Born with immeasurable superpower potential, Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise and Naruto eventually matured into two of the most powerful fighters in all of manga. With the multiverse being what it is, it is not hard to envision a scenario where Goku and Naruto meet on the battlefield. In such a situation, which of these warriors would reign supreme?
Despite their obvious differences, Goku and Naruto have quite similar backgrounds. Both were orphaned at an early age by parents who sacrificed themselves to not only give their sons a chance to survive cataclysmic events occurring at the time, but also to give them a chance to redeem the family legacy. Goku, who is a member of the alien Saiyan species, was sent in a capsule to Earth by his parents just as their planet Vegeta was about to be destroyed by the evil ruler Frieza. Found on Earth by martial arts master Son Gohan, Goku’s introduction to the life of a warrior was immediate. Unlike Goku, Naruto is human. However, shortly after his birth, to save their village from destruction by the nine-tailed beast attacking it, Naruto’s parents sealed the spirit of the beast into his infant body. Trapped with a malevolent spirit inside his soul, only after years of training and practice was Naruto able to control the beast within and use it as a force multiplier in battle.
Over the years, both Goku and Naruto were able to develop a number of powers that took advantage of their innate abilities and unique physical or mental characteristics. Goku, being an alien, has a basic level of fitness and durability that is superior to even the strongest human. That element, coupled with successive training sessions alongside some of the best warriors of the human, alien, and spiritual world, has transformed him into a nearly invincible warrior. Goku’s top two secret weapons are the Kamehameha and the Super Saiyan power. Kamehameha, which is Goku’s signature move, is a blast ray he can shoot from his hands. Super Saiyan power gives Goku the full powers of an elite-level Saiyan warrior including increased durability, healing, and attack power damage.
Although Naruto does not enjoy Goku’s biological physical strengths, he makes up for them in mystical powers. The nine-tailed beast trapped within him was once powerful enough to threaten the existence of Naruto’s home village. Just as with Goku, through training, Naruto has been able to transform his symbiotic relationship with the beast to his ongoing advantage. Rasengan and Jutsu are two powers derived from his interactions with the beast inside him. Rasengan is a ball of chakra energy drawn from the beast’s essence that he can use to disable opponents. Jutsu allows Naruto to conjure up several superpowers ranging from shooting lightning bolts from his hands to physically increasing his body’s power, strength, durability.
On paper, strength for strength, skill for skill, Goku and Naruto seem equal. However, the deciding factor is experience. Since his childhood, Goku has consistently been asked to overcome some of the toughest and most battle-hardened warriors of the universe. This experience gives him a slight edge over Naruto who, while also being challenged early on, has never been asked to overcome such a diverse set of opponents. Ultimately, Goku‘s experience will allow him to find and manipulate a weakness within Naruto.
