Dragon Ballis one of the most historied and legendary shonen series of all time. Most people argue that this series paved the way for anime to become popular in the West, with the constant struggles of the Z Warriors against incredibly powerful opposition being a treat to witness every single time.
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The main characters ofDragon Ballare all iconic in their own right, with their names rolling off the tip of any anime fan’s tongue who’s vaguely familiar with the series. Characters like Goku and Vegeta have grown to become some of the most beloved heroes in shonen history, with the other main characters also being memorable in their own way. For fans who want to know everything possible about their favoriteDragon Ballcharacters, here’s an in-depth look at what their names mean.
10Goku
Theprotagonist of the tale, Son Goku, has a name that’s based on Son Wukong. Son basically translates to grandchild, while Goku can be perceived as “awakening to emptiness” or “understanding the sky”.
Goku also has a Saiyan name, Kakarot, which has a simpler meaning, Since all Saiyan names are basically puns for vegetables, Kakarot is nothing more than a pun on the word “carrot”.
9Gohan
Gohan is the firstborn son of Goku whohas his fair share of memorable moments in the anime. That being said, his name itself is pretty simple and not really worth dwelling on.
Gohan simply means “cooked rice”, which is pretty hilarious in a way. Since so many names inDragon Ballare just puns on food, it makes sense as to why Toriyama chose this funny name for Gohan.
8Goten
Goku’s second son doesn’t play a major role in the events ofDragon Ballbut is still a memorable part of the show. His innocent and sweet nature serves as a stark contrast to his massive power.
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His name is actually a pun on Goku’s name, with the ‘ku’ (sky) being replaced by ‘ten’ (heaven). So, Goten’s name means “understanding the heavens”, which is a pretty neat fact.
7Vegeta
The Prince of all Saiyans isone of the best characters inDragon Ball. However, his name itself doesn’t really have the deepest meaning around.
Again, Vegeta’s Saiyan origins mean that his name is just a pun on the word “vegetable”. This might be a source of ridicule, but any fan ofDragon Ballknows just how serious and entertaining Vegeta’s character really is.
6Trunks
If people thought that the vegetable puns for Saiyan names were funny, then the origins of the Brief family’s names will have them rolling on the floor. It shouldn’t take an expert to figure out that the names of this family are just different types of underwear.
So, the meaning of “Trunks” should be pretty obvious, given this distinction. Of course, this doesn’t take away from the awesome nature of Future Trunks' character, who is easily one of the best parts of the show.
5Broly
Broly was a non-canon character for the longest timebeforeDragon Ball Super: Brolyofficially turned him into a canon character. As is to be expected, his name is also a vegetable pun.
Broly is short for “broccoli”, which is perhaps why he’s the strongest character on the show. After all, there aren’t many vegetables that top broccoli on this list in terms of sheer healthiness.
4Piccolo
Piccolo is a Namekian who is one of the best and strongest characters on the show. The student-mentor relationship he shares with Gohan has led many people to joke around that he’s a better father than Goku himself.
Piccolo means “Another World” in Namekian, which was meant to signify how he looks like a completely different being even though he’s from Earth. After his origins were explained during the Namek Saga, this name makes perfect sense.
3Frieza
Continuing the tradition ofDragon Ballcharacters being named after puns,Frieza and the rest of his race’s punsare inspired by various cold things. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that his name is nothing more than a pun on the word “freezer”.
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Other characters who are related to Frieza have more on-the-nose names in this regard. His father, King Cold, and his brother, Cooler, are great examples of this!
2Bulma
Bulma isone of the first characters that is introduced in the show, along with the legendary Son Goku himself. The history of the Brief family’s names has already been discussed before, so it’s no surprise to figure out what Bulma’s name is a pun on.
Her name is nothing more than a pun on the word “bloomers”, which is pretty hilarious in its own right. Of course, given Bulma’s amazing scientific mind and entertaining personality, it’s easy to see why so many people don’t really care about the origins of her name in the long run.
1Bardock
Goku’s father tried to stage a valiant coup against Frieza’s tyrannical reign, but it was clear that this tyrant’s power was too much for Planet Vegeta to fight against. As a result,Bardock and the majority of the Saiyan racemet their end at the hands of Frieza.
Bardock’s name is a pun on “burdock”, a vegetable that not many people have heard of. It’s a popular Japanese root vegetable that is used extensively in Japanese cooking.
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