Strong Characters Who Overpowered Goku

Summary

• Goku faces overwhelming foes like Raditz and Jiren, forcing him to unlock new levels of power through sacrifice.
• Villains like Hit challenge Goku, requiring him to adapt and combine forms to defeat them.
• Broly and Frieza push Goku to the limit, necessitating fusion and Super Saiyan transformation for victory.

Dragon Ball is a series full of amazing fights and memorable villains who push the heroes to new heights. Goku and the Z Fighters must pull out all the strength they have and unlock new levels of power to deal with the imposing might of these antagonists.

Goku may be the strongest fighter in his universe, but that doesn’t stop him from getting a pounding for the ages from certain dastardly villains and rivals. Some fans argue that watching him be overwhelmed by enemy attacks is important so that they can root for the underdog as he acquires a new level of power and competely decimates his foes.

8

Raditz

Goku Had To Sacrifice Himself To Take Out His Brother

• Debut: The New Threat (Episode 1 of Dragon Ball Z)

While Goku has faced his fair share of adversity in Dragon Ball, the fight against Raditz was when he realized just how outclassed he was. Even after teaming up with Piccolo, he was barely able to get a hit in and was beaten to a pulp by his brother.

In the face of this overwhelming strength, Goku realized that he needed to sacrifice himself to take out this threat to Earth. It was a testament to how immense Raditz’s strength was, forcing the Z Warriors to train for the arrival of two more Saiyans who boasted even greater power.

7

Hit

His Time-Skip Overwhelmed Goku For A While Before The Saiyan Figure Out How It Worked

• Debut: The Matches Begin! We’re All Off to the “Planet with No Name!” (Episode 32 of Dragon Ball Super)

The fight between Universe 6 and 7 is a great display of the skills that the fighters from both universes possess. Fighting against kinder Saiyans and a seemingly innocent member of the Frieza race is a great novelty, but things get real when Hit steps into battle.

He’s able to make quick work of Vegeta and pushes Goku against the ropes, too. However, after realizing that the Super Saiyan Blue form won’t be enough to deal with this assassin, he turns the tables by combining this form with the good old Kaio-ken and giving Hit a taste of his own medicine.

6

Broly

Goku And Vegeta Needed To Fuse To Deal With His Might

• Debut: Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Fans were hyped to see Broly’s canon appearance in Dragon Ball Super, with this giant enjoying a ton of character development as he unveiled the power of his Legendary Super Saiyan form to both Goku and Vegeta.

The duo was overwhelmed by his growing power, to the point where both of them had to beat a hasty retreat and perform the Fusion Dance. While Broly was easily defeated by Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta, that should take nothing away from how he manhandled Goku and humbled the Saiyan warrior.

5

Kid Buu

Without Porunga’s Wish, Goku Would’ve Been Toast

• Debut: Evil Kid Buu! (Episode 276 of Dragon Ball Z)

Fans may not be huge fans of the Buu arc, but there’s no denying that Kid Buu’s sinister presence elevated the final leg of this storyline. Vegeta couldn’t land a single substantial hit on Kid Buu and acknowledged that Goku was the best Saiyan, who tried to even the odds with his Super Saiyan 3 form.

Eventually, he resorted to the Spirit Bomb, but he lost his energy and was on the verge of being killed by Kid Buu and his overwhelming power. However, a wish from Porunga saved the day by restoring Goku’s energy and allowing him to defeat Kid Buu with a Spirit Bomb formed from the energy of everyone on Earth.

4

Beerus

The God Of Destruction Pushed Goku To The Limit During Their Battle

• Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

Beerus is the Destroyer God who woke up after a lengthy nap and decided to find a Super Saiyan God. Goku was more than willing to meet his challenge and transformed into Super Saiyan 3, only to be defeated with a single finger.

This overwhelming strength forced Goku and his allies to figure out a way to become Super Saiyan God, following which he was able to fight against Beerus. Even though the Destroyer God was holding back, he was able to push Goku’s buttons and force the Saiyan to pull out all the strength he had to save Earth from his overwhelming presence.

3

Frieza

Goku Was Struggling Against This Foe Before His Super Saiyan Transformation

• Debut: Brood of Evil (Episode 44 of Dragon Ball Z)

Frieza is a legendary antagonist who gave Goku the motivation he needed to become a Super Saiyan. However, before Krillin’s cruel death, Frieza showed just how massive the gulf between him and Goku was.

Goku had to resort to some trickery to land a few blows, while Frieza could effortlessly pummel the Saiyan without expending too much energy. If Goku hadn’t unlocked the Super Saiyan transformation in the nick of time, he would’ve been another feather in Frieza’s murder cap.

2

Vegeta

Goku’s Rival Has Beaten Him Down In Battle Numerous Times

• Debut: Gohan’s Rage (Episode 5 of Dragon Ball Z)

Goku’s rival is one of the most beloved characters in the series who has overwhelmed Goku twice throughout Dragon Ball. His appearance in the Saiyan Saga cemented him as a dastardly villain who broke Goku’s bones and would’ve crushed the Saiyan had it not been for Gohan and Krillin’s interference.

Later on, Vegeta’s midlife crisis caused him to accept Babidi’s possession as he transformed into Majin Vegeta. He had a rematch with Goku and was able to overwhelm the Saiyan at moments before the sheer power of Majin Buu made him realize the erroneous nature of his actions.

1

Jiren

Goku Needed The Power Of Ultra Instinct To Deal With Jiren’s Immense Strength

• Debut: The Universes Go Into Action – Each With Their Own Motives (Episode 85 of Dragon Ball Super)

The battle between Jiren and Goku was built up slowly throughout the Tournament of Power. A single punch was all it took for Jiren to take out this Saiyan at first, using his overwhelming power to punch rush the Saiyan into oblivion.

Even after unlocking an imperfect Ultra Instinct transformation, he wasn’t able to take out Jiren. He had to perfect this transformation to beat down Jiren, which was quite cathartic after his strong Pride Trooper had been effortlessly taking out anyone who stood in his way.