Both Goku from the Dragon Ball Universe and Superman from the DC Universe have a lot of similarities; one of them being the fact that both of them are poster boys of their respective franchises. Along with that, they share an unfathomable desire of getting stronger, so they can protect the Earth if someone evil ever decides to show up.
Moreover, both of them are aliens, belonging to a different species than human beings, and yet, they share a special relationship with the place and its people. While Superman has already eclipsed the power of some Gods, Goku, quite recently, mastered the autonomous Ultra Instinct. A potential battle between the two would be mouth-watering and here's how it might end.
10 Ultra Instinct Goku: Energy Blasts
One of the best things about the Dragon Ball franchise is the different types of energy blasts every single character is able to generate by concentrating their respective energies, with the Kamehameha from Goku becoming a cult classic among the fans. While Superman can take energy blasts from rockets quite easily, Ultra Instinct Goku can generate a planet-destroying kind of energy just through his fingers. Superman might not be able to dodge that.
9 Superman: X-Ray Vision
Superman has an underrated superpower skill set because fans think he is just strong when in the comics, one of his most important powers is X-Ray Vision which not only helps him detect his enemies from far away but also allows him to have a good look at their weak spots. Ultra Instinct Goku can smell Superman from far away, thanks to his energy levels, so one can imagine how useful X-Ray Vision might turn out to be for Superman against someone like Goku.
8 Ultra Instinct Goku: God Level Ki
With the Ultra Instinct, Goku not only reached a God-like power but he also surpassed a couple of them with ease.
The look on Beerus' face, the God of Destruction, said it all when he told everyone at the Tournament of Power that Goku has just reached a form even Gods struggle to reach. Imagine going up against someone like him. Superman will not have to deal with a God but he'll have to face someone who has already surpassed that level.
7 Superman: Intellect
However strong Goku might be if there's one thing the fans can agree upon it's the fact that he doesn't have a brilliant brain. He might read his opponent very well but when it comes to strategies, Goku is simply not that good. Superman, on the other hand, has a genius-level intellect, which means he could possibly have a winning strategy in mind even before he squares up against Goku.
6 Ultra Instinct Goku: Speed
Well, this is a really tough one because both Superman and Goku are really very fast, both on the ground as well as in a fight. Still, it has to be said that Ultra Instinct Goku might win this particular battle at a canter. The sole reason for it being the fact that the Ultra Instinct form allows Goku to wipe out every uninteresting thing in the world and just focus on the task in hand, which means he is better and improving at everything he does every single second.
5 Superman: Kryptonian
If this is a fight to the death, then Superman might have an advantage here because Kryptonians are known to take a lot of beating and still stand there like nothing really happened. It's their incredible body that seems to withstand any force with real ease. This can't be said about Goku because Ultra Instinct takes a huge toll on his body and when everything is said and done, his body just collapses.
4 Ultra Instinct Goku: Reflexes
The Ultra Instinct has a lot of perks attached to it, one of them being Goku's ability to simply stop thinking. Goku can stop worrying about the opponent, about the stakes involved with the fight, about his family, and just enjoy the battle.
In doing so, he unlocks all his capabilities which means his reflexes become unthinkably good. This means if Superman wants to land a punch on Goku, chances are, he has already dodged it and is currently halfway through his counter attack.
3 Superman: Strength
There's no denying the kind of strength Superman has. He can punch a mortal from one city to another, without putting much effort into it, so just imagine what would happen if he shows all his power against Ultra Instinct Goku because he'll have to. There are very few chances of Superman landing a punch on Goku but if he does, Goku will definitely suffer a lot of damage.
2 Ultra Instinct Goku: Saiyan
As the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta, always says: only a fool would doubt a Saiyan's capabilities. How many times have Goku and Vegeta, during a fight, pushed themselves to their limit and instead of losing, broke their barrier and became stronger in the process? It's difficult to count, to be honest. Against Ultra Instinct Goku, even if Superman is able to gain an advantage, there's a high possibility that Goku might break his comfort zone again and in the process, unlock some new kind of power inside him. And then he'll be more difficult to beat.
1 Winner: Ultra Instinct Goku
This is a fight between a Saiyan and a Kryptonite, so it's very difficult to pick a winner but it has to be said that Goku might just edge this battle. Superman can't match up to him in terms of reflexes, speed, and agility, which means Goku might be able to block any attempt of an attack from one of DC's strongest characters while landing some heavy blows of his own. Add to that his Saiyan pride and chances are, Goku wouldn't ever give up.