Goku a Superhero?

[Super Sonic]

Did some searching and didn't see any other topics on the subject, but would any of you guys consider Goku to be a superhero? Know that when Wikipedia used to have a category on Japanese Superheroes, they included him along Ichigo, Sailor Soldiers and Sentai Teams. And also know that a few guys here tend to think of superheroes only with the lamer parts of Silver Age DC (when they should check out Silver Age Marvel, or 70s Neal Adams/Denny O'Neil Batman), and include English Goku to be as such. Myself, I kind of consider Goku to be a superhero from his actions, self-serving or not, but not like the Silver Age DC type hero as he's one but different. Then again I was more into Marvel and Adams/O'Neil Batman, so I think of things differently than guys who know that DC era mainly do.

[Perfect]

English Wikipedia mentions him and Naruto as ones I believe.

[JulieYBM]

Superheroes tend to care about justice. Gokû doesn't really care about anything unless it personally affects him in a direct manner.

I can't really call him a superhero...

[penguintruth]

Superheroes are fairly proactive. They patrol.

Goku? Fifty nine million murders could occur in the world that day and six nuclear wars could pass and Goku wouldn't give two damns unless it interrupted his training.

[Hellspawn28]

Well he projects the people that he loves, and save the Earth many times before. I don't see why he can't be view as a Superhero?

[Super Sonic]

Superheroes are fairly proactive. They patrol.

Goku? Fifty nine million murders could occur in the world that day and six nuclear wars could pass and Goku wouldn't give two damns unless it interrupted his training.

This made me laugh. But yeah, I guess Goku could be like early Wolverine who joined Xavier not out of wanting to help people and mutant/human relations, but to not have to deal with annoying bureaucrats.

[Herms]

It depends on how you define "superhero". Personally I think of superheroes as characters with extraordinary powers who maintain some sort of split between their heroic persona and their "secret identity". Goku doesn't have any sort of secret identity, so I wouldn't consider him a super hero (the Great Saiyaman, however, would be). Goku's based on the legendary Monkey King and the protagonists of martial arts movies. He's not portrayed as a superhero in the mold of Marvel or DC comics.

Well he projects the people that he loves, and save the Earth many times before. I don't see why he can't be view as a Superhero?

That would make him a hero, but does that automatically make him a superhero?

[Bardo117]

He fights for good all the time so, yeah he's a superhero.

[penguintruth]

He fights for good all the time so, yeah he's a superhero.

Goku fights for himself all the time. It just happens to be it results in positive action.

Well, mostly. He did put humanity in danger because he wanted to fight the Artificial Humans.

[Scarz]

It depends on how you define "superhero". Personally I think of superheroes as characters with extraordinary powers who maintain some sort of split between their heroic persona and their "secret identity". Goku doesn't have any sort of secret identity, so I wouldn't consider him a super hero (the Great Saiyaman, however, would be). Goku's based on the legendary Monkey King and the protagonists of martial arts movies. He's not portrayed as a superhero in the mold of Marvel or DC comics.

Well he projects the people that he loves, and save the Earth many times before. I don't see why he can't be view as a Superhero?

That would make him a hero, but does that automatically make him a superhero?

I couldn't agree more except for the "extraordinary powers" part. I believe you can still be a superhero without the super powers.

Goku is more of hero than a superhero. When I think "superhero" I think men in tights, mask, secret identities, a saver, and most importantly an upholder of justice. Goku doesn't fly around the earth like Superman looking for people to save, nor does he brings his enemies to justice. He just fights. Whether its for fun, avenge a fallen friend, save the earth or all three. He does it because he wants to not because he has to. He's not bound to this moral code like how most super heroes are.

[Perfect]

If only the Ginyu Force were super and or heroes.

[Chuquita]

The Great Saiyaman is a superhero. Goku's just a regular hero; if there's a really strong guy trying to destroy the Earth, he's gonna stop them, but he doesn't go out into the city fighting crime every day or anything like that. That's more Gohan's thing.

[Ussj Future Trunks]

I think its only the English dub that makes Goku a superhero. Also if you hurt his friends, you're fucked.

[Scarz]

I think its only the English dub that makes Goku a superhero.

Do you mean the whole "...Ally to good, nightmare to you!" speech?

[TonyTheTiger]

Superheroes are fairly proactive. They patrol.

Goku? Fifty nine million murders could occur in the world that day and six nuclear wars could pass and Goku wouldn't give two damns unless it interrupted his training.

I don't think that's a fair accusation against Goku, though. It's true that Gohan more closely matches the traditional superhero archetype but the world they live in is pretty utopian. Goku isn't going to go patrolling for murders because there wouldn't be murders, at least not by ordinary people. Outside of a handful of relatively petty criminals, often painted in a somewhat goofy light, the only real evil done in the world has been from major supervillains.

The Dragon Ball universe never struck me as a place where murders and rapes are remotely common. And there doesn't seem to be a moral gray in the universe, either. Good guys are good and bad guys are bad. It's a world where power doesn't corrupt and many former bad guys eventually become good. There's also the whole "death isn't really a big deal" part, too.

I think if we cut and paste Goku into a world that more closely matches the DC or Marvel universes he'd be pretty altruistic.

[Savage68]

I think its only the English dub that makes Goku a superhero.

Do you mean the whole "...Ally to good, nightmare to you!" speech?

Roshi, Season 1 (or the beginning of 2, I forget): "He's sworn an oath to protect the innocent."

[Scarz]

Goku isn't going to go patrolling for murders because there wouldn't be murders

I'm sorry, what?

The Dragon Ball universe never struck me as a place where murders and rapes are remotely common.

Okay I understand where you're coming from but that's a pretty bold statement. To say that in DB universe NO ONE have ever raped or murdered somebody is a big stretch. May I remind you of those two guys during the RR army saga that wanted to "play" with Bulma in special way? Yeah, they were going to rape her.

[TonyTheTiger]

And the RR were major villains. Hence where I say that evil deeds appear to generally be localized to the actual bad guys the heroes fight. Can you really imagine Bulma and Vegeta sitting at home and hear the next door neighbors arguing and all of a sudden there's a domestic violence incident? Or one of Gohan's classmates getting drunk at a party and raping a passed out girl in the bedroom? That stuff happens in DC and Marvel (unfortunately mirroring our own world) but it strikes me as blatantly out of place in Dragon Ball.

[cRookie_Monster]

Sure he's a superhero. Not all superheros are out patrolling the streets. Hulk, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, most of the Excalibur series, etc. Not Superheros even have powers (Batman\Robin)

[DemonRin]

I think there are those who would define superheroes as anyone who does "Heroic" things with the aid of "Super Powers".

If you consider flying and shooting Ki beams out of your hands a Superpower, then Son counts as a superhero by that definition.

When you go even a slight bit deeper than that in your definition of a "Superhero", the logic falls apart.