by If you think your family is complicated, wait till you meet Son Goku’s. It’s a mix of warriors, geniuses, deadbeat uncles, cosmic royalty, and kids who could obliterate a city block before learning algebra.
Here’s the breakdown: fast, messy, and legendary.
🌑 THE ROOTS: FROM PLANET VEGETA TO A DIRT FARM
Before the Earth-saving and god-fighting, there was a planet called Vegeta. Big, mean, full-of-space warlords. Our boy, Goku? He never got the memo.
| Name | Who Were They? | Where Are They Now? |
|---|---|---|
| Bardock | Tough-as-nails soldier, saw the future, tried to save his race | Vaporized by Frieza, but hey, at least he tried. |
| Gine | A rare “nice” Saiyan, the mother of Goku, is probably good at making stew | Also vaporized. But her motherly instincts saved Goku’s tail. |
Bardock was that guy at the construction site who worked double shifts and never complained. Gine? More of a “pack a lunch and kiss your forehead” type. Together, they sent Kakarot (Goku) to Earth before their planet got nuked.
Goku lands in the countryside. Gets adopted by Grandpa Gohan, an old martial arts master who does his best but gets accidentally drop-kicked to the afterlife by baby Goku. Mistakes were made.
☁️ GRANDPA GOHAN: THE MAN WHO RAISED A LEGEND
| Who He Is | His Role | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|
| Goku’s adoptive grandfather | Raised Goku, taught him martial arts | Accidentally crushed by a Great Ape (a.k.a. Baby Goku) |
Grandpa Gohan was a good man. Took in a wild, feral alien baby and tried to teach him manners. Did it work? Not really.
Gohan’s tragic end came when Goku, in his Great Ape form, crushed him like a bug. Goku didn’t remember, which made it awkward later.
But Gohan’s influence stuck. The Dragon Ball we know today started because Goku wanted to see his grandpa again. That’s love, folks.
👑 THE FIRE-BREATHING KING: THE OX-KING
| Who He Is | His Role | Why He’s Important |
|---|---|---|
| Chi-Chi’s dad, Goku’s father-in-law | King of Fire Mountain, part-time warrior | Gave Goku a wife and an endless supply of food |
The Ox-King is huge and strong and mostly just wants a quiet life. Used to be a terrifying warlord, but then he became a grandpa and mellowed out.
He’s best known for:
- Having a castle that was literally on fire.
- Being the only man Goku listens to (sometimes).
- Feeding Goku’s bottomless stomach.
He also set up the most unexpected romance in anime history.
💍 THE LOVE STORY THAT MAKES NO SENSE: GOKU & CHI-CHI
| Goku | Chi-Chi |
|---|---|
| Thinks marriage is a type of food | Runs the house like a drill sergeant |
| Loves fighting more than breathing | Loves education more than life |
| Barely knows what taxes are | Probably does all the paperwork |
Chi-Chi is THE reason Goku even has a family. If she weren’t around, he’d be a shirtless nomad eating squirrels in the woods.
She keeps the house running, forces Goku to be a parent at least once a year, and still has the guts to yell at literal gods.
Honestly? Chi-Chi is terrifying. And we respect that.
🏆 THE FATHER-IN-LAW WHO FAKED HIS WAY TO THE TOP: MR. SATAN
| Who He Is | His Role | Why He’s Important |
|---|---|---|
| Videl’s dad, Gohan’s father-in-law | World Martial Arts Champion (but not really) | Somehow convinced the world he saved them from Cell |
Mr. Satan (a.k.a. Hercule) is the biggest con artist in anime history.
- Took credit for Gohan beating Cell.
- Befriended Majin Buu by giving him a puppy.
- Survived every battle because nobody wanted to hit him.
Despite his cowardice, he has a heart of gold and is one of the best grandpas in the series. Also, he’s loaded, which means Pan will never have to work a day in her life.
🦁 THE KIDS WHO INHERITED TOO MUCH POWER
Goku’s kids are freakishly strong. Almost unfairly so.
Gohan (The Scholar Saiyan)
- Started as the strongest kid in anime.
- Peaked during the Cell Saga.
- Got married, had a kid, and became a bookworm.
Goten (The Copy-Paste Goku)
- Looks like a mini Goku.
- Learned Super Saiyan at age 7 because why not.
- Spends more time goofing off with Trunks than actually training.
🦁 THE IN-LAWS & EXTENDED FAMILY: A LOT OF POWER, EVEN MORE ATTITUDE
Saiyans don’t do “family reunions,” but if they did, it’d be at Capsule Corp, and someone would get punched into orbit.
| Name | Connection | Attitude Level | Best Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegeta | Rival, grudging best friend, royal pain | 1000% | Inventing stuff and rolling her eyes at Saiyan nonsense |
| Bulma | Genius, rich, Vegeta’s wife | 1000% | Inventing stuff, rolling her eyes at Saiyan nonsense |
| Trunks | Goku’s nephew-in-spirit | 800% | Time-traveling, best-dressed Saiyan, making Goten look lazy |
| Videl | Gohan’s wife | 700% | Taking no nonsense, learning to fly in record time |
| Pan | Goku’s granddaughter | 1000% | Already stronger than half the cast |
Vegeta married into money. Goku married into discipline.
Somehow, they both ended up happy—one just shouts about it more.
🔥 THE NEXT GENERATION: THE KIDS WHO’LL OUTGROW THEIR PARENTS
They’re young. They’re strong. And they’re already way ahead of schedule.
Pan:
- Goku’s granddaughter, 4 years old.
- Can fly, punch, and terrorize bad guys.
- Going to carry this family into the future, whether she wants to or not.
Bra (Bulla):
- Vegeta’s daughter
- Hasn’t fought much yet but has the attitude
- Guaranteed to be the “rich aunt” of the family one day
🌀 DEADBEAT UNCLE EDITION: RADITZ, THE FORGOTTEN SAIYAN
Raditz is that uncle who shows up at a wedding, drinks too much, and starts a fight with the groom.
- Shows up out of nowhere: ✅
- Tries to kill his own brother: ✅
- Gets immediately wrecked by Piccolo: ✅
- Never mentioned again: ✅✅✅
Raditz had big plans but forgot that Earth doesn’t care about “power levels.” Now he’s just a trivia question in Dragon Ball history.
CLOSING THOUGHTS: THE FAMILY THAT PUNCHES TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER
Son Goku’s family tree isn’t neat. It’s a tornado of battles, screaming, and unexpected tenderness. But at the end of the day?
- They fight.
- They get stronger.
- They somehow remain functional, even when someone is technically dead.
And that’s what makes them the wildest, most bizarre, and most lovable martial arts family in anime history.
What’s Next for the Son Family?
- Goku? Still fighting the gods.
- Gohan? Probably reading.
- Chi-Chi? Still waiting for Goku to get a real job.
And thus, the saga continues.
