7 Characters Who Were Once Goku’s Equals

Ever since the start of the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku has been the central focus as the most powerful and talented warrior of them all. Owing to his natural affinity and passion for combat, he has constantly improved himself over the years in order to push the limits of his strength, which has led to him becoming the greatest warrior in his entire universe.

However, as great as his strength has been over the many arcs of the series, there have often been times when his power was matched by some others around him. Whether they’ve been heroes or villains, Goku has had quite a few equals over the course of Dragon Ball, so let’s take a look at who they are.

7

Piccolo Was Goku’s First-Ever Rival

Equals in the Demon King Piccolo Saga

In the original Dragon Ball series, Piccolo was the greatest threat whom Goku had to face. Initially, the character existed as Demon King Piccolo; an absurdly powerful and sadistic villain whose strength almost completely destroyed Goku, though the young Saiyan was finally able to use all of his power in a Hail-Mary attempt to defeat him.

However, this wouldn’t mean the death of Piccolo, since the foe would reincarnate through his ‘son’ and new body, Piccolo Jr., who was once again equally matched against the Saiyan. Despite this, Goku managed to edge out a victory against this enemy, and through sparing him, would lay the groundwork for one of anime’s greatest redemption arcs.

6

Goku Black Stole Goku’s Body And Saiyan Powers

Equals in the Goku Black Arc

One of the best antagonists ever introduced into the franchise was Goku Black, who was originally a Kai from Universe 10 named Zamasu who made a wish through the Super Dragon Balls. Through these orbs, he inherited the body of the most powerful mortal from Universe 7 and used his Saiyan abilities to bolster his own strength and further his evil designs.

As Goku Black, Zamasu’s strength was undoubtedly great but was grossly lacking from inexperience compared to Goku and Vegeta. However, using Goku’s Saiyan abilities to get stronger the longer he fought, he eventually rose to the same level as the heroes, especially upon awakening Super Saiyan Rosé and creating the Spirit Scythe.

5

Perfect Cell Desired To Fight Goku Above All Else

Equals in the Cell Saga

Perfect Cell is one of the greatest villains that the anime industry has ever seen, and much of the reason why he’s so beloved is because of his monstrous strength. Despite being an already powerful bio-android, Cell’s power would increase drastically once he absorbed the remaining Androids, upon which he would host the Cell Games as a means of fighting the strongest heroes.

To combat this villain, Goku and Gohan trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where they mastered Super Saiyan and got much stronger and controlled with the form. Due to his desire to fight Goku over everyone else, him and the Saiyan fought in one of Dragon Ball’s best battles, where they both proved to be equal in almost every way, before Goku realized that a power greater than his own was needed to truly defeat the villain for good.

4

Jiren Was The Greatest Obstacle In The Tournament

Equals in the Universe Survival Arc

The Tournament of Power saw the most powerful mortals in the entire multiverse battle it out for survival. From Universe 11, fans got a glimpse at the greatest force in the entire tournament, Jiren, who barely even used a fraction of his strength for the entire duration of the event due to how much stronger he was than everyone else he went up against.

Eventually, Goku closed the gap between himself and his foe with Ultra Instinct Omen, and even grew stronger than him when he mastered the state. However, even against Mastered Ultra Instinct, Jiren was still keeping up, and after Goku’s body couldn’t handle the form anymore, it became clear that, although Jiren’s strength was below the heroes’, his energy control was far superior, as he outlasted the form and was only then knocked out by Goku, Frieza, and Android 17 all working together.

3

Gohan Is Now At The Same Level Of Power As Goku

Equals in the Super Hero Arc

Goku and Gohan represent the highest levels of power, though at opposite ends of the spectrum. Goku is obsessed with hard work and training in order to push his limits and get stronger, while Gohan, due to his unique hybrid-Saiyan bloodline, can reach similar levels of power through his potential alone, which he brings forth through a burst of emotion and energy.

For the most part, Goku has been stronger than his son, but in select moments, Gohan’s strength has become unmatched, such as when he unlocked Super Saiyan 2 or his Ultimate state for the first time. In the current day, however, both Goku and Gohan have become some of the strongest mortals ever who both exist at the same level.

2

Frieza Is Perhaps The Greatest Villain In The Series

Equals in Multiple Arcs

Frieza is generally considered to be the most iconic villain in the franchise, and even in the anime industry as a whole. Because of his monstrous strength and freakish potential, he has grown to become one of the most powerful figures in the story, and has been one of Goku’s most important equals over the years.

Of course, when they initially fought, Goku and Frieza were complete equals who took everything out of one another. However, upon unlocking Super Saiyan, Goku shot right past the villain, though they would once again reach common levels of power in Super through the advancement of Frieza’s Golden state. At the current moment, Frieza is likely the strongest mortal in the multiverse who has left Goku and the other heroes in the dust with his Black Frieza form.

1

Vegeta Is Goku’s Greatest Rival And Equal

Equal in Multiple Arcs

In the entire anime industry, the rivalry between Goku and Vegeta is considered to be the greatest of them all, and much of the reason for this is due to the many fluctuations in strength they have had relative to one another over the years. At multiple points in the story, Goku and Vegeta have each gotten the leg up over their rival, but they eventually always fall back into being equals.

Notable examples of this are in their very first meeting, where Vegeta was stronger and Goku needed the help of Krillin and Yajirobe to beat him. Following this, Goku would achieve Super Saiyan to become stronger. Such a pattern kept repeating until the modern day, with both heroes having unlocked their ultimate Divine Forms and having once again become equals who exist at the highest levels of power.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.