Goku (Dragon Ball Evolution)

“	In order to master yourself, you must master your enemy...	„
	― Goku

Names	Goku, Geeko (by School bully), Kakarot (only by Lord Piccolo)
Gender	Male
Race	Saiyan
Occupation	Martial Artist
Origin	Dragon Ball Evolution (March 13, 2009)
Alignment	Hero
Age	At least 2,000 years old (Was terrorizing Earth along with Piccolo over 2,000 years ago as Oozaru), 18 years old physically and mentally
Created By	Ben Ramsey, James Wong (additional material)
Height	1.83 m (6ft 0in)
Weight	75 kg (165 lbs)

Goku is the protagonist of the widely criticized film Dragonball: Evolution, a loose adaptation of Akira Toriyama's iconic Dragon Ball manga and anime series. In the movie, Goku is portrayed as a high schooler trained in martial arts by his adoptive grandfather, Master Gohan.

Despite his great strength, Goku’s pacifist nature and lack of self-confidence make him a frequent target for bullies. However, after the demonic Lord Piccolo kills his grandfather, Goku embarks on a journey to defeat Piccolo and retrieve the Dragon Balls, mystical artifacts that grant wishes and are also sought by Piccolo for his dark ambitions. Along his quest, Goku learns self-confidence, ultimately unlocking his true potential and strength.

Appearance

In Dragonball Evolution, Goku's appearance is updated to align more closely with a modern, teenage high schooler. He has short, spiky black hair, typically styled messily, a nod to his iconic hairstyle in the manga, but with a more realistic look. Unlike the manga and anime, he wears everyday clothing for much of the film, including casual jeans, T-shirts, and jackets, switching to a dark blue gi given to him by Master Roshi and a light orange vest for the final battle. His gi also includes navy blue pants, an undershirt, black leather wristbands, and a belt, replacing the iconic all-orange cloth gi and blue accessories from the manga. His boots are also redesigned to be more subtle and small.

Personality

Goku’s personality in the film differs significantly from his manga counterpart. While he retains a sense of curiosity and an eagerness to learn martial arts, film Goku struggles with fitting in, often questioning his place on Earth and wanting to feel accepted. This contrasts with his manga personality, where Goku is carefree, rarely preoccupied with social acceptance, and instead focuses on honing his fighting skills. In the movie, he is more self-conscious, especially when dealing with bullies, and shows a softer, introspective side. Despite this, he retains some playful, taunting behavior during battles, displaying a mischievous side when dodging attacks or outsmarting opponents, though in a more deliberate way than the innocent teasing he does in the manga.

Biography

After Lord Piccolo was sealed away by the Mafuba technique, the powerful Oozaru escaped to Earth, reborn as a human infant. He was found and raised by Gohan, who named him "Goku." According to prophecy, Goku would transform back into Oozaru on his eighteenth birthday.

When introduced in the movie, Goku is a regular high school teenager struggling to fit in. Despite being trained in martial arts by his grandfather, he holds back his strength, especially against bullies who target him often. Goku is also drawn to Chi-Chi, the most popular girl in school. For his eighteenth birthday, Grandpa Gohan gives him the Four-Star Dragon Ball but is later attacked by Piccolo. Meanwhile, at Chi-Chi's party, Goku is confronted by Fuller’s gang, who won’t let him inside. After Goku easily defeats Fuller’s friends, Fuller attacks with a piece of metal. Dodging effortlessly, Goku taunts Fuller with playful remarks like, "Nice swing!" and "You got a couple of dings you might wanna buff out," making Fuller damage his own car in frustration.

Sensing that his grandfather is in danger, Goku hurries home only to find it destroyed. Beneath the rubble, Gohan tells him with his last breath that Piccolo has returned and will use the Dragon Balls for his sinister plans. Determined to stop Piccolo, Goku sets out with Bulma Brief to find the Dragon Balls before Piccolo can use them to destroy the world. Along the way, they enlist Master Roshi and encounter Yamcha, a desert bandit who joins their quest. During the journey, Goku transforms into Oozaru, accidentally killing Master Roshi, but eventually gains control over his powers, mastering the Kamehameha technique. With his new skill, he defeats Piccolo and uses the Dragon Balls to revive Roshi. Afterwards, Goku begins a relationship with Chi-Chi.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: At least 9-C | 6-B | 6-B

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Acrobatics, Aura, Energy Projection, Martial Arts Mastery, Master Bo Staff User, Air Manipulation, Shockwaves Generation, Precognition (While holding a Dragon Ball, Goku can have visions of the future. The future Goku sees isn't definitive and can be changed), Transformation into Oozaru, Enhanced Hearing, Large Size (Type 0) as Oozaru

Attack Potency: At least Street level (Accidentally opened several locked lockers with his Ki from several meters away. Gohan feared what would happen to Goku's school bullies should he ever fight them. Should be comparable to his durability) | Country level | Country level (After drawing power from his Oozaru form, he matched Piccolo's energy blast, which could destroy a country in a vision)

Speed: Supersonic (Dodged a close-range gunshot from Bulma. Perceived his bullies at a slow pace) | At least Supersonic | At least Supersonic

Lifting Strength: Unknown (Carried a backpack heavy enough to sink the suspension of a trailer)

Striking Strength: At least Street level | Country level | Country level

Durability: At least Street level (Superior to his bullies, one of which could survive being struck by a metal rod by Fuller, who accidentally wrecked multiple parts of a car with it. Wasn't at all affected when kicked by Mai who could match Chi Chi in combat. Survived a shot from Mai's gun which could cause small explosions, albeit barely) | Country level | Country level

Stamina: Superhuman (Ran several kilometers with a heavy backpack alongside a vehicle)

Range: Standard Melee Range, Hundreds of Kilometers via energy blasts

Standard Equipment: The Dragon Balls, the Dragon Ball radar, Capsule Corp, portable vehicles, Bo staff

Intelligence: Average (That of a high school student, often is distracted in class)

Weaknesses: Clumsy | Blindly follows Piccolo and will lose the form if he comes back to his senses. Can only transform if the Blood Moon eclipses the Sun | None notable

Attacks and Techniques

• Kamehameha – A high-level "air bending technique".
• Ki Blast – The most basic form of energy wave.
• Shadow Crane Strike – An agile martial arts technique Goku learns from his grandfather.
• Spirit Shot – Goku uses this in the video game adaption of the movie only.
• Super Dragon Fist – Goku uses this in the video game adaption of the movie only.
• Crushing in Hands - Oozaru Goku uses this technique to choke Roshi to death.
• Howl - Oozaru Goku angrily or blindly roars while on a rampage.

Trivia

• Goku lives in the mountains in the film but frequently goes into town, contrasting with his isolated upbringing in the manga, where he’s largely separated from modern civilization.
• Film Goku bears more resemblance to his son Gohan from Volume 20 of Dragon Ball Z, as he is a high school student who uses electronic devices, interacts with his peers, pursues a romantic interest, and occasionally faces bullies.
• The romance between Goku and Chi-Chi is reversed in the film; Goku has long harbored a crush on Chi-Chi, while in the manga, it’s Chi-Chi who initially falls in love and gets Goku to promise marriage.
• In the manga, Bulma is the first female Goku meets (and the second human overall), while in the film, he knows many people and females before meeting her.
• Goku’s clothing differs: in the manga, he receives his blue gi from Grandpa Gohan, switching to an orange one after Master Roshi’s training. In the film, he wears casual clothes, with Master Roshi gifting him a dark blue gi, and finds an orange gi just in time for the final battle.
• The movie version of Goku’s gi includes navy pants, a blue undershirt, an orange vest, and black leather wristbands and belt—distinct from his manga outfit with a plain orange gi and blue cloth accessories.
• Goku is introduced at age 12 in the manga, but 18 in the film, aligning with his age in Volume 14 of the manga.
• Goku transforms into Oozaru during a solar eclipse in the film, whereas in the manga and anime, he transforms by looking at a full moon.
• In the manga, Oozaru is a Saiyan transformation trait. In the film, Oozaru is presented as an ancient god reborn in Goku, a variation on the full moon transformation.
• In the video game adaptation, Oozaru is once again referred to as a Saiyan trait, with Piccolo noting, "No Saiyan has ever reverted to human form!" when Goku returns to normal.
• Goku’s happy-go-lucky attitude from the manga is downplayed in the film. He feels alienated and wants to fit in, though he still taunts his enemies—albeit more mischievously than innocently, as he does in the manga.
• Goku quickly masters the Kamehameha after seeing Roshi perform it in the manga, but in the film, he struggles before finally succeeding to defeat Piccolo.
• While manga Goku performs god-like feats even at 18, the film downplays his powers, which only grow through Roshi’s training.
• Goku defeats Piccolo with the Kamehameha in the film, whereas in the manga he uses the "Penetrate!" technique.
• In the manga, Goku’s fall from a ledge knocks out his aggressive Saiyan instincts, but in the film, Gohan teaches him restraint, though he still shows some Saiyan behaviors, such as sarcasm, playfulness in battle, and arrogance.
• Goku’s tail, a Saiyan trait, is absent in the film (similar to Goten and Trunks). He doesn’t need it to transform into Oozaru; instead, he transforms during a solar eclipse, which emits a burst of green energy implied to be Blutz Waves.