There is no doubt that Goku is one of the strongest anime characters to have ever existed. From his humble beginnings in the Dragon Ball series to being the first character to achieve the Super Saiyan form, Goku has had a long run. He doesn’t give up no matter what situation he’s in and somehow manages to come out on top.
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Goku's power level is always increasing to insane levels that it’s not even officially recorded anymore. It has been long speculated what his power level is now and can only guess at this point where it is now. For years, fans have watched Goku keep getting stronger and stronger, wondering if there’s a limit for him.
Dragon Ball Series
- Power Level Start: 10
- Power Level End: 910 (was able to get Kamehameha up to this)
Despite being so young, Goku was very powerful as a little kid. He was always able to defeat enemies that looked stronger than him. Thanks to his training with Grandpa Gohan, Goku was able to fend for himself for a long time before he met Bulma. When they started traveling together, Goku gained more experience and made him a force to be reckoned with. His power only grew more as he trained with Master Roshi and met Krillin.
At the end of the series, Goku was able to defeat King Piccolo, who was just as powerful as him. He was also able to beat Piccolo Jr. (otherwise known as Piccolo), who is also a very strong warrior.
Dragon Ball Z: Raditz Saga
- Power Level Start: 334
- Power Level End: 924 (was able to get Kamehameha up to this)
With the world mostly at peace, Goku was able to settle down with his wife Chi-Chi and have a son, Gohan, with her. Goku kept up with his training throughout this time, but even that wouldn’t be enough for a new threat: Raditz. After Raditz kidnaps Gohan, Goku and Piccolo form an unlikely team to take him on. Even without their weights, both fighters were no match for him.
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Luckily for them, an epic headbutt from Gohan stuns and weakens Raditz enough for Goku to get a hold on him. Piccolo is able to charge up his Special Beam Cannon to kill Raditz, but this also kills Goku in the process.
Dragon Ball Z: Vegeta Saga
- Power Level Start: over 9000
- Power Level End: 21,000+ with Kaio-ken x3
Even after dying, Goku continues his training in the afterlife under King Kai. He returns back to Earth to help fight Vegeta and Nappa, two Saiyans like Goku. He arrives in time to save Gohan and Krillin from Nappa and defeats him with relative ease. Goku and Vegeta fight after this and the two Saiyans seem evenly matched, plus give fans the most epic and first-ever beam struggle. However, Vegeta transforms into his Great Ape form and overpowers Goku.
Because of his overuse of Kaio-ken, which took a heavy toll on his body, Goku isn’t able to defend himself. Luckily for him, Yajirobe cuts off Vegeta’s tail and Gohan turns into his Great Ape form and injures Vegeta. The match more or less ends in a draw as both warriors are unable to fight.
Dragon Ball Z: Captain Ginyu Saga
- Power Level Start: 85,000 – 90,000
- Power Level End: Approx. 180,000 with Kaio-ken
Goku was able to recover from his battle with Vegeta after a few weeks and traveled to the planet Namek to help his friends. He trains on his way and increases his power level to insane levels.
Once there, he easily defeats some of the Ginyu Force members. However, Captain Ginyu switches their bodies and Goku is in Captain Ginyu’s weakened body. Unable to control Goku’s powers, Captain Ginyu (in Goku’s body) is beaten severely by Vegeta. After getting his body back, Goku is weak and put in a Medical Machine to recover.
Dragon Ball Z: Frieza Saga
- Power Level Start: 3,000,000 in base form
- Power Level End: 150,000,000 in Super Saiyan form
The saga that changed everything in the Dragon Ball series. After recovering from Vegeta’s beating, Goku fights against Frieza, the greatest threat the universe faces. At first, the match seems evenly matched, but it turns out Frieza was holding back. Goku uses a Large Spirit Bomb to finish Frieza, but this only weakens him. Frieza in turn kills Krillin. This would be a major turn in the series.
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Goku taps into his inner power and becomes a Super Saiyan, which was thought to be a legend. He and Frieza resume their fight and Goku quickly gains the upperhand. Frieza’s power eventually fades as the fight goes on and becomes weak. Goku initially spares him after Frieza accidentally cuts himself in half with his own attack. He finishes him off when Frieza tries to kill him.
Dragon Ball Z: Cell Games Saga
- Power Level Start: presumably around 45,000,000 in base form
- Power Level End: presumably around 2-2.5 Billion in Super Saiyan form at 100% power
During the Cell Games Saga, Goku focuses his efforts on getting Gohan ready to fight Cell in his Perfect Form. Goku fights Cell at first but he is no match for him, even at max power. Gohan was under the belief that Goku was holding back, but Goku revealed he was at 100% power in his fight.
He believes Gohan is the only one capable of beating Cell and that’s why he focused on getting him stronger. When Gohan manages to win, Cell tries to destroy Earth by self-destruction, Goku teleports Cell and himself to King Kai’s planet. Cell manages to survive and teleports back to Earth to finish it off. Goku channels some power to Gohan to power up his Kamehameha and finish Cell once and for all.
Dragon Ball Z: Majin Buu Saga
- Power Level Start: presumably around 60,000,000 in his base form
- Power Level End: presumably around 20-25 Billion in Super Saiyan 3 form
Goku returns to Earth to fight in the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. Unfortunately, the tournament gets cut short for the Z fighters after a new threat appears. A seemingly harmless-looking creature, Majin Buu, is summoned and kills almost everyone on the planet. Goku fights Majin Buu and introduces the Super Saiyan 3 form in their fight, but this isn’t even enough to defeat Buu.
He fights the various stages of Buu, but Goku doesn’t have enough power, so he and Vegeta fuse together and become Vegito. They get separated when inside Buu and later resume their fight with him. Goku is only able to finish Buu for good with the power of the Super Spirit Bomb.
Dragon Ball Super: God Of Destruction Beerus Saga
- Power Level Start: presumably around 60-75,000,000 in base form
- Power Level End: presumably in the lower quadrillions/6-6.5 quadrillion in Super Saiyan God form
Just when life is looking normal, Beerus the God of Destruction arrives on Earth looking for the Super Saiyan God. Beerus looks for Goku after hearing about his victory over Frieza and hearing that he became a Super Saiyan. At first, Goku doesn’t appear to be a match for him. Other Z fighters try their hands at him, but Beerus barely uses any power to take them out.
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After learning about a ritual to make a Super Saiyan God, Goku seems to have enough power. He and Beerus fight with Goku seeming to be on Beerus’ level. However, Beerus is still much stronger than him and wins.
Dragon Ball Super: “Future” Trunk Saga
- Power Level Start: presumably around the low trillions/9 trillion
- Power Level End: presumably high quintillions/900 quintillion in Super Saiyan Blue form with Kaio-ken x10
Future Trunks returns to Goku’s world and asks for his help in taking out an enemy that looks just like Goku. This version of Goku is called Goku Black who is Zamasu, a Supreme Kai that swapped bodies with Goku in an altered timeline. With the combined powers of Future Zamasu and Goku Black, Goku and the others aren’t able to defeat them on their own even in their strongest forms.
Goku summons Future Zeno, one of the kings of the 18 universes, as a last resort to win. Instead of helping, Future Zeno decides to erase the entire timeline and everyone in it. It's not exactly a victory for the Z fighters, but at least Future Trunks and Future Mai lived.
Dragon Ball Super: Universal Survival
- Power Level Start: presumably in the 100 trillions in his base form
- Power Level End: presumably in the septillion range to almost infinite in Ultra Instinct form
By this time, Goku’s power levels have reached ridiculously insane levels that even gods are impressed with this. During the Tournament of Power, Goku’s power increased with each fight he was in and watching his friends fall in battle. He was able to enter his Ultra Instinct form twice, which was thought to be impossible even for gods.
With Ultra Instinct, Goku becomes nearly invincible in battle. However, Goku hasn’t fully mastered the form and can’t use it for too long.