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One of the most popular hypothetical debates in all of superhero fiction has been taken to a new level, with the latest matchup of Ultra Instinct Goku versus Superman Prime. Fans have often debated regarding a matchup between the base level forms of these two characters, but bringing their most powerful forms into the mix has muddied the waters somewhat.
It’s extremely hard to judge the winner of Ultra Instinct Goku versus Superman Prime, as the two are among the strongest characters in superhero fiction. While there is a clear winner according to us, it’s a lot closer than fans of either protagonist may think.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down Ultra Instinct Goku versus Superman Prime.
Ultra Instinct Goku vs. Superman Prime is a matchup of titanic proportions with many factors to consider
Strength
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The first major factor to decide who wins between Ultra Instinct Goku and Superman Prime is undoubtedly the strength each character possesses. While not many hits will land from either attacker, those that do hit absolutely have to count and do as much damage as possible.
Unfortunately for Dragon Ball’s protagonist, Superman Prime certainly has Ultra Instinct Goku beat in this category. The DC wiki describes Prime’s strength as “being beyond the mere application [of] force,” further defining it as “an act of conscious will on energy fields” instead of pure physical force.
This means that Prime can perform feats that go beyond the mere application of force onto an object. The example given is Prime’s ability to move a mountain top without the rock crumbling under its own mass, which contextualizes his power very well.
Essentially, Prime’s strength is so great that it’s no longer categorized as a physical force. It has instead become a force of nature or law of physics. It’s metaphysical in every sense of the word, and while Goku may be able to dodge it, he certainly can’t match it.
Speed
Similarly to his strength, Superman Prime’s speed is referred to as being a “sheer force of will,” implying that it also goes beyond physical boundaries. Ultra Instinct Goku’s speed matches superhuman level without doubt, but isn’t quite powerful enough to be termed as metaphysical.
However, the more relevant point of discussion is Ultra Instinct Goku's speed. The form allows for an instantaneous, reflexive dodging of an enemy’s attack, but can it overcome a force of speed that is classified as 'metaphysical?'
The most likely answer is that, unfortunately, it cannot. While still incredibly fast, his speed simply does not compare to Prime’s. Even a reflexive movement for such a fast fighter likely can’t stand against the “sheer force of will” that is Prime’s speed.
Weaknesses
Ultra Instinct Goku and Superman Prime each have about two core weaknesses that can be heavily exploited in battle. However, one character's weaknesses can definitely be exploited much more easily.
Superman Prime’s first main weakness is a hypothetical one, as it’s shown via a time-traveling version of his former, 21st century self. Assuming he never overcame this limitation, it can indeed prove to be a major weakness.
When visiting the 853rd century, the original Superman (before becoming Prime) visits the Justice League Alpha’s headquarters to welcome Prime home. However, his primitive evolution is shown to prevent him from accessing the Headnet, a transgalactic information system of the time.
In fact, the frequencies which the system emits were shown to wreak havoc because of his super-hearing, meaning that it was vulnerable to overloading. The major significance of this event is that it shows Prime’s 21st century biology to be potentially vulnerable to sonic attacks, assuming that he hasn’t overcome the problem during his travels.
Goku’s two main weaknesses, on the other hand, are his naivety and his reluctance to go all out from the beginning. Even as Ultra Instinct Goku, these weaknesses are still apparent and relevant. His naivety mainly only comes into play against ill-spirited opponents, while his inability to apply himself fully from the beginning hurts him when he is up against the strongest opponents possible. An opponent like Prime, who easily ranks among some of the most powerful opponents Dragon Ball’s protagonist has faced, if not the most, would definitely overpower Goku if he does not try hard.
The more exploitable weaknesses thus clearly belong to Ultra Instinct Goku, which is an unfortunate category for him to net a “victory” in. His refusal to go all out against Superman Prime from the beginning in order to get a good fight would cause his untimely downfall in this hypothetical matchup.
Battle IQ
The final, major category that will decide the winner of the matchup is battle IQ. Both characters are have tons of battle knowledge and have faced a variety of experiences.
Goku has spent his whole life as a martial artist, training each day to become stronger than the last. His story is also one of constantly rising to the occasion, by finding a way to power up and match the level of his new opponent.
Fighting such battles where he’s initially losing increases his battle IQ tremendously, as it pushes his mind and body to the most extreme limits. The experience gained in these moments is foundational, and has helped Goku become as strong a fighter as he is in the contemporary era of Ultra Instinct.
Superman Prime, on the other hand, has lived for well over 800 thousand years, traveling the galaxy for a vast majority of that time. He encountered new abilities and skills during his travels, and is said to have traveled to Heaven and Hell in that time as well.
While the latter might be a hyperbole, it does emphasize that there’s nothing to learn or experience which Prime hasn’t already. This would presumably apply to combat as well, with him likely having faced many strong foes and fighters during his intergalactic journey.
As a result, it essentially comes down to who has done more with the experiences they’ve had. While Superman Prime’s abilities and journey are incredibly impressive, it’s more likely than not that Ultra Instinct Goku edges out the victory here. The Earthbound Saiyan is known for his inexplicable, astronomical growth at just a moment’s notice, which includes his battle IQ.
In summation
Despite Ultra Instinct Goku securing one victory in the matchup breakdown, it is very likely that he might lose to Superman Prime. The immortal, invulnerable Man of Steel ages like fine wine, only becoming stronger and a better fighter as the centuries pass him by.
Although Ultra Instinct Goku is one of the most powerful characters in all of superhero fiction, he simply can’t keep up with Superman Prime's strength and skills. The bar set by Superman Prime is too high for Ultra Instinct Goku to grab.
While the matchup between these two would undoubtedly be great and very close, there is an inarguable winner between Ultra Instinct Goku and Superman Prime. Our analysis proves that Superman Prime will easily defeat Ultra Instinct Goku.
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