3 times Goku humiliated his opponent (& 3 times his enemies humiliated him)

Dragon Ball's Son Goku is one of the most formidable anime heroes ever. The Saiyan, who never gives up, has captivated the hearts of fans and inspired many to strive for their goals.

As a protector of Earth, the galaxy, and even the universe, the Dragon Ball protagonist encounters countless opponents. This article will list three opponents he humbled and three enemies who humiliated him.

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Dragon Ball: Three opponents humiliated by Goku

1) Emperor Pilaf

The Pilaf Gang (Image via Toei Animation)

This power-hungry Dragon Ball character was thrashed and thwarted many times by young Son Goku. Pilaf and his minions rivaled the young hero in his search for the Dragon Balls.

After Pilaf imprisons him and his friends, the young Saiyan turns into a Great Ape and demolishes Pilaf's base. Later on, Pilaf and his minions don robotic battle suits to take on the brash protagonist. The young hero shows them what real strength is, leaving the Pilaf Gang in a mangled pile of scrap metal.

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2) Frieza

Frieza cut in half (Image via Toei Animation)

Once the most powerful being in the galaxy, Frieza put his strength to the test against our hero on planet Namek. The proud and egotistical tyrant was shocked by the Super Saiyan transformation. During their epic showdown, Goku used a move he learned from Krillin to slice Frieza's body in half.

Frieza refused to accept that he could be beaten by a Saiyan, and prioritized a cheap shot at the Saiyan over making a safe escape from the exploding planet. His shame at being overpowered was more significant to him than preserving his life.

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3) Ginyu

Captain Ginyu body swap with a frog (Image via Toei Animation)

The gaudy Captain Ginyu served as the Dragon Ball Z protagonist's (un)welcome party on Namek. Frieza's elite fighting team, the Ginyu Force, was thrashed by the new arrival and a freshly-revived Vegeta. However, once Ginyu realized that he could not beat the Saiyans, he employed a special technique to switch bodies.

After a complex chain of events, Goku managed to get his body back. With the last of his strength, the Dragon Ball Z protagonist interfered with Ginyu's body-switching by throwing a frog into the trajectory of the technique. Instead of ending up in Vegeta's body, Ginyu switched with the frog. He would live out the remainder of his life in shame before Frieza destroyed the planet.

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Three Dragon Ball characters who humiliated Goku

1) Vegeta

Vegeta Great Ape (Image via Toei Animation)

After a well-matched hand-to-hand battle with Goku, Vegeta fell back on his ability to turn into a Great Ape. In his transformed state, Vegeta gave the Dragon Ball Z protagonist a beatdown to remember.

Thanks to the help of Krillin, Gohan, and Yajirobe, the hero was able to force Vegeta into a retreat. However, the hero was rendered crippled by the Great Ape Saiyan.

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2) Jiren

Jiren stuffs the Saiyan (Image via Toei Animation)

This Dragon Ball Super antagonist was fighting to protect his home universe, just like the beloved Saiyan. Jiren proved to be one of the strongest opponents that he had ever encountered. Even when employing Ultra Instinct, he was fighting a losing battle. Jiren was able to handle him one-on-one, giving the Saiyan a momentary rare taste of defeat.

Only with the help of his fellow Universe 7 fighters was Goku able to take down the Universe 11 warrior.

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3) Android 19

Android 19 beats Goku (Image via Toei Animation)

When the androids appeared in Dragon Ball Z, our hero arrived at the scene with the rest of the Z Fighters. He jumped into battle and was surprised at the unusual methods employed by the androids.

Weakened by his heart condition that had laid dormant, the Dragon Ball Z protagonist was unable to keep up with Android 19. The enemy gave him a beatdown so bad that Vegeta had to step in.