Dragon Ball’s Goku vs One-Punch Man: Who Wins in a Fight

What happens when a warrior who is constantly exceeding his limits faces a pugilist who’s never found a true challenge? Goku has fought literal gods and put the galaxy in jeopardy with his battles. One-Punch Man (aka Saitama) has never had to expend his full force but has shaken the planet with just one of his fists. So who would win in a fight? 

Goku is the battle-thirsty Saiyan from Earth who is always looking for his next challenger and spends his down time training to be the greatest fighter to have ever lived. From child to adult, he has rarely been beaten across the Dragon Ball narrative, and lately has been going toe-to-toe with gods. Saitama comes from a universe where he is easily the strongest man alive, and has exploded even the most dangerous monsters with his signature single punch, since a second punch is never required.

Saitama’s full strength has never been found, but he has speed as well as strength and the resilience to take immense damage without flinching. He may struggle to catch a mosquito, but he has never lost a battle. He somehow achieved this unheard of strength by a relatively simple workout plan of 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats and a 10km run every day. Saitama’s world is constantly threatened by a union of monsters that show up to wreak havoc. Heroes, sponsored by the corporation Hero Association, are dispatched to deal with the monsters based on threat levels. Saitama has stopped each world-ending threat and done so without much effort. Deeply bored from never meeting a worthy challenger, it took an alien opponent to actually provide some exhilaration, requiring more than one of Saitama’s punches to defeat. 

Goku has suffered defeat occasionally but always bounces back (even from death). He’s fought and defeated a galaxy-conquering alien (twice), tested his strength against the God of Destruction and knocked out a villain who merged with planet Earth. His speed is unmatched and he moves so fast regular human eyes can’t follow. He’s had the capability to blow up planets since his 20s and the force of him powering up shook the entire galaxy. Not to mention he’s picked up tricks to fight even time dilation and deity-level strength and speed. But could he beat One-Punch Man? 

In terms of inherent strength, it would appear Goku is stronger. When he turned Super Saiyan 3 to fight Buu at the end of Dragon Ball Z, the universe started to tremble. Goku’s newest form, Ultra Instinct, ups his speed to the point where he can fight opponents who can stop time. Saitama’s full strength has never been shown, but he is at the very least a planet buster. In his fight with the alien Boros, the Earth shook from the force of Saitama’s battle. During his tryouts for the Hero Association, Saitama was fast enough to leave scorch marks in the ground and leaves behind an afterimage when he moves.

It’s impossible to know Saitama’s upper limits just yet, but we do know there are enemies out there who couldn’t be obliterated by one swing, so given the huge damage Goku has taken over his own battles, it’s fair to assume that whether or not One-Punch Man can win, he won’t do so by living up to his name. That’s important, because both fighters are known for testing what their opponent can do before over-committing.

Given Goku’s superior speed, flight, and energy projection, he’s got a lot more options on the table for hurting Saitama once he realizes the strength he’s up against. Just trading punches, it’s a tough call, but One-Punch Man might just come out ahead if he chooses to lead with his strongest attacks and end things quickly. With all of their abilities considered, and especially Goku’s speed taken into account, it’s likely Saitama would be the loser. Both characters are planet-destroyingly strong, but it’s worth noting Goku has no trouble with space travel, where One-Punch Man has struggled (though not failed) in similar conditions. Once their powers levels start demolishing the planet around them, Goku remains in his element, while One-Punch Man retains more of his human limits.

About The Author