Dragon Ball: Goku would've died in Z if it wasn't for Mr Satan, here's why

Over the years, Dragon Ball has shaped itself into one of the biggest franchises to exist. Its protagonist, Son Goku, is equally popular and is likely the strongest warrior in the series, overcoming all kinds of challenges and defeating powerful villains to stand tall.

However, there is one other character that outdid Goku in terms of heroism. In fact, had it not been for this certain person, our loveable Saiyan could have possibly died. Probably the series' weakest, this certain someone is Hercule Satan.

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Dragon Ball: Mr. Satan was crucial in helping Goku take down a major threat

How Mr. Satan helped

In Dragon Ball chapter 515, Good Buu is holding off his evil counterpart, Kid Buu, in an attempt to buy Goku enough time to charge up a Spirit Bomb to wipe him out in a single hit. The fighters were clashing fists on the planet of the Kais, a planet far away from Earth.

The Earth had just been resurrected thanks to the wish-granting magic of the Dragon Balls after it was decimated by Kid Buu. The Spirit Bomb was a technique that gathered energy from surrounding life forms and inanimate objects to conduct that energy into a massive sphere of astonishing destructive power.

Given this crucial requirement, Goku needed the people of Earth to willingly offer their energy to him to add to the mass of energy to power it up enough to work against Buu. However, when Goku used telepathy to reach out to everyone on Earth, no one really paid any attention to what he was saying and ignored him.

With hardly any energy being fed into it, the Spirit Bomb was incomplete, weak, and ineffective. However, when Hercule Satan spoke to them, they listened almost immediately. They raised their arms to the sky and sent up the energy Goku needed to wipe out Kid Buu and save the universe.

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The real Hercule Satan

Hercule Satan (image via Toei Animation)

Throughout the Dragon Ball series, Hercule Satan has built up a false reputation for himself. He is known to be a fake and a complete fraud. What made him so famous in the story was his fights with regulars, whom he defeated. But when it came to more supernatural threats, he was always found cowering in fear.

During Dragon Ball's Cell Games, Gohan was the one who beat Cell after awakening Super Saiyan 2. However, Mr. Satan was close by to take all the credit and lied about besting the android using his own strength.

Hercule talking Trunks into an easy match (image via Toei Animation)

When taking on Trunks in the World Tournament during the Majin Buu Saga, he pleaded with the boy to punch him as gently as possible. Since it did not turn out that way, he faked losing to give onlookers the impression that he let the kid take the victory. He also paid Android 18 to throw their match at the Tenkaichi Budokai.

All in all, he managed to deceive people into thinking that he was a lot more powerful and skilled than he seemed. These lies helped him maintain his image and fame in society.

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In conclusion

Hercule Satan (image via Toei Animation)

Although Dragon Ball's Hercule Satan might appear to be fake, it was thanks to him that Goku was able to land a decisive blow to Kid Buu. Granted, the Spirit Bomb was the main tool that defeated the villain but preparing it was a challenge that was overcome by Goku with Mr. Satan's help.

When it was all said and done and Kid Buu was finally wiped out, Goku acknowledged Mr. Satan's help and called him the savior of the world. In a way, he admitted that Hercule was Earth’s greatest hero.