Summary
Dragon Ballis one of the most popular shonen series of all time, full to the brim with many iconic moments that many fans still remember fondly to this day. From the very start, Goku has played the role of a classic shonen protagonist who may be too goofy and dumb for his own good but still manages to save the day courtesy of his amazing strength.
Many people consider Goku to be one of the best protagonists of all time, even with all the fans who have a softer spot for his friend and rival, Vegeta. After all, Goku is the heart and soul ofDragon Ball, and most people can’t imagineDragon Ballwithout this iconic protagonist at the helm of things, with some of the most iconicGoku quotesbeing fresh in the minds of many.
Updated on June 19, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Dragon Ball is a series that needs no introduction, with fans loving the larger-than-life battles in the series where powerful entities put everything on the line to ensure that they attain victory at all costs. The protagonist of the series, Goku, has grown along with the series as he embarked on several memorable adventures before eventually becoming one of the strongest warriors in the universe. Throughout the series, this valiant hero has risen against the odds several times, with some of the best Goku quotes ensuring that fans will support this Saiyan through thick and thin as he takes out any villain standing in his way.
24"It’s True. Vegeta’s Right. You Have No Honor. For Him, And For Everyone Else You’ve Destroyed, I Am Going To Finish You."
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 86: The End Of Vegeta
Vegeta is Goku’s rival, with both Saiyans pushing each other to the very limit as they become more powerful than ever before. While Vegeta was working against the heroes for most of the Namek Saga, things change when Frieza beats him within an inch of his life before eventually killing him with a disrespectful Death Beam.
This death affected Goku quite a lot, who acknowledged his rival’s words and talked down to Frieza, setting the stage for an epic battle a long time in the making. Both warriors push each other to the very limit, making for an entertaining conflict that fans can’t stop getting giddy about no matter how many times they watch it.
23"I Will Not Let You Destroy My World!"
Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods
Battle of Godswas a return to form forDragon Ball, letting fans witness the amazing adventures of Goku and his allies again in the very first chapter ofDragon Ball Super. The arrival of the Destroyer God, who’s stronger than anyone Goku had ever faced before, pushed him to unlock a new Super Saiyan transformation that could even the odds.
What follows is an incredible battle where Goku doesn’t realize that he has lost the power of his Super Saiyan God transformation. However, his powers have already been pushed to a whole new level, and Goku can’t stop his rage from overflowing when Beerus threatens Earth during their battle. His desperation overflows as he transforms into a regular Super Saiyan, with Sean Schemmel showing once again why he’s the definitive voice for Goku as he surpasses his limits and gives Beerus a fight to remember.
22"I Won’t Let You… Get Away With This!"
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 95: Transformed At Last
After the heroes assume thatFrieza is defeatedafter he suffered a direct hit from the Spirit Bomb, the vengeful villain comes back and cuts their celebrations short. What follows is a brutal display of Frieza’s power as he heavily wounds Piccolo and kills Krillin in front of his best friend’s eyes.
At this point, Goku is unable to control his rage. He lets this anger overwhelm him, and he shows off the power of the Super Saiyan transformation for the first time, transforming in an iconic sequence full of memorable Goku quotes that send chills down fans' spines to this day.
21"So I Hate To Say It… For Me, There’s A Better Path To Power. It’s Not Love. It’s FURY!"
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 118: Accelerating Tragedy Vanishing Universes
The Tournament of Power is full to the brim with some of the most iconic moments inDragon Ballhistory, and it’s easy to see why some of the bestGoku quotescome from this arc. A fight against a universe that uses the power of love has its epic moments, despite the goofy nature of the opponents' powers.
After being trapped by a Pretty Black Hole from Universe 2, Goku commends the fighters for turning love into a source of power. However, his bold declaration leads to an epic moment where he uses fury to transform into Super Saiyan Blue and fire off a Kamehameha to destroy this attack and eliminate this universe.
20"I’m Going To Finish This Right Now."
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 116: Signs Of A Turnabout! The Autonomous Ultra Instinct Erupts!
Watching Ultra Instinct slowly come into its own as one of the best forms inDragon Ball Superis a treat to witness. Goku makes it a point to push himself during the final tournament, eventually engaging in a battle with Caulifla and Kale. When the two Saiyans from Universe 6 fuse, Goku is pushed to his very limit and unlocks the imperfect Ultra Instinct form once again.
Realizing that he can’t maintain this form for long, he decides to risk it all in a single Kamehameha and utters one of the most sinisterGoku quotesof all time. Kefla was rattled and brought her A-game to finish Goku off. She was almost successful with a final beam attack, only for Goku to skid on it with his energy and unleash one of the greatest Kamehamehas in the series.
19*“Maybe You’ll Come Back Someday As… As A Better Person, I Hope. I’d Like That. Perhaps We’ll Have A Little One On One.”
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 286: Spirit Bomb Triumphant
While the Buu Saga may have experienced a rough start, things picked up with the advent of Super and Kid Buu. The latter was so powerful that he destroyed all of Earth right after his transformation, causing the Saiyans to get desperate as they escaped to the Sacred World of the Kai.
When Buu hunted them down, the Saiyans took him on in a battle for the ages. Vegeta realized that he was outmatched. He acknowledged Goku’s power in a cathartic moment for his character, while his rival got a much-needed boost from Shenron to unleash a Spirit Bomb for the ages. Goku’s quote right before he obliterates Buu is a beautiful sendoff to a villain who could have destroyed the entire universe. The moment caps off the final serious conflict ofDragon Ball Zon a high note.
18"You Fool!"
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 105: A Mighty Blast Of Rage
Fans ofDragon Ball Zgot to see a side of Goku they seldom saw when he transformed into a Super Saiyan for the first time during his fight against Frieza. His anger and passion for battle triumphed over everything else, making for a tantalizing battle against Frieza where Goku’s rage helped him gain the upper hand against Frieza over and over again, before finally witnessing the fall of this emperor as he accidentally slices himself with his blade.
After begging for mercy and asking for help, Goku derides this man before finally giving in and letting the goodness in his heart dictate his decision-making. He offers Frieza some energy and flies away, only for his unthankful opponent to launch an energy beam at him. With these two words, Goku launches an energy attack of his own that destroys Frieza for good mere moments before Namek explodes.
17"The Power Comes In Response To A Need, Not A Desire."
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 156: Bow To The Prince
After witnessing just how powerful Cell can be, Goku decides to train Gohan and help his childmaster the Super Saiyan form. It’s a strenuous moment for Gohan, who is put through the wringer by his father in sparring matches where he must find it within himself to reach his father’s level of power before attaining this legendary form.
Goku is smart about teaching Gohan, telling him the importance of this form and how it is accessed. Instead of Gohan trying to force this power out of him, the young Saiyan needs to realize just how important it is for him to unlock this form if he wishes to stand a chance against Cell and save his family from this destructive bio-android.
16"Goodbye, Vegeta."
Vegeta is a character who was introduced as a villain, only for fans to find out that his hateful nature was fueled by Frieza and his tyranny. While that didn’t justify his monstrous actions in the slightest, fans couldn’t help but empathize with his plight as he begged his rival to do what he couldn’t — kill Frieza.
As he bled out, Frieza added insult to injury by killing Vegeta in cold blood with a death beam. Goku’s respect for his rival is imminent, giving his body the burial he deserves and bidding farewell before focusing his attention on the villain who’d beaten down his friends and family without any remorse whatsoever.
15"Your Energy Level Is Decreasing With Every Blow. In Fact, You’re Not Even A Challenge To Me Anymore."
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 103: Pathos Of Frieza
After turning into a Super Saiyan, Goku outclassed Frieza in every way, no matter how hard the manga tried to prove otherwise. Despite powering up and reaching the heights of his energy, Frieza failed to win against Goku after the energy of his punches decreased by the end of their climactic battle.
This is an observation that Goku himself makes, belittling Frieza in the process. The tyrant doesn’t take this taunt lightly, setting himself up for a cruel defeat once he uses his energy discs to try and slice Goku apart, only for this tactic to backfire on him.
