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In the world of anime, there are very few characters who can compare themselves to the might of Son Goku from the famousDragon Ballseries by Akira Toriyama. He is considered to be one of the strongest characters in the anime industry. Not only that but many other characters in the anime world have been inspired by theDragon Ballprotagonist.
Although he has proven himself to be one of the strongest characters, he still aspires to grow and become stronger. However, Goku is not all about strength and power. He is also one of the best-written characters theDragon Ballfranchise has ever had. But there is one field where Goku might not have proven to be the best version of himself, and that is fatherhood.
While many fans believe Goku has been a decent father to Gohan, otherDragon Ballfans have stated that Goku might not have been what Gohan deserved as a father. There have been a few instances where Goku might have been harsh on Gohan. This debate about Goku being one of the worst fathers in history has been extended further on X (Formerly Twitter).
Goku’s Relationship With His Son, Gohan
Goku’s relationship with Gohan has been questioned multiple times byDragon Ballfans. Many believe that Goku only fulfilled his role as a father at the beginning of the series, and then he got busy with his training, saving the world, and fighting strong opponents. Which is why Piccolo had to step in and play the father-figure role for Gohan.
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Although Gohan has never complained, it is evident how much Goku has unintentionally ignored Gohan. He has focused on himself more than his family and be itDragon Ball ZorDragon BallSuper, Goku is usually either dead, or training, or fighting, thus ignoring his family altogether. But that doesn’t mean that he does not love his family or his son, Gohan.
Whenever his son has needed him, Goku has stepped in and helped him no matter what. One can even argue that although Goku loves training and fighting strong opponents, he is doing all of this to protect his family from any upcoming danger, which is a regular occurrence inDragon Ball.
Dragon BallFans Debate Whether Goku Was a Better Father than Omni-Man
Recently, a tweet was shared by@zenin_toji123on X(Formerly Twitter) where he compared the worst fathers in anime and comic world. He included characters like Endeavor fromMy Hero Academia, Omni-Man fromInvincible, Ging Freecss fromHunter x Hunter, and finally Goku fromDragon Ball Z.
Goku was involved only because of his actions during the Cell games, where he believed thatGohan was stronger than himand therefore he pushed Gohan to fight Cell and let him get beaten up to the point where Gohan unlocked Super Saiyan 2 and ultimately defeated Cell.
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While some fans argued this was cruel, some believed it was necessary to save the world, and also help Gohan grow as a fighter in theDragon Ballworld.
The tweets compared him to the likes of Omni-Man fromInvinciblewho is considered the worst father in history. This is because, as soon as his son, Mark, awakened his powers, Omni-Man decided to include him in his plan of conquering the planet.
However, when Mark refused to do so, he was thrashed by his father so badly that he almost died. Although he did have a change in his behavior towards his son later on, it didn’t change the fact that he treated his son so badly.
“It’s not child abuse. It’s training.”
The Dad:pic.twitter.com/t4XIbrkBF2
— 𝐙𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐣𝐢 •⨳• (@zenin_toji123)July 08, 2025
https://twitter.com/passaralhagens/status/1772772457251791118?s=20
Goku is a great dad!https://t.co/jKiAMLaTMCpic.twitter.com/dajwKm3xVS
— SmileyRM♡♪!? (@SmileyRM2)August 21, 2025
Lmfao I will forever have this scene from abridged in my mind when people call goku a bad dad 🤣https://t.co/IvS2upKsGzpic.twitter.com/vdTBkbrXx2
— Kiliahno (@Ahkiliano)July 11, 2025
dragon ball fans when you tell them there’s more to being a good parent than just loving your kids.https://t.co/aKVYx0O7gl
— Sam (@ThePembertone)June 04, 2025
Nothing wrong with a father developing a battle royale game for his 12 yo son to trainhttps://t.co/RpFoo6oraC
— relegating despair (@osoclx)June 25, 2025
While fans can argue Goku might have neglected some of his duties as a father, it won’t change the fact that Goku loved his family, and Gohan in particular, because he literally sacrificed himself to save his son multiple times in the story. He only wants his son to be strong enough to defend himself and the family that he has built over the years.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
