Dragon Ball Debate: Are There Any Characters Capable of Defeating Goku?

“Can they beat Goku though?”

 It’s a question that Dragon Ball has turned into an entire social debate amongst fans from all over the world. And today, it’s once again gone viral on social media as Dragon Ball fans (and those simply looking to dunk on the franchise) all converged on the challenge posed by one tweet: “Name a character that can actually beat GokuI’ll start first: Doctor Manhattan”. 

Some 6+ million views later, the debate is on: is Goku really so invincible that NO other character from comics, books, movies, TV gaming, and/or anime could annihilate the Saiyan fighter? 

As you can see in the thread that was spun out of the initial question, responses to who could beat Goku range from the ridiculous (Captain Underpants, Ben 10, Popeye, Ed, Edd & Eddy, Bugs Bunny, SpongeBob, Shrek) to genuinely interesting picks (Doctor Manhattan, Superman, Power Rangers’ Drakkon, DC’s Darkseid and/or Lucifer, Sailor Moon), to the sacrilegious (Jesus). However, in the midst of the chaotic blend of absurdity and intrigue, there is some pretty good analysis of Goku’s powers that gets down. 

In fact, one of the most popular rabbit holes that came out of this debate was how the odds would be restacked if Goku was simply fighting with human-level martial arts – no Saiyan powers: 

Why Is Goku So Powerful? 

Dragon Ball originally presented Goku as a young martial artist (with a tail and werewolf-style curse), and his signature weapons, vehicles, and powers were either based on mysticism (Flying Nimbus, Power Pole) or sci-fi concepts (Capsule Corp tech). When Dragon Ball Z premiered, that second series turned Goku’s abilities into extraterrestrial powers based on his heritage as a Saiyan; further retcons have put Goku’s alien origin story firmly in line with the likes of Superman, with his parents Bardock and Gine sending him away from their homeworld to thrive in power on Earth, shortly before Frieza destroys Planet Vegeta. So, Goku becoming an all-powerful protector of Earth fits in with that tradition and helps explain his Superman-level status when it comes to these “Who would win?” debates. 

Dragon Ball Super has taken Goku from ‘Superman’ to ‘Super God’ during its run in the late 2010s, and the subsequent movie releases. The main DBS anime culminated in Goku tapping into the power of Ultra Instinct – which has since been expanded into a fighting state of mind and power usually only accessed by god-like beings (Angels and their father the Grand Minister). Goku has continued to ascend through the different levels of Ultra Instinct, discovering some wild new abilities in the process (like making his own Naruto-style Susanoo energy avatar!). Goku is getting to the point where it’s tricky for Dragon Ball to even find a narrative place and context for his fights, that doesn’t make the powers and abilities of his friends, family, and allies look completely irrelevant. In that sense, even god-like characters like Doctor Manhattan don’t automatically outclass Goku at this point, as his own power levels have proven to be some of the greatest under heaven, above Hel, and across the many realities of the Dragon Ball Multiverse. 

The thing that’s always fun about this particular debate is that it has little to do with Goku’s actual abilities or ever-evolving power level – and more to do with the plot armor that’s been built onto the character over the decades of Dragon Ball’s run. Goku’s constant ability to break all limits and evolve his powers is arguably an unconquerable skill: no matter how strong his opponent is, Goku can arguably reach (or surpass) their level of power, simply as motivation to win and grow in ability, which is his greatest pleasure. 

Dragon Ball voice actor/icon Sean Schemmel weighed-in on this debate, stating that Goku’s god status is a hard thing to argue against – even when asking if it’s enough to beat Superman: 

“Yes is the short answer,” Schemmel explained. “The long answer is yes: Goku is a god. There are two scenarios where this would occur: if Earth is not in trouble, Goku would ask Superman to get close to the sun and get [as] charged up as possible, and then he’d fight him. But if Earth was in danger, he would fight him as long as he could but then, probably, if he wasn’t having any success, he would probably just Instant Transmission Superman to a planet without a yellow sun – and then he would lose all his powers and Goku would win.”

Who do you think could beat Goku? Anyone? 

Dragon Ball Super is releasing new manga chapters and feature films. No word yet on when the anime will return.