Dragon Ball’s a pretty straightforward series, right? Goku meets bad guy, Goku beats bad guy, and life goes on as was until Goku meets and beats another bad guy. Seriously though, you can strip down any franchise down to their bare essentials. While Dragon Ball is generally easy to follow, it does have a level of nuance to its writing that leads to some subtle storylines. I know, I know, surprising, but Dragon Ball’s got depth.

Goku’s not a flat character, most of the cast develops throughout the whole series, and each saga is brimming with themes and literary elements. There's a reason Dragon Ball was such an influential manga. It was an artistic powerhouse with some of the smoothest action choreography known to man, but it also told a story worth telling with characters that grew alongside the narrative. Dragon Ball is more than just guys punching each other; it's about guys punching each other so they can grow as people.

20 Power Levels Were Never Meant To Be Glorified

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If you’ve spent a single second in the Dragon Ball fandom then you’ve probably noticed how often people bring up power levels. Fans make their own power levels, they debate power levels, and they scream at the top of their lungs if someone dare deem their favorite character isn’t sitting somewhere in the trillions by the end of the Buu saga. Here’s the thing though; power levels are 100%, grade A nonsense that was never meant to be taking as seriously as fans make it out to be.

Power levels are exclusively used by Frieza’s forces to measure an energy that’s inherently spiritual. Raditz has a higher power level than Goku and Piccolo, but he still loses because the latter two use strategy. The Ginyu Force put too much faith in their scouters and are absolutely destroyed by Goku because he can manipulate his ki. Power levels were never meant to be the deciding factor in someone’s usability, they were always used as a way to separate our heroes from our arrogant villains.

19 Broly Is Motivated By More Than A Hatred For Baby Goku

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While Broly is on the shallow side when it comes to DBZ antagonists, it’s not as shallow as we’d like to think. Most people cite his hatred over Goku crying as a baby as a stupid motivation, which it rightfully is, but what actually drives him in movie 8 is more nuanced than that. Goku is simply a representation of Broly’s lifelong trauma’s, not the trauma. Broly’s hatred truly stems from the lifelong manipulation he suffered under his father, Paragus.

In many ways, Broly has one of the more morbid stories in the series. He is mentally and physically bounded by his father for his entire life, and he has no real agency or control over his actions. When he actually gains control over himself, he’s so far gone mentally that it’s difficult to tell if he’s really thinking his actions through. Considering Goku is associated with the day he almost died as an infant, it makes sense why Broly would project his hate onto our protagonist.

18 Dreams Don't Come True Or: How Yamcha Lost His Passion For Martial Arts

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These days, Yamcha is something of a joke in Dragon Ball. His memetic nature has even gotten to a point where Toei has referenced it in Dragon Ball Super. There was a time when Yamcha was a rather big deal in the series, however. For a long while in Dragon Ball, he was the martial artist expert. He knew just about every famous martial artist there was and could pinpoint someone’s style with just a glance. More than anyone, Yamcha had a passion for the martial arts.

As the series progressed, it became abundantly clear that Yamcha simply could not catch up. He's the first to be eliminated in every single Budokai, and the only member of the main cast who’s noticeably weaker in the 22nd. While his death in the Saiyan saga is often noted as the moment Yamcha’s dignity dies, it’s really his impaling by Dr. Gero that does it. At that point, he recognizes he can never keep up with our heroes and his lifelong dream dies.

17 Turtle School Philosophy: There's Always Someone Better

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More than he is a martial artist, and more than he is a lecher, Master Roshi is a teacher. Everything Goku is, we owe to the training he underwent with Roshi at the helm. Goku’s had stronger masters since, and he’s eclipsed his former teacher entirely, but he’s never forgotten the single most important lesson taught in the Turtle School: There is always someone better. It’s the whole reason Roshi joined the 21st Budokai alongside Goku and Krillin in the first place. By defeating Goku in the final around, Roshi taught him to never stop pushing himself because someone stronger would always be just around the corner. This one lesson is what sparked Goku into the man we know today, and the driving force behind the entire series.

16 Raditz: The Goku Who Could Have Been

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For as short-lived as Raditz’s time in the franchise is, he leaves quite the impact. It’s his arrival that completely changes Dragon Ball as we know it. Goku is now an alien, the series is no longer a fantasy, and Gohan is introduced with just as much of an importance as his father. It’s a bold step that totally redefined the franchise and it all stems from Raditz. It’s no surprise he gained such a big fanbase. Some might lament just how little time he’s alive, but it’s for the best. After all, he’s Goku antithesis.

Raditz represents the Goku who could have been: Kakarot.

Raditz represents the Goku who could have been: Kakarot. Instead of relying on spirituality to sense ki, he needs a scouter. Instead of having a calm composure, he's brash and violent. Instead of finding a strong opponent thrilling, he cowers at the prospect of losing. Raditz dies so early because a Goku undefined by his Earthly qualities is not someone worth following.

15 Dragon Ball GT Is About Being Confronted By The Past

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As problematic as Dragon Ball GT is, it does have a quite a lot going on conceptually. You’ve got some original Dragon Ball inspired adventuring in the first third, some hardcore Z action in the second half, and a third act dedicating to the titular artifacts rejecting our heroes and fighting back after years of misuse. In practice, these ideas didn’t translate to screen but they do create a surprisingly tight narrative about the past coming back to haunt us.

The first arc is a direct result of the series’ first villain, Pilaf, coming back for revenge against Goku. The second arc focuses on the Tuffles, a race the Saiyans oppressed, finally fighting back. The third arc features Hell opening up and the franchise’s past villains coming back to wreak havoc, and the aforementioned last arc focuses on the Dragon Balls rejecting the main characters. It’s no coincidence that the series ends with Goku disappearing. The only way to escape our past is to let go of it.

14 Nature Versus Nurture

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When it comes to Dragon Ball, there’s no better character to analyze nature versus nurture with than Son Goku. If Raditz is who Goku could have been, then he’s also representative of Goku’s true nature: a ruthless, cowardly Saiyan. Goku is only the way he is because of the circumstances in which we grew under; he was raised by the kindly Gohan, trained under the wise Roshi, and learned to control his emotions with Kami. Raditz had none of that and, as brothers, neither would Kakarot.

You can also analyze nature versus nurture in regards to Goku and Frieza. Goku nurtured his strength and honed his abilities while Frieza left his power up to nature. Goku had to work to where he is, Frieza was given his power and felt he didn't need to work at all. In the world of DBZ, nurture trumps nature.

13 Goku’s Struggle To Accept His Saiyan Heritage

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Ask any fan which characters get the most development in the Saiyan saga and you'll most likely hear them say Piccolo and Gohan. There is one other character who gets just as much development in this arc, though: Goku. You probably didn't notice it because it isn't that overt, but Goku has a clear internal struggle going on regarding his Saiyan heritage that he responds to externally.

The clearest moments are him wanting to spare Raditz to force a divide between them at the beginning of the arc and then sparing Vegeta because he wants to experience the thrill of battle on such an epic scale again. This is later continued in the Frieza saga when he spares the Ginyu Force to differentiate himself from Vegeta until he finally embraces his Saiyan heritage to kill Frieza. From then on out, Goku is full Saiyan. Irresponsibility and all.

12 Train Smarter, Not Harder

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Train smarter, not harder: it's the difference between Goku and Vegeta, and one of Dragon Ball’s core themes. There’s a really why Goku always surpasses Vegeta even though he’s naturally weaker; he knows how to train. For Vegeta, training is about pushing himself to his limits repeatedly in order to harden his body. For Goku, training is about disciplining himself with a balanced workout regime and learning under different masters.

Just look at the difference in styles each character has. Goku is familiar with Grandpa Gohan’s, Roshi’s, Korin’s, Kami’s, King Kai’s, the Yardrats’, and Whis’ teachings. Vegeta only has his Saiyan background. On top of that, Goku knows that the body needs rest. After training in the Room of Spirit and Time with Gohan, he takes an entire week off before the Cell Games to relax his body. Vegeta jumps into the room a second time and barely makes any progress because he pushed his body too far.

11 The Race For Super Saiyan 2

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On the subject of the Room of Spirit and Time, and the Cell Games, there’s an underlying narrative hanging around during the Cell saga: who’s going to surpass Super Saiyan first? It’s easy to take for granted these days because we know Gohan is going to achieve Super Saiyan 2 in the end, but Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks all pushing themselves to pass their limits is a very gripping storyline that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

Faced with the limits of SS1, Goku confronts Vegeta about the possibility of surpassing Super Saiyan. What follows is Vegeta experimenting with augmenting his power and speed, Trunks pushing his power to SS2 levels at the expense of his stamina, and Goku completely throwing away both strength and speed in favor of stamina control. Out of all our heroes, it’s Gohan, who wasn’t even a contender, who manages to mix all three into a perfect form. When you remember that Future Gohan thought he couldn’t surpass SS1, it’s all the more poetic.

10 You Have To Recognize Your Limits To Break Your Limits

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Recognizing your limits is a big reason why Gohan succeeds in achieving Super Saiyan 2 where Future Gohan fails. Future Gohan saw how strong he was as a regular Super Saiyan, but he also believed he could never truly surpass his father. He limited himself. With our Gohan, he trains with Goku and comes to see firsthand that someone can push past their limits, they just have to see those limits for what they are and begin to refine them. When faced with the possibility that Super Saiyan is a form that can no longer be improved, Goku decides to fix the stamina issues so that he and Gohan can at least fight more reliably. In doing so, he then pushes past his previous limits into Super Saiyan 2 once he’s in the afterlife while Gohan does so in the Cell Games.

9 Piccolo And Nail’s Merging Symbolizes Piccolo’s Acceptance Of Namek

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Much how Goku has to deal with his Saiyan heritage in the Saiyan and Frieza sagas, Piccolo goes through a similar ordeal alongside him. In the Saiyan saga, it’s him gaining humanity and shedding his demonic background. In the Frieza saga, it’s his finally finding a home in Namek. His cultural acceptance is pushed all the further by his ritualistic merging with Nail.

It’s no coincidence that the merging technique is forbidden. In mythology, forbidden acts are often the most potent. By assimilating himself with Nail, Piccolo isn’t just getting stronger, he’s symbolically showing us his growth. He’s apprehensive at first about becoming one being with another person, but he does so anyway and transitions into the Namekian he always was. In the same way, Goku had to be the final Saiyan to defeat Frieza, Piccolo had to be Namek’s last son to defend the home he never knew.

8 Responsibility And The Majin Buu Saga

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Out of all of DBZ’s arcs, the Majin Buu saga is the least focused. Gohan, Gotenks, and Goku all juggle the role of protagonist, the saga goes from Great Saiyaman to a Budokai to a pink monster destroying the Earth at a breakneck pace, and the last few episodes suddenly close out the series almost out of the blue. That said, the Buu saga does have one major narrative element going for it: responsibility.

Throughout the arc, Goku feels it's the responsibility of the living to defend the Earth. It's why Gohan and Gotenks get their moments to shine. The thing is, Goku and Vegeta are the ones responsible for awakening Majin Buu. By neglecting their responsibility to seal him, their sons ultimately fail. In the final battle, the two take responsibility and face off against Kid Buu, but Vegeta goes one further by having the Earthlings charge the Spirit Bomb so they'd be responsible for saving themselves as well.

7 Paving The Way For The Next Generation

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Much of Roshi’s character arc in the original Dragon Ball revolves around him making room for the next generation of heroes. It's why he trains Goku and Krillin, and why he sways Tien away from the Crane School. This theme doesn't stop there, however, Goku also pushes the way towards the next generation in the Cell and Buu sagas.

In the Cell saga, Goku spends much of the last act building a successor in Gohan. When he dies, he chooses to stay dead because he knows Gohan is capable of defending the Earth. In the Buu saga, he wants Trunks and Goten to defeat Buu so that the Earth can have a sturdier defense. By the end of the series, he's training Uub to be his final successor and ultimate rival. Goku got the timing wrong occasionally, but he took Roshi’s teaching to heart.

6 Resurrection F Is About Failure By Flaws

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While Resurrection F certainly isn't the best Dragon Ball film out there, it’s undeniably the most thematically sound. Driven by a core theme of failure through character flaws, Toriyama’s second DBZ feature says quite a lot about our main character and their defects. Gohan, despite being the strongest natural fighter in the series, can’t hold off Frieza because he doesn’t keep in shape. Goku gets shot through the heart and nearly dies because he keeps letting his guard down in the middle of battle, and Vegeta gets the Earth blown up because he stops to assess what to do next to a losing Frieza. More important than anyone else, though, Frieza loses because he gets impatient and rushes his revenge. It’s a flawed film about flaws. It’s as Toriyama as it gets.

5 Gohan’s Character Arc In The Saiyan Saga Isn't About Him Getting Braver

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Ah, Gohan. You’re such a prominent character that most people consider you to be the main character of Dragon Ball Z. I mean, the Saiyan saga is all learning how to be brave and take control of his life. Except, not really. Gohan’s arc in the Saiyan saga is actually about him growing up, but not in a way where those results are immediately seen. Gohan matures after training with Piccolo, but he isn’t that much braver. He’s still a child, after all, and he freezes up too often to contribute in the fight against Nappa. When you consider that Piccolo dies because Gohan cowered in fear against Nappa, the arc is more about Gohan maturing to a point where he has to take responsibility for his actions. It has nothing to do with bravery and everything to do with self-awareness.

4 The Divinity Of Son Goku

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With such a wide pantheon of gods, it was only a matter of time until Goku trained with one of them. The first, and arguably the most thematically important, is with Kami. It’s this training that divides Goku’s life into a literal childhood and adulthood. The next time we see Goku, after he begins his training with the God of Earth, he’s a grown man. Not just a grown man, however, he’s a calmer man. The young Goku was a hotheaded teen ready for action, the older Goku is clearly more composed in how he handles martial arts.

That said, Goku is still Goku and no divine training is going to change that. He’s still in it for a good fight and, while he’s generally more merciful compared to his younger days, he’s happy to spare his opponents for a chance at fighting them again. Goku turning down Kami’s offer to become the new God of Earth says it all: the truly divine need not divinity.

3 Ultimate Gohan And Majin Vegeta Are Parallel Powerups

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Literary parallels; they’re the cornerstone of every great story. In Dragon Ball, they’re just a neat thing that Toriyama almost certainly did not think up. Why let that stop your appreciation though? Majin Vegeta and Ultimate Gohan are scarily similar in what they represent for our heroes. Majin Vegeta is Vegeta forcing himself to regress to a point where he can rid himself of his human elements, and Ultimate Gohan is Gohan forcing himself to take in all his latent potential so he can finally surpass his father. Like most things in the Buu saga, however, this doesn’t go as planned.

Vegeta realizes he can’t escape his humanity and ultimately gives his life to try to save the world, and Gohan succumbs to his arrogance and ultimately loses his life trying to humiliate Buu. The power-up that should have made Vegeta evil simply made him recognize the good in him, and the power-up that should have made Gohan great just made him regress back to his childhood hubris.

2 Class Warfare: The Elite Vegeta Versus The Everyman Goku

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Who said Dragon Ball Z couldn’t be Marxist? The dynamic between Goku and Vegeta in the Saiyan saga is completely driven by the Saiyan class structure. Vegeta is the privileged Elite who has been handed his power. Goku is the working class everyman who had to work to get as far as he has. Their showdown is just as much about Goku trying to fight off his Saiyan heritage as it is about the lower class overpowering the Elite.

It takes Goku, Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe to take Vegeta down, but Vegeta does go down. By working together towards a common goal, the lower class was able to seize control over the upper class and seize power. Vegeta cowering at Krillin’s blade is a powerful image that symbolizes the death of Vegeta’s Elite pride. While he does push his “ Prince of All Saiyans” narrative in the next saga, he never does so in earnest to our heroes, which is worth noting.

1 Goku’s Entire Character Arc

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Goku’s character development is so subtle that most fans erroneously think he doesn’t develop at all. The reality is, Goku has the longest character arc in the entire series stemming, well, the entire series. In the first arc, he has no discernable goals until he meets Roshi and dedicates himself to the martial arts. In the 21st Budokai, he learns that there will always be someone better. While confronting the Red Ribbon Army, he learns the value of life and death and puts others before himself. In the King Piccolo saga, he gives into his rage and has to learn true humility from Kami.

By the time we hit Z, Goku is a calmer individual but he still has that lust for power. Now, though, he’s also struggling with his Saiyan heritage. Once he accepts it, he slowly gives into his Saiyan instincts but he also adopts Roshi’s desire to pass the torch onto the next generation, allowing him to maintain his Earthling humanity. By the end of Z, Goku has honed his craft but still seeks a bigger challenge: this time choosing to create the ultimate rival in Uub. It’s the perfect close to a decade-long journey.