Yes, Goku sacrifices himself to save Earth during the Cell Saga.
Goku's sacrifice is a pivotal moment in Dragon Ball Z. After Cell achieves his perfect form and is on the verge of self-destruction, Goku uses Instant Transmission to teleport Cell to King Kai's planet. Although this prevents Earth from being destroyed, Goku, King Kai, Bubbles, and Gregory are all killed in the explosion.
Here's a breakdown of the key events leading to and surrounding Goku's sacrifice:
- The Threat: Perfect Cell, having absorbed Androids 17 and 18, becomes an immense threat to Earth.
- Cell's Self-Destruction: Realizing he is outmatched, Cell initiates his self-destruction sequence, threatening to destroy the entire planet.
- Goku's Decision: Understanding the gravity of the situation and knowing that he's the only one fast enough to act, Goku makes the difficult decision to sacrifice himself.
- Instant Transmission: Goku uses Instant Transmission to teleport himself and Cell to King Kai's planet.
- The Aftermath: Cell explodes on King Kai's planet, killing Goku, King Kai, Bubbles, and Gregory. Earth is saved, but at a great cost. The Z Fighters mourn his loss, and Gohan is filled with guilt, blaming himself for Goku's decision.
- Frieza's Death: Even earlier than the Cell Saga, Goku nearly sacrificed himself to defeat Frieza on Namek, though he ultimately survived due to fortunate circumstances and the destruction of Namek.
While this was not a pure sacrifice (as the plan wasn't necessarily to be caught in the explosion) it's important to note that other times Goku has also risked his life for others, such as his various fights with Frieza. These acts of selflessness, while not technically considered "sacrifices" in the same vein as the Cell Saga, illustrate his dedication to protecting others.
Therefore, the most direct answer is that Goku made the deliberate sacrifice of his own life to protect the Earth from Perfect Cell's self-destruction.
