Who is Goku Black in Dragon Ball?

Learn about Goku Black in Dragon Ball Super, his Super Saiyan Rosé transformation, and why he is a unique villain in the series.

Goku Black as seen in Dragon Ball Super
Goku Black as seen in Dragon Ball Super (Image via Toei Animation)

Of all the villains that Dragon Ball Super had, Goku Black is probably the most interesting and frightening of them all because he has a different origin and connection to Goku. Other qualities of a generic villain are not present within him.

He is the gem among all Goku’s competitors trying to beat him in strength, as he is Goku himself, just a little different. His works were during the Future Trunks Saga, which brought a very fresh and dark dynamic into the show that ended up causing one of the most emotional arcs in Dragon Ball Super.

Someone with a dark attitude, a brutal way of thinking, and weird powers such as Goku Black will no doubt immediately become the favorite villain on a TV series. However, his origin story does not just make him a bad incarnation of Goku.

Who exactly is he? Where does he come from, and which part does he play in the timeline of Dragon Ball? Let us break down what we know about Goku Black.

Goku Black’s Origins

Goku Black and Zamasu
Goku Black and Zamasu (Image via Toei Animation)

Goku Black is actually Zamasu, a past Supreme Kai apprentice from Universe 10. He has an intense hatred for mortals. Unlike most Dragon Ball villains, his intention wasn’t conquest or destruction—it was purification. Zamasu felt that mortals were inherently imperfect and that gods needed to destroy them for the universal balance.

To become what he had always wanted, Zamasu employed the use of the Super Dragon Balls to swap bodies with Goku from another timeline. The change gave him Goku’s Saiyan power along with his godly intelligence and ambition. The combination of godly power and Saiyan potential made him the most formidable opponent in the series.

The Philosophy of Goku Black

Goku Black and Zamasu Fusion
Goku Black and Zamasu Fusion (Image via Toei Animation)

Most of the Dragon Ball villains seem to obtain power just so that they can rule the rest. But for Goku Black, the motivations are ideological. He actually believes that he is doing the greater good while annihilating humankind, which makes him an even more sinister villain than others. 

The Zero Mortals Plan

Goku Black’s plan is to wipe clean all mortal life as a corruption in the universe. He justifies his actions by saying mortals always cause war and disruptions. He is relatively different from the self-centered villains like Frieza or Cell because he has the twisted notion of justice. His philosophical take on villainy makes him more unsettling than your usual Dragon Ball villain.

Goku Black’s Powers and Abilities

Goku Black’s Super Saiyan Rosé
Goku Black’s Super Saiyan Rosé (Image via Toei Animation)

Goku Black has a combination of Saiyan power and divine ability, so he is much more sinister than an ordinary antagonist. His fighting prowess develops quickly, due to the special fact that he is an angel in a Saiyan body.

Super Saiyan Rosé

  • Goku Black’s own transformation, Super Saiyan Rosé, is the divine equivalent of Super Saiyan Blue.
  • It provides him with tremendous power, speed, and mastery of energy, even beyond most Super Saiyan transformations.
  • Unlike regular Super Saiyan states, Rosé still has a touch of divine beauty and poise.

Energy Blade and Clones

  • Goku Black uses a Ki energy blade, a move that is exclusive to him. The blade can lengthen, alter form, and even slice through strong foes.
  • He is able to produce several shadow clones, each of which is almost as powerful as him, swamping foes in combat.
  • His combat technique is far smoother and more lethal than Goku’s, based on strategy, accuracy, and ruthlessness.

Goku Black vs. Future Trunks and Goku

Goku Black v Goku
Goku Black v Goku (Image via Toei Animation)

Goku Black’s tyranny exists mostly in Future Trunks’ world, where he exterminates much of humanity and fights Trunks over and over again.

Key Battles

  • Goku vs. Goku Black – Their initial battle highlights Black’s potential to fight Goku on the level since he isn’t fully in control of his new form yet.
  • Vegeta vs. Goku Black – Vegeta initially gets the upper hand, but Black learns fast and overwhelms Vegeta with his increasing power.
  • Future Trunks vs. Goku Black – Trunks is a key player in the fight, demonstrating his huge improvement and strength.

The fights intensify when Zamasu (from a different timeline) and Black merge to form Fused Zamasu, one of the strongest foes in Dragon Ball Super.

How Was Goku Black Defeated?

Goku Black vs. Future Trunks
Goku Black vs. Future Trunks (Image via Toei Animation)

Even his overwhelming power could not save Goku Black, who had succumbed to pride and become overly reliant on his new abilities. 

  • Goku, Vegita, and Future Trunks have trouble defeating Fused Zamasu. 
  • Trunks delivered the final blow with the Sword of Hope, cutting Zamasu in two. 
  • However, Zamasu still lingers, leading to the complete erasure of the timeline by the King of All, Zeno, so as to prevent the continued existence of Zamasu.

Goku Black’s defeat is more than just physical defeat – it’s an ideological one.  As he realizes he wasn’t as invincible as he thought, his belief in divine justice collapses.

Goku Black’s Legacy in Dragon Ball

Goku Black as seen in Dragon Ball Super
Goku Black as seen in Dragon Ball Super (Image via Toei Animation)

Even though he was vanquished, Goku Black is still one of the best-known villains in the franchise. His unique appearance, philosophical complexity, and fights full of intensity make him memorable as a villain.

Why Fans Love Goku Black

  • He has dark, yet refined qualities, unlike other Dragon Ball villains.
  • His unique abilities, especially that of the energy blade, make his fighting style visually appealing.
  • His Super Saiyan Rosé form is one of the coolest transformations in the franchise.

Even when his arc ended, Goku Black was still seen in countless games, spin-offs, and alternate universes, bearing testament to his worth as a character.

Conclusion

Goku Black from Dragon Ball Super is more than just another evil Goku—he is an ideologically motivated and maniacal power-hungry hate-filled villain. His unique background, nuke-like abilities, and terrifying Jesus-inspired ideology make him one of the most iconic villains in the series. Although he eventually failed, his visions live on with Dragon Ball fans, and thus his name-the name Goku Black-is never going away.


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