thats the thing, dragon ball shares a lot of elements with superheroes yes, but it was first heavily inspired by journey to the west first and foremost. goku is exceptional but not in the ways thats totally inherent to his birthright. among the saiyans he was a destined low class warrior. half of the time he’s sparring with forces matching him or even beyond him. most of the time the struggle against antagonists in each arc is a group effort that doesnt necessarily rely solely on his individual role.

its these elements that i think is how goku managed to resonate with so much with people in the global south. it aint just a meme