Goku's logic is weird, in that he really likes giving people a chance to make a Heel–Face Turn down the line, which has...well, mixed results.
Not killing Vegeta wound up being the only reason anybody survived Namek. Not killing Frieza...well, it bit him, but at least Frieza had the courtesy to bite him five seconds later rather than coming back to do it somewhere down the line - which he also did, but that wasn't about Goku sparing him, he was rebuilt with spare parts. Not killing Gero is a weird example, because we got Androids 16, 17, and 18 out of that decision, but that's only a good thing in one of the two timelines, and it's the one in which they knowingly made the decision. Not killing Fat Buu, again, weird example because on the one hand, Fat Buu did make a Heel–Face Turn, but on the other hand, a greater evil arose from it, so...yeah.
The decision to spare Vegeta is probably the most unambiguous example, in which it has just as little justification and yet the most inarguably positive outcome of any of Goku's "Let him live!" moments.
edited 14th Dec '13 9:15:26 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Well I suppose it's because most of his friends consist of people who were once his enemies, so I guess he figures everyone deserves that chance.
Hell, Goku himself was meant to be an enemy of earth, and only avoided that fate through a lucky head injury (never expected to say something like that), so perhaps he feels that everyone deserves the chance that he got by accident.
One Strip! One Strip!Freeza leads the Planet Trade Organization, which kind of blends him being a galactic emperor with being a real estate broker. Some of the elements from the Saiyan arc exposition seem to be retconned out, however, as Raditz mentions that they auction the planets they sell instead of just handing them over to Freeza, and some other minor things.
edited 14th Dec '13 4:08:41 PM by Saiga
From the manga, he might not actually sell the planets. That part is from the Saiyan arc, and could be retconned out. He might just rule over them, as "Freeza no. 79" implies.
Dunno. I'm going to need to check up on that. Alternatively, if he does sell then, it could just be that he likes the image as a businessman rather than a tyrant.
Could be he just doesn't want to deal with all the responsibility of governance. Being a tyrant is a lot of work, all the time. Why even bother with it if he's already living like a king anyway?
edited 14th Dec '13 6:48:25 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.So Saiga, will you be reviewing all the way from the very start, with just Goku and Bulma? I ask because many fans aren't familiar with those parts, and those that are usually don't like them very much. I see Dragon Ball as we know it starting at the King Piccolo arc.
And you're reviewing volume by volume? So that'll come out to 26 blog posts, yes?
I have said it before, and I will say it again:
You all enjoy mocking that dude too much. The entire Dragon Ball fandom enjoys it a little too much.
It's an unhealthy addiction.
One Strip! One Strip!Dude, people don't mock Tristan from Yu Gi Oh as much.
And I don't think he accomplished anything after the Pegasus arc. Yamcha had a baseball career for pete's sake. Probably the only Z-Fighter to ever make any real money.
edited 15th Dec '13 10:16:20 PM by FOFD
The fact that he uses his powers to compete against muggles for some extra cash just makes him seem more pathetic
Also, pretty much all of the Z-fighters except Tien, Piccolo, and Chiaotzu are likely richer than Yamcha:
Bulma: owner of the largest corporation on Earth and a super-genius.
Vegeta: has Bulma.
Goku/Chi Chi: have a freaking castle.
18/Krillin: have money extorted from Mr. Satan
Mr. Buu- tournament winner and Mr. Satan's best bud.
edited 15th Dec '13 10:31:35 PM by sockpuppet1
See, this is the thing. People don't just make fun of him for legitimately failing. They bend over backwards to twist anything he's done to make him an even bigger loser than he already is, and they do it with glee.
I guess that yeah, I don't really find it funny, hence my criticism of it. I kinda wish I could just sit back and enjoy it, but I think it's just a bit too much.
One Strip! One Strip!I thought the anime made up his baseball career to make him seem less pathetic.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.But it only made him MORE pathetic, because starting fights with normal assholes is the only way he can win.
My various fanfics.Actually, Goku and Chichi's form of income started coming from Hercule after Gohan and Videl got married if I remember correctly, also Yamcha being in a baseball team was something Toriyama came up with for the anime, like he did for Gregory.
edited 16th Dec '13 12:02:23 PM by Ssj3Gojira
Let's see if you can get past my Beelzemon. Mephiles, WARP SHINKA!All of his accomplishments in Dragon Ball prime notwithstanding, in Z, Krillin killed three Saibamen simultaneously, contributed to both Nappa's and Vegeta's defeat, helped save Dende from Dodoria, distracted Second Form Frieza, and helped Vegeta abuse his Near-Death Power-Up Bullshit.
The last noteworthy thing Yamcha ever died was coming back from getting killed by a Saibaman only to be effortlessly oneshotted by the weakest Android in the entire Cell Saga, while being unceremoniously dumped by his longtime girlfriend so she could marry the man responsible for his death, because apparently even his friends consider that a public service.
Seriously, Yamcha is the whipping boy of the entire franchise.
edited 16th Dec '13 12:43:52 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.The only time Krillin had even a shot at doing any real damage to Nappa was with the Kienzan. Otherwise, he and Piccoo and the rest never stood a chance against him. The other things you mentioned were also just "you happen to be here" feats. He happened to be the only one alive who Goku could give the Spirit Bomb. he happened to be the only one who could hurt Vegeta. And big lot of good that did BTW.
As for Bulma marrying Vegeta, that's because Vegeta is a shit character and DBZ is badly written.
And speaking of being badly written, Krillin could have KILLED Freeza after blinding him with the Solar Flare. So...yeah, there goes all the good will you can give him. Fucker had the best chance at killing Freeza out of anyone save Goku and he didn't do it.
edited 16th Dec '13 1:15:39 PM by Nikkolas

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the series Saiga.
On a separate note, I re-watching the ep where the Gang decides to start training to fight the Androids; I always felt the logic behind waiting three years for the Androids to show up was questionable.
Goku's point that he hasn't done anything yet doesn't really hold up, because Gero was part of the Red Ribbon army, who killed and hurt a lot of people in their quest for
making Commander Red tallerWORLD DOMINATION, and he should be held responsible for that. More to the point, they could have used the Dragon balls to tell them where he was so they could smash all his shit before he got very far with it instead of waiting.However, I think Krillin made a better point about why they should do things that way. Most of them were enemies of Goku when they met him, and eventually became his allies. He specifically mentions Vegeta (alongside Piccolo) when point this out; Fighting the greater threat of the Anrdoids will eliminate the later threat of Vegeta through long term Enemy Mine.
And it worked too. Vegeta had already lost much of his motivation (immortality, and defeating Freeza) as a result of his association with Goku, and then he had Trunks with Bulma, and really only needed to admit to himself that he was no longer who he was before (that took longer, but it did happen eventually).
…..So….. No, that's stupid, they still should have gone after the Androids right then and there, but I kinda sorta see a possible point to it. Not enough to justify it, so I guess this was a waste of time.
One Strip! One Strip!