Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z has worked hard to become one of the most successful shonen series of all time. For more than three decades, Dragon Ball has been at the forefront of the anime industry and audiences can't get enough of Goku's continued adventures and the new plateaus of power that he achieves.
Goku holds himself to strict standards, especially when it comes to training and his pursuit of perfection. Dragon Ball's frequent changes have helped Goku become stronger than he's ever imagined and he's taken down unbelievable galactic threats, but these triumphs often come at the expense of his family and loved ones.
10 Goku Leaves To Train Uub
Goku admittedly has unhealthy tunnel vision when it comes to training and the pursuit of greater strength, but his selfish decisions in these matters tend to benefit only himself. A very polarizing decision occurs at the very end of Dragon Ball Z, where Goku decides to leave his family and friends behind in favor of training Uub, Majin Buu's pure-hearted reincarnation, to be the Earth's next best hero. Goku's dedication to making sure the Earth will always have someone strong enough to protect it is honorable, but he barely knows Uub before he decides to abandon everything he knows to train him.
9 Goku's Solution To Perfect Cell's Self-Destruct Makes Himself Collateral Damage
Goku is always willing to go the extra mile when it comes to battle, but the Saiyan makes a number of frustrating decisions during Cell's reign of terror. Goku remains confident that Gohan will be the one to take out Cell, and he goes so far as to help out Cell on several occasions. This all backfires when a desperate Cell resorts to a self-destruct measure that forces Goku to make use of some quick thinking but only leads to his own death. Goku does what he does to protect the planet, but there are ample opportunities to beat Cell before it reaches this point.
8 Goku Chooses To Remain Dead & Refuses A Dragon Ball Wish
Death always hits hard in Dragon Ball Z, but there's at least the reassuring notion that characters can be revived by the Dragon Balls. Fans were shocked when Goku's family and friends make a wish on the Dragon Balls to bring him back to life, only for him to refuse the gesture and stay in the afterlife.
Goku's reasoning here is that he's a lightning rod for conflict and his presence on Earth only opens it up to greater danger. Whether this is true or not, he still has a family that needs him and he neglects their wishes at this moment.
7 Goku Ignores Future Trunks' Advice Over His Impending Heart Virus
The introduction of time travel is certainly a fascinating wrinkle in Dragon Ball Z. Time travel is first featured when Future Trunks heads back in time to not only warn Earth's heroes about the upcoming Android invasion but to also provide Goku with a vital heart medicine that will cure him of a virus. Some found it utterly bizarre that Goku just pockets the medicine and doesn't take it until after he's afflicted by this fatal condition. Goku leaves his family without a father in Future Trunks' timeline and the same thing nearly happens again because of Goku's foolishness.
6 Goku Engages In What's Supposed To Be A Permanent Fusion
Fusion has become one of Dragon Ball Z's more controversial techniques due to how easy it is to rely too much on this idea. There are different fusion procedures, each with their own advantages and setbacks, but Goku is ready to resort to the permanent fusion process that the Potara Earrings provide. Goku is willing to go this extra mile in order to defeat Buu, but he doesn't think of the consequences permanent fusion will have on his family. What's even worse is that Goku's initial plan with the Potara Earrings is to fuse with Gohan, which would leave Chi-Chi in a very awkward position.
5 Goku Resorts To Severe Power Boosts That Threaten To Destroy His Body
Goku is able to achieve fairly stable power boosts once he turns into a Super Saiyan for the first time, but before he reaches this milestone, he's mostly left with the volatile Kaio-Ken Attack. Kaio-Ken is a powerful technique that drastically increases Goku's strength and speed, albeit at the expense of putting terrible strain on his body. Goku ignores King Kai's advice on the Kaio-Ken Attack limits, which could have easily destroyed his body in the process. This gets even worse when he combines the ability with his Super Saiyan Blue transformation, which results in delayed onset ki disorder.
4 Goku Volunteers Himself & His Son Up For The Tournament Of Power
Tournaments and opportunities for Dragon Ball's characters to prove their strength are always right around the corner, but the most extreme instance of this is when all the universes are forced to fight for their survival in the Tournament of Power. The Tournament of Power is a battle royale with dozens of the strongest fighters from across the multiverse.
Goku doesn't just enlist himself in the tournament, but also Gohan. To make matters easier for Android 17, he also volunteers Goten to tend to 17's responsibilities during his absence. This leaves Chi-Chi utterly alone during a very destabilizing period in the series.
3 Goku Sneaks Away For Training
Goku is upfront about how his priorities are more focused on his training than his family, but there are still ways to find a respectful balance. Vegeta achieves this balance and his family knows that he cares about them even though he throws himself into training. Goku's approach here is terrible and he chooses to sneak around and avoid conflict rather than establish an open and honest dialogue with Chi-Chi. Goku chooses the path of least resistance and it's awful to think that he could be in a totally different realm as he trains under Whis or Merus while his wife has no idea.
2 Goku Sacrifices Himself To Take Out Raditz
Dragon Ball Z's first few episodes manage not only to introduce and execute the first major villain, but also the series' main character. Raditz represents a higher level of power than what's ever seen before and it forces Goku and Piccolo, former rivals, to fight together for the first time. Goku understands that it will be impossible to take out Raditz without sacrificing himself in the process. This is the act of a true hero, but it also means that Goku is willing to leave Gohan without a father and put him in the care of a potentially dangerous mentor.
1 Goku Absorbs The Dragon Balls & Disappears With Shenron
Goku has done a lot of good for both his family and his planet, but it becomes a strange tradition for the hero to make a sudden exit as soon as peace is achieved. Dragon Ball GT really tests Goku's limits and puts him through a number of changes. Goku's victory over the Shadow Dragons is oddly marked by him absorbing the Dragon Balls and disappearing with them alongside Shenron. The implication seems to be that the Dragon Balls have served their purpose or that Goku has become some new iteration of Shenron. It's still a scenario where Goku leaves his family without even much of a goodbye.
