4 iconic moments · verified episode numbers · no spoiler ratings
Goku faces the mysterious masked Jackie Chun in the World Martial Arts Tournament finals. Chun is later revealed to be Master Roshi in disguise — unwilling to let his students win too soon and stop growing. Goku loses by technical knockout after his tail is grabbed.
Goku faces Tien Shinhan in an intense final, losing on a technicality when they both fall outside the ring simultaneously. The loss motivates three years of training before the next tournament.
King Piccolo kills Krillin and Shenron. Goku, powered by grief, breaks his own limits and punches through King Piccolo's chest with his bare fist. The first hint of the power Goku will later achieve.
Goku faces Piccolo Jr. — son of the villain he killed — in the tournament final. Both are adults now. The battle is brutal and epic, ending with Goku's victory. He then offers the defeated Piccolo a bean and lets him live. It defines both characters.
Episode numbers are verified against the aired broadcast order. Dragon Ball is the property of its respective creators and studios.