GT had a good conclusion for Goku

[DragonBallFoodie]

If I recall correctly, the ending of DBGT had Goku leave with Shenron, and then the balls absorb into his body.

Focusing mainly on Goku, I think that him departing Earth with Shenron, the genie god that centered and drove the series was a fairly good ending, in respect of how far Goku had advanced. He had finally become an equal to Shenron, all-powerful being that played a major part in his life; though it never dominated him, it played a major part in his life with him going on quests and making wishes. The conclusion was that now Goku was now at the level of a divine being. He'd gotten a similar (and arguably more fitting) conclusion with Z, where he took on Uub as his apprentice and the two departed for more adventures and training (it's a shame we never saw those).

GT and S compare with one having a sense of finality and the other keeping the story going through a soft reboot. I know finality isn't really a welcome thing among fans, but it looks like GT had an appropriate ending place for Goku. And on the other side of an ending is a beginning, where Goku could have met powerful beings like in DBS as well as deal with the trials/responsibilities/adventures of godhood.

[Yosheets]

GT had the best ending in the franchise, period. Whether you hate GT or not, I think this isn't even debatable.

[Grimlock]

It's a good conclusion, yes. Though a bit too much "mystery" surrounding it for me to accept it. It left a lot of questions still unanswered until this day. Though his ending established by Dragon Ball Online also shares a bit this "mystery", it's not that much, it's more conclusive in comparison.

I do wish to know what happened to him, just a few bits and pieces of information would be enough. Well, for now, I have that Xeno Goku is what happens to GT Goku, for obvious reasons.

Whether you hate GT or not, I think this isn't even debatable.

It most certainly is, because I disagree and I prefer Dragon Ball Online's ending.

[WittyUsername]

It’s a satisfying ending, but it doesn’t make a ton of sense when you stop to think about it. It makes Shenlong out to be this all-powerful entity who can just do things outside of his creator’s control. It also doesn’t explain the significance of the Dragon Balls going inside Goku. Is he one with Shenlong now? I would say I prefer it over the manga’s ending, but that one is much simpler.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

It was ok, though that said the vagueness of the last part in ep 64 leaves more questions than answers. I assume the writers may have been going for an intentional sense of mystery as to what exactly became of Goku after he had departed with the Eternal Dragon which the former and the Goku Jr. special hint at but don't really explain. My own personal interpretation is that absorbing the Dragon Balls granted him some kind of mysterious supernatural or etherial power of existence, as in maybe he exists in some kind of middle ground between the living and Next World. We don't know if he is actually alive or not when Pan or his great great grandson see him (though the complete lack of a ring over his head like the previous times he was deceased in the series which explicitly showed he was is an interesting detail but make of that what you will) and the circumstances by which Goku exists are not elaborated upon. It would be good to have some light shed on this, but no one from the show's staff have officially gone on record about it.

[ABED]

It works well and it doesn't leave more questions than answers. We don't need to know where he goes. It completely misses the point to answer where he goes. He's dead and gone. That's all you need to know. It's about the emotion of Goku giving his life to save his home. Regardless of what exactly happens to the Dragon Balls - does absorb them? Who knows? It doesn't matter. Point is that Goku and the Dragon Balls are gone at least for the foreseeable future. The mechanics of it all are vague, but the meaning of it all is very clear.

[Matches Malone]

I know it isn't the easiest show to get through (especially if you don't skip episodes 6-15), but I think its ending makes the somewhat difficult journey worth taking. I've never been a fan of things continuing indefinitely or having a too opened ending, so for all its flaws, GT did the right thing by giving a permanent ending to Goku and his friends' story. What I like the most about it is that it took the passage of time the manga was known for to its natural conclusion, our heroes dying and life going on despite that. It essentially ended the same way the original manga did, with the next generation taking over, it just did it with more closure for those who came before them. The dragon balls, the very thing everyone relied on so much being the final obstacle they had to overcome just made a perfect ending even better.

My own personal interpretation is that absorbing the Dragon Balls granted him some kind of mysterious supernatural or etherial power of existence, as in maybe he exists in some kind of middle ground between the living and Next World.

I definitely agree with this, I think he's in a position where he can only watch over things, but never get involved. I think killing Omega Shenron was the last time he was able to do anything for the earth and living world in general. Another interesting part is his lack of tail, which is a requirement to use Ssj4. This just adds to my theory that he can no longer fight anyone.

[Cure Dragon 255]

It works well and it doesn't leave more questions than answers. We don't need to know where he goes. It completely misses the point to answer where he goes. He's dead and gone. That's all you need to know. It's about the emotion of Goku giving his life to save his home. Regardless of what exactly happens to the Dragon Balls - does absorb them? Who knows? It doesn't matter. Point is that Goku and the Dragon Balls are gone at least for the foreseeable future. The mechanics of it all are vague, but the meaning of it all is very clear.

I thought you hated the ending...I keep misremembering things lol.

[DragonBallFoodie]

Thank you all for your comments.

I was focusing mostly on Goku though, because him having surpassed Shenron is more meaningful and personal than him surpassing Frieza or Beerus or achieving Ultra Instinct. It's him achieving a godhood on parallel with Beerus and Whis, something DBS has been playing around with to mixed results.

The action, unfortunately, put his fellow Z-fighters and his family in the shade and far behind, farther than they deserved to be IMO. But that's how it has been: as the journey goes on, other characters get left behind and have to take measures to catch up, or get a revisit once in a while.

[ABED]

How did he surpass Shen Long? Why is that relevant to the ending? The story was never about him achieving godhood. Goku's journey was a simple one without an end goal - get as strong as he can get and then surpass that. GT's ending isn't as thematically on point as Z's or even Super's, it still feels satisfying. Goku gives his life to save the universe and the survivors have to learn to live without their get out of jail free card.

[MyVisionity]

It’s a satisfying ending, but it doesn’t make a ton of sense when you stop to think about it. It makes Shenlong out to be this all-powerful entity who can just do things outside of his creator’s control. It also doesn’t explain the significance of the Dragon Balls going inside Goku. Is he one with Shenlong now? I would say I prefer it over the manga’s ending, but that one is much simpler.

It was a return to the original concept of Shenlong in the first series when he was all-powerful with no limits.

It doesn't have to explain the significance of the Dragon Balls into Goku, it lets the audience think for themselves. Goku being one with Shenlong is obviously a logical possibility.

[ABED]

I just thought of something. One of the biggest reasons death in DB came to mean less was we visit the afterlife, and it's just another location. If you have the right technique or being (Baba or Whis) you can visit it or even just communicate through it. By not telling us where Goku is, it in effect what death used to mean. Goku is gone. Where? We don't know and we can't reach it.

[MasenkoHA]

GT had the best ending in the franchise, period. Whether you hate GT or not, I think this isn't even debatable.

I’m debating it. I like the ending of Z/the original manga better as its a full circle situation for Goku.


I do think GT’s ending is a good ending especially for fans who prefer heroic Goku. I’d place it high above Super’s saccharine shonen cliche ending. And if we’re counting the original Dragon Ball’s wedding filler arc as its finale I prefer it over thar as well.

[SupremeKai25]

Super didn't even end... in fact the narrator literally says that it's not an ending, but a brief parting. You can't compare anything to Super's ending right now because Super doesn't have an ending. Super is an ongoing story and is currently on the Granolah arc.

[MasenkoHA]

Super didn't even end... in fact the narrator literally says that it's not an ending, but a brief parting. You can't compare anything to Super's ending right now because Super doesn't have an ending. Super is an ongoing story and is currently on the Granolah arc.

So the anime ended.

[ABED]

GT had the best ending in the franchise, period. Whether you hate GT or not, I think this isn't even debatable.

I’m debating it. I like the ending of Z/the original manga better as its a full circle situation for Goku.


I do think GT’s ending is a good ending especially for fans who prefer heroic Goku. I’d place it high above Super’s saccharine shonen cliche ending. And if we’re counting the original Dragon Ball’s wedding filler arc as its finale I prefer it over thar as well.

How would that qualify as saccharine? GT's would better fit that term.

Anyway, Super does have an ending, it's just open but it brings things to a satisfying ending. The conflicts are concluded and we know Goku and company will continue to train and get better. They're going to be just fine. The only ending to all of this is the grave. For the living, it just keeps going. So saying it's just a brief parting is in fact an ending.

[SupremeKai25]

Super didn't even end... in fact the narrator literally says that it's not an ending, but a brief parting. You can't compare anything to Super's ending right now because Super doesn't have an ending. Super is an ongoing story and is currently on the Granolah arc.

So the anime ended.

No, it went on hiatus. The narrator even said it's just a brief parting. Why would you think it's over when there are still 2 arcs + the Broly movie (potentially) that they can adapt?

Episode 131 is not meant to be taken as the conclusive ending to Super, as the narrator's words clearly say.

[ABED]

It's an open ending, but still and ending. What at the end of Super was left unresolved?

[MasenkoHA]

Super didn't even end... in fact the narrator literally says that it's not an ending, but a brief parting. You can't compare anything to Super's ending right now because Super doesn't have an ending. Super is an ongoing story and is currently on the Granolah arc.

So the anime ended.

No, it went on hiatus. The narrator even said it's just a brief parting. Why would you think it's over when there are still 2 arcs + the Broly movie (potentially) that they can adapt?

Episode 131 is not meant to be taken as the conclusive ending to Super, as the narrator's words clearly say.

Well shoot I guess its been on hiatus for 3 years now. Can’t wait until 2031when its still “on hiatus”

[SupremeKai25]

It's an open ending, but still and ending. What at the end of Super was left unresolved?

The Moro arc and Granolah arc?

As I said, Super is an ongoing story. I have no clue why people in this thread are acting like it's over.