Akira Toriyama’s heartfelt letter to Goku apologizing for his death: “I’m sorry, Son Goku!”
The creator of ‘Dragon Ball’ published a curious letter in volume 35 of the manga regarding the fate he imposed on him in the final stretch of the Cell arc.
‘Dragon Ball’ is one of the most famous and popular manga and anime series in history, and as such, it has always had a major influence on society as part of popular culture. The deaths of certain characters sparked all kinds of reactions among fans, especially in the case of Goku. So much so that its creator, Akira Toriyama, published a farewell letter to his fictional character in volume 35 of ‘Dragon Ball,’ which featured the protagonist’s second death, as he sacrificed himself to save Earth from the massive explosion caused by Cell, who had been defeated by an unstoppable Gohan: “I’m sorry, Son Goku!” wrote Toriyama in September 1993.
Goku’s second death and Toriyama’s reaction
Although Toriyama rarely showed his feelings in public—and even less so for fictional characters, even those he created himself—the truth is that when it came to Goku’s second death, he completely changed his mind. So much so that Goku’s sacrifice at this moment is particularly moving because of the speech he gives to his son Gohan just before disappearing alongside Cell, with words that broke the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
“In this volume, Son Goku dies. I don’t have much sentiment for the characters I draw, but I feel a bit sad about the death of a character that I have been drawing for more than 10 years. I tried to think of other scenarios for the story, but Goku dying was the best one. I tried not to be too somber about it. But still…I’m sorry, Son Goku! Forgive me!” Toriyama wrote in the manga itself.
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Toriyama himself explored various alternatives for this pivotal scene, though he ultimately concluded that Goku’s sacrifice was the best narrative choice to keep the story from becoming too dark and gloomy. All in all, this heartfelt message became a historic moment for fans, revealing Akira Toriyama’s more human side as he reflected on his life’s work.
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