Son family

EveryoneAtTheTournament — The Son family

The Son family is the main family in Dragon Ball, and consists of six known members, plus extended family and an unspecified number of unnamed members. This is one of the two families in the series to have the Human and Saiyan bloodlines (the other being the Brief family).

Overview

Gohan,GotenAndChiChi — The Son family having breakfast

The Son family is introduced in the series with the character Son Goku, whose name is a parody of Sun Wukong, a character from popular Chinese and Japanese cultures. Unlike most associated characters, the Son family does not have a theme of naming.

Yosonfamily — The Son family as they appear in *Yo! Son Goku & his friends Return!!*

The Sons are noted as a family from Mount Paozu in the series. Supporting the fact that the Sons are an Eastern family, the Sons' last name is placed in front of the individual's name, which is consistent with family names in the real-life Eastern cultures. Furthermore, the Sons tend to wear traditional Asian styled garbs for their regular clothing.

Family History

The Son family originated from Grandpa Gohan, who adopted the infant Saiyan child Kakarot, whom he renamed Son Goku in Age 737. Goku was born on Planet Vegeta as the second and youngest son of Bardock and Gine, who already had a son, Raditz. Goku was sent to Earth to destroy all mortal life on it but a head injury whipped away all his memories and he forgot his mission, and Goku was raised as an Earthling. Up until the Saiyan Saga, Goku was only known by his adoptive name and continued to stand by it even after he learned about his Saiyan heritage. At age 12, Goku meets Chi-Chi and inadvertently becomes engaged to her when she falls madly in love with him. Chi-Chi is the daughter of Ox-King, who is the ruler of Fire Mountain. Five years later, Goku decides to fulfill his childhood promise to Chi-Chi and marries her in a traditional ceremony, much to the delight of her father, Ox-King.After their first year as a married couple, Chi-Chi gives birth to their first son, whom Goku names Gohan after his adoptive grandfather. Goku and Chi-Chi prove to be loving and doting parents and Ox-King as a grandfather. However, Goku wanted to train Gohan in martial arts to follow the family tradition but Chi-Chi never takes to this and is adamant Gohan dedicate his time and strength to studying so he can become a scholar. Goku, although confused, lets Chi-Chi dominate the lives of her husband and son due to his fear of her temper. When Gohan gets older and proves to be potentially one of the strongest people ever known, Goku uses this revelation to train him and teaches him everything he knows to be a warrior. Goku is too occupied with training and Chi-Chi is too focused on educating Gohan to the point both have to rely on her father to support the family financially.

When Goku learns about his heritage and previous mission from Raditz, Goku rejects it all and kills Raditz for kidnapping and threatening Gohan's life. All his life, Goku never acknowledged Raditz as his brother and initially rejected his Saiyan heritage until the conflict with Frieza, during which he decided to accept it. He later encourages Gohan to accept his own Saiyan heritage in order to defeat Cell.

When Gohan is eleven, Goku sacrifices himself to help Gohan stop Cell. Unknown to him at the time, Chi-Chi was pregnant with their second son, and several months later, Goten is born. Goku wouldn't get meet his new son until the boy is seven-years-old, and Goku immediately embraces his youngest son without hesitation despite the sudden revelation. When Gohan is seventeen, he meets Videl, whom he learns is the daughter of the fraud Mr. Satan, and falls in live with her. After his resurrection during the Kid Buu Saga, Goku and his family are able to live together once more. Chi-Chi forces Goku to work as a radish farmer to support their family when her father loses his fortune in a fire and is unable to finance the family no more. Gohan and Videl marry after a three year courtship and Gohan fulfills his mother's dream in becoming a scholar, but he returns to martial arts when a situation involving the safety of his family and the planet calls for it. Videl gives birth to a girl named Pan the following year. Pan would later learn martial arts from both of her grandfathers. At the end of Dragon Ball GT, Goku leaves to train with Shenron and disappears. The Son family would live in peace for the next several years and by Age 880, the only known Son family members left are Pan and her descendant, Goku Jr..

Family of Martial Artists

Several members of the Son Family and their extended family are trained Martial Artists and have at least two members who are both champions of the World Martial Arts Tournament, Son Goku and Mr. Satan. At least three members of the family Ox King, Grandpa Gohan, and Goku are students of Master Roshi's Turtle School. Son Goku originally learned Martial Arts from his Grandpa Gohan and went on to train under the likes of Master Roshi, Korin, Kami, King Kai, and Whis. Likewise Chi-Chi was trained by her father Ox King, though she did not allow Goku to train their eldest son, Gohan due to her fear that Gohan would end up like his father without a proper education and viewed Martial Arts as unnecessary and a distraction from his studies, however following Goku's 1st death, Son Gohan was trained in martial arts by his father's rival Piccolo and would later train under his father Goku. His alternate timeline counterpart Future Gohan would become Future Trunks martial arts teacher training him in a method similar to that of his late mentor Future Piccolo, and pass on to him knowledge of swordsmanship and techniques like the Masenko.

As a scholar, Gohan would later go on to write a book called Groundbreaking Science in Age 804, in which he compiled all of his research into the nature of ki and martial arts of the past. His book introduced the concept of ki to the masses and sparked a new wave of interest in the martial arts, resulting in the founding of New Turtle School by Krillin and New Crane School by Tien Shinhan. Son Goten ironically learned the basics of martial arts from his mother Chi-Chi whose views on martial arts had changed in the wake of Goku's 2nd death during the Cell Games and decided to train Goten personally much like how her father taught her, Goten would later train under with his brother who taught him how to fly alongside Videl, and later under Piccolo during his fusion training with Trunks. Inspired by a passage from his brother's book Groundbreaking Science, Goten began studying swordsmanship with Trunks and together they co-founded the Kikoukenjutsu Sword School which in Age 820 foiled an attempted takeover by remnants of the Galactic Frieza Army.

Like her mother-in-law Chi-Chi, Videl was trained in the basics by her father, the World Champion Mr. Satan and often trained at her father's Satan House dojo, though she proved to be a more serious martial artist and later blackmailed Gohan to train her how to fly using ki resulting in her learning Ki control. Coming from such a long line of martial artists, Pan trained under both her grandfathers Goku and Mr. Satan (like her mother she occasionally would train at Satan House dojo with Mr. Satan's other students), as well as being trained by both her parents, and occasionally sparred with her uncle Goten as well as his best friend Trunks. As she was introduced to the martial arts very early in her life, able to fly and even participate in the World Tournament effortlessly defeating older martial artists like Wild Tiger at the age of four. In Age 794, Pan herself became a martial arts instructor of Pan Fighting Network and as a 100-year-old grandmother she trained her grandson Goku Jr. in the martial arts as her grandfather did with her, continuing the tradition started by Grandpa Gohan and Goku.

Given their background as low class soldiers in the Saiyan Army, Goku's parents Bardock and Gine, as well as their eldest son Raditz trained in the fighting arts as well due to the Saiyan's warrior culture and strong combat instincts, though due to her gentle nature and poor fighting ability, Gine would retire from the army and fighting.

Family Tree

Grandpa Gohan
(by adoption)

Bardock

Gine

Ox-King

Chi-Chi's mother

Raditz

Kakarot
(Goku)

Chi-Chi

Mr. Satan

Miguel

Goten

Gohan

Videl

Pan

Unnamed person

Goku Jr.

Members

Son family members

Grandpa Son Gohan
Son Goku/Future Goku
Son Gohan/Future Gohan
Son Goten
Pan
(Unnamed descendant)
(Unnamed descendant)
Son Goku Jr.

Extended members

Videl,PanAndGohan — Pan, Videl and Gohan

Trivia

In the Japanese version, all the male Saiyan members for the Son Family are voiced by Masako Nozawa (aside from Raditz who was voiced by Shigeru Chiba). However, in the FUNimation dub, all adult forms of those characters have completely different actors. The only instances in the FUNimation Entertainment dubs of the Dragon Ball series where they shared actors were Stephanie Nadolny as Kid Goku (Dragon Ball) and Kid Gohan (Dragon Ball Z), and Colleen Clinkenbeard as the same pair (Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies and Dragon Ball Z Kai respectively). In the Brazilian dub, Kid Gohan and Kid Goten have the same voice actress. In the Latin American dub, Kid Goku, Kid Gohan and Kid Goten have the same voice actress too.
The Bio-Android Cell contained cells from Goku, technically making him and his offspring members of the Son family.
While not blood related, Piccolo acted as a "surrogate father" to Gohan, and for a time also lived with the Son family.
In the French, AB Group and Danish dubs, Turles refers to Goku as his younger brother, making him an extended member of the family according to some dubs - in the original version it is stated that he is merely similar to Goku due to being "struck from the same mold".
Goku, Chi-Chi, Mr. Satan, Videl, Gohan, Pan, and Goku Jr. have all fought in the World Martial Arts Tournament at some point. In fact, at the 23rd Martial Arts tournament after defeating Chi-Chi, Goku offered to fulfill his boyhood promise to marry her (which he mistakenly made due to his assumption that marriage was a type of food), becoming engaged to be married right their at the tournament which ironically was the same tournament where Goku became a champion. Similarly Videl and Gohan would also participate in the 25th martial arts tournament.