About

Son Goku, widely known by his first name, Goku, is the main protagonist of Japanese media franchise Dragon Ball. Goku is one of the most popular anime and manga characters, as well as being among the most-memed anime characters, with memes often referencing his power, appearance, character arc, personality, attacks, reactions, quotes, outfits and transformations.

Origin

Goku debuted in the very first chapter of the Dragon Ball manga, titled "Bulma and Son Goku",^[1] which was released on November 29th, 1984 by Weekly Shōnen Jump.^[2] Goku's first appearances are on the cover art of the manga, which shows him on a motorcycle with Bulma (shown below, left) and on the first page, where he's greeting two monkeys (shown below, right).

Dragon Ball's creator, writer and illustrator Akira Toriyama, took inspiration from 16th century Chinese novel Journey To The West and its main character, Sun Wukong, the "Monkey King",^[3][4] as well as various martial arts films by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.^[5][6] As Goku reached adulthood, the threats to his planet, friends and loved ones gradually grew as well. As the decades-long-running protagonist of the Dragon Ball series, Goku found himself fighting planet-busting alien overlords, magic demons and even the gods of his own multiverse.

Spread

Goku is one of the most popular anime and manga characters of all time,^[7][8] with various magazines and websites ranking him at the Number 1 spot in their lists.^[9][10][11] Goku is the quintessential Shōnen protagonist, becoming a cultural phenomenon and even having his own day in Japan on May 9th, known as "Goku Day".^{[12][13][14][16]} Because of his widespread popularity and general likeability, he's the subject of many memes and meme formats.

Related Memes

Goku Drip

Goku Drip refers to a series of fan art images depicting Dragon Ball characters wearing Hypebeast clothing, and most notably an artwork of Goku wearing a Supreme shirt and a jacket with "By Any Means Necessary" print. Starting in October 2020, the images gained popularity in bait-and-switch videos.

Goku vs. Superman

Goku vs. Superman is a long-running debate between the fans of DC Comics' iconic superhero Superman and Dragon Ball. Due to their comparable stature as the most powerful characters within their respective fictional universes, the hypothetical question of which of the two fictional superheroes would win in a battle has been debated online for decades through discussion forums and communities associated with both fandoms.

Goku Prowler (XenoVerse 2)

Prowler Theme refers to the song "The Prowler's Theme" from the 2018 movie Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. The theme became the subject of memes and edits as early as 2019 on YouTube. Prowler Goku or Goku XenoVerse 2 Stare refers to a series of video edits in which a dark image of Goku from Dragon Ball set to "Prowler Theme" is inserted after clips of characters annoying or wronging Goku, followed by footage of Goku attacking them as if he snapped. The meme first appeared on YouTube in late 2022 and became popularized on TikTok in early 2023.

Goku's Racist Evolution / I'm About To Get Racist

Goku's Racist Evolution, also known as I'm About To Get Racist, refers to a series of meme videos and exploitable images in which Son Goku and/or other Dragon Ball characters declare they will become gradually more racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, anti-semitic or transphobic as they power-up through their transformations.

I'M… ABOUT TO GET RACIST…
NOW I'M RACIST!
It's okay guys, I'm-
Just kidding. I'm even more racist now
NOW I'M WAY BEYOND RACIST!
FUCK IT, I'M 100 TIMES RACIST NOW!!
I've done it… I've reached Ultra Racist

Halal Goku

Halal Goku is a fan-made character centered around the idea of Goku from Dragon Ball Z being portrayed as a Muslim, usually done by changing his Drip to be traditional Islamic ceremonial clothes. This concept was then further explored with various other Dragon Ball characters also being converted and engaging in traditional Muslim activities via fan art.

"Bitch I Look Like Goku"

"Bitch I Look Like Goku" is a memorable lyric from the 2010 Soulja Boy song "Goku," which features several references to the anime and manga series Dragon Ball. The lyrics inspired a number of memes, including image macros, photoshops, and video edits featuring the song.

Hey It's Me Goku / Goku Cancer Edits

Hey It's Me Goku, also known as Goku Cancer Edits, refers to a series of video edits on YouTube and TikTok in which Goku from Dragon Ball Z, through an AI voice, gives motivational advice or says something uncharacteristic, always beginning with the line, "Hey, it's me Goku," taken from the video game Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. In January 2023, a version of the meme where Goku is edited over videos of people, usually kids, who have beaten cancer, often starting with the same line before saying, "Is that all you've got, faggot?" became popularized on TikTok.

Goku Cult

Goku Cult or The Blue Jacket Cult is a TikTok "cult" in which users change their profile pictures to an image of a character photoshopped into Goku's blue jacket, as worn in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Members of the cult follow each other and raid large TikTokers' comment sections, as well as generally interact with each other.

Where's Goku

Where's Goku refers to a series of memes in which the Dragon Ball character Goku is added to various images in an inconspicuous way, with another portion of the image highlighted with a red circle to act as a red herring. The format gained popularity on Twitter and Reddit in July 2021.

Goku Mondongo

Goku Mondongo refers to an image macro of Goku from Dragon Ball in which he is bald, paired with the overlay text "Mondongo." The meme started in 2020 and became popularized in April 2021 thanks to the followers of KNekro, a Spanish streamer.

Goku in Super Smash Bros.

Goku in Super Smash Bros. is a popular fan request for the inclusion of Son Goku, the protagonist of the the Japanese manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball, in the fourth and fifth installations of Nintendo's crossover fighting game series Super Smash Brothers (SSB). Driven by the large-scale support from the fans of both SSB and Dragon Ball, the topic has become a well-known in-joke among the fans of the game, similar to other instances of wishful SSB character predictions like "Shrek in Super Smash Bros".

Goku In Fortnite

Goku In Fortnite refers to the mid-August 2022 release of Chapter 3: Season 3 of Fortnite, wherein, characters from Dragon Ball like Goku, Vegeta and Bulma became playable skins alongside others previously added like Darth Vader, Naruto Uzumaki and Rick Sanchez. Memes and discussions about Goku's addition to Fortnite became prevalent on Twitter, TikTok and Reddit.

But Can He Beat Goku?

"But Can He Beat Goku?" refers to a catchphrase that has been used by some fans of the anime/manga series Dragon Ball to represent the strength of the main character Goku. It's also used as exploitable by adding it to some memes such as changing the original dialogue.

30 Billion SpongeBobs vs. Goku

30 Billion SpongeBobs vs. Goku refers to a series of memes based on an assumption that 30 billion SpongeBobs would defeat Goku from Dragon Ball in a battle. The hypothetical scenario stems from the "How Many SpongeBobs To Defeat ___ ?" comparison video posted on YouTube in September 2021, later becoming popularized in memes and viral debates on the topic in October of that year.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References