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Goku of Dragonball fame and Thanos of the MCU are considered some of the greatest warriors in their respective universes. Goku surpasses limit after limit, constantly searching for that next fight and next challenge. Thanos, meanwhile, is a lethal fighter and conqueror, and nigh unstoppable in a fight. The feats taken to even draw blood from Thanos were incredible, not to mention actually stopping him.
As a result, the prospect of pitting the unstoppable force against the immovable object is very exciting. Who would triumph in a one-on-one fight? The limitless Ki and infallible determination of Goku, or the relentless force and brutality brought to the fore by Thanos?
11 Speed: Goku Is Faster Than The Eye Can See
Speed is one of the most vital elements in a fight. Particularly in Dragonball, fighters' progression is rarely tracked through feats of great strength or ki, rather focusing on their constantly increasing speed. As fighters power up, the fights accelerate. Goku excels in this part of battle, moving fast enough to compete with Hit, a time-stopping assassin.
Combined with forms like Ultra Instinct and Goku's training under Whis, his speed has only grown more incredible. Thanos, meanwhile, has no such speed in his arsenal. While he can certainly move quickly, it's nothing compared to Goku, who can surpass time-stoppers like Hit.
10 Strength: Both Goku And Thanos Have Accomplished Great Feats
In terms of strength, both Goku and Thanos have it in aces. Thanos has demonstrated his strength time and time again in fights against Hulk, Thor, and The Avengers. Likewise, Goku has spent his entire life training and developing his strength, and by adulthood, he is capable of incredible feats of strength.
At a certain point, however, strength is so evenly matched it becomes a non-factor. Both Goku and Thanos have proved themselves capable of superhuman feats of strength, and it would be tough to directly compare them due to how impressive the feats of both fighters are.
9 Durability: Thanos Shrugs Off Insane Damage
While Goku has proven himself capable of incredible feats of strength, the same cannot be said for his physical durability. Thanos is a walking tank and is so durable he can shrug off what should've been a killing blow from a weapon like Thor's Stormbringer, to mention nothing of the fact that no other Avenger managed to even slow him down.
Meanwhile, Goku has shown that his physical durability is one of his lowest limits, with even the tiniest slip-up opening his guard to a potentially fight-ending injury, especially against someone like Thanos, who can take a lot of damage and dole it out in equal measure.
8 Intelligence: Thanos' Intellect Is Near Impossible To Parallel
While sometimes a victim of poor decision-making, there is no denying that Thanos has a gleaming intellect. Hailed as one of the universe's brightest minds, not to mention one of its most twisted, few can match Thanos' brain.
While Thanos is one of the most intelligent beings in a universe full of geniuses, Goku isn't even the most intelligent person in his immediate circle by a long shot. Often depicted as childishly clueless and naive, it's hard to imagine Goku ever coming close to Thanos' intelligence, to say nothing of being a match to it.
7 Combat Capability: Goku Is An Incredibly Well-Trained Warrior With Few Limits
Goku has – time and time again – proven that there is no limit to his combat capabilities. The one theme of Dragonball is that limits are meant to be broken, and Goku demonstrates this more than anyone else. His sheer stubbornness means that even when matched up against superior foes, Goku will stop at nothing to surpass them. The mere thought of it gets him giddy.
While Thanos has demonstrated a strong combat capability, dismantling Hulk in a series of rapid, well-aimed punches in Infinity War, taking into account Goku's Ki, transformations, and absolute refusal to give up until he's given it his all, Goku comes out on top.
6 Combat Experience: Goku Has Spent His Whole Life in One-On-One Fights
Similarly to combat capability, Goku has superior combat experience, at least in terms of relevance. Thanos has shown himself to be a galactic conqueror, a mighty fighter, and a fierce strategist. However, Goku has trained from childhood to battle in one-on-one fights, and that kind of preparation makes a massive difference in a battle between the two.
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While Thanos may be a more capable commander or general combatant, Goku is the perfect duelist and excels in one-on-one fights, arguably his best type of fight. That experience is much more relevant in a battle between the two, meaning that Goku comes out on top.
4 Combat Instinct: Goku's Instinct Can Carry Him Through Anything
Instinct is just as important as capability and experience, as proven through forms like Goku's Ultra Instinct. Due to Goku having spent his entire life fighting enemy after enemy, he has had a constant influx of combat experience, something that's prime development for a Saiyan. This includes his instincts, which were lethally sharp even at a young age and have only grown better as he has grown more powerful.
This came to a pinnacle with the aforementioned Ultra Instinct, an ultimate form of Zen and combat instinct. With that in mind, it's difficult to compare Thanos, as Goku is on an entirely different level, having mastered instinct into a godlike combat form.
3 Honorable Mentions: Goku's Friends Are His Greatest Power
Time and time again, Goku showed that he was nothing without his friends and allies. Throughout his adventures, he befriends nearly everyone he meets, and these plentiful connections make a huge difference. Even when not directly involved in a fight, they are often the reason for a turning point, such as a Spirit Bomb, a final push of motivation, or a reminder of what he's fighting for.
While their part to play in a one-on-one fight would be minimal at best, some of the Z-Fighters' greatest moments have been supporting Goku and the others from the sidelines. The power of friendship is cliché, but it can also make all the difference in a fight in the world of Dragonball.
2 Honorable Mentions: Thanos' Infinity Stones Are Godlike
Realistically speaking, the Infinity Stones are an instant win button. As demonstrated by Thanos, once he holds enough power, no one can even lay a finger on him. His power skyrockets exponentially with each additional stone he holds, practically attaining supreme godhood when he has all of them.
Even Goku, at his most powerful, is unlikely to be able to even lay a finger on him, but frankly, that applies to anyone who would try to go one-on-one with Thanos when he has the completed Infinity Gauntlet. As a result, in any hypothetical situation where he has it, it's a guaranteed win for Thanos and is omitted from overall consideration.
1 Winner: Goku Wins, Albeit Narrowly
Ignoring the hypothetical situation where Thanos brings to bear the godly power of the completed Infinity Gauntlet, Goku trounces Thanos in a one-on-one fight, but narrowly. Despite his superior combat instinct, experience, and capability, Thanos is not only incredibly durable but cunning, intelligent, and lethal in a fight when he needs to be.
While Goku would likely ultimately win, there is no doubt that it would be a brutally even fight, and he'd have to fight for every step to that finish line. But ultimately, he would reach that finish line. He might even leave a couple of bite marks.