Shenron takes away the Dragon Balls, and Goku bids his farewell to the planet. But it certainly raises more questions than it answers. We are going to talk about the Dragon Ball GT Ending and try to get a better understanding of what actually happened.
The Dragon Ball GT Ending was intended to be mysterious. It was intended to be ambiguous as to what exactly was going on. That was the purpose. And it definitely succeeded, as there have been so many theories. And so many people are trying to piece together what exactly really happened at the ending of Dragon Ball GT.
Here is the Dragon Ball GT Ending Explained:
Dragon Ball GT Ending Explained
Now, a great place to start is just to have a quick rundown of the Dragon Ball GT Ending. Shenron discusses how the Dragon Balls have been overused. He says that he must separate himself and the Dragon Balls from this world and tells Goku to come with him, and Goku accepts.
Goku then says farewell to his friends, and he shows up 100 years later at the World Tournament, and that’s kind of the ending there.
But of course, it’s the subtleties where people really don’t know what’s going on. I think it’s pretty clear that when Shenron says he has to separate himself and the Dragon Balls from the Earth because they’ve been overused.
I think that this is just the standard thing where when someone wishes, the Dragon Ball is going to a one-year rest. It’s pretty safe to say that Shenron is taking an extended period of rest because the Dragon Balls have been so overused throughout the years that they need that much more time. And you do see them come back in Heroes Legacy.
But the more interesting part of this whole dilemma is, of course, Goku. It’s gonna be about Goku. Because Goku is so central to this ending, and a lot of the masteries are tied to Goku.
Why Did Goku Go With Shenron?
Now, one very critical thing about this whole ending is when Shenron has his eyes glow, and it seems as if he revives Goku. We don’t know if he actually did revive Goku, but he does something to Goku. We’ll get back to this later, but this is extremely important, and keep it in mind.
When Shenron revived Goku, he proceeded to tell everybody about the misuse of The Dragon Ball and that because of that, he must take away the Dragon Ball. Then interestingly, he then tells Goku to hop on.
It’s pretty subtle, but think about it: Shenron talks about why the Shadow Dragons appeared in the 1st place. The Shadow Dragons appeared because the Dragon Balls were overused and because of that. He has to separate himself and the Dragon Balls and then asks Goku to come with him. What does that really mean in an indirect way?
In an indirect way, what he’s trying to say is, “I have to separate myself, the Dragon Balls, and you, Goku. You have to come with me as well”. Now, of course, it isn’t said that directly in the episode, but he does say, “Hop on, Goku, it’s time to go.” He’s pretty much demanding Goku to come with him.
I think if you really read between the lines, what he’s trying to say is that all the wishes that caused the Shadow Dragons to arise were somehow connected to Goku. Most of them had something to do with Goku.
And what he’s trying to say is the Dragon Balls are responsible, and Shenron himself is responsible for the evil that is the Shadow Dragons. But also, in a way, Goku is also responsible since he’s also tied to everything.
So by saying, “I have to separate myself” and asking Goku to come along, he’s also saying, “You bear some of that responsibility.” And I think that’s really what’s going on. Goku, of course, always willing to accept responsibility is, of course, obliging Shenron, and, of course, he’s going to come.
It’s almost as if this is his way to pay back all the things that he had been tied to in the past. And that’s the reason I think he comes along with Shenron.
Also Read: How Many Seasons Are There in Dragon Ball? Is It Worth Watching?
Was Goku Dead At The End Of Dragon Ball?
Another really contentious issue is whether or not Goku is alive, whether he’s dead. And I really am in the camp that Goku is dead or definitely not alive in flesh and blood. Goku is definitely not in his normal state, and I do think there’s a lot of evidence to support that, and there’s really not much evidence to support that he’s really alive there in flesh and blood.
There are a lot of clues, but of course, we’ll start with the Farewell tour. Goku went around saying goodbye to all his friends. Bow, and all of these encounters Goku mysteriously vanishes. He appears and then vanishes away, almost like a phantom.
Now, people, of course, could say he just used his instant transmission. But one thing to keep in mind is he also said goodbye to Piccolo in Hell, and Goku cannot travel to hell without the aid of a portal. So the fact that he went there and disappeared just as quickly in hell does tell you something that something else is going on.
Now, some people could just easily say that perhaps Shenron aided him in his going to Hell. But then there’s also the issue of his clothes. Pan finds his clothes right there on the floor. Those clothes are 100% physical, and they are right there in the real world. But clearly, when Goku left with Shenron, we saw him wearing the same clothes.
So how is it possible that he is wearing the clothes that he left behind? Well, it’s only possible if Goku is really not there Physically. There’s also a little bit more evidence in Heroes Legacy. He appears right before Goku Junior, and then mysteriously, he fades away, almost like a ghost would.
How Did Goku Come Back At The World Tournament?
But actually, the biggest piece of evidence for Goku not really being alive, and maybe not necessarily dead, but definitely not there in physical form, is when we see him after the gap at the World tournament.
Now, some people will say that this is actually evidenced by Goku being alive because he grew up and aged. When he left with Shenron, he was clearly a child, and when we saw him at the tournament, he aged up into an adult again.
But actually, if you really think about it, it doesn’t fit because that time gap is 100 years old. So, if we’re really going to go with the aging argument, Goku should be much older than he was portrayed to be at the Dragon Ball GT Ending.
Toriyama has stated that saying lifespans are about the same as human lifespans. The only difference is that at a certain point, Saiyan age a lot more quickly than humans. This point has never been established. But because the time gap was 100 years and 100 years is a long time for a human to live, we can assume that 100 years is a long time for a Saiyan to live.
Because of that, we can definitely say without a shadow of a doubt that if Goku was there, alive in flesh and blood, then at the end of Dragon Ball GT, he has to be an old man. The fact that he isn’t an old man clearly suggests that he is not in flesh and blood; he is not alive, and something has happened to him.
Perhaps it’s not that he died. Maybe something else, but something mystical, something magical happened to him.
Did Shenron Bring Goku Back To Life At The End Of Dragon Ball GT?
This is where I returned it back to when Shenron glowed his eyes, and he had an effect on Goku. Some people will say that what happened there is that he brought Goku back to life.
Now, obviously, I’ll argue that it didn’t, but I’ll say this: it’s pretty unclear what exactly Shenron did when he cast his spell on Goku. But I think that all the weird behavior that we see Goku exhibits right after that whole incident of Shenron casting whatever he did on him.
Goku disappearing, Goku seeming not to age the way he should be, and all the weird behavior of Goku and Shenron being In Sync being on the same wavelength. I think it all has to stem from what Shenron did to him at that very moment. What he did, I’m not sure. Perhaps Shenron turned Goku into a completely metaphysical spiritual being at that point. That we truly might not never know.
Why Did Goku Come Back To The World Tournament?
But in any case, I do feel that my theory does explain a lot about the Dragon Ball GT ending and does cover up a lot of gaping holes. I guess the last little thing that we could say about the GT ending is Goku’s appearance at the Tournament. What was Goku really doing at the tournament anyway?
Well, I clearly think that Goku was checking out the next generation. Goku wanted to make sure that the Earth was going to have the protectors that it needed. Clearly seeing Vijita Jr. and Goku Jr., Goku left knowing that the Earth is in good hands and that the protectors of Earth do carry on after him.
When we see Goku in that final scene saying goodbye and going off into the distance, I do believe that that’s him saying a good farewell, knowing that the earth is in good hands. That is my theory on what I think happened at the End of Dragon Ball GT.
Also Read: Will Gohan Die In Dragon Ball Super? His Strengths and Weaknesses
