Anime fans saw Goku growing from a mere kid to an adult and starting his own family throughout the long run of the show. Seeing this growth, many fans have often wondered, “How old is Goku?” or when Goku became a father? Today, we have taken out time to see how Goku grew up into a Saiyan and how much his strength and abilities have increased over time.
If you are not familiar with the anime world, let us introduce you to Goku, the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball series. Goku is a monkey-tailed boy who possesses superhuman strength and is sent on Earth for its destruction. After receiving a head injury that gets rid of Goku’s destructive side, he leaves searching for the seven magical dragon balls and trains to become the greatest defender of Earth.
Goku’s journey of transitioning from an arrogant monkey kid to a Super Saiyan God was never easy. Through his journey, Goku has met several villains. Some became allies, while others remained enemies. These relations have helped Goku to achieve immense power throughout the different series in the anime franchise. While we know that Goku was 11 years old when he went to find the magical dragon balls, what about when he got married and had a kid? Do you know what his age is on his marriage certificate, given he has one!
Imagine how interesting it would be to find Goku’s age when he achieved the Saiyan powers or the age at which he started his family? Well, read to find out more about Goku’s age.
How Old Is Goku In Different Timelines Of The Series? His Age Is Confusing!
Goku has grown from a monkey-tailed kid to a full-grown adult while facing many difficulties in the show. The Super Saiyan God has faced many death resurrections throughout the show, so it becomes difficult for many viewers to follow the story. If you are a fan of the show and have always been curious about Goku’s age, read below.
#1 Goku In Dragon Ball | The Arrival Of Goku On Earth
Bulma finds Goku during the events of Dragon Ball. The two embark on a journey to find the seven magical dragon balls when Goku reveals that he is 11 years old. During their journey, Goku and Bulma meet Yamcha, Oolong, and Puar, they form a team to stop Emperor Pilaf and his army from destroying the world. During this time, Goku also starts training under master Roshi to participate in the World Martial Arts tournament. At the time of the match, Goku befriends Krillin, who becomes his life companion.
After being defeated by Master Roshi in the tournament, Goku follows a strict training routine to gain more powers to win the 22nd World Martial Arts tournament. The next tournament is supposed to take place after four years, but Goku faces the wicked Red Army during the third year but defeats them successfully. Next follows the tournament where Tien defeats Goku at the age of 15. Following the event, Goku learns that a powerful enemy, King Piccolo, is waiting for him.
It is not shortly after the tournament that Goku meets evil king Piccolo and defeats him. However, his happiness is short-lived because he learns that Piccolo’s more powerful son Jr. Piccolo will be entering the next tournament. To prepare for the next match, Goku starts training under Kami and Mister Popo. 18 years old, Goku enters the 23rd tournament, where he successfully defeats Jr. Piccolo, soon gets married to Chi Chi.
#2 Goku In Dragon Ball Z | Goku Is A Father Now
Five years have already passed since the end of Dragon Ball events in its successor series Dragon Ball Z. This means that Goku is 23 years old during the series with a five-year-old son, Gohan. Goku learns of his true Saiyan heritage in the Dragon Ball Z series through his long-lost evil brother Raditz. If you are a fan of the series, you know what happens next, right? To help, Piccolo kills Goku’s evil brother. Goku sacrifices his life when he is merely 23 years old.
The threat is not over with Raditz’s death because his superiors Vegeta and Nappa are approaching the Earth. Z fighters start preparing for the upcoming battle on Earth, whereas Goku begins training in the afterlife. At this point, the timeline of Goku’s age gets a bit confusing. As Goku is resurrected a year later in the series, he should technically be a year older. However, his body remains 23 years old whereas chronologically, Goku becomes 24-years-old.
After defeating Frieza in Dragon Ball Z, Goku trains with Z fighters to survive the upcoming battle against Androids. As Goku begins to understand the situation’s urgency, he takes Gohan inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to prepare for the fight. The rules of time are different in the chamber, which helps Goku to sync with his chronological age. By the time Goku comes out to face Cell in Cell games, he becomes 27-years-old.
At this moment, fans feel that Goku has a contract signed with death because he sacrifices his life once again to save the planet from Cell. This time, Goku remains dead for seven years before Elder Kai resurrects him to fight Majin Buu. Due to this time jump, the timeline is disrupted again because physically, Goku is 27, while chronologically, he jumps to 34-years-old. After defeating Majin Buu, the series takes a 10-year leap and progresses towards an end. This jump makes Goku 37-years-old physically, while chronologically, he ages 44 years.
#3 Goku In Dragon Ball Super | The Most Confusing Timeline
The events of Dragon Ball Super can be confusing to many as it was released after Dragon Ball GT. The reason for the shift is unknown to this date, but it creates a massive disruption when it comes to Goku’s age. After Goku dies in Cell Games, unaware of Chi Chi’s second pregnancy, Giten is born. In Dragon Z, Goten is seven years old when he meets his father for the first time. This should make Goku physically 27 years old while meeting his son for the first time.
Dragon Ball Super concludes four years after the events of the time jump, which makes Goku physically 31 years old and chronologically 38-years-old. During the series, Goku and Vegeta train together under the guidance of Beerus and Whis. At the end of the series, Goku is physically 32 years old, while chronologically, he is 39-years-old.
#4 Goku In Dragon Ball GT | Goku Is A Kid Again
After Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta mentioned that Goku had achieved his Saiyan mode, which slows his aging process. As we see Goku travel to Lookout with Uub for his training, the successor series begins five years later with the completion of his training. Now, things are going to get complicated again. The time jump makes Goku physically 42-years-old while chronologically, he becomes 49-years-old during Dragon Ball GT.
Now, what fun is an anime show if there is no twist in Goku’s life, right? During the events of the successor series, Emperor Pilaf uses the Black Star dragon ball and accidentally makes Goku an 11-year-old again. Things get more interesting in the series because Goku is now an eleven-year-old with the wits of a 49-year-old Saiyan. Though Goku takes a year to recover the Black Star dragon balls, it does not change his age which ultimately makes him unsuccessful in saving the planet.
Following Earth’s destruction, Goku remains a 12-year-old, but psychologically he is 50. To move forward with the climactic arc, the story takes a one-year time jump, making Goku’s psychological age 51 and physical age 13. The successor series, Dragon Ball GT, concludes with a leap of a century where Goku successfully merges with the Eternal Dragon and becomes an adult once again physically. At the moment, Goku’s physical age is unknown, but psychologically he is 151-years-old.
Final Words
Through different story arcs, Goku’s age has been a topic of discussion in many fandoms and Quora / Reddit sub-threads for years. We hope that now, with this blog, we have helped you decide the age of Goku through different story arcs in the anime franchise’s timeline.
