The times when Goku was defeated but should have won in Dragon Ball

Key points

• Goku's defeats are often due to his naive nature and love of battles, which lead him to lower his guard at crucial moments.
• Fights against Golden Frieza, Tien Shinhan, Frost, and others show Goku's vulnerabilities and flawed character traits.
• Goku's defeats against strong opponents such as Kale, Frost and Majin Vegeta highlight his recklessness and desire to test his opponents before giving his all.

Dragon Ball is known for its numerous anime series spanning Goku's childhood to his days as a grandfather, filled with epic adventures and thrilling fights. With the recent release of Dragon Ball DaimaIt's clear that the franchise is ever-expanding, telling new adventures of Goku and the Z Fighters as they take on the greatest foes to save the day.

While Goku has a reputation for stepping in and saving the day, the hero has had his fair share of defeats which makes him such a beloved, yet flawed character. Facing so many incredibly powerful opponents, most of Goku's losses were justified in some way, yet there were a few times where the hero should have won but for a specific reason didn't. Whether it's due to Goku's love of fighting, puffed-up Saiyan pride, or simple naivety, there are a few moments in the anime franchise where the hero suffers some undeserved defeats.

1 Gold frieze

Goku lets his guard down in a moment of naivety

• Dragon Ball Super
• Episodes: 24-26

Frieza has solidified himself as one of the best villains in the game Dragon Ballbeing responsible for pushing Goku and the franchise as a whole to move to a new level. Although most of their matches ended in a clear victory for Goku, his defeat against Golden Frieza was particularly difficult considering the antagonist's power level.

After an arduous battle, Goku gains the upper hand over his antagonist, but the hero's naivety gets in the way of giving the infamous villain another chance. Deciding not to finish him, Goku lowers his guard and ends up falling into an ambush by Frieza's ally, who causes the protagonist to fall in a fight that he won.

2 Tien Shinhan

Goku loses on a technicality

• Dragon Ball
• Episodes: 97-101

Considered one of the best tournament fights, Goku and Tenien's first meeting embodied different fighting ideologies that boiled down to one epic battle. Because of this, the fight felt like a head-to-head competition, as both fought for their beliefs in an intense confrontation that still felt new to them. Dragon Ball.

Eventually, Goku manages to use a pair of Kamehameha waves that put him in a winning position over Tien, but ends up losing on a technicality as he lands on a car, hitting the ground before his opponent.

3 Cabbage

Inattention and curiosity get the better of Goku

• Dragon Ball Super
• Episodes: 114-116

Kale is one of the strongest Saiyans in terms of brute strength, having a blind rage that makes her a danger to everyone around her. During the Tournament of Power, she goes on a rampage which results in Goku's defeat, leaving her virtually unharmed.

There's no way to be sure that Goku could have beaten Kale at that moment, but it's obvious that he was careless by not giving everything at once, wanting to see what Kale was capable of before committing himself with all his might. This gives the enraged Saiyan a chance to gain the upper hand and knock out Goku before the fight escalates.

4 Frost

Goku's innocence and good nature help a traitorous opponent

• Dragon Ball Super
• Episodes: 33-34

Frost's victory is quite quick despite losing most of the fight against Goku, relying on a secret attack to defeat the protagonist. In terms of power, Goku is well above Frost's level, but the antagonist's true power lies in his deception, pretending to be a good guy, only to then betray everyone.

Even though Goku is winning, he decides he doesn't want to hurt his “good-natured” opponent, taking too long to finish the fight, which allows Frost to infect him with poison leading to Goku's defeat. While this counts as a victory for Frost, the villain was later caught cheating and eliminated from the tournament.

5 Hit

Saiyan pride and fairness collide in a forfeit

• Dragon Ball Super
• Episodes: 38-40

Goku begins his fight against Hit at a disadvantage, as the opponent possesses some unique techniques, including time jump, which give him an advantage over the protagonist. Eventually, however, Goku figures out how to counter his ability, giving himself a major advantage over Hit that should have guaranteed him victory.

Even though Goku has more humanity than most characters, his Saiyan pride is instilled in him, being the main reason he lost this battle. In the end, the protagonist gives up the battle by eliminating himself, as he believes it is not a fair fight since Hit is an assassin who is not allowed to kill, as per the tournament rules.

6 Jiren

Goku's love for fighting makes him reckless

• Dragon Ball Super
• Episodes: 128-130

In one of the best fights in Dragon Ball SuperGoku clashes with the powerful Jiren, who forces the protagonist to reach new limits. During combat, Goku unlocks new transformations and powers that make him even stronger than his foe, despite starting far below Jiren's level.

Goku's love of fighting causes him to take too long to finish off Jiren, reverting to his original form as he is about to defeat his enemy. With Jiren once again in the lead, Goku must team up with Frieza and Android 17 to defeat his enemy in an epic finale to the saga.

7 Android 19

The protagonist is stopped by a heart disease

• Dragon Ball Z
• Episodes: 126 -129

In Dragon Ball ZAndroid 19 and 20 make their first appearance to showcase the new threat Trunks warned them about. Regardless of their unique abilities among other androids, they were by no means the most powerful enemies in the saga, especially since the Z fighter was aware of the impending threat.

In his most powerful form, Goku would have been able to easily take on Android 19, but the protagonist ends up almost dying during the fight due to his heart disease. Android 19 may have had the ability to absorb energy, but the protagonist's heart virus is the reason Goku is forced to fight for his life.

8 Majin Vegeta

Vegeta takes advantage of Goku's naivety to knock him out

• Dragon Ball Z
• Episodes: 230-233

With an iconic rival friendship, Goku and Vegeta push each other to become stronger despite being enemies at first. The two met on the battlefield a couple of times, including when Vegeta was imbued with Babidi's magic, seeking to prove himself and letting his pride override reason.

Using all his anger and resentment, Majin Vegeta begins to fight Goku to prove that he has overcome him. Even though Majin Vegeta has an advantage over Goku thanks to Babidi's help, the protagonist still manages to overpower him. As a result, Majin Vegeta exploits Goku's naivety against him by convincing the protagonist to lower his guard, knocking him out in a single move.