For many kids who grew up watching anime in the nineties, the answer to who is the strongest character in anime is unquestionably the Super Saiyan himself, Son Goku. Throughout the Dragon Ball metaseries, Goku has fought and defeated a myriad of alien invaders, each one stronger than the last. Whether he defeats and befriends them (as was the case with Piccolo and Vegeta) or he's forced to completely annihilate them (like Frieza and Cell), you can count on Goku to eventually come out on top.
The incredible level of Goku's power has made him the subject of many internet debates, placing him in fictional fights with other anime characters and even western heroes. The most famous of these fictional fights is the "Goku vs. Superman" debate. While some still argue one over the other, many fans believe that Goku would utterly destroy the Man of Steel. That takes care of anime and comic books, but what about video games? Can Dante from Devil May Cry defeat him? Is Goku powerful enough to stop Kratos? What about Mewtwo?
There are a ton of powerful characters in video games, some of which may be able to stand toe to toe with Goku himself. Today were going to be taking a look at twenty of these powerful video game heroes and villains and seeing which can defeat the Saiyan and which fall just short of victory. The outcomes to some of these fights will be rather obvious (I think we all know how Goku vs. Kirby is going to go down), but others may surprise you.
20 A Powerful Plumber
When it comes to classic video game characters, no one's more old school than Mario. Able to jump and fight his way through the Mushroom Kingdom with only the occasional help of a hammer and fire flower, not many people would consider him to be all that powerful a fighter. Even his appearances in the Smash Bros. series place him as a basic, well-rounded fighter suitable for beginners.
Some people forget, though, about his stage clearing Final Smash, in which he launches a barrage of fireballs across all his enemies on the stage. Goku might be able to dodge that and counter with his own Kamehameha, but that's when Mario pulls his secret weapon: the Super Star. Not only will Mario be invulnerable to all of his attacks, but just one-hit from the plucky plumber will send the Saiyan flying all the way back to his home planet.
Winner: Mario
19 The Last Spartan
There are tons of super soldiers in video games, but none is more iconic than Halo's John-117, better known as the Master Chief. With more than thirty years of active duty under his belt, this highly decorated war veteran has shown that he is more than capable of holding his own in battle. He has fought and defeated two separate alien threats and managed to blow up one of the titular Halo rings. He is very strong and tough, and is even able to survive reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
But as tough as he is, his strategy of run and gun is his weak point. As fans of DBZ know, conventional firearms have little to no effect on Saiyans. He might have better luck with plasma-based weapons and the Spartan Laser, but given Goku's previous battle experience, he'd probably just brush that off and disintegrate the Spartan in one blast.
Winner: Goku
18 Here Be Dragons
There are many dragons in video games, but none are more fearsome than this beast from deep within Azeroth: Deathwing the Destroyer. Thought to be dead by many, this ancient dragon laid his wrath upon the land in World of Warcraft's third expansion, Cataclysm. As part of an ancient order of dragons with dominion over the earth, he's already pretty powerful. But after being driven mad by the Old Gods, Deathwing truly becomes a near unstoppable blight against the land.
Goku is pretty powerful himself, but even he would have trouble taking down a dragon with 858,000,000 health all by himself, a difficult task even for a party of high-level adventurers. Add to that Deathwing's control over lava and his invulnerability to extreme temperatures, and Goku's fiery blasts are nothing more than hot air to this terrifying nightmare.
Winner: Deathwing
17 Flawless Victory
The Mortal Kombat series is filled with powerful and merciless fighters, but none is stronger or more brutal than Shao Kahn the Konquerer, the warlord of Outworld and organizer of the MK tournaments. Not only does he have strength that matches, if not surpasses, that of Raiden the literal God of Thunder, but he is also a very intelligent foe with a mastery of the black art and a habit of devouring the souls of his fallen enemies.
However, he does have a tendency to be overconfident, which is how he lost to the Earthrealmers so many times. And as we've seen many times over in DBZ, the last thing you want to do is underestimate Goku's power. It may take ten episodes for Goku to work up the nerve to pull a fatality on Shao Kahn, but this will inevitably be a flawless victory for the Saiyan.
Winner: Goku
16 You're Gonna Have A Bad Time
Fans of Undertale know that this funny little skeleton is more powerful than he seems, but is he really strong enough to beat Goku? Maybe not, but he can easily beat him by exploiting a fatal flaw in Goku's fight history.
Throughout the Dragon Ball series, nearly all of the enemies Goku faces have a tendency to hide their true power levels, preferring to toy with their opponents at half power while bragging that "this isn't even my final form!" Goku himself even tends to start his fights at half power just to gage his opponent's strength.
Sans does not have time for that crap. As anyone who has played through the Genocide route will tell you, Sans will completely take Goku by surprise by unleashing his most powerful attack right off the bat, an attack that is impossible to survive unless you've already memorized the pattern.
Winner: Sans
15 The Most Evil Resident
The Resident Evil games may have players fighting all manner of zombies and monsters, but the most powerful monster of all is Albert Wesker. This cunning Umbrella researcher infiltrated S.T.A.R.S. and betrayed countless people in his quest for power. He eventually infects himself with a Prototype virus that gives him superhuman powers, making him some weird mix of Herbert West--Reanimator and Neo.
Though Wesker's agility, endurance and strength rose to inhuman levels and he even gained a limited healing factor, he's still nowhere close to Goku's level. Wesker's experience has mainly been in fighting human opponents, during which he easily outmatched them. Even if Wesker tries hardening his tissue to steel the way he did when he fought Chris Redfield, it wouldn't be enough to stop Goku from punching him through several mountains.
Winner: Goku
14 Some Aliens Just Want To Watch The World(s) Burn
Goku is no stranger when it comes to taking down alien overlords bent on destroying all life in the universe, so Pyron from Darkstalkers should be a cakewalk, right? Well, most of the enemies Goku fought weren't larger than the Milky Way galaxy, so he might have a problem there. An alien from the planet Hellstorm with a love of war and destruction, Pyron can control fire and he uses that power to consume planets and other celestial beings in his flames.
Though he often shrinks himself down to fight opponents he deems worthy, the fact that he can at any moment go back to his original size and consume the entire planet Goku is on makes his (and the universe's) chances of survival very slim.
Winner: Pyron
13 Shadow The Edgelord
It may be hard to believe that something with big white cartoon gloves could be considered the "Ultimate Life Form," but that's exactly what Dr. Robotnik set to create when he made Shadow the Hedgehog. Being made from the DNA of the evil alien Black Doom, Shadow was created to find a cure for a deadly illness. This somehow resulted in a being that is just as fast as Sonic. He also has a set of special skills such as Chaos Control (which can temporarily stop time), motorcycle riding and being able to shoot guns in a kid's game.
Unnecessary edginess aside, while Shadow may be able to match or even surpass Goku in speed, he doesn't come anywhere close to his strength or power. It may take a while for Goku to catch up to him, but one punch should be enough to put this hedgehog down.
Winner: Goku
12 Not Some Basic Witch
Looking at his fight history, it seems like Goku hasn't fought against any women. Maybe its just because all of his enemies happened to be men, but given his naiveté and good guy morals, it might be because he has a personal problem with fighting women. As chivalrous as that may be, it'll just make it easier for Bayonetta to wipe the floor with him.
Not only does the seductive sorceress rock a pair of powerful pistols, but her witch powers allow her to slow down time, making it much easier to dodge monkey boy's attacks. Bayonetta doesn't fight alone, either, as she's able to summon demons from her hair to fight alongside her. Goku may seem to like a powerful opponent to most people, but if you're a witch who once punched God into the sun, everyone else just seems a little less intimidating.
Winner: Bayonetta
11 Rip And Tear
Having started out as just another regular space marine, the DOOM Marine eventually became not only one of the most powerful characters in video games, but one of the most feared. He's shot, chainsawed and ripped through so many demons, that Hell's minions now refer to him as the "Doom Slayer" and the "Hell Walker." Even being killed in the middle of Doom II wasn't enough to stop him, as he just ended up fighting his way out of Hell and back to Earth.
Despite the dread he conjures among demons, he's still not powerful enough to take down Goku. With most of his weapons being useless, the Marine's best shot is with the BFG 9000, which can only carry three or four shots at a time. It's projectiles also travel at a short speed, so Goku would undoubtedly be able to dodge it and send the Marine back to Hell.
Winner: Goku
10 The Pen Is Mightier Than The Saiyan
Now you may be thinking that the kid from Scribblenauts isn't strong enough to defeat one the most powerful fighters in the universe, and if it was just a simple one-on-one fight, you'd be right. The thing is, Maxwell doesn't fight fair. Using his magical reality-warping pencil and notebook, he can conjure up all sorts of armor, weapons and allies to stop Goku.
Maxwell becomes even more unstoppable in Scibblenauts Unmasked, where he's able to summon countless DC Comics characters. Goku might be able to stop Superman, but what about the whole Justice League? And the entire Green Lantern Corps? Throw in several cyborgs, dinosaurs, wizards, Cthulhu and God for good measure, with a black hole ready just in case all that fails, and Goku is easily outmatched. Of course, this is all assuming Maxwell doesn't just use the Mind Control Device right at the start.
Winner: Maxwell
9 Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death
There are many giant robots in video games, but one of the most memorable ones is Liberty Prime from Fallout 3 and 4. Running on a mix of nuclear fusion coils and pure American patriotism, the 40-foot tall robot assaults its foes with powerful eye beams, tactical nuclear bombs, and anti-communist propaganda. Reprogrammed by the Brotherhood of Steel to help defeat Enclave forces and super mutants, Prime has been a vital asset in turning the tide of war.
As formidable as he is against Chinese communists and Institute synths, Liberty Prime is not prepared for a fight against Goku. He can either dodge or brush off Prime's lasers and bombs, and is more than capable of returning fire. And when it comes to speed, Prime is laughably slow, with most players being able to outrun him on foot. Goku will fly circles around Prime before the poor giant dies for his country.
Winner: Goku
8 Genetically Engineered Perfection
Genetically engineered and cloned from the legendary Psychic-type Pokémon Mew, Mewtwo was created to be the ultimate weapon in combat. It lacks compassion and only has one thought: how to defeat its foes. Sure, Goku has faced plenty of powerful cold, calculating enemies, but the most powerful Pokémon of all is no easy match, especially with introduction of Mewtwo's MegaEvolutions.
Being an already powerful creature, Mewtwo's base Attack can go as far as 190, Sp. Attack to 194 and Sp. Defense to 120 when it goes Mega, and that's assuming it hasn't leveled up already. Not only that, but through the use of TMs and HMs, it can learn nearly every powerful move in the game. Not that it really needs to, since it's powerful Psystrike can easily floor the Saiyan without even having to touch him.
Winner: Mewtwo
7 Devilish Strength
Ever since his introduction in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma has been one of the deadliest recurring opponents Ryu and company have ever had to face. He is an emotionless and powerful warrior hell-bent on mastering Satsui no Hado, a dark-energy based force. A merciless fighter who solely focuses on training, battling and destroying strong opponents.
While Akuma may relish the thought of finding and battling an opponent as powerful as Goku, he really doesn't stand a chance. Though many of the World Warriors do have attacks that involve blasting energy at their opponents, none of those moves come anywhere close to what Goku is capable, not to mention his flying abilities. No matter how much murderous intent he's surging with, Akuma is destined for a KO.
Winner: Goku
6 The Slayer Of Gods
When it comes to powerful video game characters, none is more feared than Kratos. After being tricked by Ares into killing his own family, he went on a roaring rampage of revenge across ancient Greece taking him all the way to Mount Olympus. Slaying the God of War was only the beginning, as not only did he kill countless mythological monsters and even heroes (RIP Hercules and Perseus), but he eventually fought and killed every single god one by one like some sort of mythological Jason Voorhees.
Goku is easily outmatched here, as not only is Kratos a god that even other gods and Titans have come to fear, but he seems to be immortal. Stabbing himself with the Blade of Olympus, a sword with the power to kill gods, apparently had no real effect on him, as his appearance in the upcoming God of War game seems to suggest.
Winner: Kratos
5 The Force Is Very Strong With This One
Star Wars is a far-reaching franchise with tons of video games in its Expanded Universe (which Disney has now more or less dismissed). There are tons of unique and memorable original characters in the franchise's games, but none are more powerful than the Apprentice from The Force Unleashed.
The Apprentice, also known as Galen Marek and Starkiller, is a powerful Force-user, possibly even more so than his master Darth Vader or even the Emperor himself. Not only is he able to defeat the two of them in combat, he is strong enough to pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky.
Surely, he's more than a match for Goku, right? Not necessarily. Though his Force skills will be tricky to defend against, the Saiyan still beats him on sheer power, speed and strength. One quick blast or strong punch, and Marek becomes just another Force ghost.
Winner: Goku
4 The Little Pink Powerhouse
Now I know what you're thinking. That little pink puffball? Kirby? You really think he's got a shot at beating Goku? If you've never played a Kirby game, then you don't know what a titan he truly is. He can eat and absorb the powers of his fallen foes, meaning that if he gets close enough to Goku, Kirby will get a good meal and instantly learn how to Kamehameha.
Even discounting his copy abilities, Kirby's list of feats make him a truly intimidating beast. He was able to escape a black hole, defeated a wish-granting reality warper, and defeated Master Hand and Crazy Hand, the creator and destroyer of the entire universe. In fact, he is so strong that with enough focus he can crack an entire planet in half with one punch. When it comes to powerful video game characters, Kirby is god-tier.
Winner: Kirby
3 Pretty Powerful For A Prototype
Prototype is an open world action-adventure game released in 2009. In it, players take control of Alex Mercer, a powerful shapeshifting amnesiac who must stop a deadly virus that mutates people into violent monsters. Along the way, he finds that he can shapeshift his body into deadly weapons, mostly in the form of large spikes and knives. He can also create indestructible shields for himself, making him nearly invulnerable to military firearms and artillery.
Though he may be strong enough to stop mutants and the military, Mercer has never faced off against something as powerful as Goku. Stopping a bazooka is one thing, but the Kamehameha blast? And those deadly claws of his would be nothing more than a scratch to the Saiyan. Looks like Goku will stop this infection before it spreads.
Winner: Goku
2 Wrath Of The Gods
All of the previous video game characters are very powerful in their own right, and Goku might even have a chance to beat some of them under the right circumstances, but they all pale in comparison to the title character from Asura's Wrath. After being betrayed by the pantheon of gods, demigod Asura makes it his mission to punch his way through all of the universe and fight the creator of everything that ever was.
Nothing stands in Asura's way. Demons, deities, entire spaceship armadas, planet-destroying space stations, even planets and suns get punched through in his mad rage. Goku may be the strongest Saiyan, but to a deity that was able to punch out the creator of the universe, that's like facing off against the strongest termite.
Winner: Asura
1 Shout At The Devil
When it comes to demon hunters, few are as powerful (or as cool) as Devil May Cry's Dante. Being half demon himself, Dante's no slouch when it comes to power, as he's able to slay monsters with relative ease using his twin pistols and a really big sword. He's also insanely tough, as he's able to survive an impaling like it was nothing. But his most impressive ability by far is being able to shred the guitar like he's Eddie Van Halen.
Rock star qualities aside, Dante's still not much of a match for Goku. Guns do no damage to him. Supernatural weapons may hurt him, but that brings the issue of distance. Dante needs to get close to take a swing at him. All Goku needs to do is fly far away and blast the paranormal mercenary to oblivion. Looks like Dante is headed straight for the Inferno.
Winner: Goku
Any other video game characters you thing are strong enough to take on Earth's greatest defender? Let us know in the comments.