Also Mary Sue is “They never struggle or work for anything, everybody likes them”
Goku’s entire life story is one of being born as actually worthless in the eyes of his species, weaker than a Human, and then having to be raised in the wild before accidently killing the only family he had left leaving him isolated & unaware to the greater world around him. He spent half of the series getting his shit kicked in by somebody who is always stronger than him and having to work hard & think smart to beat them. He started as powerless & alone and through sheer force of will & a sincere belief in the good of people around him, worked to become strong and helped many round him become better people in the process.
Mary Sue’s don’t work for anything, they start off powerful & well liked & never face challenge or have growth. That is entire fucking opposite of a character like Goku whose entire purpose is to show the audience that even if you are born poor, even if you are born physically weak: through hard work & motivation you can make your life better, you can be better, you just have to try.
Its why he’s a more inspiring character than someone like Superman. He has to work for everything and came from a borderline poverty, destitute background. He is more of the Everyman than Clark Kent and he actually had to work & learn & discover his power, it was not gifted to him.
