Akira Toriyama Dragon Ball excels as an innovative and challenging shonen fighting series, even if it doesn’t go beyond leaning toward tried-and-true anime archetypes. Evil twins or doubles are explored repeatedly in anime, from Digimon has My Hero Academia. There’s something inherently unsettling about an enemy who looks like a trusted hero. Dragon Ball is rich in complex heroes, many of whom even started out as villains, but none represent hope as much as Goku.
Therefore, Dragon Ball has designed several scenarios that trigger an evil version of Goku, either against his friends or himself, all of them disturbing. Each evil Goku brings something different to the picture, but they also present contrasting strengths, some of which are considerably more powerful than others and can even give the original Goku a run for his money.
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Start: Dragon Ball, episode 130, “Goku’s Doll”
The concept of Goku’s evil doppelgangers doesn’t properly escalate until Dragon Ball Zbut there are still some interesting examples of the anime experimenting with this trope in the original Dragon Ball. Goku’s power skyrockets after subjecting himself to the rigorous training methods of Korin, and later Kami and Mr. Popo. Dragon Ball Episode 130, “Goku’s Doll”, is an anime-exclusive filler entry that takes place during the heroes’ efforts to better themselves for the challenges that await them, specifically the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu are on their way to Korin Tower, but Goku undergoes some unconventional training exercises from Mr. Popo. Mr. Popo is one of Dragon Balland apparently has decent martial arts skills thanks to his ability to hold his own against Super Saiyan Goten and Trunks.
In “Goku’s Doll”, Mr. Popo does not take Goku on himself, but he creates a duplicate of Goku out of clay that has the exact same skills and strength. Goku doll first wears an intimidating two-tone mask before his face is revealed and Dragon Ball is able to have fun with Goku by facing another version of himself. The Goku doll is as strong as Goku from the Piccolo Jr. Saga era, but he has an advantage that comes from a quiet mind purely focused on combat. The Goku Doll does not suffer from the same distractions as Goku, which briefly gives him the advantage. This ultimately becomes an interesting exercise for Goku, where he learns how to properly eliminate his distractions and develop impressive concentration skills.
Goku thinks he has finally defeated the evil doppelganger doll, but in fact she runs out of energy and “shuts down”. The Goku doll was a worthy opponent back in the day. However, his strength still pales in comparison to other evil versions of Goku, which come to reflect the franchise’s increasingly impressive power levels. It is worth pointing out that Puar also transforms into a copy of Goku in Dragon Ball Episode 6, “Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls”, but it’s not really an evil version of Goku; just a disturbing distraction.
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4 The great ape Goku transforms the humble hero into a barbaric beast
Start: Dragon Ball, episode 12, “A Wish to the Everlasting Dragon”
Powerful transformations have become one of the Dragon Ballthe most popular tropes of . Goku, in particular, has experienced many incredible metamorphoses, the majority of which relate to his Saiyan origins. Goku’s only transformation in the original Dragon Ball – before Saiyans were even on anyone’s radar – was his intimidating great ape form. Goku’s Saiyan tail, combined with a glimpse of the full moon, triggers a terrifying transformation into a gigantic King Kong-like beast. Great Ape Goku may not be explicitly considered a unique individual, but it still seems valid to view this state as an evil version of Goku. Dragon Ball Z expands on the concept of great apes and reveals that Saiyan elites are actually able to control themselves in this state and even speak. This is not the case for lower-class Saiyan warriors, like Goku, for whom this transformation becomes a major handicap.
Great Ape Goku is not directly evil, but he enters an uncontrollable state of mind in which he poses a danger to his friends and family. In fact, Great Ape Goku is responsible for Grandpa Gohan’s death. Her fateful transformation when Emperor Pilaf collects the seven Dragon Balls also almost results in Bulma’s death. The Great Ape Saiyan form increases his strength tenfold, making Great Ape Goku one of the strongest versions of this character in the original. Dragon Ball. Goku’s advanced skills in Dragon Ball Z – not to mention a clear, rational mind – would give him, and any of his evil doppelgangers, the advantage.
Goku’s Great Ape form is a reasonable cause for concern in Dragon Ballbut he permanently loses his tail at the end of the anime. Goku great ape Dragon Ball Z would be considerably stronger, but the anime never explores this option. He instead uses Gohan as the main ape figure. Goku’s Great Ape Form Makes a Surprising Return in Dragon Ball GT as Golden Great Ape Goku, but he is still unpredictable and out of control as he is transformed and ultimately inferior. Brute force alone is rarely enough Dragon Ball.
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3 Turles is an evil Saiyan insurgent who bears a striking resemblance to Goku
Debut: Dragon Ball Z Movie 3, “Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might”
Dragon Ball Z really stands out when it comes to the original antagonists of his feature films. These villains often become fan-favorite characters who enjoy a popular second life in Dragon Ball video games, even when the corresponding films fail to meet expectations. The evil Saiyans that come out of the woodwork are actually weaponized in Dragon Ball Z feature films. However, The tree of powerThe Turles are a particularly unique example. Turles isn’t technically an evil version of Goku, but they look almost the same and the film draws a lot of interest from the jarring visual of two Gokus engaged in combat against each other.
Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might attempts to explain the similarities between Goku and Turles by saying that they are both lower class Saiyan warriors. This justification doesn’t necessarily make sense, but it’s reason enough to present an evil version of the anime’s hero. Turles is aided by his Crusher Corps, made up of eclectic aliens from across the galaxy. The Turles Crusher Corps provide useful support against the Z-Fighters supporting them, but their strength is significantly inferior to that of Turles himself. Turles is a worthy rival to Goku, who is able to hold his own against the heroic Saiyan, even after demonstrating the power of the Kaio-Ken x10. Turles also gains an intimidating advantage when he consumes the fruit from the Tree of Might, putting him above Goku’s strength. Ultimately, a reliable spirit bomb – which harvests earth energy stolen from the Tree of Might – destroys both Turles and his invasive plant. Turles is certainly a powerful and resilient villain, even though he goes against Goku early on. Dragon Ball Zis executed before his power truly takes a leap forward.
2 Captain Ginyu commandeers Goku’s body in an attempt to surpass his limits
Start: Dragon Ball Z, episode 71, “Goku is Ginyu and Ginyu is Goku”
Goku’s triumphant arrival on Namek is one of Dragon Ball ZThe most inspiring moments of who even manages to trump his powerful return to Earth during the Saiyan Saga. Goku wastes no time when it comes to showing off his enhanced strength, and he immediately takes out Recoome of the Ginyu Force, who previously wiped out Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta. Goku’s power appears to be far greater than that of the Ginyu Force, but the team’s leader, Captain Ginyu, surprises Goku with his signature “Change now!” body swap technique. Ginyu takes over Goku’s body and enjoys his new strength. It’s really scary to see an evil Goku proudly wearing a battle scout and moaning about Krillin and Gohan. The heroes are thrust into a difficult situation here as any attacks they launch on “Ginyu” always constitute damage received by Goku. This also means that executing Ginyu is not an option.
An original strategy must be found to restore Goku to his original body. Ginyu-Goku is incredibly strong, although there is quite a learning curve when it comes to unlocking the full power and abilities of his new body. Ginyu-Goku doesn’t really let himself be unleashed, but it stands to reason that he would still be stronger than Turles, based on when he appears in Dragon Ball Z and where Goku’s power lies at this point. This version of Goku never uses the Kaio-Ken attack, but it stands to reason that he could. Likewise, Turles with the fruit from the Tree of Might is probably a different story. However, Ginyu-Goku with Tree of Might Fruit would surpass Turles with the same advantage.
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Dragon Ball: Why Gohan Black is better than Goku Black
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1 Goku Black causes an entire timeline to be erased and eliminates almost all mortals from existence
Start: Dragon Ball Super, episode 47, “Future SOS: A New Dark Enemy Appears!” »
Dragon Ball SuperTrunks’ “Future” saga is an exciting mix of old and new ideas. The return of Future Trunks is a real cause for celebration. However, his return relies on an evil version of Goku – Goku Black – who has waged war against his timeline. Dragon Ball Super creates a fascinating mystery behind Goku Black’s true identity and how this evil twin is even possible. Goku Black is revealed to be Zamasu, the Supreme Kai apprentice of Universe 10, who used the Super Dragon Balls to steal Goku’s body. It’s no small feat, but Goku Black teams up with Future Zamasu, who also used the Super Dragon Balls for immortality, as part of their combined plan to wipe out all mortals. Goku Black’s power surpasses Super Saiyan Future Trunks, and his unique transformation into Super Saiyan Rosé appears to be on par with Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta.
Goku Black is incredible, strength-wise alone, but he also has a wide assortment of deadly ki attacks, like his Sickle of Sorrow. Zamasu’s palpable rage and contempt towards mortals and individuals like Goku who dare access the power of the gods also fuels Goku Black with greater strength. Goku Black and Future Zamasu merge to form Fused Zamasu, which ultimately requires Future Zeno’s divine intervention to be permanently destroyed. Goku Black is by far the most powerful evil Goku doppelganger to appear in Dragon Ball, and it’s unclear if the franchise will ever return to this concept or if it feels like it has run its course. Dragon Ball DAIMAThe Demon Realm could offer Goku plenty of opportunities to turn evil or trigger the birth of a devious double. However, Dragon Ball has recently seemed more interested in evil versions of other heroes, like Dragon Ball: Sparks! ZEROGohan Black’s exploration of Gohan Black, rather than Goku Black.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball tells the story of a young warrior named Son Goku, a peculiar young boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when once the 7 reunite , grants any wish of choice.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First film
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Ruby
- Latest movie
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes
- First TV show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV show
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
- First episode broadcast date
- April 26, 1989
- Cast
- Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil