Goku's morals

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

Goku is well known for his morals and his love for all life, humans and animals, he wants to protect innocent life forms which have done nothing wrong and should not be harmed... However, on numerous occasions (More so when he was a kid) he just decides he will eat something from it passing him, for example wolves he randomly found when chasing the plane he thought was a large bird.

Once an adult when hunting you mainly see him hunt fish, so maybe, there is a reason for it, but I always found this slightly weird, although someone has to eat, it's a need...

Any opinions on this?

[Lord Beerus]

Goku's "morals" are very, very, very alien.

As a kid, Goku had no qualms about killing his enemies, but as the series progressed and he got older, he started to mellow out more. There's also the fact that Goku, as a child, had no concept of the morality of taking lives when he was blowing up Red Ribbon Army vehicles. He'd lived most of his life alone in the woods. He barely understood death, thinking that when he accidentally killed his grandfather, his grandfather just became the 4-star ball. There are sometimes he killed purposely though such as killing a fleeing Tambourine and later his father King Piccolo to avenge Krillin, not that Tambourine or Piccolo didn't deserve it. Part of his no kill policy came later when many of his worst enemies became his loyal friends, realizing that if they could change, anyone could. When he does finally use lethal force against villains like Freeza and Cell, it's because he's realized they're beyond redemption and rotten to the core.

As a Saiyan, it's in his blood to love fighting and combat, and that love for fighting sometimes comes off as a negative to humans, gods, and even other aliens. He is regarded with unease whenever he shows such excitement for battle, with one of Goku's friends even calling him a monster for being so excited about a fight over when the entire planet hangs on the brink of destruction. His love of fighting has also caused him to make decisions that aren't very defensible, or even stupid. Sparing Vegeta's life after their battle just so that he could fight him again, for example, or sending his own son to fight Cell, gambling that Gohan would awaken his hidden power in time to ultimately win, even giving a Senzu Bean to Cell so that Gohan gets a fair match against him, rather than a better chance to win and save the world and abandoning his family and friends to train a child he just met so that child could become more powerful and protect the earth when Goku dies. Further evidence of this is in Battle of Gods when Goku's morality is questioned because of his love of fighting. On the other hand, he doesn't go looking for these kinds of situations, and is content to live a quiet life in the countryside, albeit one involving a lot of physical training. He seems to be aware that these situations find him, which may be part of it.

Goku's idea of parenting is also a bit skewed; while he'll appropriately go papa wolf if anyone fucks with his kids (or granddaughter), Goku doesn't put a lot of priority in actually raising those kids. He's more than happy to ditch his family if the mood strikes him or something else catches his interest. This was implied for years and eventually confirmed by Toriyama to be part of his nature as an alien; Saiyans didn't raise their kids the same way humans do, and children were mostly expected to fend for themselves from a very early age. Goku just doesn't have a nesting instinct. Considering how his sons turned up, it may be possible that Saiyans (including half ones) become relatively independent at an earlier age and thus why his two sons turned out well (as well as how Goku was raised himself.)

[soulnova]

Goku's "morals" are very, very, very alien.

As a kid, Goku had no qualms about killing his enemies, but as the series progressed and he got older, he started to mellow out more. There's also the fact that Goku, as a child, had no concept of the morality of taking lives when he was blowing up Red Ribbon Army vehicles. He'd lived most of his life alone in the woods. He barely understood death, thinking that when he accidentally killed his grandfather, his grandfather just became the 4-star ball. There are sometimes he killed purposely though such as killing a fleeing Tambourine and later his father King Piccolo to avenge Krillin, not that Tambourine or Piccolo didn't deserve it. Part of his no kill policy came later when many of his worst enemies became his loyal friends, realizing that if they could change, anyone could. When he does finally use lethal force against villains like Freeza and Cell, it's because he's realized they're beyond redemption and rotten to the core.

As a Saiyan, it's in his blood to love fighting and combat, and that love for fighting sometimes comes off as a negative to humans, gods, and even other aliens. He is regarded with unease whenever he shows such excitement for battle, with one of Goku's friends even calling him a monster for being so excited about a fight over when the entire planet hangs on the brink of destruction. His love of fighting has also caused him to make decisions that aren't very defensible, or even stupid. Sparing Vegeta's life after their battle just so that he could fight him again, for example, or sending his own son to fight Cell, gambling that Gohan would awaken his hidden power in time to ultimately win, even giving a Senzu Bean to Cell so that Gohan gets a fair match against him, rather than a better chance to win and save the world and abandoning his family and friends to train a child he just met so that child could become more powerful and protect the earth when Goku dies. Further evidence of this is in Battle of Gods when Goku's morality is questioned because of his love of fighting. On the other hand, he doesn't go looking for these kinds of situations, and is content to live a quiet life in the countryside, albeit one involving a lot of physical training. He seems to be aware that these situations find him, which may be part of it.

Goku's idea of parenting is also a bit skewed; while he'll appropriately go papa wolf if anyone fucks with his kids (or granddaughter), Goku doesn't put a lot of priority in actually raising those kids. He's more than happy to ditch his family if the mood strikes him or something else catches his interest. This was implied for years and eventually confirmed by Toriyama to be part of his nature as an alien; Saiyans didn't raise their kids the same way humans do, and children were mostly expected to fend for themselves from a very early age. Goku just doesn't have a nesting instinct. Considering how his sons turned up, it may be possible that Saiyans (including half ones) become relatively independent at an earlier age and thus why his two sons turned out well (as well as how Goku was raised himself.)

I specially agree with the last part. Minus implies Saiyans at least actually wait for the child to be somewhat self-sufficient to send them on their own. Gine and Bardock certainly cared for their offspring's safety... but raising small children is not really a Saiyan thing. They will do what they can to protect them but also expect them to fend for themselves on any other non-life threatening situation.

[SpiritBombTriumphant]

My only issue with Goku's morals is the way he keeps abandoning his family. People above have mentioned parenting, but what about... husbanding? He leaves Chi-Chi to go to Planet Namek, stays in space for a year, then decides not to be wished back based on BS logic and is gone for 7 years. He comes back, lives at home for ten, then leaves his wife again for an unknown period of time (not counting GT). He needs to quit abandoning his damn wife.

[FoolsGil]

Oddly enough, Vegeta has become the family man we all wish Goku had become.

[saunasolmu]

My only issue with Goku's morals is the way he keeps abandoning his family. People above have mentioned parenting, but what about... husbanding? He leaves Chi-Chi to go to Planet Namek, stays in space for a year, then decides not to be wished back based on BS logic and is gone for 7 years. He comes back, lives at home for ten, then leaves his wife again for an unknown period of time (not counting GT). He needs to quit abandoning his damn wife.

You mean the wife he married because he thought marriage was some kind of food?

[Artyom]

I think that some of goku's questionable choices regarding abandoning his wife and kids comes out of an innocent sort of ignorance, he just doesn't understand that disappearing for an undetermined period of time may upset his loved ones.
In goku's defence, his family never seems to kick up much of a fuss to his face about his family-skills or maybe they realise there's not much point.

I'd say goku's morals for being a saiyan are extremely positive, the only real issue is that he's willing to risk lives for the sake of a decent fight which would be morally bad of someone who was tasked with defending the earth like kami for example, however goku is not tasked with anything he just happens to be strong enough to save the earth but that doesn't hold him accountable for the fate of the earth. Based on that I'd say the earth is lucky is have goku dispite his questionable choices.

[Eire]

I think that some of goku's questionable choices regarding abandoning his wife and kids comes out of an innocent sort of ignorance, he just doesn't understand that disappearing for an undetermined period of time may upset his loved ones.

Following your logic we should let domestic abusers be, because they it never occurred to them that beating kids senseless won't make a men out of them.

Ignorantia excusat neminem.

Seriously, he had been living with family for how long? Yet it never occurred to him that his absence hurts them. He priories whatever goal he has in mind over his supposed loved ones. Chi-Chi's tears when they were reunited after Boo's defeat could move a soulless stone, yet our innocent hero leaves her again because he wants to train a complete stranger.
Hugs and words are cheap. The real love is shown where you change your life in long term for well-being of your family.

[soulnova]

Well, if we take Neko Majin as reference, we see Goku is living at his own home with Uub, ChiChi, Goten and Pan, so I would assume Goku just spent a couple of months out with Uub and then he simply returned. Not that bad really.

For anything else about his lack of social/family skills I would simply bring out the "Brain Damage" + "12 years of social Isolation" card and be done with it.

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

Interesting read.

Some good opinions. I agree with a lot of it.

Vegeta being a family man that Goku never was is funny but so true.