Who is Son-Goku's best friend?

[Cetra]

Seriously, I don't think this can be answered totally. The most common answer would be "Kuririn".

Goku beat up Tambourine and Freezer because of Kuririn. Kuririn was his first rival and his comrade as student of Muten-Roshi and all.

However, Bulma also shares a special relationship with him. She was the one to introduce him to the world, he learned a lot from her that he would have never known, he got to experience what the Dragon Balls are and pretty much nothing he get to know in life would have happened without her. There are never those moments where Goku cries because of Bulma, I know but I don't think that is necessary for them to be best friends. And if Bulma actually would have been killed I am pretty sure Goku also would have reacted the same as he did because of Kuririn.

Then of course there is also Vegeta. And not only Vegeta but Piccolo. Archenemies that have become rivals and eventually even friends. Whether it is because they are so similiar because of their nature as Saiyajin (Goku and Vegeta) or just because whatever they have lived through got them closer, they totally changed.

I am also one of those who would say "Kuririn" because of certain events. But on the other hand, Bulma's significance in Goku's life cannot be denied. Surely that can be said about all of them but Bulma has an even greater impact when it comes to the event chain simply because she was important for so many things from the very beginning. Piccolo and Vegeta, especially Vegeta, are a good reason for Goku to continously train or even are shown to be completely trusted by Goku who had no problem with Gohan being trained by Piccolo (even in that early state of Piccolo's development).

It really depends. They are all so important. When it comes to scenes that immediately show the depth of their friendship then I would say Kuririn but I had to choose for the overall story then I would say Bulma.

You can speak in what-ifs and hypotheticals all day long, but the fact is Goku and Bulma's relationship is never scrutinized to the level of most of the male cast.

"What-ifs or hypotheticals" can be used here whenever. Bulma and Goku's relationship is existent, no matter how it is shown. And it is shown to be a friendship good enough for the conclusion that he definitely wouldn't just ignore her being killed such as Kuririn was. And yes, it is very well defined as much as the relationship as most. You need to look at a bit more information than just the most direct comments, that is also important.

[B]

You can speak in what-ifs and hypotheticals all day long, but the fact is Goku and Bulma's relationship is never scrutinized to the level of most of the male cast. I wouldn't bat an eye at the idea that Bulma considered Goku to be a brother of sorts.

Also, it never occurred to me just now how hilarious it would be if Vegeta considered Goku his best friend, but Goku's best friend happened to be someone else. At this point, those guys are a bit like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

[Kamiccolo9]

It's definitely Krillin. Leaving aside the fact that Goku repeatedly says so, you also have to remember that he didn't actually spend all that much time with Bulma, and throughout all of that time, he was never really interested in getting to know her better, nor her with him.

[Cetra]

It's definitely Krillin. Leaving aside the fact that Goku repeatedly says so, you also have to remember that he didn't actually spend all that much time with Bulma, and throughout all of that time, he was never really interested in getting to know her better, nor her with him.

There is a bit more than just showing interest in someone to define them a friend. Just like it is clear that Goku can always count on Bulma and Kuririn but Bulma very often, in Dragon Ball more but also later, still is much of a help and shows that she does for Goku and the others what she can. Actually there are even so many moments when Goku hangs around with Bulma because of reason xy while there are less "Goku and Kuririn" moments after DB. Really the greatest Goku and Kuririn scene that happens after a long time is at the end of GT.

[TheGmGoken]

The manga says that Krillin was ONE of Goku best friend. Meaning Goku got a lot of best friends

[Cetra]

The manga says that Krillin was ONE of Goku best friend. Meaning Goku got a lot of best friends

Yes, which pretty much sums up what I said with "it depends" but I guess there are also some people who think like "well, if you have to choose". Goku surely wouldn't. But we are not Goku so we can. And for various reasons I stated, as I am aware of the important scenes with Kuririn, the overall story gives me more of a feeling for Bulma. Kuririn's role can't be denied but I am speaking about the general situation.

[Kamiccolo9]

It's definitely Krillin. Leaving aside the fact that Goku repeatedly says so, you also have to remember that he didn't actually spend all that much time with Bulma, and throughout all of that time, he was never really interested in getting to know her better, nor her with him.

There is a bit more than just showing interest in someone to define them a friend. Just like it is clear that Goku can always count on Bulma and Kuririn but Bulma very often, in Dragon Ball more but also later, still is much of a help and shows that she does for Goku and the others what she can. Actually there are even so many moments when Goku hangs around with Bulma because of reason xy while there are less "Goku and Kuririn" moments after DB. Really the greatest Goku and Kuririn scene that happens after a long time is at the end of GT.

Bulma can't relate to Goku the way that Krillin can. Goku and Krillin are both
Boys
Fighters
Training under the same master
Share similar interests
Share similar values

And Goku doesn't hang around with Bulma that much. The initial story arc takes place in a little over a week, if I recall correctly. The remainder of the time Goku is seen with Bulma only constitutes one or two days at a time, at the most. And nearly every time that Bulma sees Goku, she mentions how it's been a really long time since she's seen him. They're friends, obviously, but Goku clearly doesn't have the same kind of relationship that Goku has with Krillin; she's more like an older sister or cousin that he comes to help for every now and then.

The reason there aren't many Goku and Krillin moments (aside from the big one) in Z, is because for most of the time, one or both of them is either incapacitated, on different planets, or dead, and what we are actually shown in the manga only constitutes, what, 3-4 days in the Android Arc, and 2 days in the Buu Arc?

[Gyt Kaliba]

Yeah, I'd say it's most definitely Kuririn. I mean, he was the first person Goku's own age that he spent a good amount of time with. He had the first hunt for the Balls with Bulma and Oolong (and later in Yamcha and Puar) of course, but it still wasn't near the amount of time, much less quality time, that he spent on Roshi's island alongside Kuririn.

That said though, a case could be argued for who is the closest to Goku outside of Kuririn, and there's a nice little pool of people for that. I'd say it'd be his family (despite the issues there), Vegeta (for rivalry), Piccolo (for past rivalry and how special he is to Gohan), Roshi (his teacher), and definitely Bulma (as the first person he ever met besides his grandfather).

[soulnova]

I would say that for most part of DB and DBZ, Krillin would take the spot of best friend no.1 without any doubt.

BUT...By the Buu Saga I would argue that Goku has now more in common with Vegeta than any of the other member of the cast. Don't get me wrong, I still think Kuririn, Piccolo and, yes, Bulma are his best friends but... they don't get him like Vegeta does. And is true the other way around.

Namekians and humans simply don't get Saiyans' psyche and never will. Neither will their kids. Sure, they will get work up and fight as needed but once they are grown up they simply drift away from that love of fighting and training.

[Valerius Dover]

Nah, it's obviously Konkichi.

[Cursed Lemon]

I will say this much, I think that Goku and Bulma's relationship could've been developed a lot more into their adult lives, the potential was definitely there. They have a unique and storied friendship.

[Low Tone G]

I read somewhere that Goku's best friend is Krillin, but he treats Piccolo like his brother. His relatioship with Vegeta is somewhat unic, he is his rival and friend, we can say it like Goku has Vegeta as friend because he is his permament rival, and he has Vegeta as a permanent rival because they are friends . Somewhere else also read that Bulma is the female protagonist of DB and Goku is the male one.

[flashback0180]

Krillin obviously , He was gokus first rivel and one of his oldest friends .

They have a better relationship compared to Vegeta,Tien and Yamcha .
Goku as a kid never understood the whole thing with Bulma being raised in the woods so their intrusts vary .

[RandomGuy96]

I like to think that, since they barely interacted, Goku said he HATED him in the Freeza arc, he killed all of Goku's friends, and is just outright monstrous in general, Goku wouldn't consider Vegeta a friend in any way.

Apparently, the anime has different ideas. But the manga itself doesn't even imply the two spoke between Buu's defeat and reincarnation.

I actually wish the relationship between Bulma and Goku had been explored more. It seems that they don't really interact as adults.

[Kid Buu]

Goku and Vegeta only team up once in the manga, and that was just a last second retcon that Toriyama did to phase Gohan out of the picture.

A lot of people say Kuririn, but I don't see it. They trained for one tournament, and that was it. I think it was mostly just there to justify Goku going SSJ, but I felt even that was cheapened because Goku had already been through that experience of Kuririn dying once.

I go with Kaio being Goku's best friend.

[TheGmGoken]

What about Goku raging when Tambourine died?