Dragon Ball Creator On Why Goku Never Set Out To Be A Hero
If you find yourself involved in a debate over Goku’s heroic nature, then you have a solid [...]
If you find yourself involved in a debate over Goku's heroic nature, then you have a solid chance of swinging the argument your way. That is, if you are on the side of the Saiyan not being a true-blood hero. Over the years, Goku has become one of anime's most well-known protagonists, and fans have come to see the fighter as an undeniable hero. Still, there are those who argue Goku isn't as altruistic as he may appear even if he has saved Earth more than a few times. According to Akira Toriyama, the creator himself is one of those guys.
In a previous interview, the artist took part in a special talk with Masako Nozawa, the voice actress for Son Goku. It was there that the creator admitted the protagonist was a pure-hearted guy, but he didn't set out to be a hero from the get-go.
"I wanted [Goku] to have the sense of being that rare guy who seeks only "to become stronger than before", so much so that it feels like 'there's no one as pure as this person,'" he said.
"While he does end up saving everyone as a result of that, he himself at least has a very pure sincerity about 'wanting to become stronger.' What I wanted to depict the most was the sense that he might not be a good guy at all, although he does do good things as a result."
Of course, Goku fits this description well, and it doesn't negate the fact that the fighter has done heroic things. The Saiyan has made noble sacrifices before, and fans only have to rewatch Goku's fight with Raditz to see that. The lead has also rid his universe of unsavory villains like Freeza and Cell, but Goku didn't take them down out of some need for praise. Rather, Goku wanted to defeat the heroes because of his desire to be the strongest fighter in the multiverse. It just so happened that those baddies were in the way, and Universe 7 ended up benefitting from their defeat.
Dragon Ball Super recently kicked off the 'Universal Survival' saga. You can check out the brief synopsis for it below:
"At Goku's request, the Omni-Kings' "Tournament of Power" martial arts tournament between universes now begins! …But this also proves to be the beginning of universal destruction. What awaits the victors of this tournament, and the vanquished…?! How will these intense team battles between the elites of each universe turn out…?!"
Dragon Ball Super's "Universal Survival" saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.
[HT] Kanzenshuu
