In celebration of Goku Day 2024, an annual celebration of Dragon Ball, it was announced that Toei would hold an official fan poll for Goku’s best fights in the manga. Both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Super were included in the poll, and people could even vote for less serious fights like when Goku and Vegeta went go-karting, so there were plenty of options for people to choose from.

As per the structure of the poll, there are plenty of short fights on the list like when Goku fought Mr. Popo or Uub, and there are even some more jokey examples like Goku kicking a tree stump or when he destroyed Yamcha’s car with the Kamehameha.

Every fight in the top 10 is more serious, of course, and befitting that, manga according to fans are all ones that excel in of art, fight choreography, and emotional stakes, and each one is worth examining for the pure variety to them, alone.

10 Dragon Ball Super’s Manga Has A Great Take On Goku & Jiren’s Final Fight

Dragon Ball Super Chapter #41

After Android 17’s failed attempt to sacrifice himself to take out Jiren, Goku finally found the will to calm himself and entered Ultra Instinct, thus finally putting him on Jiren’s level. Unfortunately, Goku’s lack of experience with Ultra Instinct prevented him from maintaining the form long enough to defeat Jiren, and after losing control over Ultra Instinct, Goku had to team up with Vegeta to finish the fight.

The Dragon Ball Super manga’s take on Ultra Instinct Goku vs. Jiren is nowhere near as flashy as the anime’s, but just like the anime, the Dragon Ball Super manga did an amazing job of showing off how powerful Ultra Instinct was through incredible fight choreography that had Goku decimate someone who was all but invincible. The Tournament of Power has its fair share of problems, but Goku and Jiren’s final fight is the biggest highlight, no matter the medium.

9 Goku & Grandpa Gohan’s Fight Captures All The Charm Of Early Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Chapters #105-108

After Goku defeated the fourth of Fortuneteller Baba’s fighters, Devilman, his final opponent was a mysterious masked fighter with a halo. The masked fighter seemed to know all of Goku’s weaknesses even the Kamehameha, and after abruptly surrendering when Goku’s tail was ripped off, he revealed himself to be Son Gohan, Goku’s adoptive grandfather who came down from heaven for one day to see him again.

Not only does Goku and Grandpa Gohan’s fight have incredible choreography to the point of being referenced decades later in Dragon Ball Super, but the emotional beats of Goku’s reunion with Granda Gohan make for one of the most heartwarming moments in all of Dragon Ball, and that remains as true now as it did almost 40 years ago. It’s a fight that perfectly encapsulates what made early Dragon Ball so great, and it makes sense that it would rank so highly.

8 Gohan’s Final Fight With Cell Was A Goku Fight On A Technicality

Dragon Ball Chapters #415-416

After Cell survived his self-destruction and regenerated into his Super Perfect form, he quickly broke one of Gohan’s arms and prepared to destroy the Earth with one final Kamehameha. Gohan was ready to give up, but Goku, now in the Other World after his death, convinced him to keep fighting, and from there, Goku helped Gohan power through one last Kamehameha and defeat Cell for good.

Gohan and Cell’s final struggle barely counts as a Goku fight, with him not even being present for the fight, so it’s one of the weirder inclusions in the poll, by far. That being said, Gohan’s Father-Son Kamehameha is one of the most iconic and cathartic moments in all of Dragon Ball, so it makes sense for it to rank so highly, even if it’s hard to see it as a genuine fight of Goku’s.

7 Goku’s Fight With Majin Vegeta Kicked Off One Of Dragon Ball’s Best Character Arcs

Dragon Ball Chapters #458-462

After realizing that Vegeta purposefully fell under Babidi’s spell, Goku angrily took Vegeta up on his challenge for a fight, despite that only hastening Majin Buu’s revival. Goku and Majin Vegeta fought to a draw, although it was later revealed that Goku held back by not using Super Saiyan 3, and the fight officially came to an end when Vegeta sucker-punched Goku to fight Babidi by himself.

While Goku and Majin Vegeta’s fight in the manga isn’t as long as it is in the anime, not only is the action still great, but just like in the anime, Goku and Majin Vegeta’s fight is great at starting Vegeta’s arc of coming to with not being an evil person anymore, with Vegeta’s iconic Final Explosion shortly after further selling that point. Add in how it’s technically an example of Vegeta beating Goku, and there’s plenty to love about the fight.

6 Goku & Gohan’s Fight Showed Just How Far The Two Had Grown

Dragon Ball Super Chapters #102-103

Following the defeat of Cell Max, Goku, learning about Gohan’s powerful new Beast form, invited him to Beerus’ planet so he could see how strong he had become. Not wanting to waste any time, both of them went all out from the very start, with Gohan jumping straight into Beast and Goku Mastered Ultra Instinct, Goku’s most recent training session helping him overcome the emotional issues he had with it.

While Gohan and Goku’s fight ended inconclusively, the artwork and writing did a great job highlighting how strong they had become and how, unlike Gohan’s other power boosts, Beast wouldn’t go away anytime soon. Gohan and Goku’s fight perfectly showcased their growth as fighters and family in Dragon Ball, and in light of the manga’s hiatus following Akira Toriyama’s death, that was a perfect note for it to go out on.

5 Goku & Vegeta’s First Fight Set The Tone For Dragon Ball For Decades

Dragon Ball Chapters #228-235

After easily defeating Nappa, the only Saiyan left for Goku to fight was Vegeta, the far stronger of the two. Even with his training with King Kai, Vegeta was far too strong for Goku to handle, and it took pushing his body well past its limits just for Goku to stand his ground against him.

Goku and Vegeta’s first fight is one of the most iconic fights in all of Dragon Ball, with the poses they took at the beginning of the fight being referenced countless times in and out of the franchise, and between the excellent fight choreography and constant escalation to the point that Goku outright loses, it’s easy to see why. Goku and Vegeta’s first fight was the perfect way of capping off the shift in tone of the Dragon Ball Z era, and it was a perfect pretext for what would soon become the norm.

4 Goku Finally Unlocked His True Power In The Final Fight With Moro

Dragon Ball Super Chapters #64-67

Thanks to Merus’ sacrifice against Moro, Goku came to understand the merits of fighting for justice, and with that newfound clarity, he could finally enter Mastered Ultra Instinct at will. Goku’s new power put him far above Moro, but when Moro fused himself with the Earth, Goku was forced to sur his limits even further and draw out even more of his power to save the day.

Between Goku’s great character development and the stellar artwork and fight choreography that’s some of the best representation of Akira Toriyama’s legacy, Goku and Moro’s final fight in Dragon Ball Super was the perfect showing of Goku’s growth in the manga and how great a continuation of the series the manga was, overall. The Galactic Patrol Prisoner saga was the manga’s first original story arc, and thanks to Goku and Moro’s fight, it ended on as high a note as possible.

3 Goku Conquered His Biggest Challenge Yet With King Piccolo

Dragon Ball Chapters #155-161

As King Piccolo had all but taken over the world, Goku returned for a rematch, with Goku now stronger than ever thanks to the power of the Ultra Divine Water. With the two of them now stronger than ever, their final fight was far more even than their first one, and after being pushed to the edge, Goku finally emerged victorious against King Piccolo and saved the world.

The King Piccolo saga was the first time Dragon Ball became largely dark and action-oriented, and Goku and King Piccolo’s final fight brought that to its peak thanks to how well the artwork and dialogue conveyed the intensity and overall high stakes from start to finish. Goku and King Piccolo’s final fight perfectly played into the more serious nature of its story arc, and it was an excellent precursor to what the story would be like from Dragon Ball Z, onward.

2 Goku & Frieza’s Fight Is Still One Of Dragon Ball’s Most Iconic Moments

Dragon Ball Chapters #307-327

After Goku finished recovering from the fight with Captain Ginyu, he returned to his friends just in time to take up the fight against Frieza in his final form. Sure enough, though, Frieza initially proved too powerful for even Goku to handle, and fighting Frieza meant that Goku had to push himself to his limit and achieve his destiny by becoming the legendary Super Saiyan.

Between its stellar artwork and fight choreography, the way Akira Toriyama masterfully built up tension over and over again, and the absolute catharsis of Goku becoming a Super Saiyan and dominating Frieza, Dragon Ball is the perfect encapsulation of everything that came before it. There had never been a fight quite like this one, and even after so many decades, it’s arguably the peak of Dragon Ball’s action.

1 Goku & Jackie Chun’s Fight Is Far Better Than People Give It Credit For

Dragon Ball Chapters #46-54

In the final round of Goku’s first World Martial Arts Tournament, he fought against Jackie Chun, a powerful fighter who was secretly Master Roshi in disguise. The two of them were nearly evenly matched and were pushed to their limits for it, but after a long fight, Jackie Chun eked out a win and delivered Goku his first genuine loss, although he wasn’t too upset about it.

Goku and Jackie Chun’s fight is one of the best fights in early Dragon Ball thanks to its gorgeous artwork and the comedy and emotional weight of its writing, all of which was greatly capped off by Goku losing, but still using his loss as a means of growth. It might not be the flashiest fight, but there’s plenty to love about it, and it makes perfect sense that it would be voted the best of Goku’s fights in the Dragon Ball manga.

Source: Dragon Ball's official website.