Raditz

Overview

Raditz is a Saiyan warrior introduced in the manga Dragon Ball and its anime adaptation Dragon Ball Z. As the biological older brother of Son Goku (Kakarot) and the eldest son of Bardock and Gine, he serves as the initial major antagonist of the Saiyan arc. Operating under the Frieza Force alongside Vegeta and Nappa, he travels to Earth to force Goku into joining their planetary conquest efforts. His introduction fundamentally transformed the narrative into a cosmic science-fiction epic, presenting a threat far beyond anything Earth's martial artists had previously faced.

Appearance

Raditz is recognizable by his long, spiky black hair extending down toward his knees and a distinct M-shaped hairline. He maintains a severe facial expression and possesses a brown monkey tail. He wears futuristic battle armor known as a battle jacket, a green scouter over his left eye, and red bands wrapped around his left upper arm and left thigh.

Personality

Raditz is cold-hearted, treacherous, and arrogant toward anyone weaker than himself. Lacking empathy, he willingly uses his own young nephew as leverage against his brother. When backed into a corner, he displays cowardice by pathetically begging for mercy and fabricating emotional appeals, only to attack his opponent the moment their guard is dropped. Unlike other Saiyans, he lacks a dedication to self-improvement through rigorous training.

Abilities

Upon his arrival on Earth, Raditz commands strength and speed that easily outmatch Son Goku and Piccolo combined. His combat style emphasizes rapid high-speed maneuvering to strike targets from behind, powerful physical strikes, and energy attacks. He uses his scouter to assess numerical power levels. However, grabbing his monkey tail causes him to immediately lose all physical stamina.

Background

Born on Planet Vegeta, Raditz survived his homeworld's destruction by Frieza because he was stationed off-planet. In Age 761, needing extra firepower for an upcoming invasion, he traveled to Earth to recruit his younger brother. When Goku refused, Raditz kidnapped Son Gohan, prompting an alliance between Goku and Piccolo. After suffering heavy armor damage from Gohan's emotional headbutt, Raditz was held fast in a full nelson by Goku and fatally pierced alongside his brother by Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon. In the afterlife, his rampage was halted by King Yemma, who sentenced him to Hell.

Relationships

Son Goku (Kakarot) is Raditz's younger brother, who rejected his call to conquest and fought him to a fatal double-knockout. Son Gohan is his nephew, whom Raditz abducted, only to be badly injured by the boy's unexpected surge of power. Vegeta and Nappa were his Saiyan comrades; both viewed him as a weakling and declined to revive him with the Dragon Balls. Piccolo acted as his deadly antagonist on Earth, delivering the final blow.

Trivia

His name comes from the English vegetable word 'radish.' His evaluation of an ordinary farmer's combat numerical output during his debut became an iconic culture reference regarding power inflation. In the video game Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Neo, he is featured in an alternate narrative branch where memory loss temporarily alters his personality into a gentler family member.