Chi-Chi appears in every series, down to her shrunken version in Daima, and few characters change role as much: the little warrior of Mount Frypan becomes Goku's wife and the mother of Gohan and Goten. This page follows her arc by arc; the full portrait is in Chi-Chi's profile.
Dragon Ball
Emperor Pilaf Saga (episodes 1-13)
In her debut as a child, armed with a bladed helmet, Chi-Chi takes care of a dinosaur on her own. In episode 7 the Ox-King asks Goku to escort her to Master Roshi to borrow the magic fan that could put out the flames on Mount Frypan, and Goku carries her on the Flying Nimbus, which only the pure of heart can ride. This Emperor Pilaf Saga also gives us the promise: she tells him he will marry her when they grow up, and Goku agrees, thinking a bride is something to eat.
Red Ribbon Army Saga (episodes 29-68)
Early in the Red Ribbon Army Saga Goku visits her again while chasing a Dragon Ball. In an anime-only stretch, in episode 32 Chi-Chi single-handedly defeats about a dozen of Colonel Silver's soldiers, who have captured her father.
Piccolo Jr. Saga (episodes 123-153)
Years later she enters the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament anonymously. In the Piccolo Jr. Saga Master Roshi recognizes his own school in her style; in episode 137 she faces Goku and throws the old promise back at him; he pushes her out of the ring with nothing but the wind of a punch, learns who she is and keeps his word in front of everyone. The anime-only finale starts in episode 149: flames trap her father's castle, where her mother's wedding dress is kept, and the couple sets off in search of the fan. In episode 153 the fire dies down and the wedding goes ahead.
Dragon Ball Z
Saiyan, Frieza and Garlic Jr. Sagas (episodes 1-117)
Now a mother, Chi-Chi wants Gohan studious and away from fighting, and she fumes whenever someone drags him into battle, from the Saiyan Saga to the Frieza Saga. In the Garlic Jr. Saga, in episode 109, the anime gives her a red aura when she gets angry for the first time: a visual gag that will return years later.
Cell Saga (episodes 140-194)
Goku's sacrifice against Cell leaves her a widow. In the Cell Saga, in episode 193, she breaks down in tears as Gohan tells her what happened. Goten is born soon after, and she raises both boys alone.
Majin Buu Saga (episodes 200-291)
Seven years on she is a less strict mother and teaches Goten the basics of martial arts herself. In the Majin Buu Saga she eyes Videl with suspicion, thinking she is dating Gohan, until she learns the girl is rich and starts dreaming of a wedding. Sheltering on Kami's Lookout, she believes Gohan is dead; in episode 257 she confronts Buu and slaps him, and he turns her into an egg and crushes her. The Dragon Balls bring her back. In episode 288, fed up with Goku watching over a dinosaur egg, she goes to Bulma's party without him; ten years later she is Pan's grandmother.
Dragon Ball GT
Baby and Super 17 Sagas (episodes 17-47)
With Goku off in space, Chi-Chi moves into Capsule Corporation with Goten, as we learn in episode 26. In the Baby Saga she is possessed by the parasite like nearly everyone on Earth, then freed with the Sacred Water. In the Super 17 Saga, in episode 47, Videl flies a terrified Chi-Chi to the battlefield, where she arrives ready to fight once it is all over.
Shadow Dragon Saga (episodes 48-64)
At the end of the Shadow Dragon Saga, in episode 64, Goku leaves with Shenron and she shouts at him to be home for dinner; Gohan and Goten comfort her by pointing out that he always comes back to eat.
Dragon Ball Super
Battle of Gods Saga (episodes 1-18)
In episode 1, with the Ox-King running low on money, she makes Goku work the fields. In the Battle of Gods Saga, in episode 9, when Videl announces she is pregnant, Chi-Chi suggests naming the baby "Gomen". In episode 17 Pan is born: Chi-Chi is horrified at how Gohan and Mr. Satan toss her around and forbids Goku to leave with Whis, only to accept it once he slips away.
Future Trunks Saga (episodes 47-76)
In episode 49 she stops Goten so he will study. In the Future Trunks Saga we learn that in the alternate future Goku Black killed Chi-Chi and Goten, and the present-day Goku is enraged. In episode 75 the red aura returns: she does not want Goten training with his father.
Universe Survival Saga (episodes 77-131)
In episode 77, at the start of the Universe Survival Saga, she again forbids Goten to train: father and son sneak out, and she calls Bulma to stop them.
Our take
In the early arcs Chi-Chi is a real fighter, able to beat soldiers and make the main bracket of the World Martial Arts Tournament; from Z onward she becomes the voice of normal life in a house of warriors, and her key moments are domestic scenes: a breakdown in tears, a party, a job forced on her husband.
Fans have argued for decades over whether this role does her justice. But every time Goku leaves, she reminds us who stays behind, and when she slaps Majin Buu it is clear the courage of the girl in the helmet never went away.
Did you know? Her debut helmet, with a crest she can throw like a boomerang and a gem that fires beams, and the pose she strikes while using it, closely echo the hero of the tokusatsu series Ultraseven.
Her story continues in Goku saga by saga and Goten saga by saga; for her daughter-in-law, see Videl saga by saga.