Summary
Quick Links
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima, Episode 13, “Surprise”, now streaming onCrunchyroll.
One of Goku’s most useful powers is the ability toteleport to any ki signaturehe can detect through Instant Transmission, but it’s an ability thatDragon Ball Daimahas barely made use of. It’s not that he’s suddenly incapable of doing it now that he’s in a younger body, because hediduse it inDragon Ball Daimaepisode 7, “Collar”, to hide from some Gendarmerie soldiers. So why doesn’t Goku use Instant Transmission more often in fights and for faster travel?
“Goku-san can use Instant Transmission. He used my ki as a beacon and moved over here instantly.” - Supreme Kai Shin explaining Instant Transmission to Panzy
If you need a little refresher on the technique, Goku learned to use Instant Transmission from a race of aliens called the Yardrats after Planet Namek blew upin the Frieza Saga. The first time Goku used Instant Transmission on screen was inDragon Ball Zepisode 123, “Goku’s Special Technique”, where he shows off the move by teleporting to Kame House, grabbing Master Roshi’s sunglasses, and teleporting back to the rest of the Z Fighters. A user performs the technique by placing their index and middle fingers on their forehead, locking onto their target’s kisignature, and then materializing next to their target.
It’s Possibly a Conscious Decision by Akira Toriyama
Mostly Just So the Story Can Happen
It’s likely that Akira Toriyama intentionally kept Goku from abusing Instant Transmission in his last series.Dragon Ball Daimais all about taking the seriesback to its roots: a more grounded story (in comparison toDragon Ball ZandSuper, at least) about exploring weird and curious places and meeting fun, wacky characters. Using Instant Transmission to just go to wherever Goku wants in the blink of an eye takes away from the mystery and wonder of traveling there and seeing the world around him. This is all just speculation though, and now thatToriyama has passed away, that’s how it’ll likely stay.
Valid Restrictions on Instant Transmission
While it does seem ridiculous that Goku just “forgets” to use Instant Transmission, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, therearejustified reasons for him not using it. For instance, there’s the fact that Goku can’t use Instant Transmission to go in and out of the Demon Realm whenever he wants.The Demon Realm existson a different plane of existence from all the other universes inDragon Ball, and Goku can’t even use Instant Transmission to travel between universes. So, using Instant Transmission to go to the Demon Realm is totally out of the question.
There’s also the fact that Goku can’t just teleport to the Tamagami to challenge them and get the Dragon Balls sooner. The reasoning behind it is that Goku doesn’tknowwhat the Tamagami’s ki signatures are. In fact, it’s never even been properly established if the Tamagamihaveki. They are artificial creations of the Namekian Neva, and they even look like robots.Just like the Androids, it’s possible the Tamagami don’t have ki and are undetectable to Goku. But again, even if theydidhave ki, Goku’s never met them before and wouldn’t know what to look for, or the Tamagami could also be suppressing their ki outside of battle.
The last reasonable limitation is with Dende, the main reason Goku headed for the Demon Realm in the first place. Sure, he can’t teleportto the Demon Realmfrom the outside, but now that he’sinthe Demon Realm, can’t he just teleport to Dende, beat up King Gomah, and be done with it? Well, now that Dende is a baby, he probably barely gives off any ki, so Goku can’t detect him, and can’t teleport to him.
Possible In-Lore Theories
Weird Demon Realm Shenanigans
There may be something in the Demon Realm that keeps characters from sensing ki from long distances. The Demon Realm is home toall sorts of strange magic, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say some forces at play keep the Saiyan from detecting ki from one Demon World to another. There are even magical barriers between the Demon Worlds, so those barriers could be blocking any ki signatures from passing through.
Maybe Goku’s Younger Body Has Unforeseen Consequences
Sure, it’s been established that Goku can, in fact, still use Instant Transmission while in a younger body, but maybe there’s more to it than that. Perhaps he can only use it for short distances now. Another possibility is thathis younger body is messing upan ability crucial to Instant Transmission. Maybe he can’t detect ki from longer distances now. If you really had to come up with a reason, Goku being younger and having less control over his powers is as good as any.
Goku Doesn’t Often Use Instant Transmission in Stressful/Panicky Situations
To use Instant Transmission, the user has to focus for a short period, which could leave them open to attacks. This is why Goku barely uses Instant Transmission in battle, even in the otherDragon Ballseries.He developed the Instant Kamehameha, but it’s not a move that he uses often. While channeling it, he gives up all offensive capabilities and must rely on dodging as he charges his Kamehameha while keeping a lock on his target’s ki.
This could explain why he didn’t use Instant Transmission inDragon Ball Daimaepisode 13, “Surprise”, to reach Bulma and the others sooner. He got tunnel-visioned and resorted to using a Kamehameha to fend off the giant dog instead.
Dragon Ball Daima is now available to stream onCrunchyrollandNetflix. The release date for Dragon Ball Daima, episode 16, is set to be June 01, 2025, at 10:00 AM PT.
