 |
||
|
Goku:
 Creation and conception Goku was based on one of Toriyama's earlier characters named Tanton, a fictional protagonist who appeared in a one-shot series called Dragon Boy. In this story, Tanton's odd physical characteristic was a pair of wings. When Toriyama decided to create Dragon Ball, he used Chinese author Wu Cheng'en's 16th century classic novel Journey to the West as inspiration for his own series. The name Toriyama adopted for the character is the Japanese romanization of (Sun Wukong), who is the central character of the novel. To be creative with the character, Toriyama stated that he designed Goku to be a human boy with a monkey tail, instead of being a complete simian like Sun Wukong. He decided to do this because the tail would be visible even when Goku was trying to hide. Though Goku is treated as a person from another planet, Toriyama initially had the idea to make him an Earthling, but, with the introduction of new fighters from other planets, it was later established that Goku is a Saiyan. In order to advance the story faster, Toriyama gave Goku the ability to teleport to any planet in just a few seconds. Toriyama explained that Goku's gi uniform is modeled after the robes worn by the Shaolin monks of China, being that he wanted Dragon Ball to take on a Chinese feel. During early developments of the manga, various readers commented that Goku was rather plain, so the author changed his appearance and added several characters like Master Roshi and Krillin, then created martial arts tournaments to make the manga more fighting based. Since it was commented that Goku would surely win the tournaments, Toriyama made him lose in the first two tournaments that Goku participated in, however made him the victor in the third. With the ending of the Cell arc in manga volume 35, Son Gohan was meant to replace his father as the main protagonist; Toriyama thought that Gohan was unsuitable for that part so he avoided doing that. Appearance Goku is usually recognized by his uniquely styled hair, which never changes its length throughout the series except when in his Super Saiyan forms, in which his hair changes color and length based on the level he ascends to. This is explained by Vegeta to be a common characteristic of full-blooded Saiyans.Due to his devotion to Earth, Goku prefers dressing in a gi uniform, and has refused offers to adorn the Saiyan battle fatigues, being that he considers himself an Earthling. However, he is seen donning Saiyan battle fatigues designed by Bulma, during the time he trains with Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber at Kami's Palace, prior to the Cell Games. In his early childhood, Goku was first introduced wearing a blue uniform with red wristbands and a white belt tied in a bow. After his training with Roshi, he receives his trademark orange uniform, blue wristbands, and a black belt tied in a knot, and after his training with Kami, he adds his trademark blue undershirt and striped boots to this outfit. Goku is also often seen to wear the encircled kanji of his training masters on the front and back of this uniform; the first kanji being Roshi's, "kame" , meaning "turtle"), the second kanji being King Kai's, "kaio" , meaning "world king" and the third being his own kanji "Go" , meaning "wisdom" or "enlightenment"). Eventually he stops wearing a kanji and also wears a blue obi in place of his belt.By the end of the manga, Goku is shown wearing a new outfit made up of a blue slip-over shirt, gray pants and orange wristbands and shinguards. In Dragon Ball GT, Goku's entire appearance was revamped featuring him wearing a blue fold-over shirt, yellow pants, pink wristbands, and white shinguards, as well as a more tan skin complexion. Plot overview Originally named Kakarrot (Kakarotto?, spelled as Kakarot in the English dub), Goku is born a member of a fictional race of extraterrestrials called Saiyans. Shortly following his birth, Goku is sent from his home, a fictional planet named Vegeta, to prepare Earth for sale on the intergalactic market by destroying all its life.[18] Due to an injury to his head that caused him severe amnesia, Goku forgets his purpose, and instead focuses on becoming stronger for little more than the pleasure of it.[18] In the beginning of the series, Goku meets a highly intelligent teenage girl named Bulma, the desert bandit Yamcha, and two shapeshifters named Oolong and Puar. He also encounters one of his closest friends, Krillin, and others during his training. Participating in various martial arts tournaments, Goku also battles foes-turned-allies such as Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, as well as Piccolo Daimao's offspring of the same name. During his early adulthood, Goku meets his older brother, Raditz, an encounter that results in his death. Following the wish for his revival from the Dragon Balls, Goku continues to face other enemies linked to his heritage, such as Vegeta, who eventually also becomes his ally, and Frieza, whose actions cause Goku to transform into a Super Saiyan. After his epic battle with Frieza, the focus on Goku's past is shifted away, as new enemies are introduced as threats to the fictional universe. When the androids appear, Goku contracts the heart virus that Future Trunks warns him about earlier, but is able to recover thanks to the medicine that Future Bulma had made for him. Later on, Goku trains his first child, Gohan, to be his successor and sacrifices himself for the second time during the battle against the evil life form Cell. Goku returns to Earth from the afterlife seven years later and meets his second child, Son Goten. Shortly after, he participates in the next martial arts tournament, however he is drawn into a battle for the universe against the deadly monster Majin Buu. Goku also battles Vegeta after he is taken under control by Babidi. Later on, Goku destroys Buu with his Genki Dama technique. During the martial arts tournament held ten years after Buu's defeat, Goku meets Buu's human reincarnation, Uub, and takes off with him, in the end of the story, intending to train him as another successor. In the anime-only series Dragon Ball GT, which begins ten years after Goku meets Uub, Goku is transformed back into a child with a wish made by Emperor Pilaf using the Black Star Dragon Balls. Shortly after he, Trunks, and his granddaughter Pan all take a trip around the universe to locate the Black Star Dragon Balls and return them to Earth. Goku later battles the evil Baby, Super Android 17 and the evil shadow dragons. His final challenge is against Omega Shenron, who he eventually destroys using the Genki Dama. Goku leaves with the original form of Shenron, only to appear 100 years later at the next martial arts tournament as an adult once more, where he is observing the battle between his descendant (Son Goku Jr.) and Vegeta's descendant. An elderly Pan spots her grandfather, but he quickly departs. Abilities Goku in his regular state, and in several of his Super Saiyan forms. Through constant training, Goku has achieved many abilities; aside from his extreme strength and incredible durability, he also possesses super speed, reflexes and can perform energy blasts which are formed from chi. As a child, Goku wielded the Nyoi-bo. "Mind Stick"?, renamed "Power Pole" in the English dub), a magic staff that extends and retracts on command, which was given to him by his adoptive grandfather.[1] He also learns, through simple observation, Master Roshi's energy blast technique, the Kamehameha. "Turtle Striking Wave"?), which becomes his signature move. Originally Goku's main means of conveyance was on a magic cloud called Kinto-un. "Somersault Cloud"?, renamed "Nimbus" in the English dub), which was given to him as a child by Roshi for saving his pet sea turtle. After his training with Kami he learns to fly through the technique Buku-jutsu. "Air Dance Technique"?) and uses the cloud less and less as the series progresses. Another notable technique of Goku's is the Kaio-ken "World King Fist"?), an attack that multiplies the user's chi for an instant, taught to him by King Kai However, Goku's most powerful attack is the Genki Dama. "Good Spirit Ball"?, renamed "Spirit Bomb" in the English dub), a powerful sphere created by gathering chi energy from surrounding life forms, which he also learned from King Kai. Goku also learns a teleportation skill called Shunkan Ido. "Instant Movement"?, renamed "Instant Transmission" in the English dub), which he learned from the inhabitants of a fictional planet called Yardrat. Goku is also the only Saiyan in the series to achieve all the Saiyan transformations seen in the manga. In Dragon Ball, he is able to transform into a gigantic ape called an Oozaru, albeit after his tail is removed by Kami, he loses the capacity to achieve this form.However, in Dragon Ball GT, Goku is able to use this transformation again after regrowing his tail using the Elder Kai's help. During the events of Dragon Ball Z, Goku becomes the first Super Saiyan in a millennium after being overcome with rage by the murder of Krillin at the hands of Frieza and as the series progresses he achieves every single advanced level of Super Saiyan. Each transformation changes Goku's appearance and enhances his abilities. Goku can also fuse with Vegeta and create a warrior who has the combined power and skills of both. One method is by using the Potara Earrings presented to Goku by the Elder Kai, which results in a 'perfect fusion', creating Vegito. The other method is by performing the Metamorese Fusion Dance, which creates Gogeta, or if performed incorrectly forms the obese Veku. Voice actors
In the original Japanese version of the anime, Goku, at every age, from beginning to end, has been voiced by Masako Nozawa. In the numerous English productions of the anime, the voice actor for Goku have changed as a result of different companies producing the dub, switching ADR companies and recording studios, or due to actors quitting.
Child-aged Goku alone had at least seven known voice actors. In Harmony Gold's dub, Goku (Zero) was voiced by Barbara Goodson. In Funimation Entertainment's dubs, Goku was voiced by Saffron Henderson in the first 13 episodes and first movie of Dragon Ball (produced in association with BLT Productions), Ceyli Delgadillo in the second and third Dragon Ball movies, Stephanie Nadolny in their re-dub of the Dragon Ball TV series, as well as all other Dragon Ball media until 2010, and Colleen Clinkenbeard in Dragon Ball Z Kai. In Westwood Media's dub (in association with AB Groupe), child Goku was voiced by Zoe Slusar in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT. In Bandai's English release of Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout, Brianne Siddall was the voice of child Goku.
| |
