Putting personal preference aside,Dragon Ball’s Gokuis arguably the most recognizable anime and manga character of all time. Akira Toriyama’s beloved Saiyan debuted in 1984, and he has been a fixture of pop culture ever since. Even during the roughly 15-year period when a newDragon Ballanimewas not produced, Goku still regularly starred in video games, ensuring he was never too far away from the spotlight.
Throughout the decades, Goku has gone through various forms, designs, transformations, and looks. He has had black, blonde, red, blue, and white hair, along with occasionally changing his preferred Gi. Kakarot aged from a child to an adult, and he eventually became a husband and a father. He was even an ape for a few periods of his life.
For the most part, Goku’s designs have been constantly great. Sure, a couple of forms are not as iconic as others, but they generally fit the character well. Still, let’s take a look atGoku’s best forms.
Here are a few notes and criteria:
8Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken Goku
Combining A Great Form With A Divisive One
Dragon Ball Super, naturally, gave Goku quite a few new forms, most of which were OK. Throughout most of the show, Goku and Vegeta rely on Super Saiyan Blue, which is largely just the basic Super Saiyan form with blue hair. While not horrible, the change in hair color takes some time to get used to, and overexposure might have led to some viewers growingbored with SSB.
Due to being surpassed by Super Saiyan transformations, Kaio-ken became a thing of the past fairly quickly inDBZ, which was a shame. Therefore, Goku’s decision to combine SSB and Kaio-ken came as a welcome surprise, especially since they complement each other relatively well. The Kaio-ken aura adds an intensity missing from the base SSB form, along with lightening up Goku’s hair in the process.
7Super Saiyan 3 Goku
A Great Transformation Scene Results In A Form That Has A Bit Too Much Going On
Super Saiyan 3 Goku is a bit of a weird one. Unleashed duringDBZ’s Buu Saga, the form’s debut sequence is the definition of epic, to the point of being comfortably amongGoku’s greatest transformation scenes. However, the design is a bit of a mixed bag.
The extremely long hair is deliberately excessive, and it does not compliment Goku’s facial features as well as most of his other forms. However, the weirdest part is the removal of the eyebrows, significantly sharpening Kakarot’s characteristics in the process.
While a bit polarizing, Super Saiyan 3 is not a bad design by any stretch of the imagination, and it works well as a middle step between Super Saiyan 2 and 4.
6Kid Goku
Akira Toriyama Hit The Ground Running With Goku
While overshadowed by his adult form, Kid Goku is nevertheless iconic, especially for fans who started theirDragon Balljourneys with either the manga or the original anime series.Akira Toriyama’s brillianceis on full display in Goku’s earliest designs, with his physical presentation reflecting his straightforward personality and somewhat animalistic nature.
Combining a chaotic hairstyle with soft facial features, Goku radiates innocence and power. The monkey tail is also a great eye-catching inclusion that introduces a touch of uniqueness to an otherwise simple (but awesome) design. Kid Goku’s appearance also reflects the adventurous and comedic tone that definedDragon Ball’s earliest arcs.
Kid Goku returning forDragon Ball GTandDaimamight have diminished this form’s overall popularity as they were arguably a step back for the character, despite both shows updating the original design well.
5Ultra Instinct Goku (Sign & Mastered)
Goku Becomes As Close To A God As Possible
After a few underwhelming transformations that felt like recolored retreads of past glories,Dragon Ball Superfinally knocked one out of the park withUltra Instinct, a form that had been teased since the sequel’s earliest episodes.
Initially, Goku achieved Ultra Instinct Sign, an imperfect version that (arguably) looks better than its subsequent evolution. Enhancing his base aesthetic with silver flourishes and denser hair, Goku is genuinely intimidating in this form, something that both Super Saiyan Blue and Super Saiyan God lacked.
Mastered Ultra Instinctcompletes the transformation, giving Goku full-blown silver hair along with an angelic but fierce aura that reflects the form’s god-like origins. It is an immaculate design that screams “powerful,” more so than most ofDragon Ball’s other forms.
4Super Saiyan 4 Goku
Goku’s Most Complete Super Saiyan Transformation
Dragon Ball GTis not looked back upon all that fondly, being largely regarded as a skippable adventure with a few redeeming features. That said, Super Saiyan 4 is, for the most part, beloved and regarded as the sequel’s crowning achievement. Even asGTbecame a footnote inDragon Ball’s history, SS4 remained relevant through games and spin-offs likeSuper Dragon Ball Heroes, before becoming canon courtesy ofDragon Ball Daima.
Similar to Super Saiyan 3, SS4 has a lot going on. However, this form’s decision to embrace the excess is to its benefit. InGT,SS4 is presented as the ideal Saiyan evolution, the one that represents the race in its purest state. The red fur, tail, and hairstyle combine to create a picture of controlled power, granting Goku an overwhelming presence that also reflects the Saiyan race’s long and storied history.
3Base Adult Goku
The Most Iconic Anime Design Ever
Introduced duringDragon Ball’s final arc and a fixture ofDragon Ball ZandSuper, standard adult Goku is the face of the franchise, even more so than his kid variant. Honestly, thisGoku designcould be argued as the greatest of all time, simply due to its consistency and recognizability. Even people who have never watched an anime are likely to identify this version of Goku.
Usually seen wearing a red (or maybe blue) Gi, wristbands, and kung fu shoes, Goku’s design is pitch-perfect, to the point that his silhouette should be instantly identifiable if somebody is remotely familiar withDragon Ballor anime in general. Echoing his martial arts expertise and unflinching dedication to training, Goku’s base adult form completely encapsulates his personality, drive, and reason for being.
2Kaio-ken Goku
An Awesome Form That Goku Does Not Use Enough
Despite having a fairly short shelf-life inDragon Ball Z,Kaio-ken left a long-lasting impression. Part of that has to do with it being Goku’s first transformation inDBZ, along with the fact it takes place during one of the best fights in the franchise. However, more importantly, the form just radiates awesomeness, despite not changing all that much about Goku’s general look.
When activated, Goku becomes engulfed in a red aura, which remains a presence throughout the technique’s use. Kaio-ken is mostly activated in emergencies when Goku needs a quick power boost to try and even up the playing field, and its intensity matches the desperation of these situations.
1Super Saiyan Goku (&, To A Lesser Extent, Super Saiyan 2 Goku)
Goku’s Best And Coolest Form
Here it is, the most iconicDragon Balltransformation of all time. In fact, Super Saiyan Goku is arguably the greatest transformation in anime history, with its introductory scene being etched in pop culture yore. Popularity aside, this form hits the perfect middle-ground between familiarity and change, being a clear evolution of base Goku without threatening to go into “too much” territory.
With faded blonde-spiked hair, a golden aura, and defined muscles, Super Saiyan Goku manages to look both majestic and threatening, all the while omitting a calming presence that is mostly absent in subsequent forms. Goku has never and will never look better than this.
Super Saiyan 2 Gokualso looks good, but it is not that different from its predecessor. More importantly, Goku does not use this form that much.
