Tournaments have been a defining fixture of Dragon Ball since the series’ very beginning. As soon as the initial hunt for the Dragon Balls ended, Goku flew off to train with Master Roshi in order to compete in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai – better known as the World Martial Arts Tournament in the Funimation dub.
The Tenkaichi Budokai is home to some of the best fights in Dragon Ball, setting important precedents for high quality action. Dragon Ball Super has only continued the tournament trend, ensuring that a vital part of Dragon Ball’s DNA doesn’t fall to the wayside.
10 Goku Vs Grandpa Gohan (Uranai Baba)
Goku’s reunion fight with Grandpa Gohan is simultaneously one of the most tender moments in Dragon Ball and one of the best choreographed. Their fight is arguably the culmination of three story arc’s worth of development for Son Goku, coming at the tail end of a saga that saw him growing more than ever.
Goku fights his grandfather as a martial arts equal, stalemating a former student of Master Roshi and proving that he’s ready to train on his own. Watching Goku break into tears as he hugs his grandpa for the first time in years is also a surprisingly beautiful sight.
9 Yamcha Vs Tenshinhan (22nd TB)
The 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai opens with a bang. Yamcha and Tenshinhan are set up as fairly even rivals, something that holds true for the start of their match. As the fight goes on, however, it becomes clear that Yamcha is painfully out of his league. Both a Kamehameha and his Roga Fufu Ken aren’t enough to subdue Tenshinhan. In the end, Yamcha gets locked into a vicious mid-air combo that ends with him unconscious and his leg brutally snapped.
8 Vegeta Vs Cabba (U6)
The Universe 6 Tournament was Dragon Ball Super’s first original story arc, which naturally lent it quite a bit of hype. In retrospect, the tournament feels fairly inconsequential despite setting some very important precedents. That said, Vegeta gets some nice spotlight that pays off in his match against Cabba.
Showing off just how much he’s developed since the end of the original series, Vegeta recognizes Cabba’s potential and goads him into turning into a Super Saiyan – stealthy taking on his own mentor while proving himself a proper martial arts master.
7 Goku Vs Jiren (ToP)
The Tournament of Power was a lengthy affair in the anime, but that just made the build up to Goku and Jiren’s first fight all the more palpable. A two-parter, their initial match saw Goku running through every stage of Super Saiyan just to budge Jiren, ultimately being forced onto the defense even as a Super Saiyan Blue. By the end of their fight, Goku had no choice but to launch a Genki Dama that was redirected right back at him.
Through a miracle, the Genki Dama’s blast allowed Goku to push past his limits and trigger Ultra Instinct -Sign-. In what might be the best fight in the Super anime, Goku runs circles around Jiren before unfortunately losing control of the unfamiliar form.
6 Goku Vs Tenshinhan (23rd TB)
Goku’s rematch with Tenshinhan in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai is his first real opportunity to show off the fruits of God’s training. Goku and Tenshinhan are evenly matched at the start of the match with Tenshinhan having an advantage in speed that keeps him in control of the fight. As Tenshinhan starts to tire, Goku reveals he’s been wearing weighted gear all along.
After taking off his weights, Goku’s speed increases exponentially and he starts putting Tenshinhan in his place. Still at full stamina, Goku is able to counter everything Tenshinhan throws at him, winning with more than enough energy to spare for Piccolo.
5 Jackie Chun Vs Tenshinhan (22nd TB)
Jackie Chun enters the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai with the intention of once again putting his students in their place, but he quickly comes to the conclusion that the next generation doesn’t need coddling anymore. Goku, Krillin, and Tenshinhan show so much potential that Rohsi knows the future of martial arts is in safe hands.
Chun treats his fight with Tenshinhan as an opportunity to teach his rival’s pupil a lesson. Tenshinhan is too talented to waste his life on assassination techniques. By showing enough humility to forfeit, Master Roshi proves to Tenshinhan that the pursuit of martial arts should never be in the name of victory.
4 Goku Vs Krillin (22nd TB)
Tenshinhan immediately confronts Jackie Chun about this, with Roshi revealing his philosophies. As he tells Tenshinhan that he’s too good not to treat martial arts with respect, Goku and Krillin step up for their match – embodying the exact ideals Master Roshi wants to instill in Tenshinhan.
As a fight, Goku vs Krillin is just a fantastic display of action that highlights both characters' strengths as martial artists. Krillin is strategic and can fight around his relative weaknesses, while Goku is a genuine martial arts genius who knows how to control his power & react to his opponents accordingly.
3 Goku Vs Jackie Chun (21st TB)
The final match of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai is one of Dragon Ball’s best and does an incredible job at highlighting how winning ultimately isn’t everything. Goku puts up an incredible fight against Jackie Chun as the sun sets around them. The battle ends in the glow of sundown after both fights have completely exhausted themselves. This battle is the culmination of an entire arc’s worth of build up. Roshi wanted nothing more than to instill humility into his students and defeating Goku finally gets the job done.
2 Goku Vs Majunior (23rd TB)
After losing both the 21st and 22nd Tenkaichi Budokais, Goku enters the 23rd completely determined to win. Even in the face of Piccolo’s threat, Goku refuses to break tournament protocol and endangers himself just so he can have the chance at winning legitimately. For what it’s worth, this arc sees Goku in his prime.
He fights smart, strategizing around all of Piccolo’s tactics time & time again, and even withholds his ability to fly until the very end of the match – using it as a trump card to defeat Piccolo and secure a Tenkaichi Budokai win for the very first time.
1 Goku Vs Tenshinhan (22nd TB)
More than just a great fight, Goku and Tenshinhan’s match at the end of the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai is a battle of ideologies. Goku represents everything that defines the Turtle School – self betterment for self betterment’s sake and a genuine respect for martial arts – while Tenshinhan embodies the Crane School – violence for the sake of sport, for hurt.
Ten’s conversation with Roshi rattled him, however, and fighting someone that embodies the purity of martial arts as much as Goku awakens a genuine love for battle in Tenshinhan. This match causes him to formally renounce his assassin ways, beginning his journey as a martial artist in earnest.