Goku's Real Age?

[ryou766]

I'm currently re-reading the Dragon Ball manga, and on Chapter 2, page 8, Goku tells Bulma that he's 14 years old -- making him two years younger than her.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
But, in actuality, we know from Minus that Goku was actually 3 years old when he spent his time in the incubator as a baby on Planet Vegeta. Gohan most likely based his birthday on the day he discovered Goku. So, essentially, would this make Goku 3 years older than he claims to be? Putting him at exactly 17 years old at the start of DB? Thus, making him older than Bulma by a year?

I know it's something that shouldn't be taken literally (or should it?) but I found it interesting nonetheless.

[ryan1227]

Goku was actually 12 years old at that point, he just didn't know how to count. I don't know anything about Minus, so I can't say anything about that.

[ryou766]

Goku was actually 12 years old at that point, he just didn't know how to count.

That's right. I had forgotten about his interaction with Kuririn at the WT. So, it'd make him 15(?) I guess.

[Darkprince410]

I'm currently re-reading the Dragon Ball manga, and on Chapter 2, page 8, Goku tells Bulma that he's 14 years old -- making him two years younger than her.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
But, in actuality, we know from Minus that Goku was actually 3 years old when he spent his time in the incubator as a baby on Planet Vegeta. Gohan most likely based his birthday on the day he discovered Goku. So, essentially, would this make Goku 3 years older than he claims to be? Putting him at exactly 17 years old at the start of DB? Thus, making him older than Bulma by a year?

I know it's something that shouldn't be taken literally (or should it?) but I found it interesting nonetheless.

We don't actually know though if Goku was 3 years old or not. It's easily possible, and not unreasonable, that his three years within the incubator was the equivalent of the 9 months within his mother's womb. Saiya-jin children may be born in vitro or the fertilized egg removed from the mother after conception so that it can grow within an incubator rather than the mother carrying him to term. It would allow the mothers to return to duty quickly (with a race only in the thousands, every member being available would be important) while also allowing the fetus to grow in a safe environment rather than putting them at risk if the mother is out fighting.

As such, they're not born until after they come out of the incubator, and the three years within the incubator doesn't count toward their age any more than the 9 months a child spends in their mother's womb counts.

[ryou766]

We don't actually know though if Goku was 3 years old or not. It's easily possible, and not unreasonable, that his three years within the incubator was the equivalent of the 9 months within his mother's womb. Saiya-jin children may be born in vitro or the fertilized egg removed from the mother after conception so that it can grow within an incubator rather than the mother carrying him to term. It would allow the mothers to return to duty quickly (with a race only in the thousands, every member being available would be important) while also allowing the fetus to grow in a safe environment rather than putting them at risk if the mother is out fighting.

As such, they're not born until after they come out of the incubator, and the three years within the incubator doesn't count toward their age any more than the 9 months a child spends in their mother's womb counts.

I never thought about it that way, though the thought of Goku not exactly being 3 years old at the time did come to mind. You have a point, and that does make sense -- especially considering the fact that these are Saiyan mothers, after all. I actually really like this explanation.

[Rubens]

He states to be 14 at that point, but later at the tournament he says he's 12 which surprises Kuririn, and Goku justifies to the latter that when they studied with Muten Roshi, he learned that 12 comes after 11, not 14. I'm saying this unsourced because I don't remember where I read it, but appears that the reason is because Goku was drawn naked before then and, back in the 80s, drawing a naked 14 y/old was considered pornographic so that was why the author retconned Goku's age.

Regardless the time that passed since then up to the tournament (8 months), Goku is 12 in the beggining (the event was in May I think, so if Goku's birthday was between June and September, when the story apparently begins, he can still remain 12 and not be 13 at the tenkaichi budoukai).

[Sandubadear]

In my headcanon his age is still the same (12), even considering Jaco. He was just born in early Age 737, and Jaco takes place in late Age 739, which is almost three years. I like this better than pushing Goku's birthdate back to Age 734 because it makes more sense that planet Vegeta was destroyed while Beerus was asleep, instead of even before he went to sleep (if Vegeta were destroyed in 737).