Dragon Ball Nearly Switched Up Its First Tournament Arc, But One Thing Kept Goku Grounded

Throughout its long history, Dragon Ball has thrived on the tournament format. Primarily focusing on adventure and the exploration of a fantasy world early in its serialization, the series became forever changed with the introduction of the World Martial Arts Tournament, shifting the narrative's focus towards action. Though it may seem difficult to believe now, considering the decades of success under its belt, Dragon Ball wasn't all that popular during its early days in Shōnen Jump, and the tournament was written in an effort to gain a dedicated audience.

In the years since, Dragon Ball has enjoyed near unparalleled success. Tournaments have been a constant from Goku's childhood, to the Cell Games, and eventually the Tournament of Power. Despite their frequency throughout the series, however, Dragon Ball's iconic protagonist has only ever won once. Deliberately going against his audience's wishes, author Akira Toriyama made sure Goku would need to struggle for victory, contributing to the reputation which has followed the Saiyan since.

Toriyama Made Goku Work for His First Tournament Victory

Goku Lost Twice Before Winning a World Tournament

Typically, in shōnen battle manga, the hero of the story will walk away victorious from the main battle of any given arc. Goku, on the other hand, lost in the World Tournament twice, before finally coming away with a win over Piccolo on his third try. According to Akira Toriyama, in a 1995 interview, he nearly changed his mind about this decision, stating, "Everyone around me was saying, 'I'm sure Goku will win in the end'... Even though I had wanted him to win, since I'm perverse, when they said that to me, I went, 'like I'd let him win!'"

Thanks to some pressure and a legendary artist who took enjoyment from going against his readers' wishes, Goku would have to wait before taking a World Tournament title. While certainly an unconventional decision, without having his main character lose to Roshi and Tien back-to-back, Goku might not have gained his reputation as a 'hard work beats talent' character.

Goku's Determination Led to the Reputation That Has Defined Him

Experiencing Both Failure and Success Through Hard Work Cemented Goku's Reputation

There are shōnen characters loved by the masses for being naturally gifted, yet characters that gain their overwhelming strength through hard work are incredibly easy to root for. Goku, despite having Saiyan genes, is a protagonist who worked his way to the top of the food chain. This reputation might not have stuck if Goku immediately became the strongest character in the series, however. Much of Dragon Ball's earliest moments are spent training and improving alongside Krillin with Master Roshi.

It is this training that sparked Goku's journey to becoming the strongest under the heavens, and made his eventual World Tournament victory so cathartic. Many of Dragon Ball's greatest writing decisions came on a whim, and this is an early example of Akira Toriyama striking gold simply because his audience expected something else of him. There will likely never be another series written week-to-week like Dragon Ball was, but Toriyama was a master of the craft for a reason.

Source: Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2 (translation by Kanzenshuu)