Son Goku, the Saiyan from Earth, and Saitama, the Caped Baldy, are two of shonen anime's most famous icons, known far and wide for their unimaginable strength. Many fans have debated how a fight between these two would go, with valid points brought up by each side. Thus, Saitama vs. Goku is one of the most heated anime debates ever.

Goku's supporters have a slight edge since Dragon Ball has far more information to pull from over its decades-long history. However, the first season of One-Punch Man alone has enough material to convince Saitama fans that their resident superhero has the skills to topple an elite alien warrior like Goku. An analytical look at each combatant's prowess and experience will answer the question of who would win in a battle of Goku vs. Saitama.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on April 3, 2024: Dragon Ball remains a major property in the world of anime and manga, but it has stiff competition among other franchises. One of them is One-Punch Man, with Saitama packing a punch that might put even Goku to shame. This has made many fans wonder if Goku can beat Saitama, and vice versa. The debate over Goku vs. Saitama is fierce indeed, with both sides of the argument having strong evidence as to which hero would win.

Goku's Abilities: Saiyan Physical Prowess & Ki

The Dragon Ball franchise has become famous for its battles, starting with bombastic fights against martial arts masters and ending with bombastic fights against martial arts masters from other universes in Dragon Ball Super. Throughout his life, Goku obtained many power-ups and abilities on top of his natural gifts.

For starters, as a Saiyan, Goku is inherently stronger and faster than the average human; even as a child, he kept up with combatants more than twice his age. Saitama, despite his rigorous regimen, is still a human at the end of the day. Not to mention, Goku has multiple transformations at his disposal, like Super Saiyan God and Ultra Instinct, as well as his signature ki attacks.

Saitama's Abilities: Superhuman Speed & Strength

In a world heavily populated with superheroes with highly varied powers, Saitama has abilities that seem bland and basic by comparison. However, because he is so good at the one thing he does, many villains and fellow heroes are blown away by the sheer power he possesses despite his build and temperament.

Simply put, Saitama's strength, speed, and reflexes surpass those of a normal human to an absurd degree, to the point where he can shatter Olympic records without breaking a sweat. Other than that, there isn't anything special about him. His power is that he does everything a normal person can do, but he does it much better.

Goku's Experience: Training & Battles That Border On Fantasy

Goku has spent his entire life training and fighting opponents who far outmatch him, and he eventually surpassed every single one of them. Due to his love of fighting, he is always at peak condition from consistent eating and training. Everyone knows about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and the time he trained in a spaceship at one hundred times Earth's gravity.

Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super take their characters to many locations, like outer space, underwater, and even the afterlife, with enemies that call those places home. Though he may have had some help along the way, there's no denying Goku's impressive combat portfolio. This makes it hard to that Saitama can beat Goku.

Saitama's Experience: Most Fights End In A Single Attack

The appeal of Saitama is how the most threatening and colossal foes crumple like a house of cards in a tornado against his fist, all while he wears a deadpan, disinterested expression. The man, in spite of his inane-sounding training regimen, has reached impossible levels of power.

Saitama's most famous fights include the Deep Sea King, Lord Boros, and Garou, the first enemy managing to trounce many other heroes before Saitama came along. The last two were unique in that they managed to survive a single punch. Unlike Goku, Saitama's growth ended long ago; all that's left is to make a name for himself.

Goku's Feats: Achieved The Impossible

Goku is the most storied protagonist among shonen protagonists, rivaled only by the likes of characters such as One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy, Naruto's Naruto Uzumaki, and Hunter x Hunter's Gon Freecss. He's accomplished many feats that, to most characters both in and out of his series, would be considered impossible, but Goku's all about surpassing limits and doing what can't be done.

Notable achievements include running across the entirety of Snake Way, fighting toe-to-toe with a god of destruction, and beating the most elite warriors from eleven other universes in the Tournament of Power. Goku's accomplishments sound like they come straight out of mythology, and that's putting it lightly.

Saitama's Feats: Exceeded Human Limits

As the protagonist of a comedy gag manga and anime, some of Saitama's feats are inherently more cartoony than Goku's. The author clearly wanted to push the absurdity of what he's capable of, almost to the level of the more overpowered versions of DC Comics' Superman. To Saitama, his strength is a curse, as it removes any challenge from his life.

Saitama has taken on enemies of all shapes and sizes while barely batting an eye and performing what are essentially miracles with little effort. Outside of fights, everyone remembers the time he destroyed a meteor and when he survived on the moon for several seconds. Saitama is, without question, a god among men in his world.

Other Evidence for Goku vs. Saitama

On Goku's side, it's well-known that Saiyans are one of the races in the Dragon Ball universe that can fight in space, as evidenced by video games and films. However, he can't breathe in space; instead, he can fight and fly in Earth's outer atmosphere. Saiyans also receive what's colloquially known as a "Zenkai Boost," where their power increases when they're near death.

In the case of Saitama, he rarely ever fights seriously, and even his lazy punches deal massive damage. When he does fight seriously, his fists bring utter calamity. As strong as he is, he's not omnipotent; he still never killed that mosquito. One trait he and Goku share is that they both become laser-focused when a proper challenge presents itself.

Goku vs. Saitama: Who Would Win?

The battle of Goku vs. Saitama can go either way. Goku has his transformations and innate Saiyan traits. On the other hand, Saitama has overwhelming raw strength that, so far, surpasses anything that Saiyans can do. This matchup is too close to decide with absolute certainty, but, in all likelihood, Saitama would claim victory.

The fight would ultimately come down to who can last the longest, and Saitama is physically unmatched in every regard. A single punch would floor Goku, and the Zenkai Boost may not be enough to help. Either way, the fight would be legendary, and when it's over, they'll shake hands and go out to eat like the lovable idiots they are.