Summary
- Goku is the heart of Dragon Ball, but he doesn’t always win – there are opponents he couldn’t defeat on his own.
- From Raditz to Fused Zamasu, some enemies proved too powerful for Goku, leading to defeats or letting others step in.
- Even though Goku has grown immensely, there are still characters like Raditz and Frost whom he never managed to defeat.
At the heart of all of Dragon Ball, there is one character: Goku. While he may not always be the winner, and there have been attempts to set up other characters as protagonists, Goku is the beating heart in all Dragon Ball anime and manga. The series’ protagonist has grown so much since the beginning of Dragon Ball, unlocking so many transformations and beating so many incredible opponents that he is practically invincible at this point.
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However, Goku is not unbeatable, suffering quite a few bad defeats at the hands of powerful enemies, be it because of the circumstances of the fight or his own lack of power. Despite being referenced as Dragon Ball‘s hero, there are many times that the hero does not save the day, at least not on his own. Throughout the various anime, Goku has failed to beat some powerful opponents, despite having fought them to the bitter end. While for some he needed help to achieve victory, for others, he decided to retreat. Regardless of the reason, there are some characters in Dragon Ball that Goku never managed to single-handedly defeat, despite battling them.
Updated on February 7, 2025, by Ana Micaela Leite Scheidemantel: Goku’s journey in Dragon Ball Daima promises some epic fights ahead, with wins and losses in the hero’s future. For now, there have been plenty of characters that Goku has failed to beat, despite still participating in incredible fights. While some of them are due to power discrepancy, others are due to specific circumstances, causing the protagonist to lose even when his power is not greatly outmatched. At the end of the day, Goku has failed to beat a plethora of enemies, some of whom were even less powerful than him.
13
Good Majin-Buu
Goku Passes On An Evenly Matched Fight To A New Generation
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Dragon Ball Z
Release Date
April 26, 1989
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Number of Episodes
291
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Z
While there is some discussion on whether Goku can claim sole credit for his victory over Kid Buu, the protagonist was never able to beat the first version of the antagonist. Good Buu has become a fan favorite despite being a very powerful antagonist at first, mostly being used as a tool for destruction by Babidi.
However, Buu’s innocence and somewhat good-nature did not stop him from wreaking havoc, leading Goku to use his Super Saiyan 3 transformation on him. It is tough to say whether Goku would have beaten him if he had given his all, but the protagonist left the task up to Goten and Trunk’s fusion, trying to pass on the mantle of hero to the next generation.
12
Android 17
An Unfinished Confrontation Fought With Caution
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Dragon Ball Super
Release Date
July 5, 2015
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Number of Episodes
131
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu, Crunchyroll
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Super
It is weird to think that Goku and Android did not fight in Dragon Ball Z, meeting for the first time in Dragon Ball Super. Goku challenges Android 17 to a fight in order to gauge his power, before asking for his help in the tournament. It is stated that the two of them are holding out on their true power, never truly trying to hurt one another.
While Goku is not defeated by Android 17, he also does not beat him, stopping mid-fight as their powers threaten the existence of the island. It is implied they have very similar power levels at that point, with Android 17 later winning the tournament of power with Goku’s help.
11
Jiren
A Formidably Strong Foe That Goku Could Have Defeated
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Super
There is no denying that Goku gets stronger with every battle, repeatedly uncovering new transformations and powers mid-fight. His fight with Jiren is no different, as Goku struggles to keep up with the antagonist, who is one of the strongest foes in all of Dragon Ball. However, once Goku is able to control the Ultra Instinct transformation, he unleashes his most powerful self.
With this new form unlocked, Goku is able to turn the tides against the enemy and slowly carve his victory, yet Goku’s fatal flaw gets in the way before he can actually win. Enjoying the fight too much, Goku takes too long to finish his enemy and transforms back to his original form. While he was probably strong enough to do so, Goku never beat Jiren on his own, relying on his alliance with Frieza and Android 17 to beat the foe by sacrificing himself.
10
Raditz
Goku Dies So Piccolo Can Defeat His Brother
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Z
Although Raditz is indeed defeated at the very beginning of Dragon Ball Z, it takes the combined efforts of Piccolo and Goku to kill the Saiyan. Not only that, Goku gives up his life to defeat Raditz, since he knows he is not strong enough to do so by any other means, having Piccolo kill them both as Goku holds Raditz still.
It’s weird to think that Goku never managed to defeat one of the weakest Saiyans in the franchise, but Raditz’s early death impeded the brothers from having a rematch. Considering how far Goku has come, a rematch would likely mean an easy Goku win, but the protagonist never gets the chance to beat his brother.
9
Mr. Popo
Goku Never Beat His Trainer In A Fight
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Dragon Ball
Release Date
February 26, 1986
Number of Episodes
153
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball
During the early Dragon Ball years, Goku was able to defeat most of his opponents, even if it took him a couple of tries to do so. At one point, young Goku goes on to train with Mr. Popo, and as they battle, Goku is unable to defeat him, even with his signature Kamehameha wave.
It is implied that Goku and, eventually, the rest of the Z-Fighters, surpass Mr. Popo. However, as far as fans are concerned, Goku never really defeated the mysterious trainer.
8
Hit
Goku Eliminates Himself In The Name Of Fairness
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Super
Hit is a worthy opponent in many ways, challenging Goku in an entertaining way, especially since both are representatives of Beerus and Champa in the tournament. However, Goku’s defeat is entirely up to him, as he decides to eliminate himself from the tournament when he realizes that it is not a fair fight.
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Although strong and a worthy opponent, Hit’s powers flourish when he is able to kill his opponent, and since he fought Goku in a tournament, that was not allowed. Hence, Goku’s sense of fairness kicks in, and he decides to step out of the ring and eliminate himself, never really beating Hit, despite being more than capable of doing so.
7
Android 19
Goku Is Defeated By A Heart Condition In An Easy Battle
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Z
Out of all the Androids that fought their way through the Dragon Ball franchise, Android 19 was nothing special, so it is weird to think that Goku was not able to defeat him. However, that is only because of the timing of the battle between the two that cost Goku the win, despite his being stronger than his opponent.
As warned by Trunks, Goku has a heart virus that is supposedly his downfall, and, as fate would have it, he shows the first symptoms during his battle against Android 19. The Android took advantage of Goku’s condition, making him one of the enemies Goku never had the chance to beat, despite not being the strongest Android.
6
Frost
A Devious Act Leads To A Disqualified Goku
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Super
Initially presented as a hero, Frost was able to defeat Goku by being deceptive and using an illegal poison to knock Goku out of the ring. Despite being considerably stronger than Frost, Goku did not take into account Frost’s devious nature, and he cheated his way to a win.
It is very likely that Goku would have beaten him, but alas, Frost knocked Goku out of the ring before he was able to use his full power. Even though their paths did cross again, the two never engaged in battle a second time, meaning Goku, despite having the ability, never actually defeated Frost.
5
Kale
Knocks Down Goku In Super Saiyan Blue Form
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Super
Kale is one of the strongest Saiyan warriors in all of Dragon Ball, defeating Goku in his Super Saiyan Blue form, leaving the hero knocked down. Reminiscent of Broly’s power, Kale goes on a rampage when transformed into Super Saiyan, so defeating him is no easy feat.
In Dragon Ball Super, Kale interrupts Goku’s and Caulifla’s fight, defeating him without taking too much damage. Goku delivers a Kamehameha wave, and transforms into his Super Saiyan Blue form, but still does not manage to beat her in her rampage.
4
Beerus And Whis
A Duo Capable Of Defeating Goku Any Time
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Super
Beerus and Whis might just make one of the most powerful package deals in the Dragon Ball universe, with both defeating Goku at some point. Beerus is a God of Destruction, and while Goku fought against him when the character was first introduced, Beerus basically used Goku to satiate his need to fight, ending with God falling asleep in an unfinished battle.
Whis is an angel, which means he is as powerful as an entity can get in Dragon Ball, yet he is also a neutral force, meaning his battles with Goku are more for sparring or training. Yet, Whis manages to easily dodge any and all attacks from Goku, leaving him undefeated by the protagonist.
3
Perfect Cell
Goku Forfeits The Fight So That Gohan Can Unleash His Full Potential
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Z
During the Cell Games, Goku was able to get quite far in the tournament, having the chance to fight Perfect Cell after intense training. Before the fight, Goku seems very calm and confident, leading everyone to believe that he can defeat the villain in a one-on-one fight.
However, Goku forfeits during his fight so that his son, Gohan, can defeat Cell in his stead. According to Goku, only Gohan has the power to defeat him, and so he steps out, knowing he himself cannot beat the villain. At the end of the day, Goku still makes a decision that leads to the Z-Fighters’ victory, giving his life to stop Cell from killing so many, yet he never really beats him.
2
Fused Zamasu
A Fusion Too Powerful For Goku
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Z
As one of the strongest fusions in Dragon Ball, the combined power of Zamasu and Goku Black is enormous, being one of the biggest threats in the franchise. Fused Zamasu proved to be a worthy opponent, defeating Goku at every turn, despite the hero’s best efforts.
Goku even tries to defeat him by fusing with Vegeta, but they are unsuccessful, leaving Future Trunks tasked with saving the day. Regardless of his eventual defeat, Goku never really managed to beat Fused Zamasu by himself, despite putting in a good effort for a while.
1
Vegeta
Powerful Friends In A Never-Ending Rivalry
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- First confrontation: Dragon Ball Z
As one of the strongest duos in anime, Goku and Vegeta have an epic rivalry that keeps them both evolving into better people and fiercer warriors. Even though Goku seems to always get the upper hand on Vegeta, the protagonist never really defeats the Prince of Saiyans by himself.
They have been trying to catch up with each other’s strength since the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, in which they had their first epic battle, which resulted in Vegeta leaving Earth. Goku’s first fight with Vegeta ends with Yajirobe cutting his tail and Ape Gohan finishing the battle, yet Goku is unable to defeat him by himself. He even loses to Majin Vegeta later on in the series, keeping the rivalry and friendship between the two ongoing in an everlasting competition.
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Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
