5 Shonen Anime Heroes Who Could Beat Goku

Dragon Ball's Goku has become one of the strongest characters in anime. He started the original Dragon Ball series as a relatively durable little boy; since then, he's become closer to a god than a mortal. He's trained with actual gods, acquired their techniques, and knowing Goku, he's still only getting started.

While Goku has nearly transcended mortality, he still has limits. The Dragon Balls can bring him back to life, but he can still die, and if Black Frieza or any of the Angels are around, he's not even the strongest character in his own franchise.

There aren't many, but there are a handful of characters even the legendary Saiyan warrior can't beat. These characters haven't just conquered mortality: they can shape reality itself, a feat Goku may never get close to.

Simon

Gurren Lagann

Simon's transformation in Gurren Lagann is one of the most absurd in anime. He starts the series as a young man too afraid of change to pursue it; towards the end of the series, however, he becomes a being capable of shaping the multiverse.

Simon's Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is the strongest mech in anime, and it might not even be a mech at that point. It's a mech-like combination of energy strong enough to take on the Antispiral, arguably the strongest villain in anime.

When other characters are considered broken or overpowered because of their ability to destroy a planet, Simon's Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann throws around galaxies for fun. He operates on such a ridiculous level that there's no real way of escalating it from there.

It's pretty easy to see that, at this level, Goku doesn't have a chance. He can destroy planets, and maybe even galaxies, with some of his attacks, but Simon is operating on a universal scale. He's significantly stronger than Goku, he will probably stay that way forever.

Alucard

Hellsing Ultimate

Hellsing Ultimate's Alucard is one of the most unhinged characters in anime. He lives for battle, and technically, he might not even be alive at all. He's death incarnate, and he loves every aspect of violence. He's more than happy fighting vampires, Nazis, armies of undead, and anything in between.

Alucard can do just about anything. He's the ultimate weapon of the Hellsing family, and there are more than a few moments in the series that show exactly why. Once he steps onto the battlefield, the battle is won, every single time. Somehow, he became significantly stronger after almost being erased from existence.

He has Schrödinger's essence, meaning he can be "everywhere and nowhere" simultaneously. He can control the weather, turn into a river of blood, and transform into some of the most terrifying beasts in fiction. It would be easier to list all the things that Alucard can't do, as it seems like there's no limit to what the Hellsing Agency's trump card can do.

Anos Voldigoad

The Misfit of Demon King Academy

Anos Voldigoad is so broken that it's laughable. At times, it seems like even he's bored by his own power, as he's so much stronger than everyone around him that it's hardly worth a comparison. Anos is so strong that he reincarnated back into his own world after giving up his immense power to save it, a feat that barely even makes sense.

The star of The Misfit of Demon King Academy has transcended death. He's been dead before, but even that isn't enough to kill him. He's battled the Keeper of Time, his own creations, and anyone dumb enough to face him at the Demon King Academy without breaking a sweat.

One of Anos' most brutally impressive feats is killing a fellow student and reviving him in seconds. He did this to break the student's mental state, destroying the border between life and death without batting an eye. Goku might have an edge when it comes to speed and power, but when it comes to controlling life itself, even Kakarot gets beaten by Anos.

Shinra Banshoman

Fire Force

Shinra Banshoman is closer to a god than a mortal. By the end of Fire Force, he controls creation itself, making a brand-new reality that ends up becoming Soul Eater, the sequel series to Fire Force through Shinra's will. Goku would dominate Shinra at any other point in the series, but once the Fire Force protagonist becomes Shinra Banshoman, even Goku doesn't have a chance.

Shinra's Banshoman transformation is the living embodiment of hope. He can create anything through his own hope, and because of his innate persistence, he'll try over and over again until he gets it right. He's indestrucitble, immovable, and unbeatable. He's so powerful that he had to give away some of his powers, creating death itself.

There are few, if any, characters in anime that can stand up to Shinra Banshoman. He's more of a concept than a character, and at that point, what can anyone do to get in his way?

Rimuru Tempest

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Rimuru Tempest might be the single strongest character in isekai, and he's just getting started. The star of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime started as a blind, deaf slime that could barely interact with the world around him. Four seasons later, and he's the leader of a powerful nation, best friends with the Storm Dragon, Veldora, and user of multiple Unique Skills.

Goku and Rimuru are similar in that they're both constantly getting stronger. Where they differ is in where their strengths take them. Goku gets stronger on a linear level, becoming faster, more powerful, and unlocking few, if any, new techniques. Rimuru is the opposite; as he gets stronger, he acquires new abilities that transform how he approaches the world.

Unique Skills are the strongest abilities in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. They're incredibly rare, as only a handful of people have them. Rimuru has multiple, and it looks like he won't be stopping there. Eventually, he's destined to become even more powerful, transcending any and all traditional limits that could be placed upon him.

Goku is much faster and stronger than Rimuru, but Rimuru can negate almost all damage he takes immediately. He's also able to use his Appraisal skill to find Goku's biggest weakness instantly, turning one of the strongest characters in anime into dust in an instant.