Dragon Ball is one of the pillars of shonen anime, and anime in general. One Piece, My Hero Academia, and so many other series would not exist without it. One of the biggest factors in Dragon Ball's success is how fun the fights are. Whether the fight is a test of wills reminiscent of Hong Kong cinema, or a clash worthy of a superhero movie, fights in Dragon Ball never fail to entertain.
While many of these fights are a test of strength and brute force, there are a few where the heroes must use their heads to come out on top. These fights prove that the brain is as important a muscle as the ones people punch and kick with.
10 Goku and Piccolo vs Raditz
This is the very first fight in Dragon Ball Z, and it starts things off with a bang. Raditz was a recently arrived Saiyan who kidnapped Gohan and claimed he was Goku's brother. Raditz had already met Piccolo but soon ventured toward Goku at Kame House. Goku and Piccolo put their differences aside to fight Raditz.
Raditz proves to be too much for the pair at first. He shuts them down at every turn. In a move of desperation, Goku distracts Raditz for five minutes while Piccolo charges a powerful attack. Goku locks Raditz in a full nelson to trap him while Piccolo fires off his Special Beam Cannon.
9 Krillin vs Bacterian
This quarterfinal match from the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament features Goku's best friend Krillin against a truly nasty opponent. Bacterian's offense is mostly based on the fact that he's smelly. Beyond that, he's not that tough.
Krillin fell victim to Bacterian's stench-based offense. He prepared his final Smelly Finger attack, which consisted of Bacterian touching himself in the private area and then touching his opponent. Goku reminds Krillin of one important fact: Krillin does not have a nose. Once he realizes this, Krillin wastes no time in showing his stinky opponent who's boss.
8 Krillin vs Jackie Chun
This semifinal match from the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament pitted Krillin against Jackie Chun (who was Master Roshi in disguise). This fight put Krillin to the test. The two come to blows that are so quick that only Goku can follow them. Krillin's attempt to use women's underwear to distract Chun fails.
There are two parts to this fight where Jackie Chun outsmarts Krillin. The first is during a near ring out where Chun uses a Kamehameha Wave to propel himself back into the ring. After that, Chun taunts Krillin into charging at him, and Chun creates an afterimage to catch Krillin off guard and knock him out of the ring.
7 Goku vs Buyon
Goku finds himself in Jingle Village, a snowy town where he almost freezes to death. A girl named Suno saves him from hypothermia and reveals that many men in the village have been captured by the Red Ribbon Army. Goku storms Muscle Tower and eventually confronts a monster named Buyon.
Buyon is nigh indestructible and all of Goku's attacks fail. Even assistance from Android 8 proves futile. In a bout of desperation, Goku breaks down the wall to let cold air inside. The low temperatures freeze Buyon until it is unable to fight.
6 Puar and Upa vs Fangs the Vampire
After defeating Officer Black, Goku could not find the last Dragon Ball. Goku and friends go see Fortuneteller Baba, who will look for the last Dragon Ball if they can defeat her five warriors in a tournament. The crew accepts, and the first opponent, Fangs the Vampire, makes quick work of Krillin. Upa and Puar must step up to face him.
Puar and Upa are not used to being on the battlefield, so they need a game plan. Puar can transform into various objects, so he can turn into a weapon of some sort. Upa ate garlic and breathed all over Fangs. Puar turned into a crucifix. Both of these factors subdued Fangs, and Upa and Puar won.
5 Yamcha vs See-Through the Invisible Man
Yamcha is known for being on the losing side of battles. The iconic image of him dead in a ditch following a Saibamen attack is proof of this. However, Yamcha must step up and fight a man who is literally invisible. Yamcha may be powerful, but if he can't see his opponent, he can't connect a hit.
Thankfully, Krillin, who had recovered from getting his blood sucked, had an idea. Krillin tore Bulma's top off in clear view of Master Roshi, who had a massive nosebleed out of excitement. The blood splattered onto the invisible man, making him visible. After that, Yamcha made quick work of him.
4 Man-Wolf vs Jackie Chun
This quarterfinal bout of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament features returning champion Jackie Chun facing off against a werewolf. Man-Wolf wanted to exact revenge against Jackie for blowing up the Moon during the previous tournament. Man-Wolf is upset because now he can't get any dates since he can't transform back.
What ensues during the fight is mostly slapstick. Jackie gives Man-Wolf commands like "sit"—the commands one might give a dog (or perhaps Inuyasha). Jackie throws a bone outside the ring, which Man-Wolf fetches. This causes him to lose the match.
3 Goku vs Frost
This fight took place during the Universe 6 arc of Dragon Ball Super. The warriors of Goku's Universe 7 had to face warriors from Universe 6. In the second bout, Goku fought Frost, a being similar to Frieza. Goku's Super Saiyan form seemed to overpower Frost's transformation.
However, strength proved a non-factor in this fight. Frost landed a weak blow to Goku during the climax. Afterward, Goku became dizzy. Frost knocked Goku out of the ring, eliminating him. Later, Universe 7 uncovers that Frost hid a tiny needle that dealt out a dose of poison.
2 Hit vs Dyspo
During the final arc of Dragon Ball Super, every universe holds the Tournament of Power, a tournament where one universe will stand above the rest and the others will be erased. Hit of Universe 6 (who has a win over Goku) took on the lightning-quick Dyspo of Universe 11.
Hit usually uses his Time Skip ability to overcome opponents, but Dyspo is faster than the speed of light. Dyspo is able to outrun Hit's Time Skip. However, Hit tenses his muscles the same way as when he uses Time Skip, which fools Dyspo's ears, allowing Hit to land a few blows.
1 Goku vs Pikkon
During the period between the Cell and Buu Sagas, Goku participated in a brief tournament filler arc in Other World. The finals pitted Goku against Namekian warrior Pikkon. Pikkon's fast attacks overwhelmed Goku, including his Thunder Flash.
Goku seemed like he would lose when Pikkon went for the Thunder Flash for a third time. Goku spotted an opening and used Instant Transmission to dodge the attack at the last second. This allowed Goku to knock Pikkon out of the ring. The match is considered a draw due to both competitors touching the ceiling, but fans know who the real winner is.
