Were Goku's gestures of mercy to enemies naivete or could they have worked out?

[Lionel]

Here's something I've been thinking about. We know Goku tried to extend a hand of mercy to several different enemies throughout Z and occasionally in Super -- Nappa, the Ginyu Force, Freeza, ect. Those around him decried him for his short-sighted leniency and usually the follow-up actions were taken out of his hands by someone else with less qualms in dirtying their hands with blood. If not then the self-deluded pretensions of the foe who just couldn't conceive of someone overcoming them prompted a fatal response.

In my opinion, I think it was just Toriyama's way of avoiding a complicated situation by having someone else do the cleanup in Goku's stead.

Now to be fair, we know that it's highly probable that these various characters would have simply gone on to commit more heinous acts while potentially returning to exact their revenge against the one who "slighted" them. The odds of them turning over a new leaf or retiring from their rampages were slim to nothing. Having said that, is there any way they could have been punished in some other way? Imprisonment or rehabilitation obviously seem far fetched due to the ki of the criminals being ungovernable for the universe's law enforcement. But if you look a bit deeper, there are less conventional avenues of subdual that could work. Pharmaceuticals with the intent to sedate or surgical procedures could have been entertained as a possibility.

I'm not sure how someone like Goku would react to seeing Nappa reduced to permanent enfeeblement or Freeza lobotomised -- both in the care of the Galactic Patrol never to get out. Are measures like those warrantable or should the simple option of killing them still be used for every enemy that's overpowered?

[Polyphase Avatron]

What about sealing them, Mafuba style?

Of course that always carries the risk of someone letting them out...

[theherodjl]

If there was such thing as eliminating or reducing evil from a person's soul(like how DB's version of reincarnation apparently works) then that ought to be the preferred choice on handling things. At times though, it almost seems as though Goku has this power with how many former enemies are now friends/allies/rivals. Even Freeza, Freeza, of all people has mellowed out enough to not simply do as he pleases with just anyone's life/home. Granted, that may be because there are a few beings who rival or surpass Freeza in strength(as well as Beerus occasionally enforcing his will upon Freeza) and so he simply respects their independence for his own survival...but its still rather incredible how Space Napoleon Hitler is much more calm with everyone in general nowadays.
Maybe Goku's personality should be bottled up & sold as anti-anxiety medication?

[Lionel]

The Mafuba is an interesting proposition and it has been used before in the case of Piccolo Daimou. With the magically obscured confines of the technique's sealing means, though, I guess it kind of takes away from a lot of the visual moral gravitas. Maybe I'm looking too much for an enigmatic scene where Goku's personality and choices have a stark uncomfortable consequence to them though.

theherodjl: That sounds like the basic solution would involve either having Yemma recycle their souls or have their neurochemistry altered to be like Goku's. It makes sense. In the case of Freeza, I like to think that the chaotic fracas where people were struggling for their existences might have contributed to his mellowing out as well, next to what you said. Freeza is one who delights in wielding the authority to decide the fates of others. An event such as the Tournament of Power would be tailor made for sating that megalomania after years of single-minded resentment harboured towards the emotionally antithetical upstart that is Goku. Plus, the revealing of an echelon behind the Hakaishin with authority over the broader multiverse probably made him realise that his original ambitions are relatively small.

[Anonymous Friend]

Nappa and Ginyu could probably be reformed. Nappa's a saiyan, and as such probably just loves all the fighting he gets to do. Direct all that energy to stopping other bad guys, or even just sparring with Goku.

Ginyu is loyal to Freeza, and would require more work. We honestly know so little about him, though.