Despite all the time that’s passed, Goku barely ages in the Dragon Ball anime. 20 years have gone by since Goku fought with Raditz in the beginning of Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan Saga, but the character’s design has remained largely unchanged. It’s as if the Saiyan simply doesn’t get any older.Over the course of 40 years, Goku’s age only went through two major changes, which happened toward the end of the original Dragon Ball show and the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. After being depicted as a small child through most of his youth and teenage years, Goku finally received a look that reflected his age in the Piccolo Jr. Saga. He matured again when he returned in Dragon Ball Z as a 23-year-old married father. Since then, the show has delivered multiple time skips. When Dragon Ball Super ended, Goku was approximately 43 years old. He’ll be close to 46 or 47 when Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero rolls around. But despite all this, he doesn’t look that different from his design in the early days of Dragon Ball Z.

Goku’s unchanging appearance in the franchise can be explained primarily by the rate at which members of the Saiyan race age. The Saiyans have an aging process that differs greatly from what humans go through. It was stated by Vegeta in Dragon Ball Super that Saiyans remain in their prime until they turn 80 years old. Because of that rule about Saiyan biology, the anime can easily keep Goku’s youthful look for years to come. The same obviously applies to Vegeta as well.

Interestingly, Vegeta is likely to reach that point much sooner than Goku. In addition to having a slower aging rate than humans, Goku is likely to stay in shape for a few extra years thanks to the circumstances of his second death in Dragon Ball Z. When Goku was killed by Cell, he declined to be wished back by the power of the Dragon Balls. As a result, he remained dead for seven years. He wasn’t resurrected until the end of the Buu Saga. Since Goku wasn’t technically alive during this period, he didn’t age during his time in Otherworld. In other words, Goku’s physical body is seven years younger than his actual age.

Even if he wasn’t a Saiyan, Goku would have the appearance of a man in his late 30s, so it’s certainly understandable for Goku’s age not to show. And given how Saiyans age, his look is unlikely to change anytime in the next several years either. The situation with the other Z-Warriors, however, is quite different. As more time passes, it’s worth wondering if the difference between Goku’s aging and that of the show’s human characters will start to reveal itself. While there are some exceptions, most of Goku’s oldest allies – like Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin – haven’t visibly aged to any significant degree. Dragon Ball has a way to avoid aging up its two main characters, but it remains to be seen how long it can keep the others looking young and fresh.