Gotenks Is Born

"Uh-uh-uh, we're not doing this as Super Saiyans. There's no need for it. We're strong enough as it is." — Gotenks

Gotenks Is Born
Japanese Name	合がっ体たい超ちょう人じん誕たん生じょう!! その名なはゴテンクス
Romaji name	Gattai Chōjin Tanjō!! Sono Na wa Gotenkusu
Literal Name	The Birth of a Superhuman Warrior!! His Name is Gotenks
Series	Dragon Ball Z
Saga	Majin Buu Saga
Episode #	251
Kai counterpart:	Birth of a Merged Superwarrior His Name is Gotenks! Who Will Defeat Majin Buu? The Mightiest of Men Moves Out!
Chapter counterpart	The Fusion Succeeds...?!
Japanese airdate	December 21, 1994
English airdate	October 8, 2002
Previous episode	Out from the Broken Sword
Next episode	Unlikely Friendship

"Gotenks Is Born" (合がっ体たい超ちょう人じん誕たん生じょう!! その名なはゴテンクス, Gattai Chōjin Tanjō!! Sono Na wa Gotenkusu, lit. "The Birth of a Superhuman Warrior!! His Name is Gotenks") is the twentieth episode of the Majin Buu Saga and the two hundred fifty-first overall episode in the original dubbed and the uncut Dragon Ball Z series. This episode first aired in Japan on December 21, 1994. Its original American airdate was October 8, 2002.

Summary

Fat Gotenks tired after a short jog

Piccolo feels it is time for Goten and Trunks to perform the Fusion Dance at their full power without going Super Saiyan. They perform for the first time and it does not go to well as they end up in a fat form.

Skinny Gotenks

They try again and end up with a very skinny, bony form. Piccolo has his doubts, but the kids then concentrate on doing it right this time and perform it correctly, forming Gotenks in a brilliant light. Piccolo is impressed. Gotenks brags about how he can beat Majin Buu right now and flies off to face him, not listening to Piccolo's warnings.

Meanwhile, Goku, Gohan, Supreme Kai, and Kibito are still on the Sacred World of the Kai waiting for Old Kai to unlock Gohan's sleeping powers.

Gotenks finds Majin Buu terrorizing a small town and challenges him. Gotenks gets in a few good hits, but is soon pummeled by Majin Buu very easily. Majin Buu does not see him as a great challenge; Gotenks uses the rest of his energy flying back to the Lookout. On the lookout, Piccolo angrily berates Gotenks for ignoring his warnings.

Major Events

• Goten and Trunks successfully fuse into Gotenks for the first time.
• Majin Buu overwhelms Gotenks in battle.

Battles

• Gotenks vs. Innocent Buu
• Innocent Buu vs. Army

Appearances

Characters

Goku Gohan Shin Old Kai Kibito Goten Trunks Gotenks

Krillin Piccolo Bulma Chi-Chi Ox-King Yamcha Videl Android 18

Marron Master Roshi Puar Oolong Dende Mr. Popo Innocent Buu Mr. Satan

Locations

• Earth
  • The Lookout
• Other World
  • Sacred World of the Kai

Objects

• Halo
• Potara

Bruce Faulconer tracks

• "Trunks and Goten" - After Trunks and Goten fuse into a skinny Gotenks.

Shunsuke Kikuchi tracks

• "The Androids March, Part 1" - Goten and Trunks match their power levels.
• "Now The Confrontation!! Bio-Army" - When Goten and Trunks perform a failed Fusion Dance.
• "The Flower-Viewing Party" - When fat Gotenks is formed.
• "Goku Arrives at Kaio's Planet" - 30 minutes later...
• "The Androids March, Part 1 - When Goten and Trunks perform a second failed Fusion Dance.
• "Suspicions of Trunks and the Gang" - When Goten and Trunks perform a third Fusion Dance.
• "M1625-2" - When Gotenks is formed.
• "Longer Version of Title Music (Alternate) - When Gotenks leaves to take on Majin Buu.
• "Let's Beat Mr. Dinosaur" - When Majin Buu goes after a cruise ship.
• "Kuririn Takes a Beating from Zangya (Alternate) - When Majin Buu tears through the cruise ship.
• "Victory is in Sight" - When Gotenks appears before Majin Buu.
• "The Crisis Won't Quit" - Gotenks opens attack.
• "The Demon, For The Third Time" - When Majin Buu regenerates from his lower half.
• "Banquet of Terror" - When Majin Buu starts to beat up Gotenks.
• "The Threat Covers The Earth" - When Majin Buu emerges unfazed from the army's attack.
• "Pure Boo Is Complete" - When Gohan can barely stand.

Differences from the manga

• When the group on the Lookout walks over to see Goten and Trunks perform the Fusion, Krillin asks Master Roshi who he would like to fuse with. Roshi mentions Maron. This does not happen in the manga nor the Japanese version, for Maron did not exist in the manga.
• In the manga, when Goten and Trunks attempt the fusion for the third time, Krillin breaks the fourth wall by asking what Toriyama is pulling and that the panels must be photocopies. This does not happen in the anime.
• In the manga, when Gotenks take off to fight Buu, the scene immediately changes to him returning all beat-up as a gag. In the anime, they actually show Gotenks confront Buu and get defeated before he returns.

Trivia

• This episode features the first non-Namekian fusion in the series.
• In the episode, the Jack card of Master Roshi depicts Goten and Trunks, a foreshadowing of their fusion.
• When Buu attacks the cruise ships, there is a man who yells for help. This man resembles Shaggy from the Scooby-Doo franchise, and in some dubs he even says, "M-m-m-m-m-m Majin B-b-Buu...", in a very Shaggy-esque way.
• In the version that aired in Canada, Ocean returned for the voices starting from episode 168, "Android Explosion". Since that episode, this is the first time in the Ocean dub that the word "kill" is used in a literal sense (and not replaced with "hurt" or "destroyed"). When Gotenks rushes off to face Buu, Piccolo says, "If he gets killed now, all our efforts were in vain.", in both Ocean Group and Funimation's dubs. Majin Buu also uses the words "dead" and "die" in the Ocean Group dubs of this episode (just like he does in Funimation dub), which also seemed to have been avoided until now (save for a figure of speech Babidi used in the episode, "Learn to Fuse!").
• After defusing as Fat Gotenks, Goten and Trunks say that they do not remember what happened. This may be explained by it being their first fusion.

Gallery

Joker cards with Goten and Trunks Goten ready to fuse Trunks ready to fuse Goten and Trunks ready to fuse Goten and Trunks perform the Fusion Dance Goten and Trunks performing the dance The final movement in the Fusion Dance Goten and Trunks fusing Fat Gotenks Fat Gotenks defuses Goten and Trunks defuse Goten and Trunks defuse Skinny Gotenks The fusion of Goten and Trunks, Gotenks Gotenks appears Gotenks Gotenks attacks with his I'll Make Short Work of You! Gotenks fights Majin Buu Gotenks is defeated by Majin Buu Gotenks beaten up by Buu The Army attacks Majin Buu Majin Buu creates an energy shield Majin Buu protected by his energy shield