Goku

Goku, known as Son Goku (孫 悟空?) in the original Japanese-language version and in the English language manga, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Dragon Ball manga series written by Akira Toriyama. He is loosely based on Sun Wukong, a central character in the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. Goku is introduced as an eccentric, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. At first, Goku is believed to be an Earthling, but he is later revealed to be a member of an extraterrestrial warrior race called the Saiyans.

In Dragon Ball, Goku trains himself in various martial arts and searches the planet for the seven Dragon Balls. He meets other characters with similar goals, such as Bulma, with whom Goku travels to find the Dragon Balls. As Goku matures, he becomes one of Earth's strongest warriors and protects it from villains who wish to harm it. Goku is depicted as carefree and aloof when at ease but quickly serious when fighting. Goku is able to concentrate his Ki and use it for energy-based attacks, the most prominent being his signature Kamehameha wave, in which Goku launches a blue energy blast from his hands.

As the protagonist, Goku appears in most of the episodes, films, television specials, and OVAs of the anime series Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Z Kai, as well as many of the franchise's video games. Due to the series' international popularity, Goku has become one of the most recognizable and iconic anime characters. Outside the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku has made cameo appearances in Toriyama's self-parody series Neko Majin Z, has been the subject of other parodies, and has appeared in special events. Goku's critical reception has been largely positive and he has been recognized as one of the greatest manga/anime characters of all time.

Western countries were introduced to the version of Goku appearing in the Dragon Ball Z anime, an adaptation of Dragon Ball Volumes 17-42, as opposed to his initial child form, which Japan was first introduced to.