Goku easily has one of the most endearing personalities on Dragon Ball, but sometimes it's a bit too much and he comes off as incredibly annoying.

Son Goku is one of the most recognizable characters in anime, from his iconic orange uniform to the mess of spikes topping his very large (and seemingly indestructible) head. He is also as well-developed as he is distinguished, with a strong assortment of contrasting quirks, virtues, and vices.

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Some of these qualities are admirable, while others are just plain grating as they cause the very problems he seeks to solve. Regardless, love him or hate him, the son of Bardock is anything but boring. Here are five reasons why Goku is endearing, and five why he's actually annoying.

Anyone new to Dragon Ball will immediately notice Goku is not the sharpest tool in the shed. The Saiyan warrior's lack of education stems back to a childhood spent living alone in the wilderness after his foster grandfather was killed when the boy transformed into a giant ape. Because of this, Goku can sometimes be a little dense, but it's a denseness that comes packed with charm, serving as a nice contrast to the world-saving superhero that he is.

Goku acts with the best intentions, always motivated by genuine curiosity. In fact, Goku's purity is proven when he takes command of the flying Nimbus, a magical cloud that obeys only the most innocent of hearts.

Conversely, for as much as Goku’s naiveté adds a humorous balance to the intense battles making up the majority of Dragon Ball, it can also be a source of severe annoyance. While Goku not knowing what a car is might seem cute at first, when he fails to learn from those mishaps or makes ignorant choices with dire consequences, it gets old real fast.

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One such example occurs at the end of the Frieza Saga after Goku cuts down the titular villain with his own Destructo Discs. The helpless changeling begs for mercy, promising to never hurt another person again if the Saiyan will spare his life. Goku takes Freiza's word for it and even shares some of his own energy with the being. However, instead of Freiza making good on his promise he attacks Goku, forcing Kakarot to put Frieza out of his misery.

Perhaps Goku’s greatest quality is his zero tolerance for bullying. As early as the Red Ribbon Army Saga, Goku has been a defender of the weak, battling his way through legions to teach oppressors a lesson in pain.

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It was a virtue instilled in the Saiyan from a young age and is something he's carried with him ever since. In many of these instances, Goku is greatly outmatched, but that doesn't stop the World's Strongest from stepping up to the plate and uttering those famous words, "Ka... meeeee..."

Another drawback to Goku's happy-go-lucky personality is the lack of seriousness he takes in life-threatening situations. Often times the son of Bardock can be found treating his matches like friendly contests rather than apocalyptic engagements, even playing with the notion of "taking turns."

For example, during the Golden Frieza Saga, Goku and Vegeta square off against a resurrected Frieza who has, at last, unlocked his greatest form. Goku takes on his archenemy in a dazzling display of power enough to shake the planet loose, a battle that proves this new Freiza to be no slouch. After the match, however, Goku suggests that Vegeta take his turn and he'll stand aside and watch instead of teaming up to kill the villain once and for all. Why? We can only speculate. Annoying? Absolutely!

From King Picollo to the Tournament of Power, the Saiyan warrior has no shortage of war stories. But one of the things that make Goku's battles so legit is his strict adherence to the rules of fairness. He never outright kills an opponent who is weaker than himself, but always competes on as level a playing field as possible.

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And when those rules are violated? Goku takes it personally. Oftentimes he will even allow an enemy to power up just so the match makes for better sport. Despite how frustrating this can be, such as in the case with Fat Buu, it's one of the reasons Goku is so endearing.

Virtues can be a two-edged sword and Kakarot aka Son Goku's are no exception. As admirable as his strict adherence to the rules of fairness are, sometimes it lands him in hot water or even gets people killed.

One way Goku does this is by holding back in battles against weaker enemies. Sometimes, he will even allow his opponent to level up just to improve the matchup. This has had disastrous results in the past, resulting in the deaths of millions of people. An example? Fat Buu. Goku could have killed the pink terror in his SSJ3 form early on, but instead held back and allowed Buu to transform into Super Buu, who later commits planetary genocide via the Extinction Attack.

If anything can be said about Son Goku it's that he’s faithful to the core. Kakarot is a loyal friend and compatriot, always there when his people need him, showing up to carry his fair share of the load when it's time to save the world.

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Not just that, but Goku is always looking for ways to help his peers grow in the craft of martial arts, whether it’s through sparring matches, technique “master classes,” or outright throwing them into the heat of battle, which definitely crosses the line at times. Nonetheless, there’s nothing Kakarot wouldn’t do for his tribe.

Certainly, Goku’s most widely discussed flaw is his handling of fatherhood (and family life). While the Saiyan warrior's devotion to martial arts might be admirable by itself, the by-product has brought tremendous stress on his young family. Between long stints away training or years spent in the otherworld due to death, Goku has missed out on huge portions of children's lives.

In addition, Goku has also put his family in harm's way numerous times, such as when he pitted Gohan against Perfect Cell at the Cell Games. To make matters worse, Goku also gives Cell a sensu bean, hoping to provide an extra challenge for his already outmatched offspring.

One of Goku’s most inspiring virtues is his constant drive to improve himself. From the start, Goku pushes beyond his limits in some of the most torturous ways, whether it's training in one hundred times gravity, leveling up inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, or sparring with the mightiest foes in the multiverse. It's one of many reasons why the Saiyan warrior has collected a number of powerful techniques and forms over the years.

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It's also a quality he hopes to inspire in others, helping to shape his friends into the best they can be as well. Sometimes this does have adverse effects on those around him, but overall Goku's habit of bettering himself is nothing short of endearing.

In another shining example of virtues becoming vices, Goku’s drive and singular focus on self-improvement often lead to major conflicts of world-ending proportions. The greatest of these sins takes place in Dragon Ball Super where Goku influences the creation of the Tournament of Power. Zeno, maker of the multiverse, desires to host a martial arts competition comprised of the best warrior from every universe. As the rules go, the losing teams will, along with their universe, be wiped from the face of existence while the winner scores a wish from the Super Dragon Balls.

Fortunately, Xeno forgets about his desire for bloodsport after meeting his future self, but it's Goku who reminds the god about the tournament simply out of his obsession with fighting warriors from other realms.

NEXT: Dragon Ball: 10 Big Ways Goku Changed From Episode 1 To Now

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