It's a bird! It's a plane! No … it's Goku here to save the day. Or ... just toy around with the villain for fun.
Hi guys, it's the DB Analyst here. Applying real world logic (I think) in the Dragonball world. Now, let's talk about Goku. If you were to ask me out of the blue if Goku is a hero, I would have no hesitation in saying yes. But, it seems like some people would take issue with that. And upon consideration, I might too.
First off, we have Toriyama who shared how disappointed he was with the “righteous hero” portrayal of Goku that Toei presented in the anime. Correct me if I am wrong - but who wrote about how pure of heart he is at several turns, how he is consistently admired by the people around him and how it seems people change for the better because of him. I'm not so sure but my guess is that it's probably not Toei. Perhaps, it has something to do with what Lance AKA Mistare Fusion had to say at Kameha Con 2018. He pointed out that if two different people got the same character profiles they could very well portray them differently. After all, that's how real life works. For example, would you know who exactly I am talking about when I give a profiling of a smart and beautiful woman? Any guesses? Well, I don't blame you, they are several smart and beautiful women out there but I bet you that it's pretty rare that they all look and act the exact same. It's all about the details, the specifics, the quirks that get you to fully understand a person. And also, if you keep highlighting a person's better qualities that is all you are going to see of them.
There's also the grand divide on sub vs. dub. The original English dub has also been chastised for their hero image of Goku and may have been an even bigger offender. They even gave the guy epic lines with stand out quotes like “ally to good” and “I am truth” and you expect people to not see Goku as the hero. And by default, in the Western world, the star of the show is always the hero. So, it is as easy as Goku's the star, Goku's the hero. Look at a movie like Suicide Squad which is about a bunch of villains but they are portrayed as the heroes – simply because it's their story.
So, to be fair, let's examine what is a hero. I live for simplicity, so basically a hero sees danger and he immediately gets rid of it. He is serious, moral, fit and kind. Police, firemen, armed forces, nurses, doctors and lawyers are your typical idea of the everyday hero. But the funny thing is that if you happen to deviate from this norm even a little you start to question some things. Who wants a goofy fireman teasing you whilst you're trapped in a burning building. And can you imagine a guy who saves you from a robbery by killing the men – pretty sure we call that being a vigilante and not a hero. And I mean, no one wants to see a donut-eating, big-bellied police officer running to your aid. And what about a potty-mouthed nurse who spew expletives every five seconds while you're sick to the stomach. Are these people still heroes? I would like to believe that they are. Just because they are not the hero we expect them to be shouldn't distract from the fact that they are indeed a hero. What are you gonna do – immediately point a finger and go on a tirade about morals and justice after the guy saved you from some possibly-armed robbers? I'll leave this one to you to ponder on.
Well, it seems that Goku's fault is that he doesn't immediately get rid of the danger. And if you ask me, that seems to be his only problem. (Well, OK, he's a goofball too but that's why we love him!) He lives for testing his skills and having a fair fight even in the midst of some intense moments. People love to call him selfish and a man-child for his antics but maybe it has more to do with his personality. I'm not saying Goku doesn't have any faults but that's incredibly relatable and a breath of fresh air, don't you think? Heroes are often portrayed as aspirations and not as something you can be in spite of who you are today or who you were yesterday. What I am trying to point out is that Goku's focus is fighting strong guys and not necessarily to save people. But it is also true that we've seen this very Goku put aside this lust and got straight to the meat of the matter in the name of vengeance. Two examples I can think of was when he fought against King Piccolo – pretty sure he went straight for a kill move (a giant, gaping hole seems pretty final if you ask me, so no rematch for sure) and with Radditz (he even had help – when last did Goku need help when he went in to a fight?).
All I'm saying is, is that Goku likes to have fun. And I doubt you can have fun if you're trembling at the sight of your opponent. I doubt you can have fun if you know that if you lose, you lose loved ones too. I doubt you can have fun if you know that you don't have a single chance of even landing a hit. Healthy competition is key to pushing you to a higher level; to do better and be better. And Goku never fails in just how much better he can be. Who wouldn't be super confident, right! So, with all of this in mind, what is Goku so happy about knowing that his actions could lead to the wipe out of the planet or the lives of his friends? Is he a hero or wearing a mask of another nature? Let me know what you think.
Akira Toriyama, Wired Japan Magazine (Kanzenshuu, 1997):
“...Son Goku from Dragonball doesn't fight for the sake of others, but because he wants to fight against strong guys. So once Dragonball got animated, at any rate, I've always been dissatisfied with the “righteous hero”-type portrayal they gave him. I guess I couldn't quite get them to grasp the elements of “poison” that slip in and out of sight among the shadows.”
Edit: I've been thinking about it more and more but suppose Goku is an anti-hero? It would make sense except that I don't think that's fair. Let's suppose that Goku is really a hero who's made some mistakes? I mean...is someone suppose to be a hero 24/7 or else get the hero badge taken away? More on this another time because trust me, this is a whole other topic.