How is this inconsistent? He was filled with rage, managed to collect himself for a moment and thought of a better way to avenge Kuririn and went with the plan.Lord Beerus wrote:Some of the characteristics that Goku displays in this arc also appear inconsistently. A prime example being how Goku goes from wanting to prevent Freeza to reaching his maximum power to allowing Freeza to power-up so he could beat him at his best in the space of one episode/one chapter.
He did defeat Freeza. That's the point. Freeza was already beaten so there was no point in continuing it even further and risk dying on Namek for a pointless fight. He says this.And despite Goku’s hunger for battle, he tries to walk away from his fight with Freeza… twice. What happened with regards to that big speech about him swearing he’ll defeat Freeza?
That's what Goku did. He told Nappa he was outmatched after dodging his blows and told him to give up. He only used Kaioken to immobilize Nappa because he was going for his friends. Why would Goku finish off Freeza when his friends were safe?Did it never happen? It’s like if in the Saiyan arc after Goku realising that the gap in power between himself and Nappa was large enough to make Nappa a non-threat to him and that Nappa is fighting a losing battle, he decides instead out breaking out Kaioken to finish the fight, he just stopping fighting him and the focuses his attention on Vegeta instead.
He didn't do that? He baited Freeza into dodging it so he could hit him from above. And that's precisely what happened. Or do you think Goku, after all he went through, can't judge Freeza's skill well enough that he'd knew he'd dodge such a basic trick?Then his attitude flip-flops again from trying to get Freeza killed from his own attack to trying to prevent Freeza from getting cut from his own attack.
But Goku's been this "weird beacon of morality," as you put it, since he became an adult. He spared Piccolo, he let Raditz go and he gave Nappa and Vegeta a chance to leave the planet. This isn't exclusive to the Namek arc, it comes from previous arcs.I also found it strange that Goku suddenly becomes this weird beacon of morality the moment he touches down on Namek. I mean, it kinda works in a thematic sense, but how it's used in the Freeza fight is very haphazard. It is rather odd that he suddenly becomes so unwilling to kill, and it’s even more unusual considering he's doesn’t really act like that afterwards. Goku’s characterisation in this arc is just all over the place and only seems to fit the needs of the plot.
As to why he doesn't act like that afterwards, you can rationalize that, after Freeza betrayed his good faith, he learned better. A bit of headcanon, sure, but it's perfectly logical, I feel.
I agree that Goku feels more like a plot device, someone to save the day, in the same way he has been portrayed in previous arcs, but you're doing the Freeza arc a disservice if you claim it has nothing to do with Goku's journey or he has no arc. Does the acceptance of his heritage and the Super Saiyan transformation and his inner turmoil during it not count for anything now?I’d also say that Goku is less of a character and more of a plot device in this arc. Goku’s only role in the arc to be side-lined before conveniently before inserting himself back into the plot and saving the day. Now this has happened before, in both the King Piccolo arc and Saiyan arc. But there is significant difference how it played in those arcs and in the Freeza arc. In those arcs, the narrative still majorly focuses on Goku’s journey in a meaningful fashion and the plot threads of those arcs originate from Goku. There’s no unique spin on this in the Freeza arc.