Warning: contains spoilers for chapter 80 of Dragon Ball Super
A new issue of Dragon Ball Super is finally settling the classic Goku versus Naruto debate in an interesting way. These two titans of manga are both ridiculously powerful and ridiculously popular, naturally leading fans to wonder which of them would win in a fight. While it’s not surprising that Dragon Ball Super would attempt to settle the debate, what is surprising is the conclusion it seems to reach.
Dragon Ball’s sequel manga series has been focussing on the plight of a powerful fighter named Granolah the Survivor for some time now. When he was a child his people, the Cerealians, were obliterated by the Saiyans under Frieza’s order. This gave Granolah a burning hatred of the Saiyans, which leads him to seek out Goku and Vegeta to exact revenge. Together with the deceptive Heeter Gang, Granolah finds his planet’s two Dragon Balls and uses them to become the universe’s strongest fighter. It doesn’t take long for Granolah to beat both Goku and Vegeta. After Granolah realizes that Goku’s father saved him as a child though, the Heeters use the Dragon Balls to make their own member Gas stronger than Granolah. Knowing the Heeters have manipulated him, Granolah wastes no time in battling Gas.
Now, in chapter 80 of Dragon Ball Super from Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, Granolah and Gas continue their epic brawl. One interesting thing about the fight is that both of these ultra-powerful fighters display more than a few powers straight out of Naruto. Gas’ main tactic in battle seems to be conjuring weapons out of nothing. Of note, Gas’ ability to summon endless supplies of kunai and shuriken from nowhere is reminiscent of Naruto’s Sasuke and Itachi. On the other hand, Granolah’s sudden ability to make clones feels like a reference to Naruto’s signature Shadow Clone Jutsu. He even uses it to overwhelm and distract his opponent, much like Naruto.
Individually these two might not seem like a purposeful shoutout but when put together they do feel like a deliberate reference. It’s only natural to see this as a definitive answer to the Goku versus Naruto debate. The thing is though, that Granolah has already beat Goku and Gas is even stronger than Granolah. As surprising as it seems, Dragon Ball Super appears to suggest that Goku would actually lose to the Seventh Hokage. While this is logical in-universe because Granolah is objectively his universe’s second strongest warrior, it also makes sense for a real Goku versus Naruto battle. Naruto’s access to jutsu and chakra give him a more diverse powerset than his Saiyan competition. Goku’s energy blasts and martial skills are certainly powerful, but so are Naruto’s, and he also has access to illusions, summoning, and ninjutsu.
Despite these qualities though, it’s important to note that Dragon Ball Super’s Granolah arc isn’t over quite yet. Dragon Ball is infamous for contriving reasons for Goku to face off against an arc’s big boss. That might very well be the case here, as a flashback hints that Goku’s father Bardock found a way to beat Gas, leaving room for Goku to overcome this new foe. Either way, fans of both Goku and Naruto will undoubtedly still debate who would win regardless of what Dragon Ball Super suggests.
