Goku is one of the most iconic characters in anime and manga history. The star of Dragon Ball is instantly recognizable, even to non-anime fans, as the character is constantly spoofed and referenced in other forms of media. With this fame, however, comes questions, especially as the Dragon Ball franchise has so many bits of overlooked or side content, making it easy to miss the answer you seek.
One of the most common questions fans ask is just how tall Goku is, especially in the form seen in Dragon Ball Z. And if the height of Wolverine in the comics surprised you, then wait until you find out about Goku’s actual height.
What is ‘Dragon Ball Z?’
Released in 1989, Dragon Ball Z is the sequel to the original Dragon Ball anime. It is based on the Dragon Ball manga written and illustrated by the legendary Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball Z adapts the final 325 chapters of the manga, and the story kicks off five years after the end of the original anime, with Goku now a young adult.
His life, however, is turned upside down when Raditz, an alien from space, lands and says that he and Goku are brothers and they are the last of an extinct race called Saiyans.
As the series progresses, Goku and his friends will fight a new slew of foes, all while learning more about themselves, the universe they inhabit, and their own forgotten histories.
How tall is Goku?
Thankfully, we have official confirmation of Goku’s height. In 2009, Shueisha, the manga’s publisher and the company behind the legendary Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine released two books called Dragon Ball: Super Exciting Guide. These guides were updated and collected versions of the Daizenshuu series of Dragon Ball guidebooks from the mid-’90s.
In the Character Volume book, many Dragon Ball characters get short biographies that contain information about their history, powers, and storylines. The entry for adult Goku says that Goku is 5’9″ or 175cm tall, which is around the average height for an adult male. Interestingly, these books also confirm that Goku has grown a lot since Dragon Ball as young Goku is listed as being 4’1″ or 124cm tall.
Why does Goku’s height spark debate?
While Goku has an official height, many fans disagree about it. This is because both the anime and the manga can be very inconsistent with character height.
This is especially true in group shots as character height differences can change slightly, especially when perspective is taken into account, making it easy to think characters are a different height than they officially are.
