Goku appears in every animated series, from Dragon Ball to Daima; here we follow him arc by arc, while his origins and techniques are in Goku's profile. A boy with a monkey tail becomes the strongest fighter in the universe, dies twice and ends up trading blows with gods.
Dragon Ball
Emperor Pilaf Saga (episodes 1-13)
In episode 1 Goku lives alone in the mountains with his grandfather's four-star ball, until Bulma drags him into the hunt of the Emperor Pilaf Saga. He meets Chi-Chi and, after watching Master Roshi's Kamehameha in episode 8, copies it on the spot. In episode 13 the full moon turns him into a Great Ape, until Yamcha cuts off his tail.
21st Tournament Saga (episodes 14-28)
He trains under Roshi with Krillin, his future best friend. In the 21st Tournament Saga he reaches the final against Jackie Chun, Roshi in disguise; in episode 28 the old master destroys the moon and narrowly wins.
Red Ribbon Army and Fortuneteller Baba Sagas (episodes 29-83)
In the Red Ribbon Army Saga Goku takes the army apart one unit at a time. Mercenary Tao kills his friend Bora; Goku trains atop Korin Tower, beats Tao in episode 64 and then storms the headquarters alone. To revive Bora he turns to the seer of the Fortuneteller Baba Saga: her last fighter, unmasked in episode 76, is Grandpa Gohan, back from the dead for one day.
22nd Tournament Saga (episodes 84-101)
After three years of training alone, in the 22nd Tournament Saga he reaches the final against Tien. He loses by a whisker in episode 101: he hits a car outside the ring just before Tien lands.
King Piccolo Saga (episodes 102-122)
Krillin's murder right after the tournament opens the King Piccolo Saga. In episode 109 the demon crushes Goku; he risks his life for the Ultra Divine Water and in episode 122 punches straight through King Piccolo, launched by the recoil of a Kamehameha.
Piccolo Jr. Saga (episodes 123-153)
After three years of training with Kami, the 23rd tournament of the Piccolo Jr. Saga brings a surprise: in episode 137 the mystery girl he faces is Chi-Chi, and he keeps his old promise to marry her. In episode 148 he defeats Piccolo Jr. and leaves him a senzu bean so they can fight again.
Dragon Ball Z
Saiyan Saga (episodes 1-35)
Five years later Raditz arrives, tells Goku he is a Saiyan and kidnaps Gohan. In episode 5 Goku pins his brother down while Piccolo's beam runs through them both. In the afterlife King Kai teaches him the Kaio-ken and the Spirit Bomb, but in the Saiyan Saga he returns after several friends have already fallen. He takes on Vegeta and, in episode 35, lets him go.
Frieza Saga (episodes 36-107)
Fresh out of hospital, he flies to Namek: in the Frieza Saga he lands in episode 65 and, when Frieza kills Krillin, becomes in episode 95 the first Super Saiyan in a thousand years. He escapes Namek's explosion and learns Instant Transmission on Yardrat.
Garlic Jr. and Androids Sagas (episodes 108-139)
During the Garlic Jr. Saga he is away; he returns in episode 121, where Trunks is waiting with medicine for the heart disease that will strike him. In the Androids Saga the illness hits in episode 128, right in the middle of his fight with Android 19.
Cell Saga (episodes 140-194)
Recovered, he trains with Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. At the Cell Games in the Cell Saga he gives up in episode 180 to make way for his son; in episode 188 he teleports a self-destructing Cell to King Kai's planet and dies with him. He then refuses to be wished back.
Other World Tournament Saga (episodes 195-199)
In the Other World Tournament Saga he beats Pikkon in the final in episode 199, but both are disqualified.
Majin Buu Saga (episodes 200-291)
Seven years later, back on Earth for one day, he meets Goten. In the Majin Buu Saga he reveals Super Saiyan 3 in episode 245, teaches the fusion to Goten and Trunks and goes back to the afterlife. The Elder Kai gives him his own life; with Vegeta he becomes Vegito in episode 269 and ends it with a Spirit Bomb fed by the whole Earth in episode 286. Ten years later he leaves with his new pupil, Uub.
Dragon Ball GT
Black Star Dragon Ball Saga (episodes 1-16)
In episode 1 a careless wish by Pilaf turns him back into a child. With the Earth set to explode unless the balls return within a year, in the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga Goku heads into space with Trunks and Pan.
Baby Saga (episodes 17-40)
In the Baby Saga, against the parasite controlling Vegeta, Goku's tail grows back and, after a Great Ape rampage, he becomes a Super Saiyan 4 in episode 35. In episode 39 he frees Vegeta and blasts Baby into the sun with a 10x Kamehameha.
Super 17 Saga (episodes 41-47)
In the Super 17 Saga Goku first has to find his way out of Hell; in episode 47, with Android 18's help, he destroys the android with the Dragon Fist.
Shadow Dragon Saga (episodes 48-64)
Overuse of the Dragon Balls spawns seven evil dragons. In the Shadow Dragon Saga Goku fuses with Vegeta into Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, and in episode 63 wipes out Omega Shenron with a Spirit Bomb drawn from the whole universe. In episode 64 he rides away on Shenron.
Dragon Ball Super
Battle of Gods Saga (episodes 1-18)
In the Battle of Gods Saga, episode 5 sees Beerus floor him with two blows, even at Super Saiyan 3; in episode 9 a ritual with six pure-hearted Saiyans turns him into a Super Saiyan God.
Resurrection 'F' Saga (episodes 19-27)
In the Resurrection 'F' Saga he unveils Super Saiyan Blue against Frieza in episode 24. In episode 27 Frieza blows up the Earth, Whis rewinds time by three minutes and Goku finishes Frieza before he can try again.
Universe 6 Saga (episodes 28-46)
Against Champa's team in the Universe 6 Saga he faces the assassin Hit, and in episode 39 stacks the Kaio-ken on top of Super Saiyan Blue.
Future Trunks Saga (episodes 47-76)
Goku Black is a Zamasu who stole Goku's body in another timeline. In the Future Trunks Saga their first clash comes in episode 50; in episode 67 Goku summons the future Zeno, who erases Zamasu.
Universe Survival Saga (episodes 77-131)
Goku nudges Zeno toward the tournament of the Universe Survival Saga, and he recruits Android 17 and Frieza. Against Jiren he awakens Ultra Instinct in episode 110 and masters it in episode 129. In episode 131 he, Frieza and Jiren leave the arena together, and Android 17 wins.
Dragon Ball Daima
The journey through the Demon Realm (episodes 1-20)
A wish by King Gomah shrinks Goku and his friends, and he sets off with the Supreme Kai and Glorio for the Demon Realm (see the Daima episode guide). He beats the Third World's Tamagami, faces Gomah as a Super Saiyan 3 and in episode 18, still small, becomes a Super Saiyan 4 thanks to Neva's magic. In episode 19 Glorio's wish restores him to adult size, and he goes Super Saiyan 4 again.
Our take
Arc after arc, Goku loses, trains and comes back stronger. The more important thread is second chances: he spares Piccolo, Vegeta and the good Buu, and years later fights side by side with Frieza. It is both his strength and his flaw.
There is a quieter evolution too: from Z onward Goku learns to step aside. He forfeits at the Cell Games for Gohan, teaches fusion to two kids, brings Android 17 to the Tournament of Power. The boy who only wanted to fight becomes, almost without noticing, a teacher.
Did you know? In the manga Goku calls himself ora, a rustic pronoun, but as a Super Saiyan he switches to the harsher ore, until training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber teaches him to control the form.
For his family, see Chi-Chi saga by saga and Goten saga by saga; for his great rival, Vegeta's profile.