Goku Has Actually Died More Than Twice in Dragon Ball, and the Real Count Might Be Six

It has been understood by everyone that Goku only died twice in Dragon Ball Z, and both of those deaths were self sacrifices. But that widely accepted count leaves out several other moments where Goku actually died, and once those are factored in, the real number climbs much higher.

The Two Deaths Everyone Remembers: Raditz and Cell

The first commonly counted death came against Raditz, Goku's brother, early in Dragon Ball Z. The second came against Cell, specifically after Cell lost to Gohan and, before returning as Super Perfect Cell, attempted to blow up the Earth. Goku sacrificed himself in that moment to stop Cell from taking the planet with him.

These two deaths are the ones fans typically cite when the topic comes up, and both share the same shape: Goku choosing to die in order to save others rather than dying purely as a result of losing a fight.

Why the Three Alternate Timeline Deaths Should Count Too

The video raises a question that complicates the simple two death count: Goku also died in three other timelines. That raises the issue of whether those timeline deaths should be counted as separate deaths at all, since they technically happened to versions of Goku outside the main continuity most fans track.

As the video puts it, "do you count those as being different deaths?" That question is left open rather than answered definitively, since it depends on how a fan chooses to treat alternate timelines within the Dragon Ball framework.

The Forgotten Death Against Hit in Dragon Ball Super

There is also a death that gets overlooked because it was brief and self inflicted for tactical reasons. In Dragon Ball Super, Goku technically died while fighting Hit, after making his own heart stop as a way to survive Hit's time skip technique. He was able to come back to life afterward, but for a short while during that fight, he was genuinely dead.

That moment does not fit the classic self sacrifice mold of the Raditz and Cell deaths, since it was closer to a combat maneuver than a decision to save the Earth, but it still counts as Goku dying.

So How Many Times Has Goku Actually Died?

Putting it all together, the video argues Goku has died more than twice. Counting the two classic deaths, the three alternate timeline deaths, and the Hit fight, that puts the number at around six, maybe more depending on how many alternate timelines actually exist in Dragon Ball lore, since that itself is a matter of differing fan theories.

The video does not settle on one final number, acknowledging that "everybody sees this differently" depending on which deaths and which timelines a fan is willing to count.

How many of Goku's deaths do you think should actually count toward the total?