You mean to tell me that HE is, as of today, Ten Years old as an existing Dragon Ball villain?!
That is right! Ten years since the appearance of Goku Black in animation!
I remember reading up on the interview with Toriyama about the future of Super after the Universal 6 vs. 7 Tournament, and that he was excited to be finally, properly, tackling the idea of an Anti-Goku. A Dark Goku? An... Ukog? Twisted Goku, Goku Macaque, Waru-ku, Goku with a hint of red, you know what I mean.
Interestingly, if I recall, he actually sited the character of Kamen Rider Black as a specific inspiration other than the general idea of the doppelganger cliché in media. Which, funnily enough, looks fairly similar to how Goku Black appeared as the Crimson Saiyan in Super Dragon Ball Heroes!
Was it on purpose? Possibly! If so, then I very much appreciate the reference to the inspiration.
Coming back to Goku Black, the idea of an Evil-ku has always been popular, seen in many fan works ranging from old manga (like AF's Xicor) to the many videos and artworks during the era before Battle of Gods and after GT's ending. Of course, the idea has no doubt existed longer, but it was more caught on after GT's ending when fans mainly relied on imagination for more content.
We can not go without mentioning Turles, who served his role for being a fun movie villain with a bit of parallels to our favorite hero. A Saiyan bearing the same face, devil-horn shaped strands on his hair that are subtle. He fully embraced the cruelty of the Saiyan's instinctive nature while also shamelessly taking a power boost outside of his own core power by eating the fruit of might, something Goku would never do in his adulthood due to his pride and kind-hearted nature respectively. Ginyu was something of a precursor to the idea, yet truly only served as someone with Goku's body and not as a real reflection of our hero.
Unfortunately, Turles (and I do enjoy him, do not worry!) could not carry the same weight as the most known villains of the franchise such as King Piccolo, Vegeta, Freeza, and the ones you definitely know. He faded into the same background of enjoyable movies such as Lord Slug, Bojack, and Garlic Jr. (Who at least got a saga in animation) All of which are indeed enjoyable, yet always being left in the dust by the forerunners of villains.
Then, bam! In comes Dragon Ball Super promising a take fully endorsed and even slightly written by Toriyama himself! (Well, slightly meaning that he wrote a few drafts that were passed along to both Toei Animation and Toyotaro, but he indeed came up with the idea!) And in my humble opinion, the animation absolutely perfected his character.
He took the fans by storm, and it was amazing!!! He was not just "Goku but he didn't hit his head", he was not just "Goku but he was turned to the dark side", he was not just "Someone who looks like Goku but evil", he was much more.
A Kai falling to the side of corrupted divinity and a twisted sense of morality that we can see in the present timeline falling to his eery way of thinking in need of guidance, so appalled, outright Disgusted at the thought of Son Goku, yet obsessed to an extent. This mortal, something he already had doubts about the meaning of, not only acting so nonchalant with other Gods, but completely shattering the barrier of power between Mortals and Gods. Not only that, but he comes from a whole race of battle hungry warriors that nearly drove to extinction because of it, HE is the entity of what Zamasu finds abhorrent.
And it is completely the opposite, which is why it is so much more enjoyable. Goku is the one Saiyan that proves him wrong by merely existing. He is a savior in every way possible, he is pure in his heart, he is the sole reason his planet has survived time and time again because had it not been for the simple journey of a young boy and a young girl searching for the Dragon Balls, then the earth would be history. Goku, who has changed the heart of so many and has saved thousands of lives without wanting anything in return. Goku, who is the one that made countless efforts to simply help someone out. Son Goku, the one who always wants to strive to his strongest even while being selfish, yet refuses to take away a life if he can help it!
Goku Black existing is the reflection of Goku in such a fun and enjoyable way. He is Son Goku, because he is obsessed with how much being Son Goku gives him this thrill and godhood. The blood coursing through his body to scream for more fighting, delighting in every injury to help him grow stronger. Goku's temple of a body has been honed for a lifetime, yet always has a sense of holding back so as not to kill, his total control of body is why Ultra Instinct is such perfection.
So, a God bent on vengeance for the cosmos, controlling the body of such power is like an addiction to him. He holds his semblance of being Zamasu when needed, yet he utterly REVELS in being Son Goku. It is why he always, in Japanese, refers to him fully as Son Goku. A sign of honor, even Praise, to the one who gave him this new purpose. It is why he is so obsessed with making Goku's body as his own new temple to use in awe. Goku's humility is lost in the wave of Zamasu's serendipity of WANTING to be The Son Goku!
He cuts any boundaries that Goku had his body on, he thrives on using every instinct of the body to destroy, he deeply enjoys every single sensation running through this body he stole and refuses to let a second go to waste. In the same way Goku loves to fight, Goku Black becomes crazed when it comes to it, practically ecstatic with every duel (excluding Trunks occasionally), while also maintaining that sickeningly sweet demeanor that goes against Goku's naturally wholehearted self.
He is, in my opinion, one of the best takes of a doppelganger villain done right, no, Perfectly! Even going as far as to give him his own associated theme song, something done, but too common for the Japanese soundtrack to do for DB villains! Not to mention, the absolutely majestic acting done by the legendary Mrs. Masako Nozawa, who manages to make everyone swoon for.
Goku Black not only manages to be such a top-tier villain but has also cemented himself in that very rank of legendary Dragon Ball villains! People from Japan, to Latin America, to america, all over worldwide love him! He is no longer just a villain from Super, but a beloved villain in the franchise of Dragon Ball!
I could go on about how much Goku Black is so much fun and enjoyable as a villain, but I shall hold off for now, seeing as how this post is already so... long. My apologies T~T
Here is to wishing a very Subarashii day to Goku Black for reaching the Ten year anniversary of existing!
