Commentary: Goku And Superman Are Both Challenged The Most By Magic

There have been countless comparisons between Superman and Dragon Ball‘s Son Goku. Both are incredibly strong beings who triumph over equally strong foes. But comparing their strengths isn’t nearly as interesting as comparing their weaknesses. Although they both have particular vulnerabilities based on their backstory — Superman with kryptonite and Goku with his tail (when he had one) — analyzing the foes who give them the most trouble based on their skill set also reveals more about them. And in both cases, the most challenging foes for both Superman and Goku come from a background in magic.

Superman’s famous weakness, kryptonite, affects him physically. He’s notoriously strong and fast, but as an alien, his powers are largely rooted in science fiction. His physical prowess comes from the Sun based on an explanation of science. Magic, however, isn’t rooted in science. It lies more in fantasy, where rules are far less stringent. Anything goes when it comes to magic, so magical foes can often bypass Superman’s alien defenses.

Goku’s vulnerability to magic is a little different. It’s not as direct as when Superman fights a magical enemy, but it’s clear to see that magical foes test Goku to his utmost limits in Dragon Ball Z. Goku is an alien, too, so a lot of the earlier stories revolved around other alien species. In fact, the first big villain of the series, Frieza, was an alien. The next big villain, Cell, also came from science as he was considered an artificially created android. The final big villain, Majin Buu, was created solely through magic by the wizard Bibidi. Buu was a unique challenge for Goku and the rest of the Z fighters. Every time they had a way to beat him, he used his ridiculous magic to either become smarter or outmaneuver them. Even Goku powering up to extreme levels was unable to beat him. So magic definitely challenged Goku the most, just like it does with Superman.

Dragon Ball Z Kai is now streaming on Hulu.