Dragon Ball is home to some of the greatest anime and manga battles of all time. Akira Toriyama's fight choreography, page composition, and paneling are second-to-none, but what really makes Dragon Ball's fights shine is Toriyama's ability to develop characters and tell a story through the action. The fighting is the story when it comes to Dragon Ball, and there's no better evidence of this than Goku's best fights.
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As Dragon Ball's main character, Goku has some of the most – and absolute best – fights in the series. Many fans believe Goku doesn't develop, or has "static" character development (a nonsense term), but this couldn't be further from the truth. In every battle Goku participates in, he gradually grows as a character, often learning from, if not teaching, his opponents important lessons about martial arts. Goku has changed considerably from Dragon Ball to DBZ and Dragon Ball Super, something his greatest battles highlight in full.
10 Goku Vs. Jackie Chun
For as early as the fight happens in the grand scheme of everything Dragon Ball, it's amazing just how well Goku and Jackie Chun's final battle in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament holds up. Master Roshi enters the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai under the guise of Jackie Chun to prove to Goku & Krillin that there will always be someone better than them: an idea which goes on to become Dragon Ball's defining theme.
This lands the fight two layers of tension: we, as an audience, want Goku to win, but the lesson Roshi is trying to impart is important enough to make you feel conflicted. The fight itself is wonderfully choreographed, as Goku and Jackie Chun pull out creative technique after technique before everything boils down into a pure martial art brawl to the end. The sun setting on the tournament, and the fact Jackie Chun wins by outsmarting Goku & not raw power, makes their showdown as atmospheric as it is epic.
9 Goku Vs. Moro
Dragon Ball fans are in for a real treat when Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol finally starts airing. The Moro Saga is easily the best arc in Toyotarou's Dragon Ball Super manga, featuring some of the best fights in the series since the end of Dragon Ball Z. The arc's highlight is Goku's final showdown with Moro himself. After spending the entire arc growing stronger and absorbing more abilities, it all comes down to Ultra Instinct Goku versus Ultra Instinct Moro.
The fight is a showcase of all of Goku's training to master Ultra Instinct, as well as his character development throughout Dragon Ball Super. The battle is the most violent in Dragon Ball Super, takes multiple twists & turns, and has Goku at his absolute best character-wise – showing Moro mercy, while putting him in his place time and time again. Goku versus Moro will break the internet once it's animated, more so than Ultra Instinct Sign Goku versus Jiren in the Tournament of Power.
8 Goku Vs. Demon King Piccolo
Goku's final battle with Demon King Piccolo is like a swan song for Kid Goku. In this fight, Akira Toriyama has Goku use everything that has defined him up to this point: his Ki attacks, his martial arts, the Power Pole, and even the Flying Nimbus Cloud. It really feels like Toriyama saying goodbye to Kid Goku in the best way possible.
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Best of all, Goku and King Piccolo are completely evenly-matched in the fight. This battle takes everything out of both fighters as they go back and forth in a life-or-death match that would go on to define Dragon Ball Z's most violent and memorable battles. You don't get Goku versus Frieza withou Goku versus King Piccolo.
7 Goku Vs. Beerus
Goku and Beerus' second fight from Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is still the best battle in all of Dragon Ball Super. After gaining access to Super Saiyan God, Goku finally levels the playing field against the God of Destruction as the two fight around the globe, before taking their battle into outer space. The fight itself is filled with non-stop action that has both warriors going back and forth, trading blows and the advantage until Goku finds himself exhausted – but still ready to fight to the very end.
The best thing about Goku and Beerus' fight is how it encapsulates Jackie Chun's message that there will always be someone better. For the first time ever, Goku fights a foe that he cannot surpass no matter what. Instead of being dismayed, he takes pride in the fact he did his absolute best, a trait Beerus respects within Goku. More importantly, this fight subverts the Dragon Ball movie trope of Goku always finding a way to win, instead humbling him on the cusp of Godhood and reminding him that he shoud always be pushing himself.
6 Goku Vs. Tao Pai Pai
Tao Pai Pai is one of Dragon Ball's greatest villains. After spending the entire Red Ribbon Army making relatively easy work of Colonel Silver, White, and finally General Blue (albeit with help from Arale), Goku finally hits a wall he cannot overcome: Tao Pai Pai. Mercenary Tao kills Bora and nearly takes Goku's life with a Dodonpa. The only reason Goku survives is because he kept Grandpa Gohan's 4-Start Dragon Ball in his breast pocket.
In one of Dragon Ball's most heartfelt moments, Goku silently looks at the Dragon Ball he spent all arc looking for and decides he'll use it to revive Upa's father, Bora. After training with Master Korin in one of the series' best training arcs, Goku has his rematch with Tao Pai Pai and utterly demolishes him in a wonderfully choreographed fight that represents all of Goku's character development and training since the beginning of the series.
5 Goku Vs. Krillin
Goku's fight with Krillin in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament is nothing short of genius. Even though Krillin is outclassed in terms of Power Level, he uses clever tactics to give Goku an amazing battle, finally putting their rivalry to the test. The martial arts on display is downright incredible, especially in the anime, featuring amazingly fluid animation and some of Akira Toriyama's best hand-to-hand choreography in the series.
If Goku hadn't trained his tail in-between the Red Ribbon Army and Tien Shinhan Sagas, Krillin would have won, as he uses Goku's former weakness against him. Unfortunately for Krillin, Goku is much smarter than he leads on, obscuring the fact he trained his tail in order to trick his rival at the last minute. Best of all, the fight represents Roshi's idea that the next generation will always be better than the last, as he recognizes his two pupils have finally surpassed him in every meaningful way.
4 Goku Vs. Tien Shinhan
Goku's first fight with Tien from the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai is one of the most underrated battles in Dragon Ball. This is a fight of ideology. Where Tien represents the violent, killing intent behind the Crane School – fighting purely to win and dominate others – Goku represents the pure love of martial arts that defines the Turtle School – fighting for the sport of it, taking pride in going the distance, and accepting that there will always be someone better & letting that drive you.
Goku versus Tien is full of some of Akira Toriyama's best fight choreography, but the real highlight is how Goku chips away at Tien's hateful beliefs. Through Goku, Tien finds a rival who can not only push him, but awaken a real love for martial arts inside of him. After realizing Chiaotzu and Tsuru-Sen'nin are cheating to help Tien win, he officially parts from the Crane School and chooses to fight Goku not as a would-be assassin or for revenge, but as a martial artist who wants to see how far he can take his own skills. There's a reason many OG Dragon Ball fans point to Tien when discussing the series' best character arcs.
3 Goku Vs. Frieza
Goku's fight with Frieza on Namek is the culmination of all of Goku's character development from the start of Dragon Ball Z. During the Saiyan and Frieza Sagas, Goku grapples with his Saiyan heritage, trying to remain firm in his status as an Earthling until Vegeta begs him to take on the pride of a Saiyan. Goku fights not only for himself, but for everyone Frieza has killed – and the stakes become personal once Frieza kills his best friend, Krillin, before his eyes.
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Everyone remembers the epic showdown once Goku turns Super Saiyan, but the best beats in his fight with Frieza come before the transformation. This fight depicts Goku at his smartest, as he exhausts all his best techniques and strategies fighting an uphill battle. The hopelessness that settles in once you realize Goku's been using Kaioken x20 all along while Frieza is only at half power still stands out as one of Dragon Ball Z's most chilling moments, forcing Goku to use a Spirit Bomb while Piccolo stalls (a callback to the fight against Raditz) just to level the playing field.
2 Goku Vs. Piccolo
Goku and Piccolo's final battle in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai is pure catharsis. After losing two World Tournaments, Goku finally enters his third in rare form. Training with Kami has made him confident and wiser, as Goku conserves all his energy for his showdown with Piccolo. The fight lasts multiple chapters and episodes in both the Dragon Ball manga and anime, as Goku strategically outsmarts Piccolo with new techniques and creative variations on old favorites, like using his Kamehameha with his feet.
The best part of the battle is how it shows Goku's humanity and priorities. He has multiple chances to kill Piccolo, but he refuses to do so as it would disqualify him from the tournament. Likewise, he turns down help from both Kami and Tien, choosing to instead prove himself in the face of his rival. Goku wins by hiding the fact he can fly until the last minute, pulling out one final trump card after Piccolo leaves him crippled. Best of all, Goku chooses to spare Piccolo, realizing that he isn't as evil as the Demon King before him and recognizing the need for a rival who can push him to his limits: bringing everything back to Jackie Chun's original lesson back in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai.
1 Goku Vs. Vegeta
Goku and Vegeta's first fight in Dragon Ball Z may honestly be the greatest anime and manga battle of all time. Where Vegeta represents the innate superiority of the Elite, Goku shows that even a Lower Class Saiyan like himself can overcome seemingly impossible odds to go the distance. Toriyama is in rare form as every blow, strike, and turn in the battle escalates Goku & Vegeta's fight in a violent showdown that ends with Goku's body broken and Vegeta's pride shattered.
Goku versus Vegeta is notably one of the last times in Dragon Ball where stamina is a real factor. Goku has to be smart about using his Ki and Kaioken, gradually wearing himself down over the course of the fight just to keep up with Vegeta. The anime does an especially amazing job adapting the manga, featuring movie-quality animation and unparalleled direction the likes of which Dragon Ball wouldn't see again until Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
- February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
- Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA