Dragon Ball Z Officially Revives Goku’s Iconic Yardrat Look for Exclusive New Release
Bandai has officially revealed the first S.H.Figuarts figure based on Goku’s return from Planet Yardrat in Dragon Ball Z, finally bringing his short-lived post-Namek appearance into the articulated figure line.
The “S.H.Figuarts Son Goku -RETURN TO EARTH-
The figure is based on the beginning of Dragon Ball Z’s Android Saga, which opens with Future Trunks arriving from a devastated alternate timeline and easily defeating the rebuilt Frieza and King Cold before Goku finally returns home.
Rather than travelling directly back to Earth after escaping Namek, Goku lands on Planet Yardrat and spends additional time training with its inhabitants before making the journey home.
That detour ultimately gives Goku one of his most useful techniques, Instant Transmission, allowing him to lock onto another person’s energy and teleport directly to their location.
Goku demonstrates the ability shortly after his return by disappearing from the group and travelling to Kame House, returning seconds later with Master Roshi’s sunglasses as proof that he really had teleported such an enormous distance.
His meeting with Future Trunks then sets the next major Dragon Ball Z storyline in motion, with the young Saiyan revealing his identity and warning Goku about the Androids that will appear three years later.
Bandai has also recently revealed a new S.H.Figuarts Future Trunks based on his later appearance during the Android and Cell Saga, adding another version of the time-travelling Saiyan from the same broader period of Dragon Ball Z.
The Yardrat outfit only appears for a relatively brief part of the anime, but it has become one of Goku’s most recognizable alternate costumes outside his familiar orange martial arts uniform.
Bandai’s new figure stands approximately 14.5 cm tall and uses the proportions of Goku’s anime appearance from this period, with his Yardrat clothing recreated around the fully articulated body.
The shoulders incorporate Bandai’s Dynamic-Movable Shoulder System, a newer articulation structure developed specifically for the Dragon Ball S.H.Figuarts range that allows considerably more movement around Goku’s upper body.
That additional flexibility is designed to help with fighting poses without forcing the shoulder area too far away from the character’s natural silhouette.
Bandai has also put considerable emphasis on recreating the lighter moments surrounding Goku’s return, with three interchangeable expressions covering several of the more comedic reactions he shows while talking with Trunks and the rest of the group.
Five pairs of interchangeable hands are included alongside replacement front hair parts, allowing the figure to move between relaxed conversation scenes and more conventional Dragon Ball action poses.
Goku is not limited to his normal state either, as Bandai has created an entirely new Super Saiyan head and matching expression parts for the release.
The extra pieces allow collectors to recreate Goku transforming while wearing the Yardrat outfit, including his brief demonstration of Super Saiyan power after Future Trunks challenges him with his sword.
The new head, expressions, and hands are also compatible with the separately sold “S.H.Figuarts Son Goku -THE KIND-HEARTED SAIYAN-
Another recent TAMASHII NATIONS release revisits an earlier point in the same stretch of Goku’s story, with the Figuarts ZERO STARTune line receiving a statue based on his dramatic arrival on Namek to fight the Ginyu Force.
Image by Charlotte DavisJapanese pre-orders for the “S.H.Figuarts Son Goku -RETURN TO EARTH-
US pre-orders will open through Premium Bandai US on October 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM EDT, with the exclusive figure priced at $65 and scheduled to ship in June 2027.
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