Dragon Ball Daima Sticks to an Anime Tradition in Goku¡¯s Latest Fight

Son Goku’s journey to the Demon Realm shows his joyful soul is not lost even in a harsh realm, with many of his most lovable qualities proudly displayed in Dragon Ball Daima. The latest episode shows Goku on the trail for the Demon Realm’s Dragon Balls, eagerly ready to fight Neva the Namek’s Tamagamis for them. Yet, even in the Demon Realm, Goku doesn’t lose sight of his humanity, an especially amusing feat given he’s a Saiyan and not even from Earth. But in the latest episode of Dragon Ball Daima, Goku shows no willingness to kill even a serious opponent and never even needed to.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Dragon Ball Daima Episode 8!

In the latest installment, part of Goku’s quest to retrieve the three Dragon Balls either to reverse his de-aging or rescue Dende was to defeat each of the Tamagamis in battle. In Dragon Ball Daima episode 8, he showed his mettle against Tamagami Number Three in a no-holds-barred contest of strength, only for him to disarm the friendly automaton. But the battle doesn’t end there, with Tamagami Number Three even initiating a shell game to decide whether Goku gets the prize, with no further blows traded.

Goku Avoids Killing His Opponents in a Dragon Ball Tradition

In Dragon Ball Daima episode 8, after attaining an unexpected Super Saiyan upgrade, Goku secures the upper hand against Tamagami Number Three. It’s a spectacular martial arts spectacle where the pair clash with their weapons, only for Goku to break the construct’s hammer and then offer to fight seriously in close-quarters combat. The result is an energy attack clash between the two titanic forces, with Tamagami Three unleashing a strike to meet Goku’s Kamehameha, only for Goku to lay a decisive blow. But he doesn’t outright kill his adversary, which is true of Goku’s traditions in?Dragon Ball.

Instead, the Tamagami submits, easily aware of their power difference, choosing to settle the rest of their bout in a shell game. A classic sleight-of-hand street con, you may have guessed that he used this challenge to outfox Goku in Dragon Ball Daima. However, Goku’s sharper than he seems, correctly guessing that the Tamagami removed the Dragon Ball from the inverted cups entirely. Tamagami Number Three is satisfied, acknowledges Goku as a fair fighter, and they amicably part ways.

Goku Has Had to Kill Before in Dragon Ball

For those who may be keeping score, Goku has had to put down select opponents in the Dragon Ball timeline and even been moderately comfortable doing so, but he avoids choosing it. This includes high-profile cases like being willing to kill King Piccolo in Dragon Ball, laying what was believed to be the killing blow to Frieza in Dragon Ball Z, and finishing off Kid Buu in the Buu Saga. As the series continues, Goku seems to avoid actively killing his opponents unless they’re clear and present existential threats.

But even then, Goku has shown remarkable restraint; he famously attempted to spare Frieza on Namek after outclassing him. It’s also worthwhile to point out that Goku has killed lesser opponents in multiple films, the most noteworthy being?Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might. It’s also important to recall that his body count in Dragon Ball GT is the highest since the original Dragon Ball. But facing the Tamagami, only wanting to see how strong his opponent is and seize the Dragon Ball, Goku had no reason to kill his opponent in Dragon Ball Daima episode 8.

[RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima Changes Majin Buu¡¯s Origin Story]

Akira Toriyama Indicates Ignoble Reasons for Goku’s No-Kill Clause

In a?WIRED Japan?1996 interview translated by?Kanzenshuu,?Dragon Ball?creator Akira Toriyama sheds more light on why Goku often chooses not to kill. It talks about how Goku doesn’t fight for the sake of others, “Because he wants to fight against strong guys,” Toriyama said, adding further, “I¡¯ve always been dissatisfied with the ¡°righteous hero¡±-type portrayal they gave him.” It’s a waste for Goku to kill worthy fighters. His choices to spare his opponents, powerful ones like Vegeta, are partially motivated by a desire to keep finding adversaries to push him as a fighter.

Conversely, one can also infer that Goku is certainly more shy about taking the lives of others due to the tragic incident of his origins in Dragon Ball. It especially recontextualizes his fight with Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga, especially with how it ends. But with Goku sporting a more joyful, exuberant side in Dragon Ball Daima, the no-kill clause is especially fitting. Whether or not it sticks is up to the later episodes, especially with Dr. Arinsu conjuring up a new nemesis.

H/T: Kanzenshuu