TV-Series
Description
Raditz is a Saiyan warrior from the anime Dragon Ball Z. He is the older brother of Goku, whose Saiyan birth name is Kakarot, and the first-born son of Bardock and Gine. He is sometimes referred to by the nickname Raditz the Runt and is regarded as a mid-class Saiyan warrior, although other Saiyans such as Nappa view him as one of the weaker members of the race.
Raditz was born on Planet Vegeta and raised with the traditional warrior upbringing of the Saiyan people. He spent much of his life serving the Frieza Force alongside fellow Saiyans Vegeta and Nappa, traveling to weaker planets and conquering them. He survived the destruction of Planet Vegeta because he was away from the planet on a mission at the time. Years later, he traveled to Earth in search of his younger brother, intending to recruit him into the Frieza Force as additional manpower for conquering a difficult world.
His arrival on Earth marks him as the first major antagonist of Dragon Ball Z. He reveals to Goku that he is not a human but a Saiyan who was sent to Earth as an infant with the mission of conquering the planet. Raditz explains that Goku, originally named Kakarot, lost his aggressive Saiyan nature after suffering a head injury in childhood. When Goku refuses to join him, Raditz kidnaps Goku's son Gohan and demands that Goku kill one hundred Earthlings to prove his loyalty.
In personality, Raditz is arrogant, cruel, and ruthless, embodying the harsher traits of Saiyan culture. He holds weakness in contempt and shows no hesitation in threatening his own family to achieve his objectives. He is also deceptive, faking a change of heart during battle to gain an advantage over Goku. At the same time, he is somewhat dependent on the authority of Vegeta and Nappa, deferring to them within the hierarchy of the Frieza Force. His fighting style is aggressive and relies heavily on brute strength and overconfidence rather than careful strategy, which ultimately contributes to his downfall.
His role in the story centers on the battle against Goku and Piccolo, who are forced to set aside their rivalry to face him. Despite being far stronger than either of them individually, Raditz is defeated when Gohan, enraged by his father's suffering, strikes him with a headbutt. Goku takes advantage of the moment to restrain Raditz, allowing Piccolo to strike both of them with the Special Beam Cannon. Both Goku and Raditz die from the attack. In his final moments, Raditz transmits information about the Dragon Balls to Vegeta and Nappa through his scouter, which leads directly to the Saiyan invasion of Earth and the events that follow.
Raditz does not undergo meaningful character development during his brief appearance. He remains a hostile and unrepentant warrior to the end, and his significance comes from his role as a catalyst. His arrival reveals Goku's origins, introduces the concept of the Saiyan race and the scouter, and sets in motion nearly every major storyline that follows.
In terms of abilities, Raditz greatly outclasses the Earth's defenders at the time of his arrival. He wears a scouter, a device used to measure the power levels of opponents, and he uses it to track Goku and relay messages. Like all pure-blooded Saiyans, he possesses a tail that grants him the ability to transform into a giant ape under the light of a full moon, which multiplies his power, though he never uses this transformation during the story. His named techniques include Double Sunday, a blast fired from both hands at once; Saturday Crash, a large destructive sphere of energy; and Shining Friday, a concentrated energy attack from his palm. He also demonstrates a counterattack technique that uses a backward swing and two kicks to catch opponents by surprise.
Raditz was born on Planet Vegeta and raised with the traditional warrior upbringing of the Saiyan people. He spent much of his life serving the Frieza Force alongside fellow Saiyans Vegeta and Nappa, traveling to weaker planets and conquering them. He survived the destruction of Planet Vegeta because he was away from the planet on a mission at the time. Years later, he traveled to Earth in search of his younger brother, intending to recruit him into the Frieza Force as additional manpower for conquering a difficult world.
His arrival on Earth marks him as the first major antagonist of Dragon Ball Z. He reveals to Goku that he is not a human but a Saiyan who was sent to Earth as an infant with the mission of conquering the planet. Raditz explains that Goku, originally named Kakarot, lost his aggressive Saiyan nature after suffering a head injury in childhood. When Goku refuses to join him, Raditz kidnaps Goku's son Gohan and demands that Goku kill one hundred Earthlings to prove his loyalty.
In personality, Raditz is arrogant, cruel, and ruthless, embodying the harsher traits of Saiyan culture. He holds weakness in contempt and shows no hesitation in threatening his own family to achieve his objectives. He is also deceptive, faking a change of heart during battle to gain an advantage over Goku. At the same time, he is somewhat dependent on the authority of Vegeta and Nappa, deferring to them within the hierarchy of the Frieza Force. His fighting style is aggressive and relies heavily on brute strength and overconfidence rather than careful strategy, which ultimately contributes to his downfall.
His role in the story centers on the battle against Goku and Piccolo, who are forced to set aside their rivalry to face him. Despite being far stronger than either of them individually, Raditz is defeated when Gohan, enraged by his father's suffering, strikes him with a headbutt. Goku takes advantage of the moment to restrain Raditz, allowing Piccolo to strike both of them with the Special Beam Cannon. Both Goku and Raditz die from the attack. In his final moments, Raditz transmits information about the Dragon Balls to Vegeta and Nappa through his scouter, which leads directly to the Saiyan invasion of Earth and the events that follow.
Raditz does not undergo meaningful character development during his brief appearance. He remains a hostile and unrepentant warrior to the end, and his significance comes from his role as a catalyst. His arrival reveals Goku's origins, introduces the concept of the Saiyan race and the scouter, and sets in motion nearly every major storyline that follows.
In terms of abilities, Raditz greatly outclasses the Earth's defenders at the time of his arrival. He wears a scouter, a device used to measure the power levels of opponents, and he uses it to track Goku and relay messages. Like all pure-blooded Saiyans, he possesses a tail that grants him the ability to transform into a giant ape under the light of a full moon, which multiplies his power, though he never uses this transformation during the story. His named techniques include Double Sunday, a blast fired from both hands at once; Saturday Crash, a large destructive sphere of energy; and Shining Friday, a concentrated energy attack from his palm. He also demonstrates a counterattack technique that uses a backward swing and two kicks to catch opponents by surprise.