Was Goku Retarded?

[Nautical Honors Society]

I don't mean in the annoying middle-school-insult definition of the word, I mean this in the legitimate psychological terminology sense. [sub](I hate it when people use "retarded" as an insult, but that's another thread)[/sub]

I guess "brain damaged" would actually have fit better.

At the very beginning of the series, he hits his head, getting amnesia in the process. It's quite possible that he sustained permanent brain damage. However, it's never clear what the full extent of his childhood injuries are. There are several alarming instances of poor decision making and lack of problem solving abilities, as well. Possibly the worst of these being his unannounced abandoning of his family for several years to go train Uub, who was a reincarnation of a monster that once almost destroyed the world.

Yes. These are the sorts of things I think about when bored.

No he is just extremely uneducated, illiterate, and uncultured.

Also he is like a quadruple zombie...which could definitely harm brain functions.

 

[Genixma]

You should watch DBZ Abridged on Youtube.

 

[Zaik]

Not just brain damaged, but also raised himself with no formal education or socialization.

Also, he's a stereotypical japanese hero character. The japanese version of the Western world's roided raging gun shooting one liner spitting Aryan action movie star.

 

[WolfThomas]

I think he's not "retarded" or perhaps more appropriately, doesn't have an intellectual disability. He probably however did have some degree of acquired brain injury, seeing as he intially fought Gohan and then became a docile afterwards. I have a friend who had two sub-dural haematomas (bleeds onto the brain), he remained as intelligent, but personality wise he changed. He has little to no inhibitions, say whatever he thinks and is kind of a compulsive gambler now. So Goku perhaps had something happen to change his personality. But I think it's simply that combined with poor education. If you don't learn certain things by certain ages, it becomes a lot harder. So Goku's poor social skills can be seen as part of that.

 

[Nouw]

Man this thread is hilarious.

Anyway, he's not retarded. Just void of any life skills. Hell he couldn't differentiate from a guy and a girl for a while.

 

[Donbett1974]

Pure hearted, innocent, and uneducated are more likely the reason he came off as retarted.

 

[Ellen of Kitten]

If Goku is retarded, then I'll bet at least 1/3 of all anime characters are equally retarded.

A better question is: was Bulma a whore?

Your avatar... it is amazing. Esspecially in a thread about Dragonball.

I have a love/hate relationship with all things DB. Goku as a child is one such scenario of malice. Especially in GT, when he seems to just forget he's an adult and act like a doof. But then again, I enjoy the series at the same time, so it's mostly his character flaws that upset me.

Also, if it was legit brain damage, then it falls under those select injuries that Senzu Beans conveniently don't heal, like Yamcha's scars.