Highlights

• Goku is not the strongest anime character, as there are several characters who can defeat him.
• Anos Voldigoad, Antispiral, and Rimuru Tempest are some of the powerful characters who can beat Goku.
• The Truth, Lain Iwakura, Kaguya Otsutsuki, and Ryuk also possess abilities that can defeat Goku.

Whenever someone talks about the strongest anime characters, Goku's name hardly seems to be missing. But is he truly as strong as everyone considers him? No doubt, Saiyans have surprised us with their new and more powerful forms from time to time, especially Goku. However, no matter how hard it is to believe, the Saiyan does fall behind several anime characters, which means there are several powerful characters who can beat the Saiyan.

While we can easily complete this list with the characters from the Dragon Ball franchise itself, we won't mention the names of Dragon Ball characters in the list (except for one) to keep the list entertaining until the end. So, get ready to meet the characters from different anime worlds who can put an end to Goku's reign.

12 Anos Voldigoad (The Misfit of Demon King Academy)

Anos Voldigoad Can Destroy Universe Easily

Biggest feats of Anos Voldigoad:

• Lifted an attack on his finger that had the weight of the entire universe.
• Defeated a powerful enemy with the sound of his heartbeat.

Anos is overly attractive for a demon race and beholds the power that could even put gods to shame. He might not look rough and muscular like Goku, but his powers can make the Saiyan taste dust in no time. If you think Goku's deadliest attacks, like Kamehameha or Spirit Bomb, can turn Anos to ashes, you're wrong. He is immortal, so no matter what attack Goku uses, Anos will come back to life every time.

Voldigoad race is so destructive that they face struggles having children. Moreover, deaths and destruction around the fetus act as nourishment. Once, he lifted a castle with one hand and swirled it around on his index finger. When it comes to his full power, it is said that Anos can destroy the universe by using just his fist.

11 Antispiral (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

Antispiral Can Defeat Goku With His Multiverse Labyrinth Ability

Biggest feats of Antispiral:

• Threw planets and galaxies for attacks.
• Destroyed multiple universes during fights.

Antispiral is a supreme lord of its universe and has been present since the universe's creation. So you can compare them to Grand Zeno from the DBZ. Goku fighting AntiSpiral would be similar to him battling Grand Zeno, and we don't need to tell you the results of this battle.

We won't go much into Antispiral's powers, but let's say they can wipe out the entire existence if they wish. Antispiral doesn't even need to fight Goku in the first place. Their unique powers, like Multiverse Labyrinth, can trap Goku's consciousness by manipulating the multiverse, putting him in the imagery of infinite possibilities.

10 Rimuru Tempest (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)

He Can Mimic Anyone's Abilities And Regenerate Instantly

Biggest feats of Rimuru Tempest:

• Responsible for the construction and destruction of ten thousand universes.
• Destroyed the whole army of the Kingdom of Falmuth with ease.

Rimuru might seem powerless, but he can solo Goku and his friends simultaneously. At the start of the series, Rimuru wasn't that powerful. But, slowly, he gains several fascinating magic abilities and unique skills that make him one of the strongest characters in the anime world, and surely the most powerful one in his own universe.

Now, let's talk about some of his powers that are way too extreme for Goku to handle. His ability to quickly regenerate from any damage would nullify all of Goku's attacks. Then comes his ability to manipulate time and space, using which he can stop time. After that, he can instantly kill Goku with any of his deadly magical powers.

9 The Truth (Fullmetal Alchemist)

They Can Simply Make Goku Non-Existantial

Biggest feats of The Truth:

• The Truth is like the concept of god within the series, so he has control over everything within the universe.
• The Truth is everything in this universe.

The Truth is a fearless god-like entity from the Fullmetal Alchemist series. There's no reason why The Truth will ever fight Goku, as he is merely a bug for them. They are omnipresent and omniscient beings that serve as consciousness and conscience for all living beings. While there aren't any battles that The Truth has fought within the series, their role is equally important to other characters in Fullmetal Alchemist.

It's hard to understand The Truth, but you can contemplate them as the water you drink, the air you breathe, or the land you live on. They are not an entity but a concept that is given a shape in the series. So, even if Goku tries to kill The Truth, it would be inviting his own death.

8 Lain Iwakura (Serial Experiments Lian)

She Can Manipulate Goku Or Erase His Existence

Biggest feats of Lain Iwakura:

• She deleted all the information about her from people's minds.
• She broke the barrier between the real world and the Wired.

She would show little to no interest in battling Goku, as she usually tries to be alone. All she needs is a comfy pajama and no one to interrupt her in her room, where she can spend most of her time. But, let's say Goku instigates Lian to fight her; sadly, this would be the last battle he will fight.

Although Lian is a computer program serving as a barrier between the material world and the Wired, she has all the godly power to take down Goku easily. Some of her abilities include immortality, time manipulation, mind manipulation, regeneration, and information manipulation; the list goes on and on.

7 Kaguya Otsutsuki (Naruto)

She Can Trap Goku In Some Other Dimention

Biggest feats of Kaguya Otsutsuki:

• Destroyed the surrounding area with a mere scream.
• Sent Sasuke to another dimension to separate him from Naruto.

One could easily tell by Kaguya's looks that she isn't someone Goku should mess with. She might lack physical strength compared to Goku, but her magical powers are strong enough to send our poor Saiyan to the big sleep. She was the first person in the Naruto universe to wield Chakra on Earth.

Kaguya Otsutsuki is immortal, as she can regenerate no matter how many times you severely injure her. Her deadliest attack (Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball) can reshape the world by converting it into an empty space. But, she won't have to go to such severe lengths, as her Infinite Tsukuyomi can put Goku in a state of illusion, after which the God Tree will absorb his Chakra.

6 Ryuk (Death Note)

He Can Simply Kill Him By Writhing His Name In The Death Note

Biggest feats of Ryuk:

• Killed more than 100 billion people.
• Responsible for the whole plot of Death Note.

Ryuk is the god of death, so how can you kill someone who is himself tasked by nature to take the lives of others? Goku might be the best martial artist in the world or have supreme powers at his disposal, but none of his powers can touch Ryuk. In fact, Ryuk can only become visible to the Saiyan if he gets a chance to touch his Death Note.

Even if Goku manages to see Ryuk, he won't be able to touch him. While Goku tries all his might to inflict damage on Ryuk, the Shinigami will laugh and write his name on his death note, giving the Saiyan a peaceful or the most painful death.

5 Alucard (Hellsing)

Alucard Is Simply Immortal, Plus His Attacks Are Deadly

Biggest feats of Alucard:

• Defeated Anderson, one of the most powerful characters in the series.
• Defeated Luke Valentine with ease.

Throughout his journey, Goku came across several strong creatures, and he annihilated most of them. But his fight with this creepy vampire from the Hellsing series won't be the same. Alucard doesn't take his fights seriously to prevent unleashing his full potential. But Goku will undoubtedly push him to those lengths.

Once Alucard comes to the Release Control Art Restriction Zero state, all the souls he ever consumed will come to fight for him. After getting full control over his powers, the vampire king will maneuver his evilest form. By turning himself into a shadow, Alucard can be immune from any of Goku's attacks.

4 Saitama (One Punch Man)

Saitama Can Destroy Universes With A Mere Punch

Biggest feats of Saitama:

• Destroyed Jupiter with his sneeze.
• Traveled from the moon to the Earth in an instant.

It has always been a heated topic of discussion about who among the two superheroes is more powerful. We haven't seen the caped baldy ever getting serious in the anime, so he might not seem that powerful at first. But, the reality is that if Saitama takes the fight seriously, no one could last long against him. One serious punch and Goku will only be alive in our memories.

The manga chapters gave us a good idea about Saitama's might. After Garou kills Genos, Saitama gets serious and uses the Serious Series: Serious Table Flip attack, which turns the entire surface of Jupiter's moon into rubbles. Most surprisingly, he sneezed during his battle with Garou, nearly destroying Jupiter.

3 Saiki Kusuo

Saiki Has Multiple Ways Of Killing Goku

Biggest feats of Saiki Kusuo:

• He has wrapped reality multiple times.
• His normal throw is more than the speed of sound.

Saiki is a simple high school guy with the most down-to-earth nature in spite of being a house of powers greater than gods'. While Goku's sole motive is to become stronger and stronger and fight worthy opponents, Saiki just wants to get rid of his supernatural powers. He's fed up with his incredible strength and wants to lead a simple life.

Now let's talk about some of his powers that will make Goku look like a helpless kid against Saiki. From turning him into a stone to altering the incident of Goku's birth by going into the past or taking control of his mind and ordering him to kill himself, Saiki has countless ways to get rid of Goku. If not killing him, Saiki can torture Goku in the most hilarious ways - making his coffee bitter, changing his hairstyle, or unnecessarily dehydrating his body by evaporating all the water.

2 Yhwach

He Can Change The Future Of The Battle To His Will

Biggest feats of Yhwach:

• Defeated Yamamoto easily.
• Defeated Ichibe Hyosube.

Yhwach boasts immense powers like The Almighty, granting him the ability to see the future and manipulate fate. His Quincy abilities enable him to absorb spiritual energy and harness it for devastating attacks. To challenge Goku, Yhwach's The Almighty stands pivotal. By foreseeing Goku's moves and altering destiny itself, he could counter Goku's incredible speed and unpredictable combat style. And even if Goku manages to attack or almost kill Yhwach, he will change his destiny instantly.

Moreover, Yhwach's ability to break down spiritual particles with Reishi Manipulation might weaken Goku's energy-based attacks. Yhwach's sheer tactical advantage in foreseeing and reshaping fate, coupled with his skillful energy absorption, proves to be perfect for outmaneuvering Goku.

1 Gohan Beast (Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero)

Akira Toriyama Confirmed That Gohan Is Stronger Than Goku

Biggest feats of Gohan Beast:

• Cell Max couldn't have been defeated without the help of Gohan Beast.
• Surpassed all of his forms and most characters within the series.

This father-son duo isn't happening ever. But, just for the sake of this list, if we consider them fighting, Goku will lose to his son sooner or later. We have seen Goku's potential plenty of times, but the Super Hero movie made it clear that Gohan might be mightier than his dad.

After Cell Max becomes too dominating, Gohan loses his cool and transforms into Gohan Beast, after which the fight with Cell Max becomes a joke as he destroys the Android with his Special Beam Cannon attack. After seeing the transformation, Piccolo confirms that it was Gohan's strongest transformation. Akira Toriyama also confirmed in one of his interviews that Gohan's Beast form makes him stronger than everyone else.