Son Goku is considered by many fans of Dragon Ball and also anime as one of the strongest characters that exist. However, there are some characters who could take him on, whether physically or not. We present 6 of them.
Attention Spoiler: The following article contains minor spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Death Note, Gurren Lagann and Akira.
How was this list created? Of course, it is difficult to compare different anime universes. In this list, we are not just simply referring to a physical comparison, but to the abilities of the various characters.
Thus, it may be that Son Goku can physically defeat the characters on this list, but abilities or rules in his own universe ensure that he generally could not win.
On this list, we only discuss characters from other anime, which is why we leave out Beerus and Whis.
If you feel a character is missing from this list, feel free to write it in the comments.
Tetsuo from the sci-fi classic Akira
Akira shows how power can spiral out of control in the wrong hands, and the prime example of that is Tetsuo. The young teenager gains psychic and telekinetic powers that grow stronger throughout the film alongside his madness and rage.
His powers are difficult to grasp, but he could probably wipe out entire planets without any problems. Additionally, he seems to have abilities that can manipulate reality and the universe. Depending on interpretation, one could say that by the end of the film, he has become a sort of god or a universe.
Saitama from One Punch Man
In the series itself, Saitama’s strength is quite variable. Sometimes he fights against mutants, and other times against godlike beings that operate outside earthly logic. However, even against such opponents, Saitama needs only a few punches at most.
One Punch Man is a parody of unbeatable shonen protagonists, which is why he cannot lose; the logic of his world prohibits it, which is why he would probably defeat Goku as well. He is a kind of gag character, and even in the Dragon Ball Super anime, we’ve seen how a character like Arale can hold her own against Vegeta.
The Anti-Spiral from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Goku could, if he wanted, destroy entire planets, which even Golden Frieza can do. However, some anime go beyond that, such as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. At the end of the mecha series, we meet the Anti-Spiral.
It is not only larger than universes; its abilities can manipulate reality, incapacitate opponents, and it can also time travel. One could even say it is a universe of its own. In the final battle of the series, we see that this being even uses entire galaxies as projectiles. Even Goku would have to submit to the rules of its universe.
Light Yagami from Death Note
Light Yagami is a normal human with an exaggerated sense of justice. In a normal fight, he could never stand against Son Goku or even stronger humans, but he doesn’t have to. He fights with his head.
To defeat Goku, he would only need to write his name in the Death Note. It is not that easy to find out his name, but if he asks, Goku would surely betray him. Even if not: With the help of Misa Amane and the Shinigami’s eyes, he could find out his name anyway. That would surely be great fun for Ryuk.
Fumihiko Takaba from Jujutsu Kaisen
Fumihiko Takaba is known so far only from the manga, but he has an interesting ability that would give even Gojo or Sukuna trouble. He is actually a bad comedian, and that also represents his ability.
When Takaba thinks of something he finds funny, it becomes reality. His great weakness, however, is that he himself is unaware of his ability. Through his ability, Takaba can turn a simple fight into an absurd comedy show, which fits perfectly with old-school Dragon Ball (via Jujutsu Kaisen Wiki).
Giorno Giovanna from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
In Part 3 of JoJo, the Stands were introduced. These are unique abilities that Stand users possess. While Part 3 primarily focused on combat-oriented Stands, it became increasingly abstract with the subsequent parts.
One of the strongest is probably Golden Experience Requiem from Part 5 protagonist Giorno Giovanna. This Stand can reset actions and prevent them from becoming reality. It can thus prevent any attack and any movement, so that they never happen. Even those from powerful opponents like Goku.
Additionally, when it kills an enemy, Golden Experience Requiem creates an infinite death loop, causing the enemy to experience realities in which they die forever (via JoJo’s Bizarre Wiki).
This list shows how powerful Goku actually is, because most characters on this list can manipulate reality, and that would be one of the few ways to defeat the mighty Saiyajin. However, even in the manga, Goku must face a strong enemy: The new author of Dragon Ball shows with a new manga which villain is as strong as Son Goku
