Top 10 Goku Kills (Dragon Ball)

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the Top 10 Goku Kills.

For this list, we’re looking at the times where the rather laxed Saiyan straight up wasted people. Not grievous bodily injury, we’re talking in dire need of emergency Dragon Balls. Think we missed an epic Kamehame-kill? Let us know in the comments.

“Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge” (1991)

Why just wipe out one alien tyrant when you can also take out his older brother for a combo pack? Cooler’s arrival on Earth following the death of Frieza is something of a trend setter moment. Not because he’s a particularly captivating villain of anything, it just started the now infamous trope of Goku launching people into the sun on the back end of a Kamehameha. Even in his Final Form, Cooler still doesn’t stand much of a chance when he’s sent hurtling into space. Guess all of Goku’s mercy got spent back on Namek.

“Dragon Ball” (1986-89)

Turns out that Goku was pretty bloodthirsty back when he was a child, though it’s understandable on account that this winged demon was responsible for Krillin’s death. Hey, back then, it was a big deal! After hunting the spawn of Piccolo down, Goku proceeds to waste Tambourine like he’s Yamcha. Even when trying to flee, he doesn’t get very far. Turns out there’s nothing scarier than a kid with a tail chasing after you on a Power Pole with vengeance on the brain!

“Dragon Ball GT” (1996-97)

Look, no one is going to say the shadow dragons are the greatest villains that Goku has ever punched out, but at least they made up for some impressive kills. After attempting to show the icy version of Shenron a degree of mercy, he responds by blinding the Saiyan. Not that it does much good, since with his sharpened senses and Super Saiyan 4 form, all it takes is two punches for Goku to slay the corrupt dragon on the spot. Granted that Dragon Fist was a bit of an overkill, but hey it looked great!

“Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon” (1995)

Did we really need a whole movie about Super Saiyan 3 Goku tearing into a giant bug (that’s apparently also a dragon)? Probably not, but it doesn’t take away how awesome the conclusion is. Giving us the definitive version and debut of the Super Dragon Fist, Goku doesn’t just tear through Hirudegarn, he punches it with so much force that he summons a golden version of Shenron to devour its arthropod ass into oblivion. Now that’s how you take care of a kaiju.

“Dragon Ball GT” (1996-97)

In another time and dimension where he wasn’t saving the universe in the Tournament of Power, Android 17 was having a blast upgrading himself and wiping the floor with Goku and company. Fusing together a version from HFIL and one from the Future, 17 morphed himself into the ultimate android with seemingly no vulnerabilities. At least until he made the mistake of murdering Krillin, prompting Goku and Android 18 to launch a combined assault. 17 may have twice the processing power, but not even he can survive the same Kamehameha attack three times in a row. Seriously, what was up with that edit?

“Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan” (1993)

Before they were bros in Super, they were punching the crap out of each other in Z. Originally introduced as a giant bundle of rage traumatised from Goku’s crying back when they were infants, Broly quickly proved that those muscles weren’t just for show, casually able to wreck several Super Saiyans at once. Goku’s only recourse is to absorb the remaining energy from his friends, granting him enough strength to land that all important final hit. Now if only he had stayed dead long enough to skip over Bio Broly.

“Dragon Ball GT” (1996-97)

One last dragon for the road. Taking the combined negative energies of the Dragon Balls for himself, this wicked version of the wish granting dragon served as the strongest foe that Goku had to face all throughout GT. While Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta was able to handle most of the heavy lifting, it fell to Kid Goku to end things once and for all. Building a Spirit Bomb from energies across the universe, Goku ends things in about as traditional a way as you could expect, decimating the last of the filler with one almighty blow.

“Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F” (2015)

Given the number of times we’ve seen this alien dictator get blasted, sliced up and otherwise trounced, it’s hard to believe that the only real time that Goku has ended his life was during their second showdown. While he was happy to test out his Super Saiyan Blue form against Frieza’s newly realised golden state, the fact that Goku’d laxed attitude nearly caused the end of the world prompts him to act in a much more…decisive manner, after Whis rewinds time. Sure, it steals Vegeta’s kill but at least it earned them another tomorrow.

“Dragon Ball” (1986-89)

Out of all the punches that Goku has ever dished out, this one has a special place in the hearts of diehard Toriyama-nuts everywhere. Taking on the demon king and his full might, Goku delivers a stunning display as he unleashes a one handed ki blast to send him soaring into their air on a direct collision with Piccolo’s papa. Everything from the silhouette of the Great Ape to the iconic image of Goku blasting through that Namekian’s torso, it’s a DB moment for the ages.

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions!

Baby
“Dragon Ball GT” (1996-97)

Yakon
“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Officer Black
“Dragon Ball” (1986-89)

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

You couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to the original saga, and what a death to go out on. With Kid Buu being a bona-fide planet destroyer with a seemingly invulnerable final form, Goku and the rest are forced to go all out in order to finally, finally, finally take out the interdimensional blob monster. How so? By launching the mother of all Spirit Bombs his way, one supercharged beyond belief. Throw in a farewell speech and that one defining roar, and you’ve got yourself one pristine looking demise!