Despite Akira Toriyama's attempts to pivot Gohan into the role of Dragon Ball's main hero back in the early nineties, this is a role that has and likely always will belong to his father, Goku. The Saiyan has consistently led the way when it comes to reaching new levels of power and has saved not just the earth, but the entire universe on countless occasions.
Having come up against so many powerful villains over the years, it's perhaps unsurprising that some of Dragon Ball's very best fights involve the spectacular Saiyan. His thirst for fighting has seen him square off against some of the strongest fighters in the twelve universes; including family, immortals, and even one or two Gods. Some of his battles are far more memorable than others though.
Updated January 5, 2022, by Tom Bowen: With the next Dragon Ball movie now mere months away and rumors of a new season of Dragon Ball Super having recently surfaced, fans of the fast-paced fighting series have a lot to look forward to in 2022. Though it's still unclear exactly what they can expect from the new material, one thing seems all but certain: Goku will once again play a pivotal role. The mighty Saiyan will no doubt be involved in many more epic battles, though whether or not they'll be able to live up to some of the fantastic Goku fights from over the years really does remain to be seen.
12 Goku Versus King Piccolo
Namekians may be par for the course these days, but during the early days of Dragon Ball, they sure did make for some intimidating villains. King Piccolo was perhaps the pick of the bunch in this regard, with the Demon King's power levels pushing Goku to his absolute limits. The fight choreography was fantastic too, with Goku's Penetrate! attack remaining one of the most memorable pieces of Dragon Ball imagery even to this day.
What made the fight so exhilarating is that it came at a time before it had been established that Goku pretty much always wins. With the young Saiyan seemingly outmatched and nobody else around to step in and pick up the mantle in the event that he failed, it genuinely felt as though the bad guy might actually win this time; particularly after Goku injures his knee.
11 Goku Versus Tien
Though he's no longer among the strongest fighters in the world of Dragon Ball, Tien Shinhan still has a lot to offer, as evidenced by his inclusion in Universe 7's team at the Tournament of Power. Granted, Tien only managed two eliminations at the tournament, but considering both the stakes and the high standard of fighters, this was actually pretty impressive. His finest moments came decades earlier, however, during the original run of Dragon Ball.
Tien's showdown with Goku at the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai is one of the best one on one tournament fights in the history of Dragon Ball. The techniques showcased by both fighters were fantastic, as too was the nail-biting ending in which viewers are forced to wait to see who exactly will come crashing down to the ground first. Thanks to a delivery truck, Tien somehow manages to land a split second after his rival, but the real winners are arguably those watching on.
10 Goku Versus Raditz
The Raditz saga may not have been quite as explosive as some of those that followed it, but it did do an excellent job of setting up a conflict that would make the first few arcs of Dragon Ball Z some of the show's very best. The threat posed by the Saiyans is a very tangible one and provides plenty of interesting background information regarding Goku and his people.
Despite all of his exploits throughout Dragon Ball, Goku is nowhere near a match for his evil older brother; making his futile attempts to overcome him all the more exciting. That he must ultimately sacrifice his life to bring an end to the conflict came as a shock to many viewers and also allowed the show's creators to introduce the excellent King Kai, who would go on to become a popular series regular.
9 Goku Versus Baby Vegeta
Dragon Ball GT is despised by many series fans, and for pretty good reason. Without Akira Toriyama at the helm, the series was seriously lacking direction and the decision to revert Goku back to his childhood form was a bizarre one to say the least. For all its flaws though, it did feature one or two great fights.
Some may prefer the face-off with Omega Shenron or those with some of the other Shadow Dragons, but Baby is arguably a far superior antagonist due to his ability to infect the show's heroes. With Vegeta as his host, he is almost unstoppable and were it not for Goku's Golden Great Ape and Super Saiyan four transformations, he would very likely have emerged victorious.
8 Goku Versus Cell
Some of Dragon Ball's villains rely on their sheer power alone to help them to stand out from the crowd, but Cell is a little different. As well as his surprise appearance in the middle of another crisis, he is perhaps one of the most well-written villains to have ever graced the entirety of Dragon Ball.
His witty quips and banter make him a welcome change from some of the generic power-houses that had preceded him and perfectly punctuate his many duels. He's also able to force each of the Z Fighters to new heights and pushes Goku to his absolute limits before eventually falling victim to Gohan's wrath.
7 Goku Versus Piccolo Junior
When compared to some of the series that followed it, Dragon Ball is starting to look incredibly dated; both in terms of its animation and the ridiculous power-creep that came throughout Dragon Ball Z. Despite this, however, it features some of the best fight choreography in any anime and some wonderfully creative villains to boot.
The Red Ribbon Army provided one or two great moments, but it is King Piccolo and his later forms that shine the brightest here. Goku's battle with Piccolo Junior is particularly memorable; not only because he punches a hole directly through his chest, but also because it marks the beginning of yet another Piccolo transformation; this time, from villain to hero.
6 Goku Versus Beerus
After a long hiatus that lasted nearly two decades, Dragon Ball made its triumphant return in 2015 with the excellent Dragon Ball Super. Unlike GT, Super included plenty of input from Dragon Ball's original creator; and it definitely shows in the quality of the series' writing and storylines. One of the first new characters that fans are introduced to is the God of Destruction, Beerus.
Although he first comes across as a creature determined to do evil, there is a lot more to Beerus than first meets the eye. He pushes Goku into obtaining the Super Saiyan God form and then plays his part in one of the best Dragon Ball fights in recent memory. It has moments of humor, demonstrations of insane power levels and some solid choreography. Granted, the animation is weak at times, but the battle itself is one of Goku's very best.
5 Goku Versus Vegeta
Raditz and Nappa were great as appetizers, but the main meal that is Vegeta is one of Michelin Star quality. Goku's training with King Kai allows him to draw on power that far exceeds anything that fans had ever seen before this point and yet Vegeta is able to match him pretty much blow for blow.
The fight itself is incredibly exciting and is full of suspense and tension from start to finish. The Oozaru transformation allows Toriyama and his team to demonstrate the destructive power of the Saiyan race like never before and very nearly sends Goku straight back to the other world. The pair's rematch in the Majin Buu saga is arguably a little more impressive to watch, but that their duel on earth sparks the beginning of such an epic rivalry makes it far more significant to the series.
4 Goku Versus Broly
Broly's earlier appearances in Dragon Ball movies were incredibly disappointing, with very little effort made to really define him as a character beyond that of an angry Saiyan. Granted, he has always been devastatingly strong, but it is not until Dragon Ball Super: Broly that his backstory and motivations are explored in any meaningful way.
Goku's decision to cycle through the gears during the pair's battle rather than just dive right in with Super Saiyan Blue gives viewers ample opportunity to see Broly's growth and is in many ways emblematic of Goku's mantra towards combat. It could certainly be argued that he should have ended the fight straight away for the sake of the planet, but doing so would have deprived the movie's audience of one hell of a fight.
3 Goku Versus Hit
In a series that's predominantly all about ever-increasing power levels, it's always nice to see a fighter who relies more on unique and interesting techniques than brute force alone. In this respect, Hit is one of the stronger additions to the Dragon Ball Super lineup and is able to cause Goku a lot of problems in the tournament between universes six and seven.
The Hitman's Time Skip ability is a little reminiscent of Guldo's Time Freeze technique in Dragon Ball Z, but is executed into Super in a far superior way. It helps to make his battle with Goku one of the very best in the series and although a definitive answer is never really given as to which of the pair is stronger, it could perhaps be argued that it is the viewers who are the real winners here.
2 Goku Versus Jiren
Jiren may not be a particularly interesting character, but he is an incredibly strong one. While sheer strength alone does not make a good fight nor a good antagonist, the context of his battle with Goku more than makes up for his distinct lack of personality. It also pushes Goku to exciting new heights never before seen in Dragon Ball.
Some fans may not like the frequency with which new forms and transformations have been introduced in Dragon Ball Super, but it's hard to argue that Ultra Instinct doesn't look amazing. Some of the visuals throughout Goku's battle with Jiren are truly stunning as a result and the ever-present threat of being erased from existence for losing ensures that the tension doesn't let off; not even for a minute.
1 Goku Versus Frieza
Goku's infamously long "five minute" showdown with Frieza is perhaps the most memorable to have ever featured in any of the Dragon Ball series. For one thing, Frieza is considered by many to be the best Dragon Ball villain of all time, but the duel also introduces the Super Saiyan transformation that pretty much defines the series from here on out.
Watching Frieza's cockiness and arrogance fade away as the true extent of Goku's newfound power becomes evident is an absolute joy, as too is some of the fight's choreography. That this all takes place as Planet Namek collapses around them only serves to heighten the tension, while Goku's constant attempts to either spare or save Frieza perfectly highlight the moral contrast between the two powerful combatants.