Dragon Ball: How Old Is Goku In Every Anime Series?

"Dragon Ball" is arguably the single most influential anime in modern times: a seminal piece of animation with an unparalleled legacy that still holds up as just a rather entertaining piece of TV storytelling. Part of what can make "Dragon Ball" daunting for newcomers is that, in addition to having many episodes and even more related shows (here is an easy guide if you're curious), many of the ideas that creator Akira Toriyama came up with have since become tropes used in every single shonen action series. Much like the "'Seinfeld' is unfunny" trope, a lot of what made "Dragon Ball" fresh and unique is just expected now.

Indeed, even if Toriyama wasn't the first one to do it, "Dragon Ball" popularized such tropes as having characters transform physically, having a small-brain, big-heart protagonist with spiky hair that eats a lot, rivalries, and of course, time jumps that age up the characters.

This last one is very important, as Toriyama's decision to age up Goku for "Dragon Ball Z" proved controversial behind the scenes, yet became a staple of shonen action anime for decades to come. This does many things for the story, like allowing for physical progression in the characters as they grow older and stronger, but also accelerates the worldbuilding by having something big happen that changes the status quo (like in "One Piece") — all while simply offering a fresh opportunity for merchandising with new character designs.

Still, these are cartoons, meaning the ages of the characters can be deceptive — after all, anime is notorious for having characters look very young when they actually are old. This is why we're here to offer a handy guide to Son Goku's age in every single "Dragon Ball" anime series.

Goku is 12 years old at the start of the original "Dragon Ball" story, which was considerably younger than most shonen action protagonist of the time (who were modeled after Kenshiro from "Fist of the North Star"), and even younger than most current shonen action heroes, who tend to be between 15 and 17.

A big part of the charm of the original "Dragon Ball" is how it mixes exhilarating martial arts action with goofy comedy. Goku definitely acts like a 12-year-old. He's often hungry, he's dumb, he gets excited by silly things like dinosaurs, flying clouds, and cars. He considers everything to be a game and a lot of the action in the original series is comedic in nature, like a Jackie Chan movie with lots of elaborate stuntwork and choreography and enemies who underestimate this tiny dude before getting their asses kicked. Goku's young age didn't just help heighten the comedy, but the drama, too. There is something quite poignant in young Goku being completely unaware that he is the reason his grandfather is dead (and he never really finds out). Plus, due to his young age, the drama hits harder, just like when Krillin dies for the first time.

The first time-jump happens during the King Piccolo Saga, which ages Goku up to around 15 years of age. Then there's another three-year time-jump for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, making Goku 18 when the show ends.

When "Dragon Ball Z" begins, Goku is no longer a little kid, and he no longer has a tail. It's been 5 years since the end of the first show, making Goku 23 by the very start of "Dragon Ball Z" (and 24 by the time Vegeta arrives). Now that his head/body ratio is more proportional and more realistic, Goku is involved in a lot more fighting. And yet, after this point Goku's appearance remains relatively unchanged — except when he goes Super Saiyan.

As for his age after Vegeta's arrival, well, it's complicated. Throughout "Dragon Ball Z," there are several small time jumps. For one, Goku dies twice during the series, including a 7 year time-skip after his second death in which Goku's son, Gohan, briefly becomes the main character. There is also some debate amongst fans on whether we should count the time Goku spends in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber training, given that the chamber compresses time. If Goku spends an entire year in the chamber but only one day passes on the outside, do we count the time he experienced personally, or how the rest of the world experiences time?

This is to say, by the time of the end of the main story in "Dragon Ball Z" and the defeat of Bajin Buu, Son Goku is physically only 30, but it's been 37 years since his birth. Then, of course, comes the very end of the series: the epilogue to the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament, in which Goku is 47, and physically 43.

"Dragon Ball Daima" takes place just a few months after the defeat of Majin Buu toward the end of "Dragon Ball Z," meaning Goku is still 37 (physically 30). Due to the plot of that show, Goku is transformed into looking like a little kid — not aged down, just physically transformed to kid-size.

This show takes place over the course of a few days, so not a lot fo time passes for Goku and there is no Hyperbolic Time Chamber shenanigans either. Still, as a show, it is a delight for fans of the original "Dragon Ball" and also a fun, silly show if you've never experienced the franchise. Indeed, this is a throwback series with a bigger focus on comedy and silly gags rather than constant world-ending threats. Add in some stunning animation, and you get the best thing to come out of "Dragon Ball" in years.

"Dragon Ball Super" takes place during the 10-year gap between the Majin Buu saga and the end of "Dragon Ball Z." It also introduces a few time skips, so let's go one by one. At the start of the "Battle of Gods Saga" which has some of the best moments in the franchise, Goku is 41 (and physically 34). But after the "Resurrection F" Saga, he spends three years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

From there, virtually every major saga in "Dragon Ball Super" skips ahead a year. This is how the series manages to raise the stakes with every single saga, introducing even more dangers and god-like enemies. "Super" also introduces plenty of new transformations, including the new incredibly powerful Super Saiyan Blue form introduced in "Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F" which essentially turns Goku into a god.

Given "Super" is on hiatus following the tragic death of creator Akira Toriyama, the stories so far ends with Goku being 46 years old, and physically being 42.

"Dragon Ball GT" is a fascinating cartoon. It was the first anime-original show in the franchise, not based on Toriyama's world. Its canonical status is therefore debated amongst fans, and has been for decades. Still, there are things from this show that have made their way into the larger canon, such as "Dragon Ball Daima" introducing Super Saiyan 4, which originated in "GT" and has Goku combine his Saiyan powers with his Great Ape form.

The anime takes place five years after the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament which takes place at the very end of "Dragon Ball Z." This is the furthest the franchise has ever got, and the story has Goku turned into a child, while his friends go on a quest to find a more powerful set of Dragon Balls called Black Star Dragon Balls to fix Goku's predicament.

Given the setting, Son Goku would be 52 years old, and physically, he'd be 48. Of course, given his Saiyan nature, Goku doesn't really age — much like Superman — so he looks exactly the same as a grandfather as he did as a new dad.