MovieChat Forums > Dragon Ball Z (1996) Discussion > What do you think of Goku as a father?

What do you think of Goku as a father?

posted 9 years ago by dgdforever
15 replies | jump to latest

Just watched the Cell Saga, particularly the Cell Games, and felt on the fence about Goku having so much confidence in Gohan's ability to defeat Perfect Cell. Even when he was proven right in the end, his not being aware that Gohan isn't passionate about fighting and Piccolo understanding his son better than him made Goku look like an inadequate parent.

What do you guys think about this? Is Goku a good parent? Is he only a bad parent in human terms? Is it all due to his Saiyan nature, and if so, is that a good excuse for his shortcomings as a dad?

[–] legendkillinpeopleschamp 9 years ago

Goku never had an actual conversation with Gohan. I have watched the show multiple times and everything revolves around fighting with Goku and Gohan. He didn't mind ChiChi wanting Gohan to learn, but he didn't really care for him to learn either.

Goku didn't have a dad for long in Grandpa Gohan.
Roshi was a pervyy old man so yeah, no one he could pull examples from.

[–] dgdforever 9 years ago

He had Piccolo, who seemed to be more of a father figure to Gohan than Goku.

[–] legendkillinpeopleschamp 9 years ago

Yes, but I was talking about Goku not having anyone to pull examples from.

Gohan did have Piccolo as his only real example. An he knew how he didn't want to raise his kids.

[–] dgdforever 9 years ago

So knowing that, is it harder to look at Goku as a noble hero, having so many parenting flaws that the show doesn't seem to acknowledge? Or is your view of him not affected?

[–] legendkillinpeopleschamp 9 years ago

Not affected, he has always been a fighter.

He probably would not have cared to have a family if Chi Chi didn't sort of force him into it.

[–] dgdforever 9 years ago

I guess being guardian of the Earth while having a wife and son inevitably makes you a crappy dad.

[–] BulmaPunkRocker 9 years ago

Since he was killed alongside Raditz, he's a terrible father. And it's even worst with Goten.
In all DBZ I think he is the worst father.

Please excuse my terrible redaction, english is not my native language

[–] dgdforever 9 years ago

So does that affect your view of him as the hero of the series?

[–] BulmaPunkRocker 9 years ago

Sorry for the late reply!

Actually, I don't think so. He has this need to train in order to save the world at first, and later it seems like he just want to be dead and keep getting stronger in the after life of wathever, until the next enemy arrives on Earth, but I guess he wanted to pass his "work" to Gohan, as Earth's true hero.

In a way I like he has this flaw, he is not perfect. But I do love to see him more with Goten in "Super".

Please excuse my terrible redaction, english is not my native language

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] Salimyter 9 years ago

Goku's always been a terrible husband and father. Fact of the matter is if Gohan had never started fighting alongside him they probably wouldn't have a relationship at all.

As for Cell though, there really wasn't a choice. Gohan technically was the strongest of them all, pre-SS2 or not, and as I recall Cell was basically going to start trashing the planet unless someone stepped in to fight him after Goku withdrew.

How does it affect my view of him? Frankly, I've never been a big Goku fan. I think Vegeta's the best character in the series (aside from future Trunks), so if anything I'm incessantly frustrated by the fact that Goku gets all the glory even during times he doesn't deserve it (but that's another topic).

I also don't consider Goku the 'Savior of Earth', or whatever. He's as guilty of anyone (if not moreso) of repeatedly putting the Earth in unnecessary danger to where it has to be saved in the first place. I think if anything Goku is very emotionally immature, too much so to be a family man or even a true protector.

[–] byson5186 9 years ago

There are many times in the series when Goku shows himself as a loving father. One memorable scene is when Goku came back from the dead, and how he greeted everybody at the tournament. He just at times show himself as irresponsible, including a scene where Chichi thought he was sick when he asked Gohan to study.

But, the worst move Goku made as a father is the ending of DragonBall Z. Most of us don't like the ending, because it's a very long series and puts the focus on a new character Uub. Goku just meets him and decides to abandon his family just so he could train a kid he just met. Bad move for a father and grandfather.

[–] Salimyter 9 years ago

Goku's an absentee father. There's a running joke in the abridged series that Piccolo is more of a father to Gohan than Goku is. Plus, between his choosing to remain dead and then running off with Uub he wasn't hardly there for Goten either.

[–] q_leo_rahman 9 years ago

I'd say he's an above average father, and this says a lot in a career where sons can get resentful or upset with their parents for choosing the world over them.

Also keep in mind, Goku was abandoned by his Saiyan parents and then accidentally stepped on his adopted grandfather as an Oozaru, so he never really had a lot parental guidance. But what little he had was enough to guide him to do what is right.

Also, he supported Gohan going to school, a chance he never had. He was totally fine with Gohan trying to do better than him.

Most of his family members are truly fond of him, even if he can be exasperating at times. So I guess, despite his absences, he's a good father.

07/08/06... 786... the sentinel of Allah has arrived.

[–] Arbuckle_T_Boone 9 years ago

I'd say he's an above average father, and this says a lot in a career where sons can get resentful or upset with their parents for choosing the world over them.

I agree. To be fair, we don't get to see a lot his fatherly time because of time jumps but I got the impression that he spent quite a bit of time with Goten and the whole family after he was given a life by Old Kai.

I still think it was crappy of him to abandon his family to train Uub. There were better ways to handle that wouldn't involve abandoning his family.