Freeza Not Knowing Goku: The Plot Hole

[Gaffer Tape]

Yay for the Dragon Boxes. I've been watching things with a greater eye to detail than ever before, reading the cast lists, recognizing the different art styles, and discovering plot holes I never realized existed. Thankfully, most of them occur only in filler, but we all know there are some canonical ones as well. Eh, I'm sure this is nothing new. With a 25 year old series, probably everything there is to nitpick has been nitpicked, but I'll share my little finding anyway.

Right before Zarbon goes back to find the defeated Vegeta, Freeza shares with him his fear of a "chou" Saiya-jin emerging and has a premonition that it's not Vegeta. Zarbon dismisses this, as the only Saiya-jin besides Vegeta are that guy from earth and his son. So obviously Freeza and his inner circle know about Goku, most likely from listening in on Vegeta and Nappa's scouters.

Later, when Gohan nearly beats Freeza's third form, Freeza comes to the shocked realization that Gohan is a Saiya-jin. No problem there, as there was no reason for Freeza to assume Gohan wasn't a pure earthling up to that point. But then he reasons that Gohan is Raditz's child as he looks nothing like Nappa or Vegeta. Um, but you already know that a Saiya-jin living on earth has a kid... Occam's Razor, Freeza!

And then, when Goku and Freeza meet each other for the first time, and Vegeta refers to him as Kakarrotto, Freeza is stunned that this is a Saiya-jin name. So now it's pretty obvious that Freeza (and Toriyama) have forgotten the previous conversation with Zarbon that shows that Freeza is fully aware of Goku's existance... either that or it's a stealth retcon. You decide!!!

[penguintruth]

Lord Freeza can't be expected to remember every piddling little detail. He's a busy man.

[Silver Sinspawn]

Freeza forgot Goku like Krillin forgot Gohan. The Son family clearly aren't important to other people

[Metalwario64]

Krillin forgot Gohan.

What are you referring to?

[Silver Sinspawn]

Krillin forgot Gohan.

What are you referring to?

Well, he met Gohan prior to Z in the first movie, then doesn't recognize him in the first Z episode. Then the GJ saga comes along making a big plothole.

[Innagadadavida]

I don't think it's fair to just say "he forgot." Freeza suffers from a fuckton of paranoia, especially toward Saiyans. I think if he really was worried about a mystery Saiyan, it wouldn't be something he'd easily forget.

[Metalwario64]

Well, he met Gohan prior to Z in the first movie, then doesn't recognize him in the first Z episode. Then the GJ saga comes along making a big plothole.

But that's all filler...

[Silver Sinspawn]

I know, where did I say it wasn't?
I was just saying.

[Metalwario64]

I know, where did I say it wasn't?
I was just saying.

I understand now Johnson, I guess that was totally uncalled for!

[Silver Sinspawn]

But, filler does bring plotholes aplenty.

[caejones]

Well, didn't Freeza miss the battle between Goku and Vegeta, what with Vegeta crushing his scouter and vaporizing Nappa?
So information on Goku as a Saiyan would have to come before that.
Ur...
Oh, wait. If they were listening to the Raditz bit...
Except... in that case, why wouldn't Freeza have gone to Earth first?
AH!
So I'm assuming that Freeza's people only paid attention to the fight with Nappa.
Was it ever made clear during that battle that Goku was a Saiyan?
Never mind the use of the Name Kakarot...

[Gaffer Tape]

Yes. All of Vegeta's talk during the three hour break was about how Kakarrotto was a traitor to the Saiya-jin and needed to be dealt with personally, yadda, yadda. And Vegeta was definitely wearing his scouter during all of that, so that would explain how Zarbon and Freeza knew about him, who he was, what his strength was, etc.

[Dayspring]

Vegeta went to Earth to kill ''that guy and his son.'' Vegeta came back. It's possible Freeza just assumed the fight concluded in Vegeta's favor because of this, as they'd have no means of eavesdropping once Vegeta removed the scouter. Rather than think otherwise, he guessed Gohan was Radditz's son because of how the looked the same.

[Gaffer Tape]

Well, obviously Zarbon didn't get that memo, or he wouldn't have considered Goku to be an active threat.

[Anonymous Friend]

Well, Goku did die during his fight with Raditz. I'm not sure how much info Freeza got after Goku showed up to fight Vegeta and Nappa. Then, there's Goku interactions with the Ginyu Force.

Whenever there's a scouter around, doesn't it always give a weaker reading than what Goku is actually capable of?

[Zephyr]

Well, Goku did die during his fight with Raditz. I'm not sure how much info Freeza got after Goku showed up to fight Vegeta and Nappa.

He got enough info during Vegeta and Nappa's visit to learn about Namek's Dragonballs.

[Xyex]

I think Zarbon's comment about Goku and Gohan wasn't a reference to them being an active threat. He was telling Freeza that it had to be Vegeta, if there was to be a Super Saiya-jin, because the only others were the two from Earth... who they both thought were dead thanks to Vegeta.

[Gaffer Tape]

I didn't mean active threat as in "stronger than Vegeta." I meant active threat as in "alive" and "existing." I believe I said it earlier that Zarbon brings up Goku specifically to state that he's weaker than Vegeta and, therefore, provides no reason for Freeza to be worried about a "chou" Saiya-jin. But like I said, I only mention that to show that Zarbon and Freeza do indeed know he exists and is still alive after the battle with Vegeta.

[Vhanos]

I've thought about this subject too. Freeza probably lost track about it.

At the spaceship when they were discussing, Freeza and Zarbon didn't speculate if Gohan was one of the two saiyans they were talking about.

[ect5150]

It's interesting none-the-less, I never noticed this detail before.

Although remember. Freeza destroyed Planet Vegeta because he was worried a SSJ might showing up. I don't think its unreasonable to assume he'd keep track of the only 4 to survive it's destruction. It's just another well found plot-hole.