Journey to the West: Goku’s official roots

Dragon Ball’s creator Akira Toriyama clearly based young Goku on the Chinese Monkey King from Journey to the West, not on Hindu myth. In 1984 Toriyama explicitly set out to adapt the classic tale of Sun Wukong. When Dragon Ball debuted later that year, the hero was even named Son Goku (孫悟空) – the same characters used for Sun Wukong. Goku’s very design comes from the Monkey King: his tail, flying nimbus cloud and expanding power pole are direct lifts from Wukong’s legend. Toriyama’s wife notes he traveled to China in April 1984 to research this story. Importantly, none of Toriyama’s published interviews or notes ever mention Hanuman. Officially, Goku was modeled on a Chinese folk hero, not on a Hindu deity.In Hindu tradition, Lord Hanuman is the simian ideal – a monkey god famed for his immense strength and devotion. Hanuman is revered as the perfect combination of “shakti” (strength) and “bhakti” (devotion), and Indian scripture calls him “the epitome of strength, courage, loyalty, selflessness and devotion”. Scholars point out that Sun Wukong may have been inspired by Hanuman. As Professor B. R. Deepak notes, Hanuman “may have inspired one of the most important figures in Chinese folklore” – namely the Monkey King of Journey to the West. Likewise, one researcher bluntly calls Hanuman “the Indian counterpart of Sun Wukong”. Both Hanuman and Wukong are mischievous monkey gods with superhuman powers and magical weapons. The themes of loyalty and humility also overlap: Hanuman is the devoted servant of Lord Rama, and Wukong eventually learns humility while protecting the Buddhist monk Xuanzang.These parallels help explain why Indian fans see Hanuman echoes in Goku. Goku’s boyish innocence, bravery and quick temper all recall Hanuman’s nature. For example, Goku bears a tail and flies on a cloud, much like Hanuman could fly and even carry mountains to save his friends. (In fact, Journey to the West explicitly connects Sun Wukong to Hanuman’s legend and Buddhist pilgrimage to India) While Toriyama himself only credited Chinese myth, the symbolism overlaps. Goku’s strength and selfless fighting for others resonate with Hanuman’s valor and devotion, so the characters feel spiritually related even if created in different cultures.Still, fans have noted striking similarities between Goku and Hanuman. Both are monkey-themed heroes famed for superhuman strength, loyalty and humility. Like Hanuman who lifts a mountain to save Rama’s army, Goku performs incredible feats (blowing up planets or lifting immense weights) using his power and ki. Both characters display gentle humility despite their might: Hanuman always pledges devotion to Lord Rama, and Goku is famously kind and forgiving – even sparing enemies after a fight. In spirit and personality, they are selfless protectors.In India, where Hanuman is beloved, many anime fans eagerly link Goku to their monkey god. Indian Dragon Ball fans often point out that Goku’s very name (Gokū or “Son Goku”) echoes Hanuman’s alternate names. Fan art and memes mix scenes of Goku with Hanuman hymns or imagery, and cosplayers sometimes pose Goku in Hanuman-like temple contexts. For instance, a common online view is simply that “Hanuman is the Indian version of Wukong,” so Goku (basically Wukong) must share Hanuman’s spirit. In practice, Goku displays many Hanumanic virtues: he’s loyal to friends, never turns on his team, and is always cheerful and humble about his power – traits devotees admire in Hanuman.No official Dragon Ball material confirms a Hanuman link, but Indian audiences often feel it. As one Down to Earth profile noted, for most Indians “Hanuman is the epitome of strength, courage, loyalty, selflessness and devotion,” qualities Goku frequently shows Indian reviewers and scholars enjoy noting this resonance even if unintended. Goku’s battles for justice and his rural, pure-hearted upbringing feel familiar to Indian fans as a modern mythic journey. In short, while Toriyama drew from Chinese legend, many in India have happily embraced Goku as a kind of anime Hanuman – a heroic monkey whose strength serves selfless devotion just like their own godREAD MORE: Goku vs Saitama: Clash of absolute power