One of the oldest "who would win?" arguments on the internet is between Dragon Ball's main lead Goku and Superman. For years, fans have been curious if Goku or Superman would win in an all-out cross-franchise brawl. Why these two characters specifically? Is it because they are both immensely strong? Well, that's part of it, but the same could be said of the similar brawl between Superman and The Hulk. On top of the fact that they are both immensely powerful, perhaps the reason that Superman and Goku are prime candidates for a "what if" fight is the fact that they are both so curiously, even conspicuously similar.

In fact, the characters have so much in common that one might think that Akira Toriyama ripped off DC comics, specifically when it came to Dragon Ball Z. While the original Dragon Ball series was a fantasy adventure heavily inspired by Journey to the West, the second manga and anime series drew more from America media, and Toriyama has parodied Superman before with his other work Dr. Slump. Suffice it to say, while "ripoff" might be an extreme term, it is hard to deny all the similarities between Superman and elements of Dragon Ball Z. What similarities are we talking about?

15 ALIEN ORIGINS

Let's start off with the most obvious one: the alien origins of Superman and Goku. As most people know, Superman's powers come from the fact that he is a Kryptonian, an alien who gathers power from Earth's yellow sun. In Dragon Ball we had no idea that Goku was an alien until the franchise's second series, but once we found out, there are quite a few similarities one can draw between Goku and Superman. For one thing, neither character knew he was an alien until later in life, with Goku finding out when his brother showed up and told him of his origins, and Superman finding out after coming upon the spaceship he was sent to Earth in.

Furthermore, both Saiyans and Kryptonians gain more power on Earth, be it because of lighter gravity or a yellow sun. Both aliens can pass for human, with Goku only having a tail to differentiate him from normal humans, and since there are other types of Earthlings other than humans, Goku is far from the strangest being around. Kryptonians and Saiyans both come from planets of advanced technology as well, though the planet Vegeta may have been so because Frieza had incorporated them into his army and provided them with advanced armor, space-travel, etc. Finally, both Goku and Superman were sent to Earth as babies, never making memories of their home planet as a result.

14 ALIEN NAMES

Another thing that both Goku and Superman have in common is that they both have alien names, ones that both start with a K (or K-sound at least), coincidentally enough. When a young baby Kryptonian was found by the Kents, he was given the name Clark Kent, but this was not the name he was born with. Clark Kent's Kryptonian name was Kal-El, a name that is derived from hebrew, a reflection of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel's upbringing. Similarly, Goku's name was also given to him on Earth, his Saiyan name being forgotten until Raditz showed up looking for his brother, "Kakarot." Though not quite as significant as Superman's alien name origins, Kakarot has its own unique beginning.

The word "Saiyan," or "Saiyajin" in the Japanese version, is an anagram from the Japanese word for vegetable, "Yasai," which is why the Saiyan's planet and members of the royal family are named "Vegeta," and it is also why full-blooded Saiyans in the series are named after Vegetables. Nappa is named after the general term for greens in Japanese, Raditz is named after radishes, and Goku's Saiyan name, Kakarot is, you guessed it, derived from carrots. On top of both Superman and Goku having alien names, both characters are also referred to by these names by a select few of their friends and/or family. Only Vegeta calls Goku Kakarot, and only a few of Superman's friends call him Kal-El.

13 SPACE DADS

When it comes to the similarities between Dragon Ball Z and the mythology of Superman, it's not just Goku and the Man of Steel himself that share traits and/or elements. There are two other characters from both worlds that have a ton in common, Goku and Superman's fathers, Bardock and Jor-El. Aside from their shared taste in fashionable headbands (who wore it better?), Jor-El and Bardock are very similar in terms of story. For one thing, both characters are depicted as being outliers amongst their kind, Jor-El being a caring, emotional person contrasting other scientists on Krypton, and Bardock being one of the few Saiyans who chose a mate out of love.

The biggest similarity in their stories is that they both knew of their home planet's destruction and were powerless to stop it. Krypton exploded because of (in some interpretations) an unstable core that was caused by over-harvesting the planet's resources. Jor-El knew of Krypton's imminent destruction and sent his son to Earth to save him. Similarly, Bardock was one of the only people who knew that Frieza was going to betray the Saiyans and destroy them all, but despite knowing this, his power was not enough to take on the Tyrant. Thus, Planet Vegeta and all of the Saiyans on it were destroyed, only a few off-world Saiyans surviving the genocide. And speaking of, Goku was purposely sent to Earth as an "infiltration baby" by Bardock to save him from Frieza's imminent attack.

12 THE "LAST" OF THEIR KIND

Speaking of destroyed planets, because of the fact that both Krypton and Planet Vegeta were destroyed, Goku and Superman are essentially the last of their kind. We'll get to the "essentially" part in a second, but first let's focus on the fact that Goku and Superman are survivors of a mass extinction. While the reasons for said extinctions are not the same — the Kryptonians died from what is essentially a hubris-caused natural disaster while the Saiyans died from a fear-driven genocide — the fact that the Saiyans had their numbers dwindled down in the same way that the Kryptonians did perhaps suggests that Toriyama took at least some influence from Superman's mythology.

Even if this is not the case, there are still some interesting similarities we can draw between the two, including the fact that Goku and Superman are not, in fact, the only survivors of their planet and races' destruction. Obviously, Goku was never thought to be the sole survivor, as Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta also survived the destruction of Planet Vegeta; you could even throw Tarble in there as well. Similarly, Superman might be know as the "last son of Krypton," but as Supergirl and Zod eventually showed up on Earth, we learned he was not the planet's only survivor.

11 SENT TO EARTH

Forgive us for stating the obvious when it comes to the origins and stories of Superman and Goku, but when you lay it all out, you start to see a lot of cool and interesting comparisons between the two. Another example of this is the fact that both were sent to Earth. Again, an obvious fact, both in the way that everyone knows Superman's origins and the sense of "where else would Goku or Kal-El be sent other than the planet we live on?" But, in looking at this particular shared aspect of the two characters' origins, we find some details that further illustrate how similar they are.

For example, Both characters were obviously sent in a space ship, but even their ships were similar. Both seemed to have some sort of life-support/suspended animation function, since both were still infants when they arrived on Earth, which could easily be lightyears away from their home planets. Furthermore, as mentioned previously, both were sent as babies prior to the final moments of their planet, a choice made by their parents after learning of their planets' fates. Lastly, both ships ended up crashing in the countryside where the characters' adoptive families found them and raised them as their own.

10 THE COUNTRY LIFE

As we just pointed out, both Kal-El and Kakarot landed in the countryside, where they were found by their future adoptive families. We can perhaps rule this aspect of Dragon Ball out as being influenced by Superman, since we knew Goku was found in the woods by Grandpa Gohan in the original Dragon Ball series, but we didn't know his alien origins. So, as far as we know, the Superman influence hadn't come in yet, though we could say it had since Dr. Slump was inspired by the man of steel and came before Dragon Ball.

Regardless, both characters were found and raised in the countryside, though in somewhat different definitions of the word. By this we mean that Superman was found and raised in the farmlands of Kansas while Goku was found in the woods near Mount Paozu, which is part of the countryside area of Dragon Ball's Earth. Both characters were found and raised by an adoptive family, Superman being raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, while Goku was raised by Gohan, an old man who stumbled onto the young Saiyan. If you want to take the comparison further, you could also point out that Grandpa Gohan is an elderly adoptive parent, as are the Kents in most interpretations. Furthermore, the Kents helped raise Clark to be a person with strong morals and a good heart, something that Grandpa Gohan also instilled in Goku while teaching him martial arts, survival, and discipline.

9 SIMILAR POWERS

This is another one that we can't exactly claim is "stolen" from Superman, since superman's powers are present throughout all of pop culture. But, as we mentioned in the intro to this list, one of the reasons why these two characters are so often compared and pitted against each other in fan art and the like is because they are so similarly powered, both in the regard that they have a lot of powers in common and in the sense that they are both of a high power level. So, on top of being some of the world's greatest heroes (and dressing in similar colors), both Goku and Superman have a ton of power to keep their world safe.

To list off all the powers Superman and Goku have in common, there is superhuman strength, superhuman speed, invulnerability (the definition is a bit looser for Goku), flight, enhanced senses (let's not forget about Goku's superhuman smell!), powerful lungs (Superman can breath ice because of this and Goku can breath in the outer edges of Earth's atmosphere) and the ability to expel energy in some shape or form (for Superman it is his laser vision and for Goku it is his various ki attacks). Furthermore, both Goku and Superman are seen/depicted as being the strongest amongst other heroes of their adoptive planets.

8 SPACE RIVALS

Between Zod and Vegeta, which character is an alien with great power, a superiority complex, arrogant, prideful, egotistical and comes from a position of power? Trick question, the answer is both! These two, like the characters they serve as rivals for, have a ton in common, especially in their relation to Superman and Goku. Let's start with their origins; both characters are, in some way, disgraced warriors who were formally in a position of power and eventually came to Earth for sinister purposes, finding a rival in another of their kind, only to be defeated by said rival.

The two are not as similar as Goku and Superman, but there are still some interesting parallels we can draw. Aside from the previously mentioned similarities, both Zod and Vegeta are the other survivors of their planets' destruction and brought with them to Earth two lackeys, Vegeta had Nappa and Raditz (though he arrived first) and Zod had Ursa and Non. Most importantly, both characters come from a high social standing and their personality reflects as much, they are both arrogant and egotistical and expect to be treated highly because of said status, going so far as to look down on other races aside from their own due to their power and position.

7 A RELATIVE COMES TO EARTH

In the very first episode of Dragon Ball Z, a mysterious warrior shows up on Earth and attacks Goku and his friends. That warrior reveals himself to be Goku's long lost brother, a Saiyan from planet Vegeta who reveals Goku's alien origins. While it might not be a direct influence, Goku's brother coming to Earth from their home planet is somewhat similar to a part of Superman's mythos, specifically Supergirl. Like Raditz, Supergirl was a member of the hero's family who came to Earth far after the hero.

While the characters end up going down very different paths, there are still some interesting similarities. For example, both characters spent more time on their home planet then their family members, since Raditz is the eldest brother and Supergirl was Kal's older cousin when she was put in her rocket, though through a form of suspended animation, she ended up being younger than Superman when she arrived on Earth. Furthermore, both characters in some way serve to inform their family members about parts of their heritage. Of course, this is sort of where the similarities end, since Raditz was evil and Goku was forced to sacrifice his life to defeat him, while Supergirl became another Kryptonian protector of Earth.

6 CONNECTION TO THEIR HERITAGE

Supergirl and Raditz helped Superman and Goku respectively learn a bit more about who they are and where they come from, but they also have another, constant source of information when it comes to learning about their alien heritage, another aspect the characters have in common. For Superman, he has his fortress of solitude, which, on top of being, well, a fortress, also houses a supercomputer containing an AI based on his father. This AI has, in most interpretations, been a guide for Clark to help him learn more about his parents, Krypton, and the history of his people.

Though not quite as advanced or welcoming as a program based on his father, Goku also has a constant source of information regarding his people, his planet, his alien culture, and his biology as well. That source is Vegeta, who, be it angrily or condescendingly, is quick to inform Goku about Saiyan ways. Though it is often in frustrated tones, Vegeta does a great service for Goku in telling him about things he missed out about Planet Vegeta, Saiyans, their history and their biology. In fact, a funny example of the latter is when Vegeta informed Goku that Saiyans are attracted to strong-willed women, which explains why they are attracted to their wives.

5 FIGHTING THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM

Vegeta and Zod are not the only villains from Dragon Ball Z and Superman's rogues gallery that share some interesting similarities. Let's start with one of the less obvious, but more fascinating examples, Cell and Doomsday. You might be wondering, based on the characters and their appearance, what these two could possible have in common. The answer is perfection. Both characters reflect the idea of being the perfect being, the ultimate life form who faces Goku (and later, his son, Gohan) or Superman respectively, either for dominance or to prove just how perfect and powerful they are.

Let's look at these characters separately first. Cell is a bio-android created by Dr. Gero -- he was formed from the cells of the greatest warriors on (and off) Earth, his DNA containing the strongest genes possible, making him, in some way, the ultimate life form. Cell even says as much, calling his final form his "perfect" self and exhibiting the arrogance of someone who believes themselves to be a perfect creature. Though Cell might not be based on him, Doomsday shares a lot of these traits in the sense that he too, was created to be perfect in some way. He was thrown into the most harsh and deadly environment in order to forcibly evolve to combat any situation, resulting ultimate strength, durability, speed, etc. Another fun similarity is that both characters share lineage with the heroes they face, since Doomsday is a prehistoric Kryptonian and Cell was made from Goku's cells.

4 EVIL CLONES

There is yet another set of villains from the world of Superman and the world of Dragon Ball that have a bit in common, though these are a bit different from the other examples. The reason being is that, A.) One of the villains comes from Dragon Ball Super, rather than Dragon Ball Z, which is what this list is claiming was influenced by the Superman mythos, and B.) The idea of evil clones is not exactly a new one, nor was it exclusive to Superman comics. Nonetheless, it is fun to look at other villains between the two franchises that share some similarities, like Goku Black and Bizarro.

Obviously, both characters are "evil clones" of the main hero. Bizarro does not look exactly like Superman, but Superman also has plenty of doppelganger villains within his rogues gallery. Goku Black is actually Goku himself from an alternate future where a god took over his body to use for evil purposes. This is about where the similarities end, but if you want to extend beyond the fact that both Goku and Superman have faced evil versions of themselves, then you could draw another parallel between Bizarro and Goku Black in the fact that they both have similar, but slightly different powers in comparison with the heroes they fight. By this were are referring to Bizarro's "opposite-themed" powers and Goku Black's Super Saiyan Rosé form, which is like Super Saiyan Blue but with the power of a real god rather than acquired godly ki.

3 ALIEN VILLAINS

This is another one that isn't really a "ripoff" of any kind, but more just helps add to the long list of comparisons between Superman and Dragon Ball Z. The original Dragon Ball series was much more of a fantasy adventure story, following Goku as he fought strange magical foes with trippy, fantastical powers. Though there was a bit of sci-fi to it, the brunt of the franchise's sci-fi aspects came in Dragon Ball Z, which introduced the Saiyans, their advanced technology, and a whole slew of alien enemies that Goku and the Z-fighters faced.

These aliens ended up being some of the strongest foes that Goku ever faced, which is somewhat similar to Superman's rogues gallery. By this we mean that Superman's strongest enemies are aliens. His Earth rogues gallery is somewhat underpowered, and he hardly ever faces a threat that he cannot handle. But, when it comes to his alien enemies, characters like Mongul, Doomsday, Brainiac, etc., the difficulty level spikes up. Heck, you could even count Darkseid as an alien, since he is not of Earth and is easily one of Superman's toughest villains. Again, the concept of alien villains is not exclusive to either of these franchises, it's just another fun thing they have in common.

2 CAR-LIFTING

This is another fun one that was, if anything, a tribute on Toriyama's part and not meant as any sort of ripoff. We are of course referring to the now famous and rather expensive Action Comics #1, which introduced the world to its very first superhero. On the cover was Superman showing his great superhuman strength by lifting and smashing a car. Dragon Ball (though, not Dragon Ball Z) also had a similar scene in the first issue of its manga. The scene depicted Goku, who had never seen a car before, lifting Bulma's vehicle with his bare hands.

Again, this one is most likely a tribute if anything, since we do know that Akira Toriyama was a fan enough of Superman to parody him with aspects of Dr. Slump, and this might have been another way to show his appreciation of American superheroes. Then again, it could also just have easily been a coincidence, since a super strong character lifting a car to show just how strong they are is a pretty standard go-to move to display power. Then again, it is a trope that was, in some way, popularized by the cover of Action Comics #1 and Superman's character as a whole.

1 IMPACT IN COMICS

Speaking of Action Comics #1, let's talk about the impact it had on pop culture and the world. After the comic came out, both the comics industry and the world were changed. Now, it was all about superheroes, a type of character that Superman himself established, created and, in a lot of ways, perfected. Without Superman and Action Comics #1, there wouldn't be other superhero comics, heck there probably wouldn't even be a massive comic industry or a manga industry by extension! Dragon Ball Z is similar in the large impact it had in pop culture, which was just as important as Action Comics #1.

This last item on our list is more of a concept and not something that can be "ripped off," but it is incredibly interesting to see the mirrored effect these two comics had on their respective industries. As mentioned, Superman created the superhero genre, while Dragon Ball, specifically the last saga of the original manga and the entirety of the Dragon Ball Z manga, completely wrote the rules of Shonen manga and in fact put Shonen Jump on the map as a manga publisher. Dragon Ball Z created and perfected the tropes seen throughout Shonen anime, the power ups, the crazy fights, villains becoming allies, etc. At the end of the day, similar as they are, Superman and Dragon Ball Z both deserve praise for how innovative and impactful they were to pop culture.