Goku Black: Unveiling the Mind-blowing Twist Rooted in Goku's Mythic Origins

Fans of Dragon Ball Super are well aware that the series draws its inspiration from the Chinese classic, Journey to the West. Goku, the main character, is a direct parallel to the story's Sun Wukong. What many may not realize is that this trend of drawing from Journey to the West extends to other characters in Dragon Ball Super, particularly Goku Black.

Several original Dragon Ball characters, including Oolong, Puar, and even Bulma, were counterparts to characters from Journey to the West who played similar roles. As Dragon Ball evolved into its own entity, these similarities waned, but the characters drawn from the classic tale continued to exist within the world. By the time Dragon Ball Z came around, the story had completely diverged, and it seemed unlikely that any more elements from Journey to the West would make their way into the series. However, it turns out that Goku Black, the villain in Dragon Ball Super, actually shares many similarities with a villain from the epic: The Six-Eared Macaque.

Goku Black is Dragon Ball's Take on a Journey to the West Villain

Originally known as Zamasu, a Kai in training, "Goku Black" became obsessed with Goku. Through the use of time travel and the Super Dragon Balls, he managed to steal Goku's body. His goal was to create his own version of paradise, which involved killing all mortals. Starting in Future Trunks' timeline, Goku Black began his massacre by targeting Earthlings. However, through further time travel, the present-day Goku confronted and defeated Goku Black, with assistance from Zeno, the supreme god of the Dragon Ball multiverse.

In the story of Journey to the West, the Six-Eared Macaque is a monkey similar to Sun Wukong. This Macaque possesses godlike powers due to his six ears. Throughout most of the story, the Macaque disguises himself as Sun Wukong, duplicating the monkey's appearance so flawlessly that only Buddha can differentiate between the two. The Macaque harbors a desire for power and envies Sun Wukong. Eventually, a climactic battle occurs between the two in front of Buddha, leading to the Macaque's capture. Buddha then forces the Macaque to revert to its true form.

Goku Black's Original Inspiration Makes Him A More Interesting Villain

In the story, the Six-Eared Macaque symbolizes Sun Wukong's darker side, similar to how Goku Black is a much darker version of Goku. Goku Black closely resembles the role of the Six-Eared Macaque: possessing supernatural abilities, stealing the protagonist's identity, and ultimately being defeated by a more powerful entity. Despite Goku Black's introduction in Dragon Ball Super being later compared to other characters inspired by Journey to the West, there is undeniable resemblance and a sense of Dragon Ball returning to its origins, even if only briefly.