One of the oldest criticisms ofDragon Ball’s main protagonist is his incompetence as a father. From the very moment he was introduced into the series,Gohan was kidnapped from under Goku’s nose, and later forced to live in harsh conditions while training under Piccolo. Later, Goku would spend a large chunk of time dead in the otherworld, after refusing to be brought back to life with the Dragon Balls.
Despite his past transgressions, however,much of the criticism aimed at Goku is largely misdirected. He may not be a conventional parent, but nothing about the world ofDragon Ballis conventional.
Goku is also Earth’s protector, and that role is factored into many of his actions or decisions throughout the series. Given the circumstances,it’s actually likely that Goku is the best father he can be.
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While some may highlight Goku’s inability to protect Gohan during the introductory section ofDragon Ball Zas the first instance of his being a bad parent,his actions following Gohan’s kidnapping prove otherwise. Expediting the trips to and from King Kai’s planet, Goku arrived just in time to save his son from the invading Saiyans, before returning him to full health with a senzu bean. A similar occurrence took place on Namek, when Goku arrived during the fight against theGinyu Force.Completely ignoring his foes, he first tended to Gohan, reviving him with a senzu bean and ensuring that he was alright.
There is also the fight with Cell,Goku recognizing that he was at fault for the altercation, and cleaning up his mess by sacrificing himself to save his son and the Earth. It’s easy to point at these situations and ask why Gohan was put in danger to begin with. But the truth of the matter is thatparenting works a bit differently for Goku, when he and his family are responsible for continuously saving humanity. That is the point of the Cell Saga, after all; that despite Gohan’s desire not to fight, there is a certain responsibility to be taken when only he is capable of winning.
Piccolo Was Likely Worse to Gohan Than Goku Ever Was
Gohan and Piccolo are arguablyDragon Ball’s best teacher and student duo, and because of the large role that Piccolo continues to have in Gohan’s life, many fans believe that he’s been a better father than Goku ever was. Following the run-in with Raditz, while Goku spent time with King Kai in the otherworld,Piccolo trained Gohan in order to toughen the boy upfor the oncoming Saiyan invasion.
What many seem to forget about this section of the series, however,is just how brutal Piccolo was to a then four-year-old Gohan. His methods may have ultimately been successful, but Piccolo did abandon the small child in the middle of a wasteland, forcing him to fend for himself in a world which runs rampant with vicious animals and dinosaurs. Regardless of Gohan’s ability to survive in those conditions,Piccolo’s training was far worse than anything Goku did to him.
Unfortunately, much of Goten’s childhood takes place off-screen, as Goku’s second son never enjoyed the focus whichDragon Ballgave to Gohan. But if the ending portion ofDragon Ball Zis anything to go by, it can be inferred that much of Goten’s early life was spent peacefully with his family. While his methods of parenting may not be exactly normal,Goku gets far too much flack for raising two of the strongest fighters on Earth.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
