The last of his kind

[Chris227]

Any thoughts on this theme in science fiction? It's sort of a recurring theme, lately.Doctor Who(New series only), Superman, Son Goku (Dragonball), etc. are all examples of this. (Green Lantern also has this for a while) Granted, Goku is pretty much based on the Superman mythos anyway....

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think it's getting old.

 

[Sephiroth]

Son Goku was never the last of his kind, first he was a mythical creature, then he was an alien, and he had a brother, Vegeta and Brolly, plus he had kids, and aparently Saiyan DNA has a third strand with all the Saiyan traits

 

[3D Master]

Any thoughts on this theme in science fiction? It's sort of a recurring theme, lately.Doctor Who(New series only), Superman, Son Goku (Dragonball), etc. are all examples of this. (Green Lantern also has this for a while) Granted, Goku is pretty much based on the Superman mythos anyway....

No, Goku is not based upon the Superman mythos. Goku, the Japanese translation of Sun Wu-k'ung, is based upon the 100 chapter epic legend of Journey to the West. The arrival/birth of Goku in the legend and Dragon Ball, is essentially the same, it just means by extension, that Goku comes from space in a space ship.

 

[Trent Roman]

The "Last Man" trope is a classic, starting with the master herself, Mary Shelley (in, wouldn't you know it, The Last Man). As with most other things, it's all in the execution rather than the concept. And to add to the list of sci-fi with that theme: look at how radically different yet all entertaining in their own right pieces like I Am Legend, Oryx and Crake and Red Dwarf are.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman