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Who is Raditz in Dragon Ball? Raditz is Goku’s older brother and a Saiyan warrior who arrives on Earth to recruit Goku for the Saiyans’ conquest campaign. He calls Goku by his birth name, Kakarot, reveals that Goku is not an Earthling, abducts Gohan, and forces Goku and Piccolo into an unprecedented alliance.

Raditz is defeated in their first confrontation, but his death drives the next stage of the story: his final transmission tells Vegeta and Nappa about Earth’s Dragon Balls and warns that two stronger Saiyans will arrive in one year. That combination of family revelation, personal danger, and future threat makes Raditz the gateway from Dragon Ball’s earlier adventures into the Saiyan Saga.

Who is Raditz in Dragon Ball?

Raditz is one of the last surviving Saiyans, the warrior race that once inhabited Planet Vegeta. He is Goku’s biological older brother. The Dragon Ball Official Site’s 2021 character feature introduces him as “Goku’s evil older brother, Raditz!”—a description that captures both the family connection and his role as the first major antagonist of the Saiyan storyline.

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Raditz reaches Earth while tracking his younger brother with a Scouter, a device that detects and compares ki levels. He expects to find Kakarot, the Saiyan infant sent away to conquer the planet. Instead, he finds an adult who has lost his Saiyan memories and grown up as Earth’s hero, Son Goku. Raditz’s arrival therefore answers a central mystery from the original series: Goku is not an unusually gifted Earthling but a Saiyan raised on Earth.

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Raditz’s family and Saiyan identity

Raditz and Goku share Saiyan parents, making Raditz Goku’s older brother and Gohan’s uncle. Raditz also identifies Goku by the name Kakarot, the name assigned to him at birth. Goku’s adopted Earth identity and his Saiyan origin are not the same thing, and Raditz is the character who makes that distinction explicit to the audience.

Raditz belongs to a remnant of the Saiyan warrior race after the destruction of Planet Vegeta. His mission is not a diplomatic visit. He wants Goku to abandon Earth, join the surviving Saiyans, and help conquer worlds. When Goku refuses, Raditz uses Gohan as leverage.

Is Raditz Goku’s brother?

Yes. Raditz is Goku’s older biological brother. The relationship is important because it changes Goku’s understanding of himself rather than merely adding another enemy. Raditz knows Goku as Kakarot and treats his life on Earth as a failure to complete the Saiyan mission.

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Raditz’s demand also establishes the family pattern that shapes later Saiyan conflicts. Goku’s loyalty is to the people and values he acquired on Earth, while Raditz defines family through Saiyan blood and military purpose. Their opposing definitions of identity make the confrontation personal before it becomes a battle over Earth’s survival.

What happens when Raditz arrives on Earth?

Raditz first demonstrates that the Earth defenders are facing an opponent outside their experience. He catches and returns a fired bullet, showing his speed and reflexes, and he withstands Piccolo’s Explosive Waves. He then approaches Goku with a recruitment ultimatum: return to Saiyan conquest or lose the chance to see Gohan alive.

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Gohan becomes Raditz’s hostage

Raditz abducts Gohan and takes him to his spacecraft. The kidnapping gives Goku an immediate reason to pursue Raditz, while Raditz uses the child to force Goku’s compliance. It also reveals Gohan’s latent power. During the confrontation, Gohan breaks out of the spacecraft and attacks Raditz unexpectedly, an outburst that helps create the opening Goku and Piccolo need.

Goku and Piccolo form an unlikely team

Goku cannot defeat Raditz alone, so he accepts help from Piccolo, a former enemy who had previously sought to defeat him. Their temporary alliance is one of the story’s major turning points. The two fighters combine their abilities, yet Raditz remains superior in direct combat. Their victory requires strategy, timing, and sacrifice rather than simply matching his strength.

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How strong is Raditz?

Raditz is overwhelmingly strong compared with Goku and Piccolo at the moment he appears. He handles attacks that would have been decisive against earlier opponents, controls the pace of the fight, and initially withstands Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon. The official character feature does not provide a numeric power level for Raditz, so assigning a number here would be unsupported.

Evidence from the story What it shows
Catches and returns a bullet Exceptional speed, reflexes, and physical control compared with ordinary humans.
Endures Piccolo’s Explosive Waves Energy attacks that threaten earlier Dragon Ball villains are not enough to stop him.
Overpowers Goku and Piccolo together Raditz has a clear combat advantage over both Earth defenders in a conventional fight.
Initially survives the Special Beam Cannon His durability and awareness make Piccolo’s charging technique difficult to use successfully.
Nappa calls him a “weakling” Raditz is dangerous on Earth but comparatively low-ranked among Saiyan fighters.

Why Raditz can be both dangerous and “weak”

The word “weak” is relative. The official feature says Raditz is among the weaker fighters of the Saiyan warrior race and reports Nappa’s insulting description of him as a “weakling.” That does not mean he is weak by Earth’s standards. It means that the surviving Saiyans, especially the stronger warriors who follow him, occupy a much higher level of power.

This distinction matters when reading the Saiyan Saga. Raditz is the first Saiyan the heroes fight, not the strongest Saiyan they will encounter. His easy domination of Goku and Piccolo establishes the scale of the threat, while the information he sends after the battle promises enemies stronger than himself.

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What happened to Raditz?

Raditz dies during the battle at the start of the Saiyan conflict. The decisive sequence depends on exploiting his tail, a known Saiyan vulnerability, and on Goku’s willingness to risk his life.

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  1. Piccolo prepares the Special Beam Cannon. Piccolo needs time to charge Makankosappo, also known as the Special Beam Cannon, a piercing attack designed to hit a narrow target with lethal force.
  2. Raditz keeps Goku and Piccolo at a disadvantage. In a straightforward exchange, Raditz is faster and stronger. The two allies cannot simply overpower him before the technique is ready.
  3. Goku seizes Raditz’s tail. The tail is a physical weakness for Saiyans, and restraining it limits Raditz’s ability to fight back. Raditz briefly manipulates Goku into loosening his grip, but Goku regains control.
  4. Gohan attacks Raditz. Gohan’s sudden burst of strength damages Raditz and creates the final opportunity for Goku to hold him in place.
  5. Goku sacrifices himself. Goku locks his arms around Raditz so that Raditz cannot evade the incoming shot, even though the attack will pass through Goku as well.
  6. The Special Beam Cannon pierces both fighters. Piccolo fires, and the beam fatally wounds Raditz and Goku. Raditz dies from the attack, while Goku’s sacrifice costs him his life at that point in the story.
  7. Raditz sends a final warning. Before dying, he communicates with Vegeta and Nappa and tells them about Earth’s Dragon Balls. He also warns that two stronger Saiyans will arrive in one year, setting the timetable for the next crisis.

The official Dragon Ball story retrospective places this event at the transition into a new stage of the series and highlights the one-year warning. Raditz does not personally participate in the later Vegeta and Nappa battles; his role in that conflict is the information he transmits before his death.

What powers and techniques does Raditz use?

Double Kikoha, or Double Ki Blast

Raditz’s named technique is Double Kikoha, also rendered Double Ki Blast. He releases ki from both hands to strike two opponents simultaneously. The move is especially useful against Goku and Piccolo because Raditz can pressure both fighters at once instead of allowing them to attack as a coordinated pair.

Scouter-based detection

Raditz uses a Scouter to locate Goku and assess the strength of people around him. The device represents the Saiyans’ technological and military approach to combat: opponents are treated as measurable targets, and a fighter’s apparent strength is judged before the battle begins.

Physical strength and durability

Raditz’s physical abilities let him shrug off attacks, control close-range exchanges, and survive the first attempt at the Special Beam Cannon. His body is far more resilient than that of ordinary humans or the enemies Goku had fought earlier. His tail is the notable exception and becomes the tactical weakness that makes the final attack possible.

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Why is Raditz important in the Saiyan Saga?

He reveals the truth about Goku

Without Raditz, Goku’s Saiyan origin remains unknown to him and to the audience. The revelation reframes details from the earlier series—Goku’s unusual strength, tail, transformation history, and arrival as an infant—within a larger extraterrestrial history.

He gives Goku a reason to work with Piccolo

Goku and Piccolo are natural rivals, but Raditz’s threat is severe enough to force cooperation. Their alliance demonstrates that the coming danger is larger than the old hero-versus-villain pattern. The battle also shows that teamwork alone is insufficient; the heroes need a plan built around Raditz’s weakness and Piccolo’s specialized technique.

He puts Gohan at the center of the story

Gohan is not merely a hostage. His attack on Raditz reveals extraordinary hidden potential and begins his transition from protected child to active participant in the conflict. Raditz’s kidnapping therefore launches Gohan’s role in the Saiyan and later stories.

He starts the countdown to Vegeta and Nappa

Raditz’s transmission turns a single invasion attempt into an approaching war. The Dragon Balls become a strategic objective for the surviving Saiyans, and the one-year warning gives Earth’s defenders a defined period in which to prepare. The official retrospective describes Raditz’s arrival as the beginning of a new phase in the Dragon Ball story.

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Where to read Raditz’s introduction

The opening conflict is collected in Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1, the VIZ/Shonen Jump paperback. The VIZ listing identifies the volume and describes its relevance to Goku’s brother and the opening Saiyan conflict. Edition formats and regional availability can change, so check the current listing for the paperback or any digital and collected alternatives available in your market.

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For a first reading, the standard volume is the most direct route to Raditz’s introduction. Color editions, digital editions, and regional printings may differ in presentation or availability; the verified listing establishes the standard paperback, not every edition currently sold.

Raditz: key facts at a glance

Question Answer
Who is Raditz? A Saiyan warrior and Goku’s older biological brother.
What name does he use for Goku? Kakarot, Goku’s Saiyan birth name.
Why does he come to Earth? To recruit Goku for Saiyan conquest and punish his refusal.
What does he do to Gohan? Kidnaps him and uses him to pressure Goku.
Who fights Raditz? Goku and Piccolo, with Gohan’s unexpected attack affecting the outcome.
How is Raditz defeated? Goku restrains him while Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon pierces both fighters.
What is his named technique? Double Kikoha, also called Double Ki Blast.
Is Raditz one of the strongest Saiyans? No. He is a major threat to Earth’s defenders but is described as one of the weaker Saiyan fighters.
What does his final message do? It informs Vegeta and Nappa about the Dragon Balls and warns of their arrival in one year.

Common misunderstandings about Raditz

Raditz is not the main Saiyan Saga villain

Raditz begins the Saiyan conflict, but his story ends in the first battle. Vegeta and Nappa are the stronger Saiyans whose arrival follows his warning. Treating Raditz as the saga’s final antagonist obscures his actual function as the catalyst.

His low Saiyan rank does not make his Earth battle easy

Raditz’s relative weakness among Saiyans should not be confused with weakness against Goku and Piccolo at that time. The story deliberately uses him to show how far beyond Earth’s defenders the Saiyan standard can be.

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He does not reveal a precise official power number here

The reviewed official character feature provides descriptive feats and relative comparisons, but no Raditz power-level figure. A precise number should not be presented as established fact without a separate primary source.

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