Dragon Ball Z is full of iconic moments that permanently changed the landscape of anime and manga. Having been credited with popularizing the anime outside of Japan, its protagonist, the goofy and kind-hearted Goku, has become a household name across the world. And although 40 years have passed since Dragon ballSince its debut, the series’ popularity has grown with each new installment of the franchise.
To celebrate the milestone anniversary of author Akira Toriyama’s undisputed masterpiece, I decided to give Dragon Ball Z watch it again in order to relive the excitement that ended up creating the anime fan within me. While the series has undoubtedly aged, often suffering from wildly inconsistent pacing and art, your best moments remain glorious. The Namek Saga, in particular, is still a masterpiece that offers so much Dragon ballthe best transformation sequence and best fight. But as I watched Goku fire his Angry Kamehameha to seal his victory against Frieza, the moment hit me in a way I hadn’t remembered.
What is often cited as one of the Goku’s ‘Coolest’ Moments, the One-Handed Kamehameha has become a staple movement in almost every Dragon ball games. The rage-filled scream the Saiyan lets out along with the explosion, calling Frieza an idiot, also became iconic, and I couldn’t wait to get to the location during my last watch. But as Goku looked at what little was left of Frieza with a frown, I realized that this was not only one of Goku’s ‘coolest’ moments, but also one of his darkest.
Goku’s iconic scowl tells a darker story
There’s more to Goku’s expression than disappointment
While Goku may not be the perfect hero, his kindness and cheerful nature have always been his brightest traits. As the Namek Saga progressed, however, it became increasingly clear that Frieza was an enemy who would not be defeated through the Saiyan’s usual tactics of studying his opponent and learning as the fight progressed. He needed to become cruel. And once Krillin was brutally eliminated by Frieza, Goku abandoned any restraint and became the rage-fueled Super Saiyan he needed to become.
Goku is Goku, though, no matter how powerful he can become, and as Frieza begged for just a small amount of energy so he could escape the dying Namekian with his life, Goku graciously complied. Unfortunately, as the Saiyan will always be kind, Frieza will also always be Frieza, and so he couldn’t help but try to get one final shot at his enemy. The Angry Kamehameha that followed is iconic, although it was clear to me that Goku wasn’t frowning because Frieza tried to betray him. It was because he had to kill him.
It’s not like Goku has never killed an opponent before. As a child, he was ruthless, destroying the Red Ribbon Army without any restraint and eventually blasting a hole through the Demon King Piccolo’s chest. But as he became an adult, a clear change occurred within Goku that made him prefer to spare his opponents rather than eliminate them. Many of his enemies have become his allies over the years, but Frieza was a villain who simply couldn’t be reached with kindness.
Goku tends to give his enemies second chances
Many of Goku’s enemies have become friends
It could have been because many of his friends started out as enemies who Goku started giving second chances to his opponents as the series shifted to its Dragon Ball Z sections. The most popular examples are Piccolo and Vegeta, who arrived on the scene with the sole intention of eliminating the Saiyan from the face of the Earth. But characters like Tien and Yamcha have also called themselves Goku’s enemies, and now each of them has proudly entered battle alongside him.
A character like Raditz was too much of a threat to keep alive, though that didn’t stop Goku from unleashing his tail and offering him a chance to redeem himself. Although Frieza ended up cheating on this chance like Raditz did before, the situation was a little different for reasons that many Dragon ball fans have missed out on over the years. Goku has already had to abandon some of the kindness that defined him to ascend to Super Saiyan, and was finally forced to throw the rest away by killing Frieza.
The frown Goku wears is somewhat a sign of loss of innocence. Frieza was an enemy he could not defeat while remaining true to the gentle nature that defined him. Goku could not save his enemy this time, and there would be no allies gained in the fight. While Angry Kamehameha is still undoubtedly ‘cool’, it was hard for me to watch it with adult eyes and not think that it was a dark and pivotal moment for Goku’s character.
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 neglected aspects Dragon Ball ZThe Namek Saga is the subtle storyline that takes place beneath the struggle, in which Goku struggles with his own nature as both an Earthling and a Saiyan. In the period between Raditz’s arrival and the climactic fight with Frieza, Goku did not fully embrace 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, Goku promises to maintain the prince’s pride and fight. neither as an Earthling nor as a Saiyan, but as both. Eventually, fully giving in to his Saiyan genetics, he explodes into the overwhelming Super Saiyan that finally puts an end to Frieza’s horrors, permanently changing Dragon ballfocus on the exaggerated battles and transformations that would come to define him.
Although Goku’s angry Kamehameha and scowl to end the fight with Frieza has cemented himself as one of the Dragon ballbest moments, it has a weight that many fans have ignored over the years, myself included. Not only is the scene inherently incredible, also marks a permanent change within Gokuwho finally embraced the Saiyan within him. Although Akira Toriyama is no longer in charge, Dragon Ball Daima it suggests a bright future for the franchise that will continue to offer emotional scenes with hidden depth.