Even beyond the realm of anime, Son Goku is frequently compared with extraordinarily powerful characters due tohis immense strength. Goku is considered by many as anime’s strongest fighter, and you’d be hard-pressed to find others capable of rivaling him in strength.
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Despite this, rare as they may be, there exist characters within the medium with powers more impressive than those ofthe popular Saiyan. Most of them possess abilities that transcend time, space, and logic, defying natural human limitations with profiles usually matching deities. These characters may also take many different forms as they fight battles on massive scales, serving to highlight their incredible power.
Updated August 05, 2025, by Emedo Destiny:In the vast landscape of anime, certain characters have achieved legendary status for their incredible strength. While Goku from Dragon Ball is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential anime characters, a select few surpassed him in terms ofraw power and abilities. From god-like entities to supernatural warriors, these individuals have left an indelible mark on the anime world with their jaw-dropping feats and their near-unparalleled might. This is an insight into characters who have transcended Goku’s power level and captivated audiences with their immense power and unique skill. Here are some anime characters who stand at the apex of anime strength, challenging Goku’s dominance and cementing their own place in the pantheon of iconic characters.
15Giorno Giovanna – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures
Giorno is the protagonist of the fifth JoJo in theJoJo’s Bizarre Adventureseries.He possesses a Stand ability called “Golden Experience” and later awakens a nigh-omnipotent form known as “Gold Experience Requiem”. With this stand, he can heal wounds, give life to inanimate objects, manipulate life energy, and is capable of even greater feats.
His Gold Experience Requiem standgives him the ability to nullify any action or attack directed toward him. This power allows him to render opponents’ abilities useless, rewinding their actions back to zero, completely denying any casualties.
14Jiren - Dragon Ball
Jiren is a protagonist fromDragon Ball Superwho is widely regarded as one of the most powerful fighters in the Dragon Ball universe. Many fans consider Jiren to be stronger than Goku based on the exceptional abilities and feats that he demonstratedin the Tournament of Power arc.
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He possesses an overwhelming amount of power and strength. His raw physical abilities, immeasurable ki, and mastery of various martial arts techniques. His power is said to be limit-breaking and to be on par with the gods of destruction. Some of his strength also lies in his unyielding will and determination, which always pushes him to surpass his limits.
13Black Frieza – Dragon Ball
Black Frieza is Frieza’s most powerful form, which he acquired after training in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber for 10 years worth of time. The form has no drawbacks for Frieza, as he spent so much time mastering it. He fully unveiled the form against True Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta, knocking both of them out simultaneously with a hit to their torso.
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He also killed Awakened Gas in an instant using only a single Ruthless Blow. Black Frieza is so much more powerful than the gold one and showcases a more refined use of it as opposed to when Gold Frieza was unveiled.
12Haruhi Suzumiya – The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
Haruhi is an eccentric schoolgirl who seeks supernatural phenomena such as aliens and time travelers. She possesses the power to warp reality according to her subconscious desires. She can reshape the world around her, alter the laws of physics, and even manifest people into existence, just like the aliens and espers she thought she found but actually created.
She can also create time loops, manipulate the weather and change the properties of objects. Though she does most of it unknowingly, her god-like powers are more than enough to place her over Goku in the grand scheme of things.
11Usagi Tsukino – Sailor Moon
Usagi Tsukino, the reincarnation of the goddess Sailor Moon is the main protagonist of theSailor Moonanime series. She and her allies, called the Sailor Senshi, are tasked with the protection of Japan from the monsters of Queen Beryl.Sailor Moon has so many forms, but Sailor Cosmos is the cream of the crop.
With her ability to use the power of rebirth, warp reality, interact with and manipulate non-physical and abstract concepts, replicate the powers of any Sailor Senshi, control space and time, and grant her a healing factor that can allow her to survive the destruction of her mind and body on even abstract planes.
10Lain Iwakura – Serial Experiments Lain
Lain is the titular protagonist of the classic 90’s animeSerial Experiments Lain. She started out as a timid, reserved young girl, but as the series progressed, she adopted various personas due to her connection with The Wired; a virtual environment that is basically the show’s equivalent of the internet.
However, the main difference between The Wired and the internet is that the former has much greater implications on the real world than the latter. This means that when Lain gained powers that far transcended those of regular humans within the virtual space, she became a being similar to a god in the real world. She is fully in control of the universe and can alter any aspect of the world however she pleases. She is omnipresent, has time-altering abilities, can freely manipulate matter, and possesses boundless amounts of knowledge.
9Kami Tenchi – Tenchi Muyo!
Kami Tenchi is the fully omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent god of the Tenchi Muyo! series. As a result, he is a supreme being and has no significant rivalin the franchise. His appearances are limited, but when compared to other powerful characters in the series, it is possible to grasp the absurd level of his power.
First, he exists on a larger scale than the Chousin, a group of hyperdimensional beings credited with creating the entire world. They possess powers so great that they can destroy galaxies just by existing in them, and even despite that, they possess no threat to the Kami. Secondly, there is an entity known as the Counter-Actor, a force with unimaginable power capable of defeating the Choushin. In relation to Kami, they have also been shown to be powerless, as, in direct confrontation, Kami handled them with a single touch.
Anos is a reincarnated being who, before his rebirth, was commonly known as the Demon King of Tyranny. His strength alone is enough to leave many onlookers in awe, but he is also capable of defying established concepts such as death and time. Furthermore, Anos’ magic power is so powerful that, if not checked, it could destroy the entire world while also affecting other worlds.
Surprisingly enough, moving the moon with his bare hands is not even one ofAnos’ most impressive feats. He is capable of destroying a universe with his bare hands and has a seven-step ability powerful enough to decimate the world a thousand times over. By simply opening his magic eyes of chaotic destruction, he can also plunge the world into ruin, destroying all order and reason in the process.
7Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann – Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagannis a series that featuresmany powerful mechsthroughout its duration, with Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann being the final form of the titular mech Gurren Lagann. Its size has been described as immeasurable as it exists on a plane far surpassing that of galaxies. It is also made up of different individuals' spiral power, meaning its true form is that of raw energy and not an actual mechanical entity.
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Despite making its first appearance in the series' final episodes, this mech played a pivotal part in defeating the show’s overarching antagonist, the anti-spiral. It is strong enough to absorb impacts with the power of the big bang and can fire probability-altering missiles that deal significant damage. Furthermore, due to its unique constitution, it possesses an absurd amount of power and can be seen clearly from planets that are billions of light years away.
6Pegasus Seiya – Saint Seiya
Within theSaint Seiyaseries, there exist powerful warriors referred to as Saints whose purpose is to serve the different reincarnations of the goddess Athena in every age. Among these Saints is Seiya, the Pegasus Saint, with powers connected to the Pegasus constellation. He is also aided by his Bronze Cloth and the Cosmo, the former being a piece of armor with special abilities while the latter facilitates his supernatural powers.
Since many fights in the series are fought on absurdly massive scales, Seiya’s abilities are usually shown to possess extraordinary power. For example, he is capable of fighting beings posing multiversal-level threats, such as Hades, and could exert a level of power comparable to the big bang while not even in his final form. He is also fast enough to traverse universes in minutes and could destroy the mainstay pillar, a pillar that could previously resist the destruction of the universe.
