How Old Is Goku Throughout the Dragon Ball Series?

Discover Goku’s age progression throughout the Dragon Ball series, from his early childhood to adulthood and beyond.

Young Goku (Credits: Toei Animation)
Young Goku (Credits: Toei Animation)

Dragon Ball has captured Goku’s life from childhood to adulthood. This makes the age of Goku a complicated problem for the viewers. As one of the most notable characters in the anime world, Goku has undergone different levels of fighting and traveling over the years. However, his age cannot be precisely established by time skips and the fact that he is not fully human.

Throughout the Dragon Ball series, from the original Dragon Ball to the currently airing Dragon Ball Daima, the age of Goku changes dramatically as the story evolves. Whether he is fighting some of the most powerful villains ever created or training with his mentors, Goku grows in both body and mind. Fans often wonder exactly how old he was during the key events.

In this guide, we will trace back Goku’s age at every point during the series so that we can have a very clear understanding of Goku’s timeline during his historic journey.

  • Goku’s Age throughout the Dragon Ball series
  • How does aging work in Dragon Ball?
  • Does being a Saiyan affect Goku’s aging?
  • How many times has Goku died in Dragon Ball?

Goku’s Age Throughout the Dragon Ball Series

Dragon Ball
Goku as seen in anime (Credits: Toei Animation)

Goku’s age in Dragon Ball is really hard to keep track of, as he has time skips, resurrections, and also otherworldly training. At the beginning of the original Dragon Ball series, Goku was 11 when he traveled along with Bulma in search of the Dragon Balls. On the last episode of the original Dragon Ball series, he was already 18.

In Dragon Ball Z, five years have passed, and Goku begins his story at the age of 23. Throughout the saga, because of the time spent training in the afterlife and in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku’s physical age remains relatively stable. However, his chronological age rises. By the end of Dragon Ball Z, he was about 37 physically and 44 chronologically.

Dragon Ball GT was given another twist when Goku was turned back into a child of 11 years old. However, he still carries the mind from his past years. With further progression in the series, he grows chronologically up to 51 years.

In Dragon Ball Super, Goku is physically 31 to 32 years old but chronologically 38 to 39 years old. His age grows linearly all throughout the series. However, with everything involving Goku, his timeline isn’t straightforward. The new series Dragon Ball Daima adds another twist by making Goku a child once more.

How Does Aging Work in Dragon Ball?

Super Saiyan Goku (Credits: Toei Animation)
Super Saiyan Goku (Credits: Toei Animation)

In Dragon Ball, aging pretty much works like it does in the human world but with a lot more complications. Most of the time, this will involve multiple instances of time skips, resurrections, and alternate dimensions wherein the characters age in these different parts of the story. Goku’s age changes both chronologically and physically as a result of his time spent in the afterlife and the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

For instance, while many years may go by on Earth, characters may not change even after those years because the realm differs. It is also pushing characters forward in age with each time jump between arcs, though they do not always look any older.

Does Being a Saiyan Affect Goku’s Aging?

Being a Saiyan does affect the aging process for Goku. The major difference between Saiyans and humans as far as age is concerned is that it hits them once they have reached their peak physical development. Their aging slows down drastically for them to stay in their best fighting condition for as long as possible. This helps them remain young and strong well into their old age. This is explained by Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z when he says that, for the sake of enhancing their combat potential, Saiyans stay at their prime much longer.

This puts Goku in a realm where, at the same age, he looks and even feels many years younger than a human would. Chronologically, Dragon Ball Super has Goku’s age at well over 40. However, he appears and acts like someone in his 20s. This odd sort of aging gives Goku a great deal of an advantage. As he continues to battle powerful foes, he stays at his best for an extended period compared to his human friends.

How Many Times Has Goku Died in Dragon Ball?

Goku has died three times in the Dragon Ball anime’s major timeline. His first death was when Piccolo killed him while defeating Raditz, after which he sacrificed himself to save his son, Gohan. Goku’s second death came during the Cell Saga. He sacrificed himself and caused Earth to self-destruct by transporting Cell there as the only way of preventing the latter by blowing himself up.

The third time was when Hit killed Goku in the war at Dragon Ball Super. However, Goku returned to life shortly afterward by using his fantastic battle IQ to create a ki blast that brought himself to life. It took him around two minutes to be back and good as new. In the manga, Goku has died twice, so his anime deaths are in greater numbers.


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