Goku is arguably the Strongest Saiyan alive, surpassing his comrades’ power. So it’s hard to believe that the most powerful Saiyan in the universe is terrified of his wife, Chi-Chi. The series plays this as a running gag, that Chi-Chi always gets the upper hand while Goku cowers behind the Z fighters or a large rock to avoid her wrath. Chi-Chi and Goku’s relationship goes way back to the start of the Dragon Ball series.
Compared to martial arts and strength, Goku wins by a long shot, but when it comes to practical matters unrelated to fighting, Chi-Chi comes out on top. Which brings up a question: are there things that Chi-Chi can do that Goku can’t? Short answer: yes! There are, indeed, things Chi-Chi can do that Goku can’t, specifically her role as a parent. She had to take care of household matters, learn how to balance finances and be resourceful, even if it meant compromising her life to ensure her family’s survival. While Goku’s life has always been about getting stronger, Chi-Chi had to fill the role as a reliable parent, mastering everything else that Goku has zero talent in.
Here are 15 things that Chi-Chi can do that Goku can’t!
15. Chi-Chi Knows How to Cook
Goku can’t go on an empty stomach and Chi-Chi knows that Saiyans eat a lot of food. So it comes as not a surprise that Chi-Chi will have to meet the demands of a six-course meal for one husband, not including the kids, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Goku rarely cooks on screen, except maybe roasting fish on a firepit in the early series. Vegeta is the only Saiyan that could cook, so it’s not a Saiyan thing either. It’s just Goku can’t really cook. Chi-Chi does all of it and ensures that her family members have their three meals a day on time. Regardless if Chi-Chi is in a foul mood about Goku’s next training tournament, at the end of the day, Chi-Chi will always bring food to the table.
14. She Raised Two Smart Kids
Dragon Ball Z fans will remember how awfully annoying Chi-Chi was when she put Gohan’s education before saving the world. However, there’s no in denying that Chi-Chi’s regiment training made Gohan one of the smartest Saiyan kids. Because of her diligence in curbing Gohan away from fighting, Gohan grew up into a fine scholar with a stable job, something that Chi-Chi wants in all of her kids.
Since Goku was always away, Chi-Chi was the one who took the reins and raised them. If Goku wasn’t away training and did his role as a father, Chi-Chi would in the end still be raising them by herself. He wouldn’t know how to cook or understand which school is best for the kids, given his naive personality. If anything, Goku would just be there as a moral support.
13. She Decapitated A Giant T-Rex
On the same episode when she made her debut, Chi-Chi was seen crying while running away from a purple T-Rex. She used a flying disc, which spliced the T-Rex’s head right off. So, from the debut of the character, Chi-Chi is shown to be a martial artist. She used her own strength decapitating a giant dinosaur, which likel;y requires a sharp blade and unmeasurable strength.
Considering this is an anime, it’s easy to dismiss Chi-Chi’s strength and say it was blown out of proportion, so that she couldn’t be as strong as Goku. However, before she gave up martial arts, Chi-Chi was proven to be a capable fighter, and probably would have been if Roshi and King Kai taught her their special abilities. When she and Goku were kids, their strengths were about the same, and she was able to hold off against the Red Ribbon Army.
12. Chi-Chi’s Not As Naive As Goku
Goku brings brawn and superb fighting abilities to any fight, but he has shown himself to be oblivious. Sometimes his naïveté gets him in trouble, like in Dragon Ball Super, when Goku wanted to meet the Omni-Kings, a group of amoral supreme rulers that are capable of destroying the universe. If Goku would’ve said something to upset them, then the Kings could’ve destroyed a universe within seconds.
Fortunately, Chi-Chi isn’t as naive. She understands the world better than her husband and was given a huge dose of reality when she married Goku. Her husband isn’t equipped for the real world, so Chi-Chi had to wisen up and be the adult of the household. She and Goku are pure-hearted souls since they both can ride the flying Nimbus; so as much as fans, even Toriyama, may dislike her actions, Chi-Chi flaring temper isn’t out of malice.
11. She Helped Goku Find a Job
In between major arcs, we would expect Goku to settle off somewhere to train. Even then, Goku still has to deal with the reality that Chi-Chi and the family can’t survive off from the tournament money. In Dragon Ball Super, Chi-Chi nagged at Goku to get a job. Initially, he tried to work in the real world. Heck, Chi-Chi tried to find a job for him and encouraged him to take Mr. Satan’s offer as a security guard.
However, Goku couldn’t keep that up since a Saiyan devotes his time training and not ‘actual work’. Chi-Chi compromised this reality and made Goku tend their radish farm as means for a stable income. From her perspective, not only would Goku supply the family income, but Goku will also get his daily dose of training. Still, Goku yearned for another fighting tournament and left Earth much to Chi-Chi’s protest.
10. Manage Money
Goku could win plenty of tournament cash, but when it comes to financing it, Goku fails by a longshot. If Goku was in charge of the prize money or the family income, it would be spent by the end of the month. Goku can’t understand basic math, as seen in the Tournament of Destroyers’ written test, so it’s a good thing that Chi-Chi is the family’s accountant. She manages the money and expenditures of the house, while Goku tries to supply any kind of income.
Chi-Chi has had to make ends meet so they wouldn’t have a financial disaster in their hands. She saved a stash of Mr. Satan’s money for Goten’s education and manages their budget. When their household income is going to the red, she would force Goku to find a job double time. While money always seems to be the issue, Chi-Chi makes sure the family stays afloat.
9. Chi-Chi’s A Princess
Overall, this is more of characteristic trait and less about abilities. As the Ox-King’s daughter, Chi-Chi inherited her father’s lands and wealth, which, technically, would make Goku prince of the Ox village. While he married into royalty, Goku still didn’t inherit much of the Ox-King’s wealth, except a plot of land of what remained of Fire Mountain. Chi-Chi’s castle was torn down and her wealth was depleted ever since the fire accident, and the Bansho fan destroyed the Ox-King’s castle. At the beginning of her marriage, Chi-Chi didn’t have much of a stable income.
It makes sense that Chi-Chi always nags at Goku to find a job because she already lost everything once. To lose it again because of frivolous spending and Goku’s reluctance to find a job would be terrible for her, so she’s smart enough to have some foresight.
8. Chi-Chi Isn’t As Forgiving As Goku Is
Goku has a tendency to show mercy to his enemies that further endanger Earth. To Goku’s defense, a majority of his enemies eventually became his allies because of Goku’s act of mercy. If Goku didn’t forgive Vegeta and straight up order Krillin to kill him, then we wouldn’t have an anti-hero like Vegeta in Dragon Ball Super. The same goes for Piccolo. In fact, Piccolo owes it to Goku that he started to train Gohan out of respect in order stop a greater threat.
Chi-Chi, on the other hand, isn’t as forgiving as Goku is when it comes to her enemies. She can hold a grudge and isn’t as merciful to her opponents. She even slapped Majin Buu after Buu killed Gohan. Simply, Chi-Chi doesn’t forgive easily.
7. She’s Not Afraid Of Needles
One thing that Goku can’t deal with is needles. As for Chi-Chi, she’s fearless and isn’t afraid of tiny needles like Goku.
Goku has shown a few weaknesses of his own, personality and trivial weaknesses, but Chi-Chi has yet to display an actual weakness. Rather, she’s limited to a few things. Her real flaw is her nagging and self-absorption in raising her kids, which can get in the way of the plot. However, given her occupation, there’s no time to be afraid of small things like needles. Hence, Chi-Chi can do most things that Goku isn’t capable of.
Her greatest fear is probably losing Goku and her two sons. Early in Dragon Ball Z, Chi-Chi lost Goku and Piccolo kidnapped her son for some far off training. It’s understandable that Chi-Chi switched to helicopter parent over Gohan when he returned back from his training.
6. Farming Expert
Along with being a princess and a housewife, Chi-Chi has learned how to farm and became a farming expert. This comes from the fact that she had to learn everything while Goku was off training somewhere. In Dragon Ball Super, it’s revealed that Chi-Chi has some background in farming. She figured that if Goku can’t support them as a regular salaryman, then he can help tend the family farm.
Her decision satisfied Goku’s daily training needs and the family household income. Well, most of the time. Goku did tend Master Roshi’s farm before he got fed up. From burrowing large plow fields and harvesting, Roshi taught Goku farming methods.
Eventually, he lost interest in tending the family farm and went off to train with Vegeta. Chi-Chi is left alone again, but at least Piccolo managed to help out with the harvest.
5. She Has The Final Say In The Household, Not Goku
This probably goes with a majority of the time, but whenever there’s a family matter, expect Chi-Chi to barge in and unleash her opinion. Part of it might be that Saiyans are attracted to mates that have strong personalities, like when Vegeta married Bulma because of her strong personality.
If things don’t go her way, you can bet Chi-Chi will say what’s on her mind. Chi-Chi makes the final decision in the household and it shouldn’t be surprising. Goku agrees with most of her reasoning, with the exception of his training routines. Instead of confronting her at times, Goku tends to run away from Chi-Chi, which is often seen as comical, but it goes with Goku’s character as someone who would rather not face the wrath of his wife.
4. She Trained Goten
After Dragon Ball Z’s Perfect Cell saga, it’s hard to remember that Chi-Chi was actually a fighter. In Goku’s absence, Chi-Chi took it upon herself to train Goten. After Goku’s death, Goten was born some time after the Perfect Cell Saga. Goku wasn’t there for Goten, so, in the end, Chi-Chi sparred with Goten in Goku’s place.
Despite being in her fifties, she’s able to teach her son basic martial arts. Goten was pushed to the brink, to the point that he accidentally activated his Super Saiyan form. That’s one more ‘delinquent’ in the family.
Her training with Goten was something that Goku didn’t do with his kid, as Goku never trained his kids. However, it proves that Chi-Chi is a capable fighter despite that she passed her prime age.
3. Chi-Chi Made It To The Quarterfinals Without Special Training
Chi-Chi doesn’t get enough credit as a fighter. In the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, she made it to the quarterfinals. Goku only won once in the World Martial Arts Tournament despite participating multiple of time.
She was thrown outside of the ring with Goku’s special attack, but it ended with a marriage proposal. Given there’s little screen time for Chi-Chi, there’s not much to go with to discern her power level during the tournament arc.
However, unlike Goku, Chi-Chi never had special training compared to Goku. She never unlocked special powers. Goku could have never made it without his special powers in the tournament.
2. Chi-Chi Had To Master Everything While Goku Focused On Training
This is pretty much a summation of everything on here and other trades that Chi-Chi had to learn. While Goku was busy off learning a new special technique, Chi-Chi had to master everything else. This meant cleaning up after the kids, learning which schools are the best in the district, filing taxes, doing laundry, not cooking the same bland meals, disciplining her kids so they don’t become delinquents, chauffeuring those kids back and forth from school, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Chi-Chi had to do everything. Asking Goku to file taxes spells disaster and have him focus on cooking for the kids would end up being t-rex steaks on the fire pit. Goku was busy training and let Goten, a kid, drive a farming truck off a cliff. Chi-Chi became the master of none, by mastering everything.
1. Chi-Chi Gave Up Her Fighting Career
There is one thing that Goku will never let go, even if he’s settled as a parent: his life of training. To Goku, training and obtaining new powers are everything. Goku’s lifelong fighting career is hard to put down and it is the one thing he disagrees with Chi-Chi. Goku has followed with Chi-Chi on almost everything, but training is something he’s willing to run away from his wife.
It’s easy to say Chi-Chi gave up her life as a warrior because it was her decision. Indeed she did. She forfeited that lifestyle and became a housewife as was her choice, raising her kids for a better future.
If she didn’t give it up and became a fighter right beside Goku, Gohan probably wouldn’t be a scholar with a stable job, as the family would just live on tournament money.
–
What else does Chi-Chi do better than Goku? Let us know in the comments!
