Dragon Ball proves Saiyans could lose to Humans

One of the primary reasons why Dragon Ball gained popularity aside from top-tier fights is the comprehensive universe that was created by Akira Toriyama. The series has multiple universes and numerous races, each containing well-written characters. Saiyans are considered to be the most popular and strongest in the series, and characters like Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan are some prominent Saiyans in the show.

Over the course of the series, it has been quite clear that Saiyans are far superior and stronger than human beings. The average Saiyan will be able to beat the average human being.

However, there is one character that made an exception to this narrative. That character is none other than Krillin. He is considered to be one of the weaker characters in Dragon Ball, but there was a point when Krillin outwitted Gohan and defeated him in the series.

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Dragon Ball: Krillin beats Gohan in a martial arts tournament

Krillin using Solar Flare X 100 in the Dragon Ball series(image via Toei Animation)

Krillin is possibly the strongest human in the Dragon Ball series. However, in the grand scheme of things, he is one of the weakest fighters in the series. He cannot keep up with the likes of Goku and Vegeta. There was an interesting match-up involving Krillin and Gohan.

If this was a fight to the death, Gohan would have emerged triumphant. However, Krillin managed to defeat Gohan in this martial arts tournament. This wasn’t a fight to the death, and anyone that went out of bounds would end up losing. Such are the rules of a martial arts tournament.

The two traded some punches and kicks. However, Krillin was developing a move that would help him beat Gohan. He called it “Solar Flare X 100” and it created an extremely bright light that blinded Gohan momentarily. This created the perfect opening for Krillin to launch his attack. Krillin rushed over to Gohan, who stood there blinded and unable to detect Krillin’s energy.

Gohan received a combination of punches and kicks that sent him out of bounds. Krillin was declared the winner, showing that humans could beat Saiyans too. His daughter cheered him on from the sidelines and Goku was quite shocked as well. Gohan gracefully admitted defeat and confessed to Krillin that this fight taught him an important lesson.

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Final thoughts

This was a clear example of an underdog using his/her wits to overthrow the stronger opponent. Krillin used his experience as a martial arts fighter and his intelligence to utilize a technique that would create an opening.

The execution was perfect and it caught Gohan off-guard which ultimately decided the match. However, this match is not an accurate representation of their overall combat abilities and their strengths in the Dragon Ball series.

If Gohan and Krillin were to fight each other with no holds barred, Gohan would emerge victorious without a doubt. He is much stronger, faster, and has better endurance.

Even by a Saiyan’s standard, Gohan is considered an exceptional fighter even though he cannot match the likes of Goku. In every shonen anime and manga series, we will always witness scenarios that deviate from the norm or what is usually expected. This fight is a mere illustration of that exception.