"One Piece" creator Eiichiro Oda and "Naruto" creator Masashi Kishimoto said that Goku inspired their protagonists as well as series structure, with "Tekken" Lars Alexandersson also showing traits of a hero through his design inspired by Goku alongside Marvel Comic's Thor. Commenting on Goku's popularity, Kishimoto stated that when people hear the name "Son Goku", no longer do they think of the "Journey to the West" character, but instead "Dragon Ball"'s protagonist comes to mind. Additionally, for the second half of the series, Kishimoto created an ape named Son Goku in reference to Toriyama's character to the point the ape has four tails just like the four-star Dragon Ball Goku earned from his grandfather.