Summary

Goku can use Instant Transmission but rarely does in Dragon Ball Daima to maintain a more grounded storyline.
Valid restrictions for Instant Transmission exist as Goku can't use it to access the Demon Realm and can't detect unknown ki signatures.
Goku doesn't use Instant Transmission often in battles due to focus and vulnerability, opting for other techniques.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima, Episode 13, "Surprise", now streaming on Crunchyroll.

One of Goku's most useful powers is the ability to teleport to any ki signature he can detect through Instant Transmission, but it's an ability that Dragon Ball Daima has barely made use of. It's not that he's suddenly incapable of doing it now that he's in a younger body, because he did use it in Dragon Ball Daima episode 7, "Collar", to hide from some Gendarmerie soldiers. So why doesn't Goku use Instant Transmission more often in fights and for faster travel?

"Goku-san can use Instant Transmission. He used my ki as a beacon and moved over here instantly." - Supreme Kai Shin explaining Instant Transmission to Panzy

If you need a little refresher on the technique, Goku learned to use Instant Transmission from a race of aliens called the Yardrats after Planet Namek blew up in the Frieza Saga. The first time Goku used Instant Transmission on screen was in Dragon Ball Z episode 123, "Goku's Special Technique", where he shows off the move by teleporting to Kame House, grabbing Master Roshi's sunglasses, and teleporting back to the rest of the Z Fighters. A user performs the technique by placing their index and middle fingers on their forehead, locking on to their target's ki signature, and then materializing next to their target.

Dr Arinsu looking out a window in Dragon Ball DAIMA

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It's Possibly a Conscious Decision by Akira Toriyama

Mostly Just So the Story Can Happen

It's likely that Akira Toriyama intentionally kept Goku from abusing Instant Transmission in his last series. Dragon Ball Daima is all about taking the series back to its roots: a more grounded story (in comparison to Dragon Ball Z and Super, at least) about exploring weird and curious places and meeting fun, wacky characters. Using Instant Transmission to just go to wherever Goku wants in the blink of an eye takes away from the mystery and wonder of traveling there and seeing the world around him. This is all just speculation though, and now that Toriyama has passed away, that's how it'll likely stay.

Valid Restrictions on Instant Transmission

While it does seem ridiculous that Goku just "forgets" to use Instant Transmission, that's not always the case. Sometimes, there are justified reasons for him not using it. For instance, there's the fact that Goku can't use Instant Transmission to go in and out of the Demon Realm whenever he wants. The Demon Realm exists on a different plane of existence from all the other universes in Dragon Ball, and Goku can't even use Instant Transmission to travel between universes. So, using Instant Transmission to go to the Demon Realm is totally out of the question.

There's also the fact that Goku can't just teleport to the Tamagami to challenge them and get the Dragon Balls sooner. The reasoning behind it is that Goku doesn't know what the Tamagami's ki signatures are. In fact, it's never even been properly established if the Tamagami have ki. They are artificial creations of the Namekian Neva, and they even look like robots. Just like the Androids, it's possible the Tamagami don't have ki and are undetectable to Goku. But again, even if they did have ki, Goku's never met them before and wouldn't know what to look for, or the Tamagami could also be suppressing their ki outside of battle.

The last reasonable limitation is with Dende, the main reason Goku headed for the Demon Realm in the first place. Sure, he can't teleport to the Demon Realm from the outside, but now that he's in the Demon Realm, can't he just teleport to Dende, beat up King Gomah, and be done with it? Well, now that Dende is a baby, he probably barely gives off any ki, so Goku can't detect him, and can't teleport to him.

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Possible In-Lore Theories

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There may be something in the Demon Realm that keeps characters from sensing ki from long distances. The Demon Realm is home to all sorts of strange magic, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say some forces at play keep the Saiyan from detecting ki from one Demon World to another. There are even magical barriers between the Demon Worlds, so those barriers could be blocking any ki signatures from passing through.

Maybe Goku's Younger Body Has Unforeseen Consequences

goku not in his prime — Supreme Kai tells Goku that he isn't in his prime as a kid.

Sure, it's been established that Goku can, in fact, still use Instant Transmission while in a younger body, but maybe there's more to it than that. Perhaps he can only use it for short distances now. Another possibility is that his younger body is messing up an ability crucial to Instant Transmission. Maybe he can't detect ki from longer distances now. If you really had to come up with a reason, Goku being younger and having less control over his powers is as good as any.

Goku Doesn't Often Use Instant Transmission in Stressful/Panicky Situations

goku rushing — Goku rushing to save Bulma and Panzy from the Megath dog.

To use Instant Transmission, the user has to focus for a short period, which could leave them open to attacks. This is why Goku barely uses Instant Transmission in battle, even in the other Dragon Ball series. He developed the Instant Kamehameha, but it's not a move that he uses often. While channeling it, he gives up all offensive capabilities and must rely on dodging as he charges his Kamehameha while keeping a lock on his target's ki.

This could explain why he didn't use Instant Transmission in Dragon Ball Daima episode 13, "Surprise", to reach Bulma and the others sooner. He got tunnel-visioned and resorted to using a Kamehameha to fend off the giant dog instead.

Dragon Ball Daima is now available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The release date for Dragon Ball Daima, episode 16, is set to be January 31, 2025, at 10:00 AM PT.

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TV-14

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Release Date: 2024 - 2025
Network: Fuji TV, Kansai TV, Tokai Television Broadcasting, Fukui TV, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, Iwate Menkoi Television, Sendai Television, SAGA TV, TNC, OHK, Ishikawa TV, Kochi Sun Sun Broadcasting, TV Shizuoka, UMK TV Miyazaki, Television Shin Hiroshima System, NST, NBS, Sakuranbo TV, TSK, Ehime Broadcasting, KTS, NIB, KKT, Fukushima TV, TOS, AKT, Toyama Television, Okinawa Television Broadcasting
Directors: Kazuya Karasawa, Ryuta Kawahara
Writers: Akira Toriyama
Franchise(s): Dragon Ball