Who is Goku Black in ‘Dragon Ball’ and why did he turn evil?

Every hero has their ultimate nemesis. For many, it is their own personal demons – but the monster shadowing Goku is very real.

We all have our dark side, but Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama took this literally. Goku is the hero of the franchise – an ultra-loyal, totally stand-up guy that is incapable of feeling negative emotions. In many ways, he is the ideal warrior for good and has proved this by saving the planet multiple times.

Zamasu, on the other hand, is a dangerous enemy who defeats the version of Goku from Universe 10 and steals his body, morphing himself into a twisted lookalike of Goku. Goku Black has a simple if totally unhinged mission – to destroy all mortal life everywhere. Often referred to only as “Black,” he becomes the main antagonist of the Future Trunks Saga of Dragon Ball Super.

Goku Black believes that mortal beings are primarily responsible for everything negative. By eliminating all of them, he wants to restore “balance” to the multiverse. With such evil intent, it is no surprise that our very own Goku from the prime Dragonball universe decides to try and stop him.

Apart from his gothic choice of clothes and always-angry expression, Goku Black is identical to Goku in all ways save one – his earring. Fans in the know have recognized Goku Black’s earring (always worn on his left) as a Potara, a secret weapon of immense power worn by the Supreme Kai in each universe. Goku Black’s Potara allows him to wield the time ring – an almost mythical device that propels the user across the timescapes, all the while shielding them from changes in the diverging timelines.

Black may be one of the strongest and most fanatical enemies Goku has ever encountered.