunately, the final chapter of Dragon Ball Z was able to maintain Son Goku's character, but the case of the Buu Saga demonstrates that without him, many viewers may lose interest in the series altogether. However, after many years, the attitude of fans may have changed.

In fact, examples of similar actions can be found in competition. In my opinion, Boruto, which is a continuation of Naruto, focuses on new characters and is rather average. The best moments involve the characters from Naruto, which says it all. This could be a problem in the case of Dragon Ball, where new arcs without the participation of Son Goku would simply lose value for enthusiasts of the universe. It wouldn't be complete for them.

The Saiyan has been associated with the brand since the first pages of the manga and the first episode of the anime. Even though he wasn't directly involved in the beginning of a given adventure, he eventually appeared to help the rest of the team. Of course, this doesn't include fillers that occurred in the anime. This is just a small sample of Son Goku's ability to solve other characters' problems.

What to do about Son Goku in Dragon Ball?

One possibility seems obvious and at the same time drastic. It would be best to simply conclude the story, and that would be it. Dragon Ball Super was a reboot that no one really needed. This is demonstrated by the growth of Son Goku, who went back to his origins. Why destroy a beloved protagonist if he didn't need any changes in the first place?

Dragon Ball Super, Kimitoshi Chioka, Fuji TV, 2015

The second option is a hard reset, or even a reboot. It would be possible to portray Son Goku as someone who is inexperienced once again, barely entering the vast world. But, in order to do it correctly, a fresh start is absolutely necessary. It would also enable a reinterpretation of the stories of well-known, yet neglected characters, such as Yamcha, who didn't receive much attention in Dragon Ball Super.

Son Goku has become a burden to Dragon Ball. He both drags the series down and keeps it alive all at once. Akira Toriyama (and Toyotarou) has found himself in a difficult predicament, which will be tough to escape. The portrayal of Son Goku in DBS seems incredibly lazy, it's undeniable that the main character of the series has had quite limited growth. Years later, he was an experienced warrior – a true super saiyan. He was the one who provided guidance and taught others, without accepting any teachings himself. Personally, I would prefer a definitive conclusion to the series because every story needs to have its own ending, although a reboot also appears to be an intriguing concept.

Zbigniew Woznicki

Zbigniew Woznicki

He began his adventure with journalism and writing on the Allegro website, where he published news related to games, technology, and social media. He soon appeared on Gamepressure and Filmomaniak, writing about news related to the film industry. Despite being a huge fan of various TV series, his heart belongs to games of all kinds. He isn't afraid of any genre, and the adventure with Tibia taught him that sky and music in games are completely unnecessary. Years ago, he shared his experiences, moderating the forum of mmorpg.org.pl. Loves to complain, but of course constructively and in moderation.