Goku has never been bright. The mighty hero ofDragon Ballhas definitely matured over the years, having grown up and started a family. Unfortunately, his knowledge outside of martial arts is rudimentary at best.
RELATED:Dragon Ball Z: Ways Goku’s Character Improved As An Adult
Dragon Ball Superhas been criticized for playing this up. Here, Goku has essentially reverted to the mindset of a three-year-old kid, undermining his development and rubbing many fans the wrong way with his stupidity. That being said, he also has his fair share of dumb moments inDragon Ball Z. Several points in this long-running series see important plot points simply slip his little mind.
Updated June 30, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Goku is one of the most iconic shonan protagonists of all time. His fights are the stuff of legends, with his amazing powerups and fighting spirit helping him to secure victory more often than not. However, he’s always shown a penchant for being rather stupid at times, which is mostly played for comedic effect. That being said, there are occasions when his lack of intellect can be fairly frustrating, and these instances are the worst of the bunch.
13Solar Flare
The Solar Flare technique isa pretty useful way to distract opponentsand get some much-needed breathing room. Goku actually uses this technique sometimes during the early parts ofDragon Ball Z. However, Goku has barely used this technique later down the line in the series.
It’s a shame, since there are several moments across the latter half ofDragon Ball ZandDragon Ball Superwhere Goku could’ve used this technique to buy some time for himself. It’s possible that the showrunners thought that using this technique was too cowardly for Goku, which is perhaps why he barely uses the Solar Flare nowadays.
12His Telekinetic Powers
Telekineses is a pretty great and nifty power that can allow users to move objects with their mind. It’s a skill that Goku has used time and time again, although its use has become more infrequent over time. In fact, there’s not a single episode inDragon Ball Superin which Goku actually used this power to do anything useful.
While it’s true that a series about punching people doesn’t really need to focus too much on telekinesis, that doesn’t mean that it should just be discarded outright. It makes Goku look pretty stupid at times when he could’ve used this power to make things easier for himself and those around him. Since he’s so powerful, he should ideally have such a powerful version of telekinesis that he could do all the household chores without even lifting a finger!
11Dragon Fist
The Dragon Fist is one of the most flamboyant and amazing attacks inDragon Ball, and it’s rather odd that this technique is only used in the movies. Regardless, it does let Goku finally use his Super Saiyan 3 form to actually defeat an opponent, and that too with a signature attack that is exclusive to this form as well.
RELATED:Dragon Ball: Things Vegeta Learned From Goku
The Dragon Fist needs to come back inDragon Ball, especially since Goku has whipped out the Super Saiyan 3 form at times during the series. The fact thathe didn’t use this technique against Beerusgenuinely makes it look like he completely forgot about it.
10Heart Virus Medicine
When Trunks travels back from the future, he reveals that Goku will die of a rare heart virus. Thankfully, the kid brings a batch of medicine that hasn’t been invented yet. If Goku takes this, then the virus will be a thing of the past (pun intended).
However, he can’t follow these simple instructions. Since he doesn’t show any symptoms, Goku doesn’t take the medicine. Instead, he just sticks it in a drawer. The virus then acts up duringhis fight with the androids. Even if he only planned to take the medicine as needed, why didn’t he bring it to the battle just in case? He almost deserves to have his energy stolen for this oversight.
9Flaunting Future Knowledge
Another warning from the future goes unheard. Trunks wants to keep his identity and warning a secret to everyone but Goku. He explicitly tells him as much, fearful of changing his birth or other events in unexpected ways.
On the day of the androids' arrival, though, Goku conspicuously guessesthe name and father of Bulma’s new baby. This obviously can’t affect Trunks’s conception, but who know what else it could change? Look at how radically different the androids are simply due to Future Boy’s intervention. Then again, try explaining the butterfly effect to Goku.
8Arale
The Saiyan’sboyhood adventures eventually led him to Penguin Village. It was here he met Arale, the heroine from Akira Toriyama’s previous work,Dr. Slump.
Being a robot from a gag manga, she displayed unbelievable speed and strength, keeping up with Goku on his Nimbus Cloud and making short work of General Blue. It goes further inDragon Ball Superwhen she sends even Vegeta flying. A pint-sized powerhouse like her could be an invaluable ally against the countless threats the Z-fighters have faced over the years. Goku’s usually good at remembering strong warriors. Once Arale is out of sight, though, she’s also out of mind.
7Keep In Touch
Goku may protect his friends with everything he has, but don’t expect to see him at parties. He’s usually busy training. Fans see how far this goes during the epilogue.
RELATED:Times Goku Was The True Villain Of Dragon Ball
In the ten years since Kid Buu’s defeat, he only visited once. It’s not even like he has to plan a trip or schedule a flight. All the hassle of travel is rendered null and void by his Instant Transmission technique. Even if that’s too much trouble, would it kill him to pick up a phone?
6Gohan Doesn’t Like Fighting
On one hand, this demonstrates some impressive observation skills on Goku’s part. He notices his son’s latent abilities over the years and realizes Gohan has the best chance of beating Cell. He even fights the android antagonist first so that the kid can see his moves.
It all seems well-planned until he remembers that Gohan doesn’t even like fighting. To say nothing of the pressure of pinning all his hopes on an eleven-year-old boy, this also represents a crippling lack of communication. Gokushould know this crucial detail about his own son. At the very least, he should have discussed his plan with Gohan first before blindsiding him with this pivotal fight. No wonder people say Piccolo was a better dad.
5Cell Is Part Saiyan
As a warrior race, Saiyans get stronger after every fight. Even if Vegeta never told him about this particular perk, Goku experienced it himself during his many hours of training. It was particularly apparent during his flight to Namek, where he would constantly wear his body down, eat a rejuvenating Senzu Bean, and come back tougher than ever.
Because he’s such a sporting guy, Gokugives Cell one of these beans after their battle. This way, the villain has a fair fight with Gohan afterward. What Goku doesn’t account for are the Saiyan cells inside the android’s body. Coming back from a damaged state would surely make him stronger, too, thus diminishing Gohan’s already-slim chance of victory. Once again, Father of the Year.
Bubble gum baddie Majin Buu can absorb other fighters and add their strength to his own. He simply sends a piece of himself out to envelop his target and then reattach it to him. This technique comes in handy when he absorbs Gotenks and Piccolo, allowing him to overpower the formerly superior Gohan.
RELATED:Dragon Ball: Techniques Goku Has (But He Never Uses)
When Goku comes to the rescue, he cuts Buu into pieces but fails to notice that part of the monster’s head tentacle is missing. It doesn’t take a genius to figure he’ll try another merger in a moment of desperation. Yet, the hero acts all surprised when Gohan falls victim to this. Luckily, Vegeta shows up with brain cells to spare.
