Goku‘s sheer strength is part of the reason why he is such a popular protagonist. He continuously surpasses his limits and provides Dragon Ball fans with action-packed entertainment. That said, Goku has received more than his fair share of beatings.
Goku is not one of those heroes who wins every fight. In fact, it’s sometimes quite the opposite. There have been many instances throughout Dragon Ball where Goku challenges foes who are clearly out of his league. One of his biggest flaws is never being able to satisfy his hunger for battle, even if it means getting put in his place.
10 Taopaipai Dominates Goku
For much of Dragon Ball’s original series, Goku was an abnormally strong kid who shocked foe after foe. His first meeting with Taopaipai did not have the same light-hearted, comedic effect though. Instead, Goku nearly got killed.
Goku was at the mercy of Tao’s greater experience. Even a full-power Kamehameha had zero effect. Once Goku angered him, Tao took Goku to the brink of death with a Dodonpa. This is one of many instances where Goku was brutally shown the ramifications of being too willing to accept any challenge.
9 Goku Gives Up Against Cell
Technically, Goku knew he couldn’t defeat Cell. He simply wanted to fight him to satisfy his hunger for battle before Gohan finished the job (and give his son a chance to study Cell’s moves). Even so, Cell outmatched Goku at virtually every turn.
On the surface, it felt like an evenly matched fight. But anytime that it seemed as though Goku was gaining the upper hand, Cell showed off his superior power. He would toy with Goku, asking if he was going too fast for him or if he needed a Senzu Bean to continue. He knew Goku’s battle strategies and was able to bounce back even when caught off guard by Instant Transmission. Goku gave up because he knew he was outclassed.
8 Demon King Piccolo Takes Goku Out
Angered over the death of his children, Demon King Piccolo deals with Goku himself during the Demon King Piccolo arc. Keep in mind that this is Goku’s first fight with him as well, so Piccolo had yet to regain his youth. In this instance, a notably weaker Piccolo takes down Goku with relative ease.
Goku manages to land a few hits at the start of the battle thanks to his speed, but they have no effect. Piccolo thwarts every attack then puts Goku on the back foot for the rest of the fight. Goku is too fixated on revenge to recognize that he is out of his league, resulting in one of many near-death battles in his lifetime.
7 Mr. Popo Humiliates Goku
Goku’s first experience on Kami’s Lookout was incredibly humbling, to say the least. In order to start his training with Kami, he has to first get through Mr. Popo in a duel. Goku confidently enters the challenge thinking that it will be a walk in the park.
Little did he know that Mr. Popo was way beyond his league. Goku doesn’t land a single hit. Mr. Popo even slurps up a Kamehameha like it’s spaghetti. Bear in mind that this is Goku fresh off a win against King Piccolo as well. Goku learned that looks can be deceiving and overconfidence can yield disastrous results.
6 Master Roshi Shows There Will Always Be Someone Stronger
During the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, Goku is a cocky little kid who thinks he can take on the world. Due to his overwhelming strength, he gets to the finals without much effort. It is there where he meets his match in Master Roshi disguised as Jackie Chun.
Master Roshi wishes to teach his pupil that he is not the best and that there will always be someone stronger. Through his greater experience, Roshi defeats Goku to win the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai. Roshi handed out one of Goku’s most devastating defeats but the lesson he taught made it well worth it. If Goku won the entire tournament, the power might have gone to his head.
5 Vegeta Breaks Goku
One of the most iconic battles in Dragon Ball Z comes when Vegeta fights Goku for the first time. Their battle certainly is intense and actually quite even for the most part. However, after Vegeta transforms into a Great Ape, the battle becomes one-sided.
Vegeta outlasts Goku with his superior stamina and overall power. The prince of all Saiyans puts the low-class warrior in his place by breaking every bone in his body. Whether Goku fans like it or not, he lost this fight. Goku learned the hard way that Saiyans are no joke. He could only watch as Krillin, Gohan, and Yajirobe had to finish the job themselves.
4 Captain Ginyu Tricks Goku
Goku’s loss to Captain Ginyu is a tough one to swallow. From the outset, Goku was dominating the fight. He outclassed Ginyu in strength and it wasn’t even close. But he underestimated Ginyu, leading to his downfall.
Goku didn’t pick up on the fact that Ginyu was taking damage on purpose until it was too late. All Ginyu had to do was wait for the right moment. Ginyu swapped bodies with Goku, leading to the latter’s defeat as he couldn’t move in his fatally injured body. Goku’s flaw of not keeping his guard up for an entire battle got the better of him.
3 Raditz Shows Goku A New World Of Power
The start of Dragon Ball Z does not mess around with showing how big the universe truly is. Raditz comes in like a wrecking ball and makes all of the protagonists look like weaklings. Despite all of the training and battle experience, Goku proves to be no match for his older brother.
Even with his former enemy Piccolo on his side, Goku gets embarrassed. Raditz is in control for a majority of this handicap match. His smug smile shows just how effortless it is for him. Goku can only sit there and watch as Raditz takes Gohan away from him while simultaneously getting pounded into the dirt. The fight with Raditz makes Goku accept that he is still nowhere near the strongest.
2 Jiren Proves To Be Too Much
Up until Goku mastered Ultra Instinct, Jiren had complete control over him during the Tournament of Power. Goku knew how overwhelmingly powerful Jiren was the very moment he arrived at the arena. But in typical Goku fashion, he took on a superior opponent anyway. And the result was mostly a failure.
During their first few encounters, Jiren showed no mercy by easily overpowering all of Goku’s trump cards. Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken, the Spirit Bomb, and even Ultra Instinct Omen all proved useless against this superior foe. Even through all of Goku’s training with God ki, Jiren was simply on a different level. And he made that crystal clear by constantly talking down to Goku while beating him into submission in numerous episodes.
1 Beerus Treats Goku Like A Child
The first time Goku fights Beerus in Dragon Ball Super, it does not go well for the main protagonist. When Beerus arrives on King Kai’s planet, he desperately wants to test his strength against a god. But little does Goku know, he is in over his head.
Beerus toys with Goku and does not take him seriously in the slightest. He asks Goku to go all out like it won’t even be a challenge. And in all fairness, he was right. A post-Buu Saga Super Saiyan 3 Goku got tossed around like a ragdoll. A single forehead flick and chop to the neck was all it took to knock Goku out cold. Goku’s desire to fight strong opponents led to one of his most embarrassing defeats ever.
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