How Old Is Goku In Dragon Ball Z?

Goku is the main protagonist in the Dragon Ball franchise and also its most popular character.

We are first introduced to Goku as a child when he lands on Earth after fleeing planet Vegeta before its destruction. Upon his arrival, Goku is found by Bulma, a teenage girl who is in search of the Dragon Balls.

Over the series and its successors, Dragon Ball Z and Super Goku becomes one of the most skilled fighters in the universe and uses his Saiyan powers to take down a variety of foes.

One thing that isn’t expanded on? Goku’s age. We know that when he was initially found by Bulma he was 11 years old, but with the time skips and occasional time-traveling escapades in the series, it’s hard to keep up with with what Goku’s current age is.

How old is Goku in Dragon Ball?

When we first meet Goku in Dragon Ball, he is 11 years old. Throughout the series, we see Goku turn 12 and compete in the 21st World Martial Art Tournament before a three-year gap until the 22nd edition of the tournament. Having the metric of these tournaments being spaced three years apart, it would be reasonable to assume, after training with Kami and Mister Popo, when Goku competes in the 23rd tournament defeating Piccolo and marrying Chi Chi he is 18 years old.

How old is Goku in Dragon Ball Z?

Picking up some years after the events of Dragon Ball, in Dragon Ball Z Goku’s son, Gohan is five years old. During the Saiyan Saga, in which Goku sacrifices his life so Picollo can take out his brother Raditz, he dies a 23-year-old man. This is where the timeline can get confusing. While he is resurrected a year later, he is brought back and would be chronologically 24, but his body remains the same as when he died at 23.

After the conclusion of the following major arc, the Frieza Saga, Goku spends three years training with Vegeta, Gohan, and the fellow Z fighters before the arrival of the Androids. In preparation for the Cell games, Gohan and Goku enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber where time functions differently. To them, they are inside training for a year and so their bodies emerge one year older, however, chronologically a year has yet to pass meaning that Goku’s age syncs right back up to 27 years old.

After Goku sacrifices himself in the fight against Cell, he remains dead for seven years until being revived once again by Elder Kai to take on the Earth’s latest threat, Majin Buu. Chronologically, this would put Goku at 34 years old, however, his body still remains 27 just as when he initially died.

After defeating Buu, Dragon Ball Z has a 10-year time jump for its epilogue. Goku’s chronological age at the end of Dragon Ball Z is 44, however, his body is that of 37.

How old is Goku in Dragon Ball Super?

Dragon Ball Super takes place in the 10-year gap between the defeat of Majin Buu and the closing epilogue of the series. When the show picks up it is believed to be around four years into the timeline placing Goku at around 38 years old chronologically but within his 31-year-old body.

The series and sequel movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly has only taken place over about a year so far meaning that to this point Goku’s chronological age is 39 yet his physical age is 32.

How old is Goku in Dragon Ball GT?

While it isn’t technically canon, Dragon Ball GT was released prior to Super and exists on its own timeline, taking place five years after the epilogue of Dragon Ball Z. At the beginning of the series Goku, is chronologically 49 years old within the body of his 42-year-old self. But he’s quickly reverted into his 11-year-old body due to accidental use of the Dragon Balls by Emperor Pilaf.

For the remainder of the series, Goku remains in this body closing out the show as a 51 one-year-old man in a 13-year-old body. Fortunately, he does get his original form back in the series epilogue after merging with the Eternal Dragon. But this takes place a century into the future, so while Goku may look to be back in his physical prime, he is technically a 151-year-old man.