Son Goku is a fictional character and main protagonist of the "Dragon Ball" manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is based on Sun Wukong (Monkey King), a main character in the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West". His origin story also shares some similarities with that of Superman. Goku first made his debut in the first "Dragon Ball" chapter, "Bulma and Son Goku", originally published in Japan's "Weekly Shōnen Jump" magazine on December 3, 1984. Born Kakarot, Goku is introduced as an eccentric, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. He meets Bulma and joins her on a journey to find the magical seven Dragon Balls that can grant the user one wish. Along the way, he finds new friends who follow him on his journey to become a stronger fighter. As Goku grows up, he becomes the Earth's mightiest warrior and battles a wide variety of villains with the help of his friends and family, while also gaining new allies in the process.