Although Dragon Ball GT wasn’t part of Dragon Ball’s canon universe, some Dragon Ball fans still hold a special place for it because of its action-packed fight scenes and great story. We were able to see Goku defeat Omega Shenron thanks to the energy from the universe at the end of the anime. Goku, however, left with Shenron the dragon at the end and was apparently fused with him. What happened to Goku and Shenron when Dragon Ball GT ended?

It is not known why Goku left in the GT finale. However, it is possible that Goku merged with the Dragon Balls to make them ineffable for his own purposes. His pure heart made him immortal and he was now one with Shenron.

Dragon Ball anime had its heart in the Dragon Balls. They are the wish-granting Orbs that allow someone to gather all of them to summon Shenron the dragon, who can grant them a wish. But the Dragon Balls were always used for evil and led to the rise of the Shadow Dragons. That said, let’s look at what happened to Goku at the end of Dragon Ball GT.

What Happened to Goku After the End of Dragon Ball GT

The mainline canon Dragon Ball story ended in the 90s with Kid Buu being defeated in Dragon Ball Z. The anime was released with the non-canon Dragon Ball GT series. This continued the storyline years after the end of DBZ. The story followed Kid Goku’s transformation back to a child after Emperor Pilaf made a wish for the Black Star Dragon Balls. These were stronger than the Earth Dragon Balls.

Trunks, Pan, Goku and Pan set out on an adventure around the universe to find the Black Star Dragon Balls. They also made a wish that would hopefully make him an adult again. They were about to make a wish that would revive all those who had died following the defeat of Super 17 and Baby, but the Dragon Balls created a dark dragon rather than Ultimate Shenron. This dark dragon didn’t fulfill Pan’s wish and, instead, gave rise to the seven Shadow Dragons, which were strong enough to fight on par with Super Saiyan 4 Goku.

Goku defeated all the dragons to make Syn Shenron the last of the evil dragons. He absorbed all of the Dragon Balls to become Omega Shenron. This was much more powerful than Super Saiyan IV Goku and Super Saiyan IV Vegeta. To create Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta it took Vegeta and Goku to fuse their moves. The evil dragon was defeated and he was just about to be killed before the Fusion ran out.

Goku and his companions couldn’t find a way to defeat the evil dragon, with all their hope gone. Goku, who was seemingly dead, lay down on the ground. He still had enough energy to create a Spirit Bomb that could be powered by all of the universe. This attack was strong enough that it completely destroyed Omega Shenron.

Where Did Goku Go?

Goku and his companions were able to defeat the most powerful foe at the time. However, Shenron had to go. Shenron was now manifested after defeating the Shadow Dragons from the Earth Dragon Balls. Goku, Shenron and others flew into the air without ever saying where they were heading. Goku merged with Shenron, it seems. What happened to Shenron and Goku at the end of Dragon Ball GT?

Although it was not clear exactly where Goku had to go with Shenron in the end, the fact that he seems to have merged with Shenron suggests that this was because he was the one who allowed the Dragon Balls back to their original form. He was essentially immortalized when he became one with Shenron. Shenron said that no more wishes would be granted for a long period.

Goku went to Shenron’s Dragon Balls location and disappeared. We don’t know for certain where that is but what we do know is that Goku had to leave for a very good reason.

However, there’s another theory. It is suggested that Goku actually died from Omega Shenron’s attack before the evil dragon was defeated. As such, it was Goku’s spirit that mustered up the Spirit Bomb that defeated Omega Shenron. This explains why Omega Shenron’s attacks weren’t affecting Goku while he was gathering energy for the Spirit Bomb, considering that he was already a spirit by that time.

As such, after Omega Shenron was defeated, Goku’s spirit became one with Shenron when they had to leave because he also became one with the Dragon Balls themselves. This explains why, at the very end of the Dragon Ball GT anime, Goku’s spirit was seen together with Goku Jr. one hundred years after Omega Shenron was defeated.

Why did Goku leave with Shenron at the End of Dragon Ball GT?

On top of the fact that Goku’s whereabouts were unknown after Omega Shenron was defeated, it was also never fully explained why Goku had to leave with Shenron. We know only that he left. So why did Goku abandon Shenron and Dragon Ball GT at the end?

There was no explanation for why Goku had to go with the Dragon Balls and the dragon at the end. However, it could be due to his spirit merging with the Dragon Balls or having attained immortality.

The fact that Dragon Balls had been used in a variety of evil and selfish ways throughout history is the reason the Shadow Dragons were created. Goku did not want to gather Dragon Balls for selfish ends. He used them almost exclusively for the good of the universe, especially when it was time to revive the victims of the villains he and his friends encountered throughout the storyline.

Goku had to go because he had become part of the Dragon and Dragon Balls, when he was the only one who could grant ultimate immortality through the wish-granting orbs. Ironically, Goku became the only person to literally become immortal after he was made one with the Dragon Balls. He was the only person who had never desired immortality.

The Dragon Balls had to leave the earthly plane, as Shenron informed the planet’s heroes that he wouldn’t grant any wishes for a very long period of time. Goku also became one with them and needed to leave with them.

It is also why it took Goku a hundred years to make his reappearance. Shenron probably waited a century for the Dragon Balls to return to Earth. Goku Jr. discovered the four-star Dragon Ball and returned to Goku as it was an heirloom from his father.