Goku has been the lead character in the Dragon Ball franchise since its inception from the late, legendary creator Akira Toriyama in 1984. Though the Saiyan almost seems eternal with his youthful look, he is getting a bit older. If you want to know how old Goku is throughout every Dragon Ball series, you’re in the right place.
How old is Goku in the original Dragon Ball?
The very start of the Dragon Ball manga and anime series kicks off with the young Goku meeting Bulma for the first time. At this point in the story, Goku is around 11 or 12 years old (depending on the version and translation). Regardless, this initial series sees a lot of growth in Goku throughout his youngest years.
The preteen Saiyan learns under Master Roshi and eventually enters his first World Martial Arts Tournament at around 13 years old. The series continues through to him fighting the Red Ribbon Army, defeating the Demon King Piccolo at 16 years old, and the series ends with him as an adult at 19.
Goku’s Dragon Ball Z age, explained
This sequel anime series kicks off with a brief time gap between Piccolo’s defeat and Raditz and Nappa arriving on Earth. At the start of this series, Goku is around 24 years old, with his son, Gohan, about four years old.
The series goes throughout the years, with one of the largest gaps being between the Cell and Majin Buu Sagas. Goku’s return during the Buu Saga puts him around 37 years old, as he fights to save Earth once more. The series ends with a time jump 10 years into the future, where we see Goku at around 47 years old.
Goku’s age in Dragon Ball Super
The 2015 ongoing sequel to Dragon Ball Z actually takes place in the 10-year time gap between the end of the Buu Saga and Goku showing up to train Uub. As such, Goku is around 37 years old when the God of Destruction, Beerus, shows up on Earth. Goku ends up around 47 years old once again near the end of this series at the time of the Super Hero movie, just before Uub’s appearance.
How old is Goku in Dragon Ball GT?
This much-maligned sequel to Dragon Ball Z has some complicated situations surrounding. The Japanese version of the series notes it takes place five years after Goku runs off with Uub, while the English translation puts it at around 10 years later. As such, Goku is either 52 or 57 years old at the start, depending on which version you’re watching.
However, as you may know, Goku doesn’t stay this older figure for long. The Black Star Dragon Balls turn Goku way back in time to around the physical age of his start in the franchise. He spends most of this anime in a physical form of around 11 or 12 years old again.
