Dragon Ball 10 Strongest Characters Goku Couldn’t Beat Alone

There have been plenty of times where Goku needed to lean on his friends for support.

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is a series that’s practically become emblematic of the action-heavy shonen genre as a whole. For more than three decades, Dragon Ball has kept audiences entertained by the increasingly impressive battle theatrics of Goku and the rest of Earth’s heroes who fight to keep the universe safe from dangerous threats.

Dragon Ball has developed a bit of a pattern where the bragging rights over defeating a villain typically fall upon Goku, but there have been plenty of times where Goku needed to lean on his friends for support.

10 It’s All Hands On Deck During Earth’s Fight Against Vegeta

The first showdown between Goku and Vegeta is a Dragon Ball highlight. Goku does the heavy lifting, but success would be impossible if not for the assistance of Gohan’s Great Ape form, Yajirobe’s sword, and Krillin. Part of what makes this first fight against Vegeta so effective is that Goku isn’t stronger than his opponent. It’s only after a series of coincidences and group support that a disparate collection of heroes are able to make enough of a collective impact on Vegeta. The final stages of this fight feature Goku helpless and on his back, just like Vegeta.

9 The Showdown Between Goku And Frieza Wouldn’t Be Possible Without The Help Of Goku’s Friends

There is a long enough stretch of episodes where Goku and Frieza are locked in one-on-one combat with each other on a dying Planet Namek that it’s easy to forget how many players are initially in this fight. Goku’s late to arrive, but Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Krillin are able to hold their own against Frieza and push him to his final form. Additionally, Goku’s success against Frieza wouldn’t be possible without the power boost that he experiences when he becomes Super Saiyan, which in itself would be impossible without Krillin.

8 Goku Passes The Hero Torch To His Son In The Battle Against Cell

Dragon Ball falls into a bit of a predictable pattern where Goku typically swoops in to save the day. Dragon Ball Z’s Cell Saga is such a refreshing change of pace because it slowly culminates in Gohan surpassing his father in strength.

Goku becomes confident that his son will be the one to overpower Cell, but he still has to push both of them to reach this state of enlightenment. Goku’s role against Cell cannot be underestimated because without his Instant Transmission abilities then Cell would have blown up Gohan along with Earth, yet it’s Gohan who scores the win.

7 Goku’s Spirit Bomb Against Kid Buu Would Be Useless Without Everyone

Goku has plenty of efficient techniques that he can use to eliminate his enemies, but more often than not his powerful Spirit Bomb is his preferred way to put an end to a battle. Buu represents a new level of chaos and power for Dragon Ball’s heroes. Everyone is able to play a part in the prolonged fight against Buu and his many forms, but the conclusion functions as a fitting celebration of Goku’s hero status. Goku uses a massive Spirit Bomb to destroy Buu, but it’s only possible because Earth’s population trusts Goku enough to lend him their strength.

6 Jiren’s Defeat Requires The Collective Efforts Of Universe 7

Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power differs from previous competitions since it adopts a battle royale structure where everyone is able to fight at once. That naturally lends itself to some satisfying group fights while Universe 7 does whatever they can to come out on top. There’s a glorious celebration of teamwork between Goku and most of Universe 7 against fused threat, Anilaza. However, the more epic altercation is when Goku, Frieza, and Android 17 channel their strength against Universe 11’s Jiren. Each member of this trio contributes crucial power to this coordinated attack.

5 Fused Zamasu Has Goku And Company Resort To Every Trick In The Book

Dragon Ball Super’s Goku Black Saga is surprisingly nihilistic for the anime. There’s an extended look at Future Trunks’ dystopia timeline and an evil Goku doppelgänger who achieves immortality and nearly wipes out all mortals.

There are a few tactics turned to in the heroes’ hopes to defeat this threat, including fusion and the Mafuba. In the end, Goku relies upon Future Trunks’ Sword of Hope, in conjunction with a necessary intervention from Omni-King Zeno, to finally eradicate Zamasu.

4 Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan Strength Pushes Goku To Fusion

Broly has always been one of Dragon Ball’s most popular characters and he’s the inspiration for three Z movies and copious non-canonical video game narratives. Dragon Ball Super: Broly, aims to properly bring Broly into the series, while revising his backstory at the same time. Goku and Vegeta can become Super Saiyan Blue, but Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan strength is still too much for them. Goku needs to resort to the fusion dance with Vegeta just to stand a chance against Broly.

3 Goku Would Be Useless Against Beerus Without The Help Of The God Ritual

Dragon Ball Super introduces some important new tiers of celestial power, primarily Gods of Destruction and Angels. Universe 7’s God of Destruction, Lord Beerus, is hungry for a satisfying fight against a Super Saiyan God. The only problem that Earth faces is that there isn’t any Super Saiyan God who currently exists. Goku is eventually able to access this new power and keep the Earth spared from Beerus’ destruction in the process, but it’s only because of the help from the other Saiyans in his life. Goku undergoes a Super Saiyan Ritual in order to accomplish this transformation.

2 Moro’s Defeat Involves A Concentrated Effort From Earth’s Finest

Dragon Ball Super’s manga features a supremely intimidating galactic menace, Planet-Eater Moro. Moro is a deadly magic user who has a destructive reputation that surpasses that of Frieza and even Buu. Moro is powerful in his own right, but he stages a jailbreak of the Galactic Patrol headquarters, which pushes Dragon Ball’s supporting characters to jump into action. The final fight against Moro boils down to a spiritual spectacle between Moro and Ultra Instinct Goku, but victory wouldn’t be possible without the help of Vegeta’s Forced Spirit Fission and the extra energy that Uub provides.

1 Granolah Pushes Goku And Vegeta To Surpass Their Limits

The most recent villain in Dragon Ball Super’s manga is the confused survivor of the Cerealian race, Granolah. Granolah accomplishes incredible things in order to become the strongest individual in Universe 7, which is something that Goku and Vegeta continue to struggle against. Goku’s newly perfected Ultra Instinct isn’t enough to take out Granolah, nor is Vegeta’s aggressive Ultra Ego power boost. It remains unclear how Granolah will be defeated, but it’s very likely that it will involve Goku and Vegeta’s cooperation, if not more help from other people.