After decades of pushing his body and mind way past peak performance there will come a time when even the mighty Goku will step away from the burdens of being Dragon Ball‘s best. However, having fought his whole life, what would make him leave the arena for good?
As a child, Goku was taught by his grandfather Gohan the joys of the pursuit of excellence through training. Even after Gohan’s untimely death, Goku continued to train on his own. After joining Master Roshi – the Turtle Hermit to further his training, Goku learned that one of the best ways to test his training and improve his skill set is to participate in martial arts competitions. From that point forward, training and fighting in tournaments became primary and ongoing elements of Goku’s life. Indeed, as he improved his abilities, Goku sought harder and more strenuous opponents to fight and defeat or, if defeated, learn from. Naturally, the prospect of confronting stronger opponents meant that Goku would need to train harder in preparation. Fortunately, Goku’s enjoyment, passion, and dedication to the process have been able to fuel his desire to continue. Not even death or injury have convinced Goku that perhaps there are better and safer endeavors to pursue than training and fighting
It would seem that, like professional sports players who play well past their prime, only old age, injury, or death will take Goku out of the game. However, this conclusion overlooks one of the key elements of Goku’s story, albeit an element that is often downplayed, namely his dedication to his family. Considering his personality, it would seem counter-intuitive that Goku would voluntarily retire. Living for the fight is really all he knows and as a Saiyan, it’s actually in his blood. Moreover, fighting has brought him unimaginable success across multiple universes, as well as the friendships of Gods, Angels, and dragons. But the evidence suggests that his family will be the ultimate influence on Goku’s decision to stop fighting.
The strongest family influence on Goku is that of his wife Chi-Chi and her desire to live a normal family life. After meeting again at a martial arts tournament in Dragon Ball chapter 171 they have been inseparable except for when Goku has been away fighting. Moreover, whenever he has been ill, such as when he contracted a heart virus in the “Androids” story arc in Dragon Ball Z, Chi-Chi remains steadfastly by his side taking care of him and nursing him back to health. Chi-Chi has never liked his training and fighting lifestyle, especially after she gave birth to their son Gohan. To be sure, after they become parents, Goku’s training and fighting come at the pleasure of Chi-Chi’s decision. Either she allows Goku to do it, or Goku disobeys and does it on his own, knowing the consequences he will face with Chi-Chi once he returns.
There is a precedent for Goku giving up fighting for his family. After the defeat of Majin Buu, Chi-Chi forces Goku takes up farming and focus on raising their second child Goten together. While he does get some training in between work, it seems mainly focused on home defense, rather than searching out fighters to fight. Only after he comes into a large sum of money donated by Mr. Satan does Chi-Chi relent and allow him to “temporarily” stop his chores and train full-time. But clearly, she’s had enough of him fighting and dying. While some may believe that Goku does not need to listen to his wife, as Master Roshi once said there’s probably nothing that Goku is more afraid of in the Dragon Ball multiverse than the wrath of his wife.
