In the manga Dragon Ball, it is clear that as Son Goku grows up, the narrative shifts significantly. The storyline is no longer filled with comedic elements as it once was; instead, it focuses on intense battles, power upgrades, and fierce rivalries between the main characters and their opponents.
Dragon Ball showcases the fierce battles between Son Goku and various opponents.
Of course, in the end, Son Goku will always emerge as the victor, no matter the circumstances. His victories are often attributed to Akira Toriyama’s narrative style, emphasizing persistence, spirit, and the inherent goodness of Goku himself.
However, few notice that in the race to determine who is the strongest, Son Goku and his friends (his companions) have often been given excessive “buffs” by the author, making it challenging to maintain fair play against the formidable opponents.
Time Chamber
One of the many “overpowered” moves that Akira Toriyama created for the main characters is the Time Chamber located in the Lookout of Kami. Inside this chamber, time passes much slower, allowing one to train for longer periods. A day in this realm is equivalent to about one year in the outside world.
Why are Cell, Frieza, and Majin Buu not trained in this chamber to ensure fairness for both sides?
Thus, if we consider Dragon Ball as a game, Son Goku and his friends have undoubtedly acquired a “hack exp” (experience points hack) that allows them to train significantly faster than others, potentially training at least 365 times more quickly. If the opponents also trained in this space, it’s uncertain whether Son Goku would have triumphed.
However, some argue that while using this Time Chamber could be seen as a shortcut to prolong one’s youth, especially since time spent within it is real-time. Meaning, if you train in there for 100 days, when you exit, you would have aged 100 years and become an old man. This aspect has not been confirmed by the author, so we may consider this hack to not exist, and Son Goku could have “hacked exp” in battles against opponents like Cell or Majin Buu.
Spirit Bomb
One of the most iconic abilities attributed to the group is the Spirit Bomb, created from the energy of living beings. When gathering this bomb, despite the strength of the energy gathered, it can still be countered and destroyed in an instant.
Thus, even if Son Goku is weaker than his opponents, he can unleash immense power, delivering devastating blows after the Spirit Bomb is fully charged, while the opponents are left vulnerable due to the prolonged battle. The Spirit Bomb essentially acts like a health potion, granting Son Goku infinite energy as long as he doesn’t die, allowing him to fully unleash a 100% power level. This raises the question of whether this is fair to opponents like Frieza, Majin Buu, or Cell.
The Spirit Bomb continuously regenerates energy, creating a fair play situation with opponents.
This does not take into account the fact that Son Goku’s Saiyan blood allows him to become stronger each time he recovers from injuries. Therefore, with a Spirit Bomb, he can continuously (just before death) absorb energy, increasing his strength exponentially. Assuming this continues, Son Goku would likely turn into an “immortal god” in just a few days after being “revived.”
Thus, if Son Goku is even slightly “weaker,” he can become significantly stronger, and this Spirit Bomb is no different from a cheat tool.
The Seven Dragon Balls
You can achieve almost any wish if you gather all seven Dragon Balls. To avoid anyone gathering the Dragon Balls and wishing for something constant, each Dragon Ball that is summoned after every wish will vanish, making the wish harder to attain.
Do Goku and his friends using the technique to gather the Dragon Balls mean they are cheating?
However, Son Goku and his friends have devised an interesting method to gather these Dragon Balls, which involves using their immense powers to reach the Dragon Balls as they scatter and fly off in all directions. Therefore, it could be said that they have effectively monopolized the process of gathering the Dragon Balls to their advantage.
In conclusion, these characters might not achieve resurrection or be able to wish for other things they desire. Thus, the question remains whether they are truly being fair to the opponents like Frieza, Majin Buu, or Cell.
With these unfair advantages, have you observed any deficiencies in how the characters of Dragon Ball are treated by the author as they “reverse the odds”?
