TV-Series
Description
Goku Black is the primary antagonist of the Future Trunks arc in Dragon Ball Super. His true identity is Zamasu, the former apprentice Supreme Kai of Universe 10 from an alternate timeline. Consumed by a self-righteous ideology, Zamasu used the Super Dragon Balls to forcibly switch his soul with the body of Son Goku from a different point in that same timeline. After stealing the Saiyan's form and power, he killed the original Goku inhabiting his old body and, shortly after, murdered Goku's family. He adopted the name Goku Black and, wielding a Time Ring that allows him to move between parallel worlds, traveled to the future timeline where he allied with that era's version of Zamasu.
In terms of personality, Goku Black is the absolute antithesis of the heroic Saiyan whose body he stole. He is deeply arrogant, self-absorbed, and cruel, possessing a god complex that leads him to view all mortal beings as a blight on creation. Despite his malevolent actions, he perceives his own campaign of genocide as a form of divine justice, believing that eradicating mortals is necessary to correct the only mistake the gods have ever made. His motivation is single-minded and fanatical: to execute the Zero Mortals Plan, a scheme to eliminate all intelligent, non-divine life across every universe. He sees humans and other mortal races as inherently violent and chaotic, unworthy of existence or protection by the gods.
The character's role in the story is that of a near-unstoppable force of devastation, specifically in the bleak future timeline first introduced with Future Trunks. Goku Black, alongside his immortal ally Future Zamasu, systematically hunts humanity to the brink of extinction, serving as a direct threat that forces the main timeline's Goku and Vegeta to intervene. His key relationship is with Future Zamasu, his counterpart from the future timeline who was granted immortality through a separate wish on the Super Dragon Balls. The two share the same goal and form a formidable partnership, with Black providing overwhelming offensive power and Zamasu serving as an invincible shield. His primary enemies are Future Trunks, who seeks to avenge his destroyed world, and the main timeline versions of Goku and Vegeta.
Throughout the arc, Goku Black exhibits a clear path of development, largely defined by his growing mastery over Goku's body. Initially, his control is imperfect, but he learns to tap into the Saiyan cells' unique ability to grow significantly stronger after recovering from near-death injuries. This zenkai boost allows him to escalate his power rapidly through battles. His ultimate evolution is the transformation into Super Saiyan Rosé, a divine version of the Super Saiyan form that is unique to him. Unlike the blue-haired Super Saiyan Blue used by Goku and Vegeta, Black's hair turns a distinct pink due to his nature as a deity inhabiting a Saiyan body. At his peak, he performs a Potara fusion with Future Zamasu, becoming the immensely powerful and deeply unstable being known as Fused Zamasu.
Notable abilities stem from the combination of Zamasu's divine knowledge and Goku's prodigious battle power. He can fly at incredible speeds and generate powerful energy blasts, including a dark purple variant of the Kamehameha wave called the Black Kamehameha. Using Goku's body, he is able to perform the Instant Transmission technique to teleport anywhere by sensing a person's energy signature. He can create sharp energy blades from his hands for close-quarters combat and a massive energy scythe that is powerful enough to tear a rift in the fabric of space-time, from which he can summon copies of himself to fight. His signature transformation, Super Saiyan Rosé, is the apex of his power, granting him godly ki and an aura that flickers with dark and bright pink hues, which he believes represents the beauty and righteousness of his divine will.
In terms of personality, Goku Black is the absolute antithesis of the heroic Saiyan whose body he stole. He is deeply arrogant, self-absorbed, and cruel, possessing a god complex that leads him to view all mortal beings as a blight on creation. Despite his malevolent actions, he perceives his own campaign of genocide as a form of divine justice, believing that eradicating mortals is necessary to correct the only mistake the gods have ever made. His motivation is single-minded and fanatical: to execute the Zero Mortals Plan, a scheme to eliminate all intelligent, non-divine life across every universe. He sees humans and other mortal races as inherently violent and chaotic, unworthy of existence or protection by the gods.
The character's role in the story is that of a near-unstoppable force of devastation, specifically in the bleak future timeline first introduced with Future Trunks. Goku Black, alongside his immortal ally Future Zamasu, systematically hunts humanity to the brink of extinction, serving as a direct threat that forces the main timeline's Goku and Vegeta to intervene. His key relationship is with Future Zamasu, his counterpart from the future timeline who was granted immortality through a separate wish on the Super Dragon Balls. The two share the same goal and form a formidable partnership, with Black providing overwhelming offensive power and Zamasu serving as an invincible shield. His primary enemies are Future Trunks, who seeks to avenge his destroyed world, and the main timeline versions of Goku and Vegeta.
Throughout the arc, Goku Black exhibits a clear path of development, largely defined by his growing mastery over Goku's body. Initially, his control is imperfect, but he learns to tap into the Saiyan cells' unique ability to grow significantly stronger after recovering from near-death injuries. This zenkai boost allows him to escalate his power rapidly through battles. His ultimate evolution is the transformation into Super Saiyan Rosé, a divine version of the Super Saiyan form that is unique to him. Unlike the blue-haired Super Saiyan Blue used by Goku and Vegeta, Black's hair turns a distinct pink due to his nature as a deity inhabiting a Saiyan body. At his peak, he performs a Potara fusion with Future Zamasu, becoming the immensely powerful and deeply unstable being known as Fused Zamasu.
Notable abilities stem from the combination of Zamasu's divine knowledge and Goku's prodigious battle power. He can fly at incredible speeds and generate powerful energy blasts, including a dark purple variant of the Kamehameha wave called the Black Kamehameha. Using Goku's body, he is able to perform the Instant Transmission technique to teleport anywhere by sensing a person's energy signature. He can create sharp energy blades from his hands for close-quarters combat and a massive energy scythe that is powerful enough to tear a rift in the fabric of space-time, from which he can summon copies of himself to fight. His signature transformation, Super Saiyan Rosé, is the apex of his power, granting him godly ki and an aura that flickers with dark and bright pink hues, which he believes represents the beauty and righteousness of his divine will.