One of the most common questions among Dragon Ball fans is: how strong is Goku in terms of raw physical strength? More precisely — how much weight could he actually lift?
This question often fuels endless “versus” debates across fandoms, where Goku is pitted against heroes from comics and anime alike — from Superman, Hulk, and Iron Man to Ichigo, Naruto, or Luffy. These debates usually turn into fiery battles over who would truly win.
In this post, we’ll try to answer that question without bias or exaggeration, relying only on the data presented in the Dragon Ball manga by Akira Toriyama, along with official guidebook information to expand our understanding.
It’s important to clarify that this analysis focuses exclusively on the original Dragon Ball manga continuity, meaning everything from Dragon Ball Super will be saved for Part 2 .
Finally, the post will be organized by each saga, allowing us to see how Goku’s strength evolves and whether our estimates hold up logically over time.
So, with that in mind — let’s begin.
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 3 |
In episode 3, we see one of Goku’s earliest displays of raw strength — he lifts a large rock straight from the ground, though with visible effort. By comparing the rock’s size to Goku’s height, its diameter can be estimated at roughly 1 meter.
That gives the rock a volume of about 0.52 m³. Assuming an average granite density of 2,700 kg/m³, its total mass would be around 1,404 kilograms (≈1.4 tons).
Next, we can estimate the force required to fracture the rock itself. Granite’s compressive strength ranges between 1,000 and 2,500 newtons per square centimeter, meaning that the lifting and breaking forces Goku demonstrates fall squarely within the expected range for crushing dense stone.
In other words, even at this early point in the series, kid Goku’s raw power is already on par with the mechanical output of industrial hydraulic presses
21st Tenkaichi Budokai Saga
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 31 |
Later on, during Goku’s training under Master Roshi, we get another useful benchmark of his early physical strength. In one scene, Goku manages to move a massive boulder. By comparing the rock’s size to Goku’s height, its diameter can be estimated at around two meters, and its mostly semi-spherical shape gives it a mass of roughly 11,307 kilograms (≈11.3 tons).
Unlike the previous feat, Goku doesn’t lift this rock — he drags it across the ground. To calculate the pushing force required, we use the coefficient of friction (μ), which describes how much resistance exists between two surfaces. For normal soil, a typical value is μ ≈ 0.4.
Multiplying this friction coefficient by the rock’s weight gives us a required horizontal force of approximately 44,340 newtons, or about 4.4 tons of force to drag the boulder.
When compared to his earlier lifting feat of 1.4 tons, this suggests that Goku can push roughly 3.1 times more weight than he can lift vertically — a ratio consistent with real biomechanical behavior in humans and many animals.
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 32 |
Toward the end of his training, Goku manages to shift an enormous boulder — only slightly, and with visible strain. But how much force is he actually generating here?
The rock has an irregular surface with several protrusions, but its shape can be approximated as a half-cylinder, which is sufficient for estimating its volume. By comparing it to Goku’s height, the boulder stands at roughly 5 meters tall with a width of about 5.2 meters. This gives an estimated volume of 106 m³.
Using the density of granite (2700 kg/m³), the rock’s mass comes out to approximately 286,700 kilograms (≈286 tons).
Since Goku is dragging — not lifting — this massive object, we again apply the drag/friction force model. Using the same ground friction coefficient (μ ≈ 0.4), the horizontal force required to move this behemoth is about 114,680 kilograms of force, or 114 tons-force, even if only across a distance of a meter or less.
Even this slight shift is a staggering display of raw physical power, showing how far Goku’s strength had progressed before the first World Martial Arts Tournament.
23rd Tenkaichi Budokai Saga
One of the few direct strength statements in early Dragon Ball comes during Goku’s fight against Tien Shinhan. Before the battle intensifies, Goku removes his weighted clothing.
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 177 |
Goku vs. Giant Piccolo
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 187 |
Another impressive early-series strength feat appears in Episode 187, when Goku grabs the giant-sized Piccolo with a single finger and throws him using a judo-style motion. This moment offers a surprisingly solid basis for a physical estimate.
According to official data, Piccolo’s normal stats are:
- Height: 2.23 meters
- Weight: 116 kg
During the fight, Piccolo enlarges himself to roughly five times his original height. To estimate his new mass, we apply the cubic scaling law, which states that when an object’s linear dimensions increase by a factor k, its mass increases by k³.
That puts Giant Piccolo at 14.5 tons.
Of course, Goku does not deadlift Piccolo cleanly off the ground. Instead, he unbalances and tosses him — more like a jiu-jitsu redirection than a raw power lift. In biomechanics, destabilizing a humanoid typically requires only 20–40% of the opponent’s body weight, depending on leverage and technique.
Applying this range:
- 20% of 14.5 tons → 2,900 kg
- 40% of 14.5 tons → 5,800 kg
This means that in that single smooth motion, Goku was exerting the equivalent of 2.9 to 5.8 metric tons of force — while still a child-sized teenager and nowhere near his later power levels.
Saiyan Saga: Measuring Goku’s Strength under 10x and 20x Gravity
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 211 |
Under 10x gravity, that same outfit effectively weighs 2,500 lbs (1.13 tons). Considering Goku’s official body weight is around 62 kg, that becomes 620 kg under increased gravity. Combined with his clothing, the total load his body must support is about 1.75 tons.
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 211 |
From this, we can estimate an initial strength range — Goku could comfortably lift around 1.5 ton and struggle slightly at 3 tons during the early stages of King Kai’s training.
By the end of his training, however, this extra weight no longer affected him. Goku had also mastered the Kaio-Ken technique, which multiplies his strength and speed significantly.
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 251 |
When the saga progresses, and Goku begins his 20x gravity training aboard the spaceship to Namek, we see a similar pattern — he struggles at first, just like before. Again, he wears the same weighted outfit, which under 20x gravity now weighs 5,000 lbs (2.26 tons), while his body weight effectively becomes 1,240 kg. Altogether, that’s around 3.5 tons of force acting on him.
This suggests that by this stage, Goku could handle roughly 3 tons effortlessly and lift close to 6 tons with effort.
When we apply the Kaio-Ken multipliers, his potential lifting strength becomes truly impressive:
- Kaio-Ken x2: 6–12 tons
- Kaio-Ken x3: 9–18 tons
- Kaio-Ken x4: 12–24 tons
Frieza Saga: Training Under 100x Gravity and the Birth of the Super Saiyan
In this part of Goku’s journey, we have a well-defined reference point. During his trip to Planet Namek, Goku continuously increased the gravity level inside his spaceship, ultimately reaching 100 times Earth’s gravity (≈980 m/s²).
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 270 |
Under these extreme conditions, his weighted clothing now exerted a massive 25,000 lbs (11.3 tons) of force, while his own body weight effectively reached 6,200 kg. Combined, this totals about 17.5 tons.
After completing his training under 100× gravity—ten times higher than King Kai’s 10× gravity training—Goku should be able to handle ten times the weight he managed in the previous saga. Therefore, his strength at this point can be estimated as:
- Base: 30 - 60 Tons
- Kaio-Ken x2: 60 –120 tons
- Kaio-Ken x3: 90–180 tons
- Kaio-Ken x4: 120–240 tons
- Kaio-Ken x10: 300–600 tons
Clearly, this reflects Goku’s strength at the start of Namek, when he arrives and fights the Ginyu Force. After Ginyu steals his body and Vegeta leaves him badly injured, Goku receives a massive Zenkai boost, the one that later allows him to stand against Final Form Frieza.
But how much did his physical strength actually increase?
We could compare power levels — 3,000,000 against Frieza vs. 90,000 against Ginyu — a ×33 jump. However, power levels don’t directly translate into proportional increases in raw physical strength. Much of that boost likely reflects greater ki control, energy efficiency, and amplified techniques such as the Kamehameha.
A more reasonable assumption is that his physical attributes doubled (×2) after the Zenkai, especially since his body becomes capable of handling Kaio-ken ×20 without instantly collapsing.
Therefore, the estimated physical range would be:
- Base: 60 - 120 Tons
- Kaio-Ken x2: 120 –240 tons
- Kaio-Ken x3: 180–360 tons
- Kaio-Ken x4: 240–480 tons
- Kaio-Ken x10: 600–1,200 tons
- Kaio-Ken x20: 1,200–2,400 tons
Then comes the turning point — the transformation into the Legendary Super Saiyan. According to official guidebooks, this form increases Goku’s overall power by a factor of 50. Applying that multiplier, Goku’s lifting strength skyrockets to an estimated 3,000 tons - 6,000Tons.
That may not sound astronomical compared to later sagas, but remember — this is raw physical strength, meaning Goku could lift or move over 3,000 tons of mass with relative ease while still having immense energy reserves left for combat and ki-based attacks.
Cell Saga: Goku’s 40-Ton Limit and True Lifting Potential
In this saga, we finally get a direct reference to Goku’s raw physical power. During his training in the Other World, he is shown wearing 2-ton weights on each arm and leg — a total of 8 tons. Despite the extreme load, Goku moves freely while floating in mid-air, with no physical support or leverage.
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| Dragon ball Manga chapter 428 |
However, we later see him struggling at the 40-ton mark (10 tons per weight), which seems to represent his upper limit without any ground support.
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How much could Goku lift if he had solid ground beneath his feet?
Since Goku’s anatomy is very similar to that of a human (though vastly enhanced), we can apply basic biomechanics from human strength models. In human terms, using leg and ground support increases lifting efficiency by roughly a factor of 3 to 5, as observed in elite weightlifters compared to unsupported lifts.
Applying this principle to Goku’s case:
- With proper footing, Goku could likely lift between 120 and 200 tons.
- When factoring in his Super Saiyan transformation (×50 power multiplier), his potential skyrockets to 6,000–10,000 tons of lifting capacity.
That means, at his Super Saiyan peak during the Cell Saga, Goku could easily hoist the weight of multiple navy destroyers.
This maintains narrative consistency with everything shown in the Frieza Saga. Personally, I lean toward the higher estimate, but you’re free to choose whichever interpretation best fits your analysis or power-scaling approach.
Buu Saga: Goku’s Strength Reaches the Multi-Million Ton Range
In the Buu Saga, there are no official data points that directly indicate Goku’s physical strength. However, one key sequence gives us a solid foundation for estimation — the moment when the Z-Sword is broken.
Before that event, Goku is seen lifting a massive boulder with one hand and hurling it effortlessly.
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The rock, roughly 2 meters in diameter and nearly spherical, has a volume of 4.2 m³.
Given granite’s density of 2,700 kg/m³, this yields a total mass of 11,340 kg (≈11.3 tons) — lifted with a single arm, without visible strain.
Next comes the metallic cube used to test the Z-Sword.
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It measures 2 m per side, giving a volume of 8 m³. The material is described as the hardest metal in the universe, though its actual density is unknown. Using real-world analogs as reference — steel (7,850 kg/m³) and osmium (22,590 kg/m³) — we can estimate a mass range between 62,800 kg (62.8 tons) and 180,720 kg (180.7 tons).
Goku throws this block with tremendous speed, suggesting he’s applying far more than just lifting strength.
To calculate the force of that throw, we use the impulse equation:
Assuming a contact time of 0.1 s (a reasonable figure since an average baseball pitch takes about 0.4 s, and Goku is far faster), and an estimated throw velocity of 150 m/s (the cube travels ~15 m in 0.1 s), we obtain:
For steel-density material:This places Base Goku in the thousands-of-tons range of raw physical output.
Applying the official Super Saiyan multipliers yields staggering results:
| Transformation | Multiplier | Estimated Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Super Saiyan | ×50 | 471,000 – 1,355,400 tons |
| Super Saiyan 2 | ×100 | 942,000 – 2,710,800 tons |
| Super Saiyan 3 | ×400 | 3,768,000 – 10,843,200 tons |
By the time of the Buu Saga, Goku’s physical strength has entered the multi-million-ton range — enough to shatter entire mountain chains or launch a small asteroid into orbit with a single strike.
Across the series, Goku’s lifting feats evolve consistently with his training and transformations, confirming that his growth curve is not only exponential but physically coherent within the Dragon Ball universe’s own power logic.
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