Zamasu

Goku Black (ゴクウブラック, Gokū Burakku), or simply Black (ブラック, Burakku), is a fictional character and the first original antagonist in the Dragon Ball Super series created by Akira Toriyama. He is first introduced in the forty-seventh episode of Dragon Ball Super anime which first aired on June 12, 2016 and in chapter #14 An SOS from the Future!! (未来からのSOS!!, Mirai kara no esuōesu!!) from the manga.^[1] He is the main antagonist of Future Trunks Saga. Goku Black is an entity that resembles Son Goku who wreaks havoc in Future Trunks' timeline, bringing humanity to the brink of extinction. The character is unique to Dragon Ball Super series as well as its first original villain. It is later revealed that Goku Black's true identity is Zamasu (ザマス, Zamasu), an apprentice Supreme Kai (界王神, Kaiōshin, lit. "World King God") from Universe 10, who hijacked Goku's body from an unaltered timeline as part of his plan to attain immortality and wipe out all mortals. He was given the name "Goku Black" by Bulma when he initially referred to himself as Son Goku.

Creation and conception

Toei Animation Producer Atsushi Kido said Merged Zamasu was a "cheat" character for his massive strength and that his one weakness could be that he was originally a single person.^[2]

His original appearance was identical to his counterparts. After stealing Goku's body, it somehow underwent minor changes. While still essentially identical, he has a slightly darker skin tone and sterner eyes, along with a somewhat skinnier physique. His attire consists of a sleeveless dark grey uwagi, a long-sleeved black undershirt with a turtleneck, a red sash, black pants and white boots. He wears a single gold and green Potara earring on his left ear. He also wears a Time Ring on his right index finger.

Appearances

Dragon Ball Super

Goku Black's first appearance.

Goku Black first appears in Future Trunks' timeline and begins destroying West City. Future Trunks tries to stop him but fails and resorts to fleeing to the past with the time machine. Goku Black chases after him and also goes to the past with the use of a time ring, which are only used by Supreme Kais. A time portal opens up on Earth and Goku Black emerges. He begins to fight Goku when the time portal begins to collapse. Before Goku Black is pulled back into the portal, he destroys the time machine to prevent others from returning to the future. It is revealed that Goku Black's goal is to destroy every human in Trunks' timeline as he views them as 'inferior beings'.^[3]

Meanwhile, Bulma fixes the time machine that was left by Cell many years ago, enabling Future Trunks, Vegeta, and Goku to travel to the future. Goku Black transforms into Super Saiyan Rose and quickly defeats Vegeta. Goku Black claims that he grows stronger with every fight and proves to even be too much for Goku. During the fight, Zamasu, a Supreme Kai, emerges and reveals that he and Goku Black are allies and that they both want to destroy all humans.^[4] Realizing they stand no chance, Goku, Future Trunks, and Vegeta return to the past with the time machine. After Goku and Beerus destroy the present day Zamasu, Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks once again travel to the past. Goku Black reveals himself to be Zamasu, who had stolen the body of another timeline's Goku with the wish granted by the Super Dragon Balls, and Zamasu reveals himself to be from Trunks' timeline and that he has wished for immortality. Goku Black admits to Goku that he killed Chi-Chi and Goten in the timeline from which he stole the body. Enraged, Goku takes on Goku Black and Future Zamasu, but he is quickly knocked out. Goku Black blames everything that is happening on Future Trunks and his tampering of time by using the time machine, a power that should only be used by gods. This angers Future Trunks, who transforms into an unknown Super Saiyan form. This enables Future Trunks to be able to hold his own against Goku Black as Vegeta and Goku retreat to the present timeline.

Goku learns the Mafuba in hopes of capturing both Goku Black and Future Zamasu while Vegeta trains in the hyperbolic time chamber. The two of the them return to the past before Goku Black and Zamasu can kill Trunks. Vegeta is strong enough to beat down Goku Black while Goku holds off Zamasu, Future Trunks later quickly learns the Mafuba and attempts to capture Future Zamasu, but ultimately fails. Goku Black overpowers Goku and Vegeta, but Zamasu is out of energy due to breaking out of the Mafuba. Goku Black and Zamasu realize they have underestimated their enemies, and the two of them use Potara earrings to fuse into a single being known as Fusion Zamasu (合体ザマス, Gattai Zamasu). He quickly defeats Vegeta and Goku. With no other options, Goku and Vegeta use Potara earrings as well to fuse into Vegito. Vegito is able to easily gain the upper hand on Fusion Zamasu until the fusion runs out, and Goku and Vegeta are then quickly defeated. Fusion Zamasu begins to weaken as the immortal body of Zamasu fusing with the mortal body of Goku Black begins to cause problems with the fused body. Future Trunks unknowingly begins gathering the energy from all life forms on the planet into a spirit bomb, which is then absorbed into his sword. With this power, Future Trunks cuts Fusion Zamasu in half. Enraged upon being defeated by a mortal, Fusion Zamasu discards his physical form, becoming a mass of energy that begins to merge with the entire universe, killing almost all of humanity within the alternate future timeline except Future Trunks and Future Mai, and is about to destroy the humanity in the main present timeline, until Goku uses a button given by Zen-Oh, the king of all universes, to summon his future self. Dismayed with the state of Earth ravaged by Fusion Zamasu, Future Zen-Oh destroys the alternate future universe/timeline, erasing all traces remaining of Fusion Zamasu as well, while Goku and his surviving friends escape back to the present, then goes back to a now destroyed alternate future universe to bring Future Zen-Oh along to the present.

In Toriyama's films and in other media

Goku Black appears in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' Future Trunks Special Edition attempting to kill Trunks but being prevented by Mai's intervention, this appearance taking place before his initial appearance in Dragon Ball Super.^[5]

Goku Black is a playable character in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 as a pre-order bonus / downloadable character. He also appears in Dragon Ball Fusions.

Abilities

Goku Black and Zamasu possess several abilities including superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and energy blasts, which can be utilized by the use of ki. Some of their original attacks are the Aura Slide (神裂斬, Kami Retsuzan, lit. "God Split Cut").

As he possesses Goku's body, Black is able to perform most of Goku's abilities, especially his signature move, the Black Kamehameha (ブラックかめはめ波, Burakku Kamehameha, lit. "Black Turtle Destruction Wave") and his teleportation skill Shunkan Idō (瞬間移動, lit. "Instant Teleport", renamed "Instant Transmission" in Funimation's dub), taught by the inhabitants of the planet Yardrat.^[6] Grown unbelievably strong from his fight with Goku, Black have learned more Goku's fighting style and has become a Super Saiyan Rosé (超サイヤ人 ロゼ, Sūpā Saiya-jin Roze) a powerful version of Super Saiyan, which rivals in power with the Super Saiyan Blue. This version allows Black to perform a variety of unusual techniques, among them the creation of scythes and Ki swords that are thrown to the opponent to create a crack towards other realities, which in turn can be used to create clones of himself.

Voice actors

Goku Black is voiced by Masako Nozawa, while Zamasu is voiced by Shinichiro Miki in Japanese media. Goku Black is voiced by Sean Schemmel, whilst Zamasu has yet to appear in any official English media.

References