Dragon Ball‘s Goku is one of the most celebrated heroes in the Shonen world. His name is always in the top ranks in terms of popularity and strength. However, even Akira Toriyama knows that Goku is different from other heroes than people perceive at first glance.
The one trait of Goku that sets him apart is not a pleasant one, but something that could result in the protagonist being called selfish. Yet, one faction of Dragon Ball fans has always known this not-so-secret trait.
Why Akira Toriyama Does Not Consider Goku a Righteous Hero
In an interview, Akira Toriyama admitted that Goku has always had one flaw that makes him different from any other Shonen protagonist.
Son Goku from Dragon Ball doesn’t fight for the sake of others, but because he wants to fight against strong guys.
It is a well-known fact that Goku is always in search of a powerful opponent. In fact, he will go out of his way to find a worthy fighter, no matter how far he has to go. This is part of the reason why Goku is so powerful. He is constantly seeking out more powerful opponents and fighting them, which raises his skills and defense power exponentially, in comparison to training alone.
While this could be seen as a positive trait, there is another side of the coin that shouldn’t be ignored. Goku fights villains not because he has to save others, but because he needs to get a thrill out of the battle.
Toriyama is Annoyed by the Portrayal of Goku in Dragon Ball Anime
Akira Toriyama knew what he was doing when he created Goku. He created a character who has plenty of faults and has a battling obsession over all else. He never meant for the protagonist to have a spotlessly clean image.
However, the Dragon Ball anime completely reversed Toriyama’s character planning. Toei made Goku look like a righteous hero who values saving others and the Earth above all else.
So once Dragon Ball got animated, at any rate, I’ve always been dissatisfied with the “righteous hero”-type portrayal they gave him.
It seems like Akira Toriyama had desperately hoped that Toei would be able to catch the subtle nuances of Goku’s character but had to lose it soon enough. He also claimed that by the end of the day, he couldn’t make the staff grasp the poisonous elements of Goku that slip in and out among the shadows.
Vegeta fans on the other hand have been stating this exact reason against Goku for years. Goku’s obsession with battles is visible to everyone, and Vegeta enthusiasts have picked up on it as well. In the meanwhile, Akira Toriyama’s anger at the staff seemed to pacify once it was clarified that Goku’s character might have been modified by Toei because the anime was targeted towards children and darker concepts would not have made the cut.
The author then hilariously commented that while he often mixes ideas to draw things for children, he has no idea which one will be a hit. Instead, the ones that he thinks are the least enjoyable are the ones that often become a hit among fans.
You can read Dragon Ball on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
