Son Goku (addressed only as Goku in most English adaptations) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He first appears in the manga chapter Bulma and Son Goku first published in Japan\'s Weekly ShÅnen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984. He is loosely based on Sun Wukong, a central character in Journey to the West.
However, Toriyama changed some of his characteristics to be more original.
Goku is introduced as an odd, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. As the story unfolds, he is revealed to be from a race of extraterrestrials called Saiyans, said to be the strongest warriors in the universe.
