15 OP Anime Characters That Could One-Shot Goku (2024)

Dragon Ball fans tend to hold Goku in pretty high regard, at least when it comes to his sheer power. After starting off as a wee baby with a power level in the single digits, Goku eventually trains with the literal gods of his universe. Considering how strong he's become, it's hard to imagine him getting one-shotted by anyone.

As strong as Goku is, however, there are several characters out there who would make a total rag doll of the Saiyan. Compared to some of the most powerful anime characters out there, Goku's supposedly overwhelming strength is adorable at best. In fact, these individuals can beat Goku without even breaking a sweat.

Updated on March 8, 2024 by Jenny Melzer: Almost 40 years after his initial debut, Dragon Ball's Goku is still the measuring stick for anime power-scaling. However, there are more contenders for this status than ever, including a slew of characters that are strong enough to one-shot the legendary Saiyan. This list has been updated with even more information on characters powerful enough to take out Goku, as well as to adhere to CBR's most current standards in formatting.

15 Sugar's Devil Fruit Gives Her Massive One-On-One Potential

For the most part, the characters that appear in One Piece are nowhere near as strong as Goku (or, for that matter, any of the Z Fighters). However, there is one unlikely candidate from the series that could potentially defeat the legendary Saiyan with a single touch — Sugar.

Thanks to her Hobby-Hobby Devil Fruit, Sugar can transform any individual that she touches into a toy that is subservient to her will. Assuming that Goku doesn't have some natural form of defense against Devil Fruit abilities, Sugar could easily catch him off guard in a battle between the two.

One Piece (1999)

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew in order to find the greatest treasure ever left by the legendary Pirate, Gold Roger. The famous mystery treasure named "One Piece".

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka , Akemi Okamura , Laurent Vernin , Tony Beck , Kazuya Nakai

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Eiichirô Oda

Production Company

Toei Animation

Number of Episodes

1K+

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu , Funimation , Adult Swim , Pluto TV , Netflix

14 Nanika's Ability To Grant Wishes Makes Them Incredibly Dangerous

Even by Hunter x Hunter's eclectic standards, Nanika is quite a unique character. The body-possessing entity hails from the mysterious Dark Continent, which is said to be home to the most dangerous threats in-world. Nanika's powers stay true to this reputation, and under the right circ*mstances, she can grant almost any wish imaginable.

Goku's time in the Dragon Ball franchise makes him well-versed in wish-granting, but even he is vulnerable to the abilities of Nanika. Although the Hunter x Hunter character would have virtually no defense against Goku's raw power, they could still one-shot him with a single wish.

Hunter x Hunter (1999)

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Gon Freecss aspires to become a Hunter, an exceptional being capable of greatness. With his friends and his potential, he seeks out his father, who left him when he was younger.

Release Date

April 17, 2016

Creator(s)

Yoshihiro Togashi

Cast

Issei Futamata , Megumi Han , Cristina Valenzuela , Mariya Ise , Michael McConnohie

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Creator

Yoshihiro Togashi

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix , Hulu , Crunchyroll , Tubi , Peaco*ck

13 The Anti-Spiral Has Multiple Ways To Defeat Goku

Anti-Spiral's Unique Abilities

Goku and the Z Fighters are no stranger to galactic-level threats, especially after they're pitted against multiple other universes during the events of Dragon Ball Super. Still, even Goku's Ultra Instinct form would struggle against the final antagonist of Gurren Lagann, the Anti-Spiral.

The Anti-Spiral is the collective consciousness of a race of beings known as the Anti-Spirals, and with its wide array of abilities, it can travel through time, manipulate its opponent's mind, and even alter reality. Should the being set its sight on son Goku, it's hard to imagine Dragon Ball's protagonist doing anything to stop it.

Gurren Lagann

TV-14

Anime

Sci-Fi

Two friends, Simon and Kamina, become the symbols of rebellion against the powerful Spiral King, who forced mankind into subterranean villages.

Release Date

April 1, 2007

Cast

Shizuka Ito , Tetsuya Kakihara , Yuri Lowenthal , Michelle Ruff , Marina Inoue , Steve Blum

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Studio

Gainax

Creator

Hiroyuki Imaishi

Number of Episodes

27

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Funimation , Hulu

12 Julius Novochrono's Time Magic Only Requires A Single Touch

Dragon Ball and its subsequent spin-offs are full of dangerous fighters, yet one thing that Goku and the Z Fighters rarely go up against is actual magic. Magic users like Babidi and Fortuneteller Baba rarely engage in direct combat, so it remains to be seen how the franchise's protagonist would fare against a powerful wizard like Black Clover's Julius Novochrono.

The Wizard King's Time Magic is more potent than any other character's magic in Black Clover. By touching his opponent, he can manipulate the age of their body, allowing him to one-shot even his strongest opponents. While Goku's fight with Hit in Dragon Ball Super introduced him to individuals capable of altering time, he's never faced a threat like Julius Novochrono.

Black Clover (2017)

TV-PG

Action-Adventure

Fantasy

Asta and Yuno were abandoned together at the same church and have been inseparable since. As children, they promised that they would compete against each other to see who would become the next Emperor Magus.

Release Date

October 3, 2017

Cast

Dallas Reid , Jill Harris , Christopher Sabat , Micah Solusod , Brandon McInnis , Lydia MacKay

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

4

Studio

Pierrot

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu

11 Ryomen Sukuna Can Decimate Anything In His Domain

When it comes to Jujutsu Kaisen's pecking order, no single character is more feared than the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. The evil sorcerer terrorized Japan several centuries before the events of the series, and even against powerful fighters like Satoru Gojo and Dragon Ball's Goku, he would pose a significant threat.

Sukuna's Domain Expansion, Malevolent Shrine, instantly dismantles anything that enters its area of effect, instantly reducing them to shreds. Goku lacks any quick-acting healing factor, so if he was caught inside Sukuna's Domain, the legendary Saiyan could potentially perish before escaping.

Jujutsu Kaisen

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

A boy swallows a cursed talisman - the finger of a demon - and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman's school to be able to locate the demon's other body parts and thus exorcise himself.

Release Date

October 2, 2020

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3

Studio

MAPPA

Creator

Gege Akutami

Main Characters

Yuji Itadori, Satoru Gojo, Ryomen Sukuna

Production Company

Mappa, TOHO animation

Number of Episodes

47 Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Amazon Prime Video

10 Zeno Reigns Supreme In The Dragon Ball Multiverse

All Dragon Ball Super's Zeno really wants to do is hang out and have fun — perhaps play a board game or something light-hearted and breezy. That said, if someone makes the deity angry, they're capable of eliminating entire universes.

On the other hand, anyone who upsets the Omni-King is likely to be one-shotted before they can form a thought against him. If Goku doesn't want to play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe with his opponent, and instead seeks to prove his superiority with a fully charged Kamehameha, Zeno will beat Goku and destroy his entire universe before looking for a cookie in another one.

Dragon Ball Super

TV-PG

Anime

Action

Adventure

With Majin Buu defeated half-a-year prior, peace returns to Earth, where Son Goku (now a radish farmer) and his friends now live peaceful lives.

Release Date

January 7, 2017

Cast

Masako Nozawa , Takeshi Kusao , Ryô Horikawa , Hiromi Tsuru

Main Genre

Anime

See Also

22 Anime Characters That Can Easily Beat Goku (2023 Updated) - OtakuKart

Seasons

5

9 Ryuk Can Kill Any Mortal He Sets His Eyes On

If Ryuk from the hit series Death Note fought against Goku, viewers wouldn’t be witnessing much of a show. Goku would be on his end of the arena, keeping his guard up against an ineffable opponent. The faint scribble of a pen on paper will be heard, followed by the Saiyan warrior desperately punching the air for a few seconds. Goku's heart will stop long before he lays a hand on the Shinigami.

For Ryuk, fighting Goku would be boring — he only needs to write his opponent's name in the Death Note. Further, as a Shinigami, he's neither visible nor tangible. The fight would be over in under a minute, then Ryuk would go back to eating apples and bugging Light.

Death Note (2006)

TV-14

Animation

Crime

Drama

Original title: Death Note: Desu nôto.
An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.

Release Date

October 21, 2007

Cast

Mamoru Miyano , Brad Swaile , Vincent Tong , Ryō Naitō , Trevor Devall

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Studio

Madhouse

Production Company

D.N. Dream Partners, Madhouse, Nippon Television Network (NTV), Shueisha, Video Audio Project (VAP)

Number of Episodes

37

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Amazon Freevee , Hulu , Tubi , Netflix , Peaco*ck , Prime Video , The Roku Channel

8 Saitama Is Known For One-Shotting His Opponents

A fight between One-Punch Man's protagonist, Saitama, and Goku is sure to put on a decent show, though it won't last very long, either. The duration of the match would likely depend on Saitama's mood, schedule, and the length of his grocery list. For example, if he's in a rush to make it to the supermarket on his way home, Saitama is likely to neutralize his opponent with a single punch before absconding.

Goku is very strong, but he usually needs to put some elbow grease into winning his fights. Meanwhile, Saitama's greatest enemy is his eternal lack of a challenge. So far, there’s nothing in One-Punch Man that suggests Saitama can’t destroy Goku, and fans are 100% certain that this Saiyan stands no chance.

One Punch Man

TV-PG

Animation

Action

Comedy

The story of Saitama, a hero that does it just for fun & can defeat his enemies with a single punch.

Release Date

October 5, 2015

Cast

Makoto Furukawa , Kaito Ishikawa , Zach Aguilar , Robbie Daymond

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

2

Studio

Madhouse

Creator

One

7 Rhydon Has As Much Strength As Any Super Saiyan In The Series

Pokémonfans who remember Rhydon's strongest move: Horn Drill, know it's possible for it to defeat Goku. If this attack connects with Goku, it's lights out for the Saiyan. Since he's so used to play-fighting with Earth's most ferocious beasts, Goku isn't likely to take Rhydon seriously as they begin the battle.

Rhydon's Cycle of Evolution

• Rhyhorn
• Rhydon
• Rhyperior

This nonchalant attitude would be the Saiyan's doom, since all Rhydon would need is to land one hit. For Goku to survive this particular Pokémon, he would have to be a Ghost-type, totally immune to Normal-type moves like Horn Drill. Although he's clearly not one, he probably will be after the battle.

6 Usagi Tsukino Could Use Her Cosmic Powers To Kill Their Opponent

If the two top stars of '90s anime were to face off in an all-out battle, it would be totally one-sided, and not in Goku's favor. The Saiyan's hair candle will do nothing to intimidate the Lunar Princess. Goku can holler all day and night, reaching Super Saiyan 10 if he wants to, but Usagi Tsukino's goddess status puts her on a whole other level.

She doesn't even have to demonstrate her vastly superior speed and erasure ability — if she wanted to, she can melt the matter around their environment, twisting Goku's face toward his own one-shot KO. For Goku's sake, he should hope that he's on the same side as Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon (1992)

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

A group of schoolgirls discover they are incarnations of super-powered alien princesses, and use their abilities to defend the earth.

Release Date

September 11, 1995

Cast

Stephanie Sheh , Kotono Mitsuishi , Kate Higgins , Aya Hisakawa , Cristina Valenzuela , Michie Tomizawa , Emi Shinohara , Amanda Céline Miller , Cherami Leigh , Rica f*ckami

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

5

Creator

Naoko Takeuchi

Main Characters

Susan Roman, Jill Frappier, Katie Griffin

Production Company

Toei Agency, Toei Animation, Toei Company

Number of Episodes

200

5 No Mortal Poses a Threat to FMA: Brotherhood's Truth

All paths lead to the ultimate Truth, regardless of the road taken to get there. If Goku ever crosses through the door that lies at the end of space and time, this is the face that would greet him. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Truth doesn't usually engage in fist fights; being absolutely omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, he really never has to.

However, Truth enjoys amusem*nt wherever he can find it, and wouldn't mind indulging in some combat for the sake of fan curiosity. Hopefully, he'll find it in his extra-dimensional heart to bring Goku back once the battle is over, mostly because the Saiyan's atoms would be scattered throughout the multiverse.

4 Alucard's Strongest Form Can Go Blow-For-Blow With Goku

Goku can probably take Hellsing's Alucard on, as long as the latter had some of his restrictions in place. However, Restriction System Level Zero allows Alucard total control over the vast range of his devastating abilities. Goku wouldn't even be a threat to Alucard in this state.

Drac will morph into a mass of pure shadow, making himself immune to any of Goku's many impressive moves. Once Alucard's fangs connect, Dragon Ball fans would cringe as their hero fades away, having fallen to an opponent way above his league. Superhuman strength and faster-than-light speed don't count for very much when faced with the immortal king of vampires.

Castlevania

TV-MA

Animation

Horror

Fantasy

Drama

A vampire hunter fights to save a besieged city from an army of otherworldly creatures controlled by Dracula.

Release Date

July 7, 2017

Cast

Richard Armitage , James Callis , Malcolm McDowell , Bill Nighy , Marsha Thomason

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

3 Mephisto Pheles' Telekinetic Prowess May Prove Too Much For Goku

While the warriors in the Dragon Ball universe operate at a high frequency, Mephisto Pheles from Blue Exorcist exists at a rather abstract level of power. Despite Goku's ultrasonic speed and agility, absolutely no one is faster than time — and Mephisto is the King of Time.

He can keep Goku frozen in the same moment for as long as he needs. Whenever Mephisto is ready, he can use his telekinesis to stop the Saiyan's clock from ticking, metaphorically speaking. Mephisto wouldn't even need to use his Flaming Pentagram in order to beat Goku, though he might show it off anyway.

Blue Exorcist

TV-14

Action

Drama

After discovering that he's the son of Satan, a young man must join the True Cross Academy in order to master his abilities and defeat Satan himself.

Release Date

April 17, 2011

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

2 Exodia Is Yugi Moto's Strongest Weapon

If Goku runs into Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Yugi Moto in an alley late at night, he'd better hope the master duelist doesn't have his grandfather's best deck with him. Yugi wouldn't last a second with Goku in hand-to-hand combat, but if he manages to summon the great Exodia, this Super Saiyan would have no counter-move, whatsoever.

No matter how many Life Points Goku has, the number would go down to 0 after Exodia's attack. Simply put, once Exodia is summoned, the game is over in a blinding flash of light. Exodia would then return to his slumber, waiting for the next time his five pieces are assembled again.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Yu-Gi-Oh! follows the adventures of high school student Yugi, who has a magical secret that comes to life when he plays his favorite card game: 'Duel Monsters.

Genre

Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Language

English, Japanese

Number of Seasons

5

Debut Date

April 18, 2000

Studio

Gallop Co., Ltd.

1 Tori-Bot Is The Ultimate Self-Insert

As surprising as it sounds, there's a character even more powerful than Zeno in the Dragon Ball universe. In fact, this guy is infinitely more powerful than the Omni-King, who is himself infinitely powerful. That's because he created Zeno, Goku, and the entire multiverse containing them.

The Tori-Bot, an odd creature who appears from time to time in the manga, is the avatar of Akira Toriyama, the man responsible for creating Dragon Ball. As much as it would break his heart to one-shot his beloved Saiyan son, he would do it just to prove a point, using nothing more than a casual stroke of his pencil.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball (1986)

Latest TV Show

Dragon Ball Super

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Latest Episode

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

Current Series

Dragon Ball Super