The real reason Goku in Dragon Ball stopped aging, and no, it’s not what you think

Dragon Ball has a lot of iconic characters, and Goku is the biggest example of that. He is widely regarded as the face of the entire anime and manga industry. However, some people have pointed out that this legendary protagonist has stopped aging after a point in the franchise, having gone from a small kid to an adult and staying within that range, and hasn't gotten any older.

While Dragon Ball author Akira Toriyama added the in-universe logic that Saiyans simply stop aging after a certain point in their lives, the truth of the matter is that Goku has become so iconic and recognizable in his adult design that most adaptations keep him that way. The biggest changes happened during the Daima and GT productions, and those reverted the protagonist back to his childhood form instead of giving him a new form.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer.

Explaining why Goku stopped aging in the Dragon Ball franchise

Goku as seen in the Daima anime (Image via Toei Animation).

As most fans of the franchise know by now, Goku started the story as a kid as he traveled the world with Bulma. After defeating Demon King Piccolo, he had a three-year time skip with Kami, where he turned into an adult. Barring a few small changes that were a result of Toriyama's changing art style, the character has remained the same ever since, which is not due to his Saiyan genetics alone.

The truth is that Goku became extremely iconic worldwide in his adult form, which is also a byproduct of the Z anime. This adaptation started with Raditz's arrival, and the protagonist was already an adult married to Chi-Chi and the father of Gohan, which ended up becoming his most defining look throughout the years.

There is also a certain irony to this when considering that Akira Toriyama pushed for the Saiyan to grow older and taller since, as per his editor at the time, Kazuhiko Torishima, it would make fights much more realistic to draw. This would end up turning the character into his classic look, which is also associated with his now-iconic orange and blue gi.

How this impact the franchise

Goku as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation).

An element that always appealed to people regarding Dragon Ball is how the passage of time is felt, with characters growing older, turning into spouses, parents, and seeing their children grow older. This is perfectly exemplified by Goku and Bulma's characters, who go from being kids to parents, spouses, and have their own children, such as Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, who become active players in several arcs as they age.

However, Goku remains the same after a certain point in terms of aging, which can be Shueisha and Toei Animation's way of keeping the face of the franchise consistent. This makes sense when considering how GT and Daima attempted to turn him into a kid, which constantly divided the fandom even today.

In many ways, this has also happened to the character of Vegeta, whose modern look is still the same from the original series, to the point that Super has given him back his Saiyan armor and design from the Cell saga days. This also makes sense considering his own popularity.

Final thoughts

Goku stopped aging in Dragon Ball because the people involved in the production of the franchise wanted him to remain consistent. This is also shown after a certain point in the story, while the rest of the cast tends to change, adding to the validity of this statement.

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About the author

Kevin is an expert anime writer at Sportskeeda who endeavors to keep readers apprised with the latest news and trends in the genre via his content. The groundbreaking Dragon Ball series captured a young Kevin's imagination, introducing him to the entrancing world of Japanese animation. Since then, he has been a staunch follower of the works of many artists, including Berserk's creator, Kentaro Miura, who he admires greatly for his unparalleled work quality.

With a BA in Public Accounting, Kevin’s dip into the world of content began 7 years ago when he took up writing. Since then, he has written for numerous websites, including Nerdgenic, Stretty News, MusikHolics, and BookNerdection.

He maintains very high ethical standards in his content by placing a strong emphasis on transparency, and obtaining comprehensive information off the web to fully capture nuances.

Kevin has has had the privilege of interviewing several musicians, including metal band Stryper’s Michael Sweet, Bobby Blitz of Overkill, and Saxon’s Biff Byford.

When not immersed in the anime world, Kevin writes comic book scripts and books for his own projects. He also enjoys reading and watching football.

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Edited by Riya Peter