Goku’s rivals come and go, but his pursuit for greater strength lasts forever. Dragon Ball simply wouldn’t be Dragon Ball if Goku wasn’t always pushing himself, which is why the character routinely goes through rivals over the course of the series. Whoever Goku’s rival is at any given moment says a lot about both his character and Dragon Ball at the time. In spite of this importance, however, Goku doesn’t actually defeat his rivals all too often.
Since one of Dragon Ball’s core themes is the idea that there will always be someone better, it makes sense that Goku isn’t going to win every single fight– a motion which Dragon Ball Super has since doubled down on. For as many rivals as Goku has had throughout Dragon Ball, quite a few have managed to go completely undefeated.
8 Yamcha (1)
Yamcha isn’t always included among Goku’s rivals– in large part due to the fact he’s more intimately linked to Bulma in the series’ introductory arc– but he’s the very proper martial artists Goku fights in Dragon Ball and Yamcha even manages to push a stalemate during their first battle. Since Goku’s too hungry to fight back, Yamcha very nearly succeeds in defeating him.
The only reason he doesn’t land the finishing blow is because Bulma shocks him into fleeing. Come their second fight, Goku secures a swift and easy victory over Yamcha, more or less establishing himself as the stronger fighter. Yamcha schemes to steal the Dragon Balls out from under Goku & Bulma following this defeat, but the time he spends with them ends up creating a genuine bond that supersedes what every rivalry Yamcha and Goku may have had.
7 Krillin (1)
Goku separates from the rest of the main cast at the end of the first Hunt for the Dragon Balls, flying off to train with Muten Roshi. It’s here where Goku’s first traditional rival and future best friend, Krillin, is introduced. Despite some hostility, Goku & Krillin are fast friends by the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai and even closer by the 22nd.
Goku’s rivalry with Krillin is established during the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, but it’s also put on hold until the 22nd. The two never get to settle who’s actually stronger until their second tournament. While the text never shies away from the fact that it’s clearly Goku, Krillin nearly eliminates his rival during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai. Krillin may not be able to defeat Goku, but he knows how to keep up.
6 Tenshinhan (1)
After defeating Krillin during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, Goku immediately finds a new rival in Tenshinhan. The two are ideological opposites when introduced, Goku representing the Turtle School (and the purity of martial arts,) and Tenshinhan the Crane School (and an abuse of martial arts.) While Tenshinhan wins their first match, he develops a deep respect for Goku that– when coupled with Roshi’s prior interference– influences Ten to break away from the Crane School.
Goku and Tenshinhan finally settle the score in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, where Goku’s training with God allows him to fight circles around Ten. Tenshinhan nonetheless puts up a good fight, but it ends with Goku having more than enough stamina to spare for the finals.
5 Piccolo (2)
Goku and Piccolo start out as arch-enemies before they turn into rivals. Piccolo Daimao is responsible for countless deaths during his introductory arc, and he pushes Goku to his absolute limits. Goku manages to defeat the Demon King, but Daimao still has enough time to reincarnate himself through one last demonic spawn.
This Piccolo enters the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai as Majunior, where he’s defeated by Goku in another grudge match. Piccolo is notably the only rival Goku manages to defeat more than once, along with defeating him both times they fight.
4 Vegeta (0)
Like Piccolo, Vegeta wasn’t introduced as a rival for Goku. Unlike Piccolo, Goku doesn’t really consider Vegeta a rival most of the time. While Goku spares Vegeta with the sole purpose of getting in a rematch, his training on the way to Namek is intense enough where he surpasses the Prince of all Saiyans completely.
Goku maintains a healthy lead over Vegeta for the rest of Dragon Ball, but he’s never actually managed to defeat him in a fight. Vegeta technically won their first battle, only losing due to Gohan, Krillin, & Yajirone’s interference, and he knocks Goku out during their Buu arc rematch, cutting off the fight with no proper resolution.
3 Hit (0)
Goku’s relationships with his Dragon Ball Super rivals are all interesting, both due to how modern DB writes its antagonists and the nature of their being two major adaptations running somewhat concurrently. Hit is Goku’s first major rival introduced in DBS, but their final battle in the Universe 6 Tournament is cut short when Goku realizes Hit can’t fight at full power.
The anime features a mini arc where Goku and Hit have a rematch that more or less ends in a stalemate, while the manga simply eliminates Hit during the Tournament of Power before they have a chance to settle the score. Chances are they never will, though, as Goku immediately trades in Hit for Jiren.
2 Jiren (.5)
It’s hard to say whether or not Goku beats Jiren. On one hand, Universe 7 does win the Tournament of Power and it’s mainly due to a joint effort on Goku, 17, and Frieza’s part. Android 17 is the ultimate winner, but Jiren never would have gone down without Goku tapping into Ultra Instinct.
At the same time, Goku doesn’t finish off Jiren himself and even loses Ultra Instinct before the fight is over. Goku’s on the winning team when all is said & done– and victory would not have been obtained without him playing a vital role– but Goku wasn’t able to beat Jiren on his own merits alone.
1 Broly (.5)
Which ends up being the case during Dragon Ball Super: Broly as well. While Goku may have been able to defeat Broly earlier on in their fight, he plays around too long and lets Broly get too strong. By the time Frieza kills Paragus, Broly taps into a level of power that Goku believes is comparable to even Beerus.
Goku and Vegeta have no choice but to fuse into Gogeta, who effortlessly defeats Broly. While Gogeta is very much his own character, he’s still one half of Son Goku and Broly wouldn’t have been defeated or subdued had Goku not known the fusion dance.