While he ’s more known for Earth - shaking titanic battles against warrior prince , space despot , and the god of death himself , Goku(aka Son Goku ) ofDragon Ball Zfame , used to have a signature weapon   before he became a god - punching Super Saiyan . In the original , smash - hit , genre - defining manga , Dragon Ball , spell and exemplify by Akira Toriyama , a   unseasoned Goku was barely a tail of what he would finally become . But like any good venturer , Goku always had his trustworthy Power Pole by his side .

When wielded by Goku , the Power Pole can stretch out to out of the question length . From hitting someone M off to   going so far as to reach the moon . While the Power Pole go to Goku ’s late adopted grandpa ( originally reach to him by Master Roshi ) , the historical origins of Goku ’s iconic weapon can be discover in Chinese literature .

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Both Goku and the Power Pole were inspired by the classical sixteenth - one C Chinese novel , Journey to the Westby   Wu Cheng’en . The celestial pole , called Ruyi Jingu Bang ( transform into " Golden - Hooped Rod , " or " As - You - Will Gold - Banded Cudgel " ) was a magical stave exert by the immortal Sun Wukong the Monkey King , whom Goku was base on . exchangeable in all respect to the Power Pole , Sun Wukong ’s weapon system also could extend its length at the will of its substance abuser . Additionally , it could also expand and change its size , to the degree where Sun Wukong could shrink it down and tuck it behind his pinna for safekeeping . The staff was also virtually durable , and weighed at a staggering 17,550 lbs ( or over 8.7 tonne ) , making Sun Wukong the only one strong enough to wield such a artillery .

Sun Wukong would see the Ruyi Jingu Bang during   his visit to the undersea kingdom of Ao Guang , also known as the Dragon King of the East Sea . Sun Wukong was looking for a weapon system suited to his effectiveness , as no matter how much they weigh or how powerful they were , he would incidentally demolish every weapon put into his hands . The Dragon King suggested Sun Wukong seek to exert a large black atomic number 26 tower taking up elbow room in his Treasury obligations . At about 20 feet high and as blanket as a barrel , it was used by the Great Da Yu to measure the deepness of implosion therapy water system . The Dragon King promised Sun Wukong that if he could remove the pillar , it would be his , think that not even the Monkey King could lift something so terribly heavy . Sun Wukong easily lifted the pillar , which caused the very seas to shake , and commented that a smaller sizing would be more convenient , to which the column obey and shrank into the pole he would now wield .

There have been many rendering of both Sun Wukong and his staff , with Goku and his Power Pole being the most recognizable . But even now , withGoku chance on New and big story of exponent , Goku never cast aside the Power Pole . Like his Nimbus Cloud ( also found in Journey to the West),Gokuwill always be tie to his fabled puerility weapon system .

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Goku holding his Power Pole in promotional art for Dragon Ball Super Broly.

Goku using his Power Pole in Dragon Ball Z.

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