This old argument can finally be put to rest! Or, at the very least, possibly swayed in one direction. Goku and Superman are some of the most well-known heroes in comic books and anime; they are unstoppable, good-hearted, and they’re never kept down for very long. The question is, though, who would really win in a battle between the two?
It’s not easy to definitively conclude that one or the other would triumph, but after analyzing the facts, Dragon Ball's Goku certainly does have some handy assets for such a battle that just may give him an edge. Don’t believe us? Let’s go over the details.
10 Kryptonite
This one's obvious. Superman’s greatest weakness, the rock Kryptonite from his home planet Krypton, is all it really takes to incapacitate the Man of Steel. How Goku would get his hands on some is a mystery, but not impossible. After all, Batman has a store of it for emergencies and feels pretty confident in his ability to use it. How much easier would it be for Goku?
Kryptonite is at the bottom of our list, however, because Goku wouldn’t use it. Like Superman, he's a good, honest guy and always wants a fair fight. He wouldn’t do something underhanded... unless, of course, Superman was evil.
9 Goku Doesn’t Need A Yellow Sun
We all know the Man of Steel needs a yellow sun like Earth’s to maintain his powers; he gets them from absorbing and synthesizing the sun’s UV light. Goku needs no such thing. His power comes from his Ki, or inside of him, and can be strengthened through training.
Goku would be just as powerful during an eclipse or at any other time, unlike Superman. While Superman can go into space to be closer to the sun and therefore more powerful, Goku could just as easily call on the energy of every living thing in the universe. Checkmate.
8 Goku Is A Fighter
Goku, for all his human upbringing, is still a Saiyan, which means he has an innate love for fighting. Saiyans are a warrior race; it’s in their biology to enjoy the heat of battle. Because of this, even if there were no bad guys to defeat, Goku would still train and spar.
Since he enjoys a good challenge --which he would no doubt get from tangling with Superman-- the fight could go on for a long time. While Superman is a hero and fights for the greater good, he does not share Goku’s battle lust and this match would no doubt be taxing on him.
7 Goku’s Durability Rivals Superman's
One thing that makes Superman stand out is his ability to take a punch. His durability is unmatched in his universe, being able to withstand high power attacks and not budge. Well, move over Clark Kent! Goku has a similar skillset.
He has been known to take punches, kicks and energy blasts without blinking, even swatting some shots away like an annoying bug. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t get knocked around; if someone has an equal or greater power level, he feels the pain for sure. However, his durability and stamina allow him to take it and rise again.
6 Goku Is (Possibly) Faster
Now, granted, we're through the looking glass here. Superman is, famously, faster than a speeding bullet, but how much faster? There's a lot of disparity here, as is so often the case in comic books. He's been known to take a minute or two to reach the Sun, and he's also been known to reach Pluto in... well, speeds that just don't add up.
What we need to take into account, though (which fans often don't) is Dragon Ball Super. By this point, Goku's abilities are so absurdly heightened that, considering the speed at which everybody could move in Dragon Ball Z, he could well have the edge. This is based on speculation, but we’ll count it as a point in Goku’s favor. Since the two haven’t had a chance to race and make it conclusive, we don’t know for certain. Hopefully, they will get that chance one day.
5 Superman Gets Tired
Superman is a powerhouse with a rechargeable battery, no doubt. However, the fact that he has to recharge is a fatal flaw. When he fights for too long, his ability to absorb and utilize UV light weakens. He becomes more vulnerable to someone who can match him in strength and speed.
Enter Goku, that exact formidable match, with unbelievable drive and stamina. Goku needs no recharge in battle, largely thanks to his Saiyan biology. That isn’t to say he doesn’t ever need to recharge, but in the heat of a fight, Goku almost always finds a way to soldier on.
4 Goku Has No Known Weaknesses
While Superman has Kryptonite and other heroes have some form of weakness that villains exploit, Goku has none. Physically, he is without a known weakness, except his penchant for turning into a giant monkey when there’s a full moon. Heck, that's not really a weakness at all!
He does have people that he cares about, but unlike Superman, most of Goku’s loved ones are Z fighters like he is and are able to properly defend themselves. Rather than weaknesses or liabilities, they are his team-mates that he can count on to stand with him in battle.
3 Goku Gets Stronger After Defeat
Funny thing about Saiyans: they don’t take defeat very well. In fact, they don’t take it at all. When a Saiyan is beaten within an inch of their life, their warrior biology somehow reacts to the beating by making them even stronger than they were before. This is without training.
Goku always rises from his defeats with more power than before. Then he trains and increases that power even more. So, no matter how many times Superman may win a fight, Goku can and will keep coming back for more.
2 Goku’s Potential Just Keeps Increasing
Another cool thing about Saiyans is that they are always leveling up for as long as they are alive. There is no limit to how far their power can go and what forms they can take. They fight, suffer defeat, get stronger, come back, and win.
Every cycle like this elevates their power levels and skills. Goku has gone from Super Saiyan one, two, three, four and so on throughout the series, each incarnation proving to give him abilities that were previously thought impossible. Superman has nothing like this in his repertoire, though he sometimes discovers new powers. No comparison.
1 Goku Is A Saiyan God
In the newer series, Goku proved his skills to be beyond expectations when he literally turned into a god. The Super Saiyan God was a legend that was born from six pure Saiyans pooling their energy together. Goku went through this process to fight Beerus, God of Destruction.
Interestingly, this form is known to have a short time limit. However, even when his time ran out, Goku retained the power. Eventually, he was able to change into this form at will, sans time limit. Superman is plenty powerful, for sure, but what an epic battle he'd have on his hands here!