Raditz

Raditz is the biological older brother of Goku (Kakarot) and the first Saiyan antagonist introduced in Dragon Ball Z, whose arrival on Earth fundamentally changed the trajectory of the entire franchise. A mid-class Saiyan warrior who served under Vegeta in the Frieza Force's Planet Trade Organization, Raditz traveled to Earth seeking his younger brother, expecting to find a fellow planet conqueror who had completed his mission of exterminating Earth's population.Raditz is the biological older brother of Goku (Kakarot) and the first Saiyan antagonist introduced in Dragon Ball Z, whose arrival on Earth fundamentally changed the trajectory of the entire franchise. A mid-class Saiyan warrior who served under Vegeta in the Frieza Force's Planet Trade Organization, Raditz traveled to Earth seeking his younger brother, expecting to find a fellow planet conqueror who had completed his mission of exterminating Earth's population. Instead, he found Goku, who had no memory of his Saiyan heritage and had become Earth's greatest protector. Raditz's revelation of Goku's alien origins, complete with the existence of Planet Vegeta, the Saiyan race, and the greater galactic empire they served, expanded the Dragon Ball universe from an Earth-bound martial arts story into a cosmic saga. In battle, Raditz proved overwhelmingly superior to both Goku and Piccolo, the two strongest fighters on Earth at the time, forcing them into an unprecedented alliance. The desperate fight ended with Goku sacrificing his own life to hold Raditz in place while Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon pierced through both brothers simultaneously. Raditz's legacy extends far beyond his brief appearance: his arrival introduced the concepts of power levels, alien races, space pods, scouters, and the Saiyan class system that would define Dragon Ball Z's entire lore. His death also triggered Vegeta's interest in Earth and the Dragon Balls, setting the Saiyan and Frieza Sagas in motion. Though short-lived as a combatant, Raditz remains one of the most narratively significant characters in the franchise, the catalyst who transformed a mystical martial arts story into an intergalactic epic. ... Read more