Goku's pure heartedness, ingenuity, and lack of awareness regarding some basic aspects of society often make Dragon Ball’s viewers misunderstand his character as just a childish man who doesn’t care about anything but getting stronger. However, one hidden reference in an episode of Dragon Ball Super proves that Goku has more emotional intelligence than fans give him credit for.

Goku's apparent lack of maturity is due to his simplicity and carefree attitude, which remained the same from his childhood until Dragon Ball Super. This is because Goku's personality was influenced by his grandfather, Gohan, who raised him and taught him values and the importance of kindness.

Goku shows he is an emotionally complex hero by not forgetting the emotional ties he has with others. This is shown in Dragon Ball Super through a touching callback, which proves that Gohan's legacy lives on in him.

Goku Shows His Respect and Love for His Grandfather by Reenacting Their Last Fight

Dragon Ball Super, Episode 94: "Resurrection of the Evil Emperor! The Mysterious Awaiting Assassins?!"

In the Dragon Ball Super anime Episode #94, for the Tournament of Power, Universe 7 needed one last fighter to complete their team, and Goku chose Frieza for his strength. As Frieza was in hell after the events of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', Goku went to ask Fortuneteller Baba to revive him. While Goku is waiting for them to arrive at Fortuneteller Baba's Palace, he is shown training on his own.

What many fans didn’t notice is that Goku was reenacting the battle he had with his grandpa Gohan decades before during Baba’s tournament, where they reunited for the last time, one of the sweetest moments in the series. Goku inherited Gohan's love for martial arts, so the best way to him is through the last confrontation they had. Some fans (such as Trevis Segarra on YouTube) even created edits that juxtapose the two emotional moments.

The fact that Goku is able to every movement of the fight highlights his level of concentration and analysis for combat and also how much his grandfather means to him, even though he shows it with his actions and not with his words. This also shows that Gohan’s teachings are present in Goku’s mind when he faces a situation that tests his character, demonstrating nostalgia before a critical battle like the Tournament of Power.

Goku Shows Concern About His Loved Ones

Gohan’s Influence Is Evident on Goku, Even in Dragon Ball Super

In Dragon Ball Super, Goku was criticized during the Tournament of Power for putting the universes at risk by suggesting the tournament to Grand Zeno. However, the universes would have been destroyed if Goku had not intervened, and once he sees the seriousness of the situation, he takes his role to protect Universe 7 seriously, being able to choose Frieza for the team despite the risk it entails.

Additionally, Goku has shown genuine concern on several occasions that prove how important the well-being of his family and friends are to him, such as when Frieza destroyed the earth in Resurrection 'F', when he learned that Zamasu killed Chi-Chi and Goten in another timeline, or when it looked like Master Roshi was going to die in the tournament, which meant they couldn't revive him.

Gohan taught Goku to be an honorable and fair person. These principles are reflected in his tendency to protect others, and that he has reenacted 30 years later his fight with his grandfather from the original series in the same location shows how Goku is not just a flat character that only cares about fighting but someone with underlying emotions who speaks through his actions.

Source: travissegarra224/YouTube