Goku

Also known as 孫悟空 (Son Goku)

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Son Goku is the Japanese equivalent of the original Chinese name for the Monkey King, Sun Wukong.

Distinguishing Features

With his large ears and mischievous eyes, Goku is the spitting image of the powerful stone monkey king, born on the top of Mount Kaka two thousand years ago.

Status: Major Star (★★★★)

As the titular character in Osamu Tezuka’s adaptation of the famous Chinese legend Hsi Yu Chi (“Journey to the West”), also known as Saiyuki in Japanese, Son-Goku is a powerful, brash, but generally well-meaning hero.  Extremely intelligent and clever, he has the ability to steal the secrets of magic from the gods.  However, his monkey-like character traits leave him prone to careless and selfish behaviour – something which often gets himself and his friends in trouble.

Notable Roles

Although Son-Goku only actively appears in his own series, known as Son-Goku the Monkey (1952-59), as the wildly entertaining protagonist of one of Tezuka’s longest running early serials – not to mention one based on probably the most famous adventure story in Asia – he is still considered a major star.