Goku does not enjoy killing his opponents and has often spared them. From Vegeta, Piccolo, to Frieza, there are plenty of characters who lived to see another day because of Goku’s benevolence in Dragon Ball. But has he always been like this?

The initial kid Goku did not have so much mercy in his bones. He was ruthless and finished his enemies properly. But as he grew, he became more and more forgiving, which actually constitutes his character growth. But one particular character in the series marked a turning point in the hero’s life.

It was Android 8 who taught Goku what it means to be a hero in Dragon Ball

First introduced during the Red Ribbon Army saga, Android 8 is the eighth creation of Dr. Gero. However, he was deemed somewhat of a failure due to his pacifist tendencies. He was designed to serve the Red Ribbon Army, but he refused to do so by battling innocents and was thus seen as faulty.

Android 8 might look scary, but he actually is good-natured and docile. He is a friendly robot who detests violence. He refused to follow the brutal orders of Ninja Murasaki and General White. Though the android does fight once he is provoked or his close ones are in danger.

During the arc, Android 8 refused to fight Goku despite orders since his opponent was a mere child. In turn, Goku saves him and names him Eighter. Both strike a quick friendship, and Goku sacrifices himself to save Eighter from a grave dilemma.

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However, Eighter did manage to convey to Goku that if he kills his opponents, then he would not be any better than them. At the time, Goku was just a kid and might not have fully understood the meaning and intention of Eighter. But as he grew, he seemed to have adopted the ideology wholeheartedly.

Goku idolized Android 8’s advice and grew up accordingly

Goku chose to be a hero and spare his opponents | Credits: Toei Animation

When fans first met Goku, he did not have any ‘no kill’ rule. He was a simple jungle boy who was taught by Master Roshi. He did not learn many social norms, and even apprenticing under Roshi did not instill many values in him. He did not have basic schooling and has been fighting his entire life. So Dragon Ball also shows how Goku slowly learns to be a good human and a splendid hero, and Android 8 could be called one of his unintentional teachers.

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Once Goku realized the meaning behind Eighter’s words, he slowly began changing to grow up accordingly. Yes, he has caused plenty of damage when pushed to the edge, but as an adult, he always tries to spare his opponents once they have been utterly defeated. Had he not let Vegeta survive, he would have never gained his only Saiyan bestie.

Additionally, he also lets some of the villains like Frieza live, which is why he is a recurring villain in the story. But no matter how much his villains come back to bother him, Goku remains unmoved in his philosophy. He wants to be better than the bad people, and by sparing them, he is proving himself to be a worthy hero.

Dragon Ball anime is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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