Dragon Ball Z is packed to the brim with iconic moments that have permanently shifted the landscape of anime and manga. Having been credited with popularizing anime outside of Japan, its protagonist, the goofy and kindhearted Goku, has become a household name all over the world. And though 40 years have passed since Dragon Ball's debut, the series' popularity is ever-growing with each new installment in the franchise.
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To celebrate the milestone anniversary of author Akira Toriyama's undisputed masterpiece, I decided to give Dragon Ball Z a re-watch, in order to relive the excitement that ultimately created the anime fan within me. While the series has undoubtedly aged, often suffering from wildly inconsistent pacing and art, its best moments remain glorious. The Namek Saga, in particular, is still a masterpiece that offers both Dragon Ball's best transformation sequence and best fight. But as I watched Goku fire his Angry Kamehameha to seal his victory against Frieza, the moment struck me in a way I hadn't remembered.
What is often cited as one of Goku's 'coolest' moments, the one-handed Kamehameha has become a staple move in nearly all Dragon Ball games. The rage-filled scream that the Saiyan unleashes alongside the blast, calling Frieza a fool, has also become iconic, and I couldn't wait to reach the scene during my latest watch. But as Goku stared down at what little remained of Frieza with a frown, I realized that not only was this one of Goku's 'coolest' moments, but it was also one of his darkest.
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Goku's Iconic Frown Tells a Darker Story
There's More to Goku's Expression Than Disappointment
While Goku may not be the perfect hero, his kindness and lighthearted nature have always been his most shining traits. As the Namek Saga wore on, however, it became increasingly clear that Frieza was an enemy that wouldn't be defeated through the Saiyan's usual tactics of studying his opponent and learning as the fight progresses. He needed to become vicious. And as soon as Krillin was brutally disposed of by Frieza, Goku let go of any restraint and became the anger-fueled Super Saiyan he needed to become.
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Goku is Goku, though, no matter how powerful he may become, and as Frieza begged for just a small amount of energy so he could escape the dying Namek with his life, Goku obliged out of kindness. Unfortunately, as the Saiyan will always be kind, so too will Frieza always be Frieza, and so he couldn't help himself but try to get one final shot at his enemy. The Angry Kamehameha that followed is iconic, though it became clear to me that Goku wasn't frowning because Frieza tried to betray him. It was because he had to kill him.
It isn't like Goku has never had to kill an opponent before. As a child, he was ruthless, tearing through the Red Ribbon Army with zero restraint and eventually punching a hole clean through Demon King Piccolo's chest. But as he grew into adulthood, a clear shift occurred within Goku that caused him to prefer sparing his opponents rather than disposing of them. So many of his enemies became his allies over the years, but Frieza was one villain that just could not be reached with kindness.
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Goku Tends to Give His Enemies Second Chances
Many of Goku's Enemies Have Become Friends
It could have been because so many of his friends began as enemies that Goku started giving his opponents second chances as the series shifted into its Dragon Ball Z sections. The most popular instances are Piccolo and Vegeta, who both burst onto the scene with the sole intention of eliminating the Saiyan off the face of the Earth. But characters like Tien and Yamcha also once called themselves Goku's enemies, and now each one has proudly gone into battle alongside him.
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A character like Raditz was far too much a threat to be kept alive, though that didn't stop Goku from letting go of his tail and offering him a chance to redeem himself. While Frieza ended up betraying that chance like Raditz did before, the situation was a bit different for reasons many Dragon Ball fans have missed over the years. Goku already had to abandon some of the kindness that defined him in order to ascend into Super Saiyan, and was ultimately forced to throw the rest away when killing Frieza.
The frown Goku wears is somewhat a sign of a loss of innocence. Frieza was an enemy he could not defeat by staying true to the gentle nature which defined him. Goku couldn't save his enemy this time, and there would be no ally gained from the fight. While the Angry Kamehameha is still undoubtedly 'cool', it was difficult for me to watch it through adult eyes and not think it was a dark and pivotal moment for Goku's character.
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The Namek Saga Forced Goku to Embrace His Saiyan Side
Goku Only Gained the Power To Defeat Frieza After Giving In to His Saiyan Instincts
One of the most overlooked aspects of Dragon Ball Z's Namek Saga is the subtle plotline happening beneath the fighting, in which Goku struggles with his own nature as both an Earthling and a Saiyan. In the time between Raditz's arrival and the climactic fight with Frieza, Goku hadn't fully embraced his Saiyan roots. In fact, he vehemently denied them during the battle with Raditz and more or less ignored them in the fight with Vegeta.
After Vegeta is killed by Frieza, however, Goku promises to upkeep the prince's pride and fight neither as an Earthling nor a Saiyan, but as both. Eventually, by fully giving way to his Saiyan genetics, he explodes into the overpowering Super Saiyan that finally puts an end to Frieza's horrors, permanently shifting Dragon Ball's focus towards the over-the-top battles and transformations that would come to define it.
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Though Goku's Angry Kamehameha and frown to finish the fight with Frieza has become cemented as one of Dragon Ball's very best moments, it holds a weight that many fans have often ignored over the years, myself included. Not only is the scene inherently awesome, it also marks a permanent shift within Goku, who finally embraced the Saiyan within. Despite Akira Toriyama no longer being at the helm, Dragon Ball Daima hints at a bright future for the franchise that will continue to offer blood-pumping scenes with hidden depth.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First Episode Air Date
- April 26, 1989
- Latest Episode
- 2019-10-05
- Current Series
- Dragon Ball Super
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