Turles: Why does Turles look like Goku in Dragon Ball? Explored

Why does Turles look like Goku in Dragon Ball? Explored

Modified Nov 09, 2024 00:30 GMT

The Dragon Ball: Tree of Might movie gave fans quite a surprising twist through the introduction of Turles. He was put forward as a Saiyan warrior who bore an uncanny resemblance to Son Goku. Such a striking likeness raised questions on whether or not the two were related somehow, especially since Turles was the exact opposite of the heroic Goku.

But unlike Goku, Turles was ruthless and craved power, aiming to drain the Earth's life force through the Tree of Might and harvest its fruit. The fruit thus produced would grant him near immeasurable strength. Despite Turles looking exactly like Goku, official sources confirm no relation between the pair, and the similar looks are due to genetic predispositions in low-level Saiyans.

Why Turles looks like Goku in Dragon Ball

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As mentioned, Turles and Goku are not related. The reason they look so alike is that, as a Saiyan from a low caste, Turles was genetically predisposed to resemble Son Goku. This was due to the lack of genetic diversity among their ranks. Unofficial sources link the two as twin brothers separated at birth, but this is incorrect. There is no familial relation that caused them to look exactly alike.

Rather, another possible explanation for such uncanny resemblance is a clever "what if" by Akira Toriyama. Turles likely represents what Goku or Kakarot would have become had he not been sent to Earth and raised by Grandpa Gohan. In many ways, Turles is literally a dark Goku. Both of them share a strong passion for battle and a thirst for strength.

Again, Turles' role as a sort of space pirate seemingly references the lowly status Saiyans were relegated to in the universe under the rule of the tyrant Frieza. If Goku had matured in both body and mind as a Saiyan like this, he might've taken on a similar galaxy-terrorizing position. These points highlight the darker path Goku could've gone down had he remained on his home planet. Another example of this dark path is Raditz, Goku's actual brother.

Turles' abilities in Dragon Ball

Turles with the Fruit of the Tree of Might (Image via Toei Animation)

Turles' abilities and immense strength were on full display in Dragon Ball: Tree of Might. Being a low-class Saiyan, his power level was meager initially. However, consuming multiple Fruits of the Tree of Might pushed his powers to leagues above his comrades. As seen in the movie, he easily bests Piccolo and deflects his Special Beam Cannon with his palm.

Next, when he faces Goku, it looks like the Saiyan raised on Earth has an edge over him. But after consuming another fruit, Turles regains the edge in battle by a great margin. It does not take him much to now beat Goku as well, who was pushing his own limits by using Kaiokenx10. Turles then proceeds to effortlessly defeat Piccolo, Tien, Krillin, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha.

More impressively, he is even able to destroy Goku's Spirit Bomb, which was formed using what was left of the planet's energy. However, Goku's second Spirit Bomb is enough to best Turles, composed of the energy from the fruit of the tree. Other than this, Turles can fly too and has a range of Ki-based blast attacks that carry considerable attack power. Also, he is skilled at hand-to-hand combat.