Summary

  • Goku, the powerful protagonist of Dragon Ball, is one of the most popular and strongest characters in anime history.
  • There are several tough anime characters who could challenge Goku, such as All for One, Koro-Sensei, DIO, Naruto, Ichigo, and Broly.
  • While Goku may face formidable opponents, his strength is continuously growing, leaving the possibility for him to defeat any of these characters effortlessly in the future.

As the protagonist of Dragon Ball, Goku is both one of the most powerful and most popular characters in anime history. Within his own series, he's defeated characters capable of destroying entire planets with relative ease, which puts into perspective how monstrous his strength is. Even in the broader world of anime, there are very few characters who can rival Goku at full power.

There are, however, several characters who could give Goku a run for his money, and if there's one thing Goku loves, it's a challenge. These anime characters are some of the toughest out there, packing techniques the likes of which Goku has never seen before. Fans may never know who'd actually come out on top, but the fun is in the speculation.

10 All for One - A Villain with Countless Superpowers

From My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi, animated by Bones

All for One is the greatest villain the world of My Hero Academia has ever seen. He's lived for well over a hundred years and has used his Quirk to steal abilities from hundreds, if not thousands, of people in that time. The amount of raw power All for One has access to is immense, and includes techniques as varied as energy attacks, increasing muscle mass, and transforming parts of his body into weapons. If Goku were to face All for One's true form in My Hero Academia at his peak strength, it certainly wouldn't be an easy victory for everyone's favorite Saiyan, but he could likely pull it off.

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9 Koro-Sensei - The Indestructible Alien

From Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui, animated by Lerche

Koro-sensei from the anime Assassination Classroom.

Assassination Classroom's Koro-Sensei is a nigh-invulnerable "alien" who starts the series by destroying a massive chunk of the Earth's Moon. He's equipped with hundreds of tentacles that have incredibly fast reflexes and maneuverability, making it easy for him to fight multiple opponents (or one really fast opponent). Koro-Sensei can only be harmed by weapons made of a special "anti-Sensei" material, which means Goku will never be able to defeat him with just his fists. It's not known how well Koro-Sensei would hold up to energy attacks like a Kamehameha, however, so that may provide the opening Goku needs to win.

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8 DIO - Master of Time

From Jojo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki, animated by David Production

JJBA-Dio

DIO is the legendary villain of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. An immortal vampire, he has incredible strength and speed, and DIO's cruelty in battle is notorious, but his most dangerous ability is definitely his Stand, The World. The World is able to freeze time for up to six seconds, and DIO has no problem using it several times in quick succession, meaning it will be difficult for Goku to even land a hit. However, Goku has had to deal with the time-skipping assassin Hit before, so it's not as if Goku is completely inexperienced at fighting such an opponent. Goku's bigger problem might be that only those with Stands can see Stands, so it may take a while for him to figure out what's really going on.

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7 Naruto Uzumaki - The Ninja With Limitless Chakra

From Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, animated by Studio Pierrot

Naruto Uzumaki gives a thumbs up in Naruto: Shippuden

Naruto Uzumaki is the eponymous protagonist of the Naruto series and the strongest ninja in the world. He's extremely skilled as a fighter, strong enough to overpower even Momoshiki Otsutsuki, an angelic being of immense power. Although Naruto's physical strength isn't on the level of Goku's, he can certainly do well against him in a fight. With Naruto's limitless chakra and other such overpowered abilities at his disposal, like the Six Paths Sage Mode, Naruto would be able to hold his own, at least for a while.

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6 Ichigo Kurosaki - A Prodigy Among Soul Reapers

From Bleach by Tite Kubo, animated by Studio Pierrot

The protagonist of Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki, has a massive array of abilities to work with. Primarily a Soul Reaper wielding a special sword known as a Zanpakuto, Ichigo can launch powerful energy blasts with his sword in the form of Getsuga Tensho. His Quincy powers would aid in his defensive capacity, such as the Blut Vene ability, which can block the impact of hits to his body. Ichigo's Bankai in Bleach radically increases the amount of power he wields, as well as his strength and speed. A match between Ichigo and Goku would certainly be a fun one to watch, no matter who came out on top.

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5 Broly - THE Legendary Super Saiyan Himself

From Dragon Ball Super created by Akira Toriyama, Animated by Toei Animation

Legendary Super Saiyan Broly

Dragon Ball's Broly is a fellow Saiyan, but he's not just any Saiyan. Broly is the "Legendary Super Saiyan," wielding almost unlimited strength in his berserker mode. Broly was so powerful that when he faced Goku, Goku was forced to use both his Super Saiyan Blue form and fuse with Vegeta in order to even get close to Broly's level. While Goku and Broly are now friends, they do spar with each other quite frequently, meaning that Goku knows Broly's moves fairly well at this point, and vice versa. Who would win is a toss-up at any given time, at least for now.

Broly's first canonical appearance was in the 2018 film Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

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4 Rimuru Tempest - The Slime-turned-Demon Lord

From That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, created by Fuse, animated by Eight Bit

Rimuru Tempest is the titular slime from That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime, but underestimating this gooey hero is a grave mistake. Rimuru wields the power of the Storm Dragon Veldora, as well as the powers of more than one Demon Lord. Rimuru also has the invaluable "Sage" skill, which can analyze the weaknesses and abilities of opponents almost instantly. While Rimuru can take on a human form, his body is still that of a slime, meaning blunt force attacks do little damage to him. Rimuru is the first character on this list who definitely has an edge over Goku, as victory would hardly be impossible for the persistent Saiyan.

A third season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is currently confirmed for 2024.

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3 Alucard - The Unstoppable Vampire

From Hellsing, created by Kouta Hirano, animated by Gonzo

Alucard in Hellsing

Alucard is another vampire, and the main character of the Hellsing series. He's quite a fearsome opponent for anyone to deal with, including Goku. With his ability to turn into a shadow and torment anyone he's up against, there isn't much that Goku can even do to fight back. Additionally, he possesses superhuman strength, speed, and durability, able to regenerate from damage he takes in rapid time. One of the most dangerous abilities for Goku may be his teleportation, allowing him to keep out of Goku's sight even when he is in corporeal form.

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2 Saitama - The One-Hit Wonder

From One-Punch Man, created by ONE, animated by Madhouse/J.C. Staff

Saitama is a superhero who can defeat any enemy with just one punch--hence the title One-Punch Man. Saitama's strength is so great that his sneeze once destroyed most of Jupiter by accident. He also has immeasurable durability, able to take massive hits without so much as stumbling, and he's even endured blasts of cosmic radiation. Saitama may not look like much, and he isn't trained in traditional martial arts techniques, but he would provide exactly the sort of challenging opponent that Goku longs for. Goku vs. Saitama would definitely be a fascinating fight whose outcome would be tough to predict.

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1 Grand Zeno - The God Who Rules the Multiverse

From Dragon Ball Super, created by Akira Toriyama, animated by Toei Animation

Dragon Ball Zeno Erases Zamasu

Grand Zeno is the most powerful being in the Dragon Ball universe, above the likes of the Angels and the Grand Priest. Goku has even witnessed Grand Zeno's power firsthand, as Zeno destroyed an entire timeline in an instant when Goku called him for help. Goku's power may be immense for a mortal, but Zeno is not just a god, he's the god above all others in this setting. Goku has been told on many occasions not to test Zeno's patience or powers, and he's finally learned better than to pick a fight with someone he can't ever defeat. Undoubtedly, Zeno's powers are beyond human (or Saiyan) comprehension. Zeno is probably the strongest anime character ever, so Goku stands no chance against him in a fight.

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  • Dragon Ball Franchise Image
    Dragon Ball
    Summary:
    From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
    Created by:
    Akira Toriyama
    First Film:
    Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
    Latest Film:
    Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
    First TV Show:
    Dragon Ball
    Latest TV Show:
    Super Dragon Ball Heroes
    First Episode Air Date:
    1989-04-26
    Latest Episode:
    2019-10-05
    Cast:
    Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
    Current Series:
    Dragon Ball Super
    Video Game(s):
    Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Dragon Ball Z Kakarot