Chi-Chi is the daughter of the Ox-King, ruler of Fire Mountain, making her a princess. Her childhood shows a shy, sweet girl with a pure heart, demonstrated by her ability to ride the Flying Nimbus cloud. A key early moment involves meeting Goku as a child; his naive gesture of patting her crotch to determine her gender made her mistakenly believe he showed affection, leading her to propose future marriage. Goku, misunderstanding the concept, agreed. Years later, she resurfaces as a martial artist competing anonymously in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Confronting Goku, she expresses anger over his failure to fulfill their marriage promise. After their match, Goku honors the childhood vow and they marry soon after. This marriage defines her core role in later series. As Goku's wife and mother to Gohan and Goten, her personality shifts dramatically from her youthful self. She becomes a fiercely protective, often stern matriarch, frequently erupting in loud, nagging outbursts directed at Goku for prioritizing fighting over financial stability, and at Gohan for neglecting academics in favor of martial arts training. This drive stems from her desire for a stable, normal life and fear of her children adopting Goku's dangerous path. She intensely emphasizes Gohan's scholarly success, sometimes paradoxically prioritizing it over planetary threats, though she relents during crises like the Android and Cell arcs, permitting his training and participation in the Cell Games after acknowledging the necessity. Her parenting shows development between her sons. With Goten, her second child, she personally trains him in martial arts—contrasting her stance with Gohan—to ensure his self-defense capability, reportedly stopping after he achieved Super Saiyan transformation. Financial pressures remain a recurring theme, leading her to insist Goku find work and express enthusiasm over prize money opportunities like Gohan entering tournaments. Beneath her often abrasive exterior lies deep familial love. She shows profound grief when Goku dies, tearful joy during his temporary returns, and fierce protectiveness when family members are threatened, like slapping Majin Buu in rage over Gohan's death or desperately caring for Goku during his heart virus. Her loyalty surfaces in extreme situations; an alternate timeline's Chi-Chi and Goten are killed by Goku Black, provoking intense fury from Goku upon learning their fate. In *Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!*, she attends the celebratory banquet hosted by Mr. Satan following the defeat of Majin Buu, present among the gathered heroes and families during the feast and aftermath. Her attire evolves across the series, typically featuring Chinese-inspired dresses or martial arts uniforms, with hairstyles ranging from long ponytails to buns with framing locks. By the end of *Dragon Ball Z*, she becomes a grandmother to Pan and mother-in-law to Videl.