Dragon Ball 10 Things Goku Learned From His Human Friends

Goku might be a member of the proud Saiyan race, but he couldn't be where he is today without the help of the many human allies he made along the way.

Plenty of anime series are able to capture the attention of their audience, only to keep it for multiple decades as the series continues to grow. However, there’s an extra level of appreciation that surrounds Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball presents very basic shonen staples where the forces of good protect the planet from darkness, but it begins in a somewhat grounded place that becomes progressively more supernatural.

Over the course of the Dragon Ball franchise, the optimistic Goku learns that he’s actually a member of an alien species. This informs much of Goku’s behavior with the people of Earth and establishes some interesting schisms between the groups of characters. Goku never stops learning new advantageous techniques and ways to surpass his competition, but some of these lessons come from the humans that have surrounded him.

10 He Masters The Kamehameha Under Master Roshi

Goku has dozens of valuable skills that he can turn to in battle to overwhelm his opponent, but the Kamehameha energy wave attack has arguably become the Saiyan’s signature technique. This privilege extends beyond Goku as the Kamehameha is one of the most prevalent attacks within Dragon Ball.

Goku does his part to educate his family and friends on the powerful maneuver, but it’s something that he first learns from one of his first real mentors, Master Roshi. It took Roshi fifty years to master the Kamehameha, but Goku is a natural in the field.

9 His Knowledge Over The Dragon Balls

There is no lack of combat in Dragon Ball, but the franchise’s titular wish-granting orbs are also a crucial object of desire. It seems as if someone is always after the Dragon Balls, and their abilities are frequently turned to as a way to re-balance the scales between good and evil.

Dragon Ball begins with Goku in possession of the Four-Star Dragon Ball, but he’s largely oblivious towards the special nature of these objects. It’s not until Goku aligns with Bulma, who is on her own hunt for the Dragon Balls, that he begins to understand what they can accomplish.

8 His Proficiency With The Power Pole

Goku’s progress as a fighter is especially impressive when his talents as a child are put under consideration. Goku eventually gains control over his ki energy, which allows him to fly and eventually gain the ability to essentially teleport with Instant Transmission.

Before Goku gains such efficient means of travel and defense, he’s left with his mysterious Power Pole. The transforming Power Pole is one of Goku’s earliest tools, and it’s safe to presume that his Grandpa Gohan is the one who taught Goku how to properly control the odd weapon.

7 He Learns The Destructo Disc From Krillin

Part of what gives Dragon Ball such a personality during its earlier episodes is that each of the central characters has their own signature moves, some of which get taught to other characters but go on to define how they fight in battle.

Krillin trains and matures alongside Goku, and the human’s signature attack is the deadly Destructo Disc. Goku is much more selective in his use of this ability, but he does in fact know it, which seems to indicate that Krillin took the time to teach him how to perform the aggressive maneuver.

6 The Ways Of Romance Get Broken Down To Him

Goku proves himself to be an incredibly strong individual and someone who truly cares about his family and friends, but right from his youth, he’s always been positioned as a very naïve individual when it comes to the ways of the outside world.

Goku seems to have zero understanding of females until he first meets Bulma and she makes some things clear to him. Furthermore, Goku’s marriage to Chi-Chi seems to almost catch him by surprise, and he doesn’t fully understand what he’s getting himself into until she breaks down married life and relationships with the Saiyan.

5 He Masters The Afterimage Technique Under Master Roshi

Dragon Ball has reached such a heightened place where it can often feel like new and surprising transformations are the only way to win against a new enemy. The original Dragon Ball features a much more stripped-down style of martial arts where performative tricks like the Afterimage Technique, which creates duplicate illusions of the user, can provide the necessary advantage to win in battle.

The Afterimage Technique is another ability that Goku first learns about while under Master Roshi’s care. Roshi tricks Goku with the technique, but he’s able to properly synthesize it to use for himself.

4 A General Knowledge Over Martial Arts

Dragon Ball features characters that possess inherent strength and special abilities, but there’s still an important emphasis on training and building a proper martial arts foundation. Goku is still just a child when Dragon Ball begins, but his Grandpa Gohan is able to teach him the very basics when it comes to martial arts.

This crucial foundation is enough to educate Goku on the fundamentals so that he can rise to the occasion under Master Roshi’s Turtle School teachings. Grandpa Gohan also teaches Goku the crude Rock-Paper-Scissors style of fighting.

3 He Learns The Evil Containment Wave From Master Roshi

Dragon Ball introduces so many eclectic techniques and battle strategies that it’s only natural for some of them to regress into the background or largely become inconsequential. The original Dragon Ball marks the debut of a strategic technique known as the Evil Containment Wave that’s looked at as a potential way to defeat Piccolo.

The Evil Containment Wave returns in a big way during Dragon Ball Super, where Roshi makes sure that Goku understands how to perform the technique, often using Roshi’s Turtle as his target.

2 His Understanding Of The Afterlife And The Dead Crossing Over

Death is a constant concern in Dragon Ball, but a small luxury is that the existence of the Dragon Balls and other powerful forces can sometimes make this eternal rest slightly less permanent. Goku fully explores the ins and outs of the afterlife in Dragon Ball Z.

However, Fortuneteller Baba gives young Goku his first exposure to all of this through the circumstances of her tournament. Goku makes contact with the deceased and gets to experience a temporary reunion with a ghostly Grandpa Gohan. Afterwards, Goku better understands how this aspect of the world works.

1 His Use Of Capsule Corps Technology

Dragon Ball exists in an exaggerated universe that’s not unlike the real world in many regards, but it also features the presence of dinosaurs, anthropomorphic animals, and a highly advanced form of technology in the form of the Briefs family’s Capsule Corporation. Bulma’s first meeting with Goku also functions as a crash course on Capsule Corps. Technology.

Goku is uninformed regarding even basic transportation and technology, so the possibilities that Bulma opens up for him through her many transforming capsules is significant and helps him process the many changes that he experiences upon leaving the comfort of his home.