Akira Toriyama's long-running Dragon Ball series has been a favorite of anime fans all over the world since it first began airing in the 1980s. On top of being one of the biggest anime of all time, it also boasts one of the most well-known anime characters as its leading man. Dragon Ball's lead character Goku is certifiably iconic and beloved among anime fans. Throughout the entire series, viewers first meet him as a child. Audiences followed his journey from this stage, all the way to him being a grown-up. He becomes a father and later, a grandfather. The character is easy to bond with and become attached to. However, he also receives his fair share of criticism.

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Throughout the span of the show, Goku doesn't mature all that much and this can be a point of contention for some viewers. He gets physically stronger and learns how to fight in a smarter way, but his life skills and maturity level never seem to grow. This makes him a little goofy and, sometimes, unintelligent seeming. Because the character does eventually have a family, his nature and actions often make fans question if he's a good father or not.

Goku has two sons with his wife Chi-Chi throughout the course of the series. First, he has Gohan, and later in the series he has Goten. His relationship with them is certainly very unique, and definitely different from what most people would feel is a typical father-child dynamic. Some of the ways he interacts with them do make it seem like he's a questionable father, but it's also very clear that he loves his family and his intentions are good.

Does Goku Even See His Kids?

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One of the biggest reasons that many think Goku is a bad father, is that he isn't with them as much as people would hope. This is definitely a criticism that makes sense. It's very apparent that martial arts are Goku's main love, and he prioritizes training over time with his family.

Goku's wife Chi-Chi tries to keep him home more and gets angry at him always taking off to fight enemies, and it is sad to see. For most of Gohan's childhood, Goku was dead so he missed all of that time. Of course, that wasn't necessarily his fault, but that he doesn't prioritize bonding with his son after that doesn't paint him in the best light. And with Goten, it's rare to see any father-son bonding time.

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However, Goku's role is also very important. The bad guys he fights are often threatening to destroy the world or kill many people. In a way, it's not like Goku even has a choice in whether he dedicates his time to fighting them or not because it's a literal life or death situation.

Too Much Training

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Given how Goku just doesn't seem to see his children much in general, it's apparent that most of his time is spent training or doing something else related to martial arts. There are some sweet moments in these training and fighting sessions as well, but it just feels a little shallow and strange. When his oldest son Gohan decides to abandon the martial arts life and become a husband and scholar, he gets made fun of a lot. Even by his father.

When his children succeed at martial arts or defeat an enemy to save the day, Goku is incredibly proud. It's in those moments that audiences can see how much he really does love them and how his intentions are to be a good father. His view on being a good father just looks a lot different from what most people would see as a good father. Whether that justifies his actions is what's still up for debate because even the best intentions can have bad results.

He's Too Immature

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As previously mentioned, Goku doesn't really grow up-- at least not mentally. Because he is still so young seeming and immature, he does come off a little shortsighted. And because of this, many viewers think he's too dumb to be a good dad. At one point in Dragon Ball Super, Goku even alludes to not knowing what a kiss is. This is extremely suspicious and concerning as he has children.

The "Goku is too stupid" argument isn't necessarily wrong, but it does feel a little mean. His level of intelligence isn't really related to how good of a dad he is, or how much he loves his sons. For most of these points, whether Goku is an adequate father or not will come down to interpretation. On one hand, he does seem incredibly absent and doesn't spend much typical bonding time with his children, and he is very childish himself. On the other, he's also a very dedicated person and puts everything on the line so his family is safe.

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