Summary
At the heart of all ofDragon 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 allDragon Ballanime and manga. The series' protagonist has grown so much since the beginning ofDragon Ball, unlocking so many transformations and beating so many incredible opponents that he is practically invincible at this point.
However,Goku is not unbeatable, suffering quite a fewbad 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 asDragon 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 inDragon Ballthat Goku never managed to single-handedly defeat, despite battling them.
Updated on July 04, 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.
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.
Dragon Ball Super
It is weird to think that Goku and Android did not fight inDragon Ball Z,meeting for the first time inDragon 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.
11Jiren
A Formidably Strong Foe That Goku Could Have Defeated
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 ofDragon 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 tobeat the foe by sacrificing himself.
10Raditz
Goku Dies So Piccolo Can Defeat His Brother
AlthoughRaditzis indeed defeated at the very beginning ofDragon 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 ofthe 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.
During the earlyDragon Ballyears, 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 withMr. 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.
8Hit
Goku Eliminates Himself In The Name Of Fairness
Hitis 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.
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.
7Android 19
Goku Is Defeated By A Heart Condition In An Easy Battle
Out of all the Androids that fought their way through theDragon Ballfranchise,Android 19was 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, despitenot being the strongest Android.
6Frost
A Devious Act Leads To A Disqualified Goku
Initially presented as a hero,Frostwas 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.
5Kale
Knocks Down Goku In Super Saiyan Blue Form
Kaleis one of thestrongest Saiyan warriors in all ofDragon 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.
InDragon 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.
4Beerus And Whis
A Duo Capable Of Defeating Goku Any Time
Beerus and Whismight just make one of the most powerful package deals in theDragon Balluniverse, 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 inDragon 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.
