The World Martial Arts Tournament in Dragon Ball is arguably the most famous tournament in anime and manga. Though its reputation has suffered recently – largely due to Mr. Satan’s questionable influence – winning the Tenkaichi Budokai remains one of the highest accomplishments for any martial artist.
Because the power levels changed significantly between the original Dragon Ball and DBZ, the strength of each World Tournament winner differs a lot. While not every winner is as powerful as Goku, simply winning the Tenkaichi Budokai proves a fighter has incredible natural talent and strength.
TopMob Quiz
—
Results
—
9. Mugley is One of the Few Dragon Ball GT Characters Who Beat Goku (Yes, Really)
31st Tenkaichi Budokai Junior Division
Mugley is widely considered the weakest champion in the World Martial Arts Tournament in Dragon Ball, but he achieved something remarkable: defeating Goku. While not particularly strong or skilled, Mugley won when Vegeta briefly distracted Goku during the 31st Tenkaichi Budokai, allowing Mugley to knock Goku out of the arena.
It’s pretty strange that Goku entered the Junior Division of the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, so his loss feels somewhat deserved. It also fits the overall message of Dragon Ball – that both winning and losing are important. Interestingly, this makes Mugley one of the few characters in Dragon Ball GT to actually defeat Goku in battle.
8. Spike the Devil Man is a Two-Timer World Martial Arts Tournament Winner
Unknown (Presumably 18th and 19th Tenkaichi Budokai)
Spike the Devil Man is a top fighter for Fortune Teller Baba, and she typically saves him for the final opponent in a match, if anyone manages to reach him. He’s incredibly skilled in martial arts – Master Roshi even points out that Spike previously won two Tenkaichi Budokais.
It’s likely Spike would have won the 18th and 19th World Martial Arts Tournaments, but because he’s incredibly strong and seemingly immortal, he could have won any two. The fight between Goku and Spike during the Red Ribbon Army Saga was designed to show just how much more powerful Goku had become since the beginning of the series, easily defeating a previous world champion.
7. King Chappa Won A Previously Unseen Tenkaichi Budokai, But Never Beat Goku
Presumably 20th Tenkaichi Budokai
King Chappa is likely one of the most powerful fighters in Dragon Ball who never competed in the main World Martial Arts Tournament. He attempted to qualify twice, but Goku defeated him in the preliminary rounds both times. Even though he consistently loses, King Chappa remains a remarkably skilled martial artist, particularly when considering the early stages of Dragon Ball.
King Chappa was a previous Tenkaichi Budokai champion, likely winning the 20th tournament considering his age. However, the legendary battle between Goku and Jackie Chun at the 21st tournament significantly boosted the event’s reputation, suggesting Chappa’s matches weren’t very difficult. This doesn’t diminish his strength, though; he remains a formidable fighter.
6. Mr. Satan Has Won More World Tournament Championships Than Anyone
24th Tenkaichi Budokai – 31st Tenkaichi Budokai
Mr. Satan, also called Hercule, is surprisingly successful in the world of Dragon Ball. He’s won the Tenkaichi Budokai tournament more times than any other fighter. While he’s often played for laughs alongside the Z-Fighters, he’s actually a very strong human. Remarkably, he even withstood direct attacks from powerful villains like Cell and Buu, despite not being able to use Ki energy himself.
Despite fixing the World Martial Arts Tournaments from the 25th to the 31st in Dragon Ball GT, Mr. Satan actually won the 24th tournament fairly. While he couldn’t compete in something like the Tournament of Power or fight against aliens, he’s genuinely a very strong human.
5. Videl Won the World Tournament’s First Ever Junior Division
24th Tenkaichi Budokai Junior Division
Videl is a somewhat forgotten tournament champion. She won the Junior Division of the 24th Tenkaichi Budokai, but we never actually see her fights. Given that she’s the daughter of Mr. Satan, it’s reasonable to think she was a naturally talented martial artist even as a child. Plus, this tournament happened before Mr. Satan began manipulating the results, meaning Videl’s win was a genuine accomplishment.
Videl isn’t as powerful as the Z-Fighters, but she’s still a remarkably skilled martial artist – much stronger than her father. She quickly learns to control Ki and even flies faster than some of the main characters. Had Spopovich not been empowered as a Majin, she likely would have won their fight at the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai.
4. Master Roshi Was Dragon Ball’s OG Winner (On-Screen)
21st Tenkaichi Budokai
Master Roshi was a remarkably powerful martial artist in the original Dragon Ball series, surpassed in strength only by the Demon King Piccolo. He was the first major character to win a tournament, cleverly disguising himself as Jackie Chun to win the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai in a hard-fought battle against Goku. Although he retired during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, Dragon Ball Super later showed that he continued training secretly to stay strong and keep pace with his pupils.
Master Roshi has become incredibly powerful over the course of the Dragon Ball series. Once weaker than King Piccolo, by the time of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, he surpassed even Nappa in strength. In the Dragon Ball Super manga’s Tournament of Power, he’s even able to briefly tap into a state similar to Ultra Instinct and dodge attacks from the incredibly strong Jiren. While he’ll likely never defeat his students, Roshi remains one of the most legendary martial artists and champions in Dragon Ball history.
3. Tien Shinhan Narrowly Beat Goku After a Long Battle
22nd Tenkaichi Budokai
It seems incredible now, but Tien was once more powerful than Goku and considered the greatest martial artist on Earth. He first appeared in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament as the top student of the Crane School, confidently believing he would easily win. However, Jackie Chun and Goku defeated him, leading him to give up his path as an assassin and focus solely on improving his martial arts skills.
During the fight with Demon King Piccolo, Tien quickly becomes less powerful than Goku (and even Yajirobe). However, he continues to be one of Goku’s most reliable allies throughout the rest of the original Dragon Ball series, remaining the second-strongest fighter on the Dragon Team until the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. Even after other characters become stronger, Tien still plays a significant role in the battles against Cell and Majin Buu.
2. Trunks Beat Goten in One of the Majin Buu Saga’s Best Fights
25th Tenkaichi Budokai Junior Division
It’s clear Akira Toriyama was feeling creatively drained while working on the Majin Buu Saga, but that arc still includes some of the best fights and scenes in all of Dragon Ball. When Toriyama is motivated, his work truly shines. The match between Trunks and Goten during the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai is a standout moment in the tournament, successfully blending the feel of the original Dragon Ball series with the fast-paced action of DBZ.
The fight between Trunks and Goten is a great example of how much the Dragon Ball series has evolved since the very first Tenkaichi Budokai. Toriyama’s action sequences are fantastic in the manga, and the anime does a wonderful job bringing them to life. Ultimately, Trunks narrowly defeats Goten in a remarkably close match. Even at a young age, Trunks proves to be one of the strongest winners in Tenkaichi Budokai history, and the most powerful champion the World Martial Arts Tournament had seen up to that point.
1. Goku Finally Became Strongest Under the Heavens After Three Tournaments
23rd Tenkaichi Budokai
Goku is easily the strongest champion in the history of the World Tournament. Although he only reached a power level of 910 when he defeated Piccolo Jr., Goku has since become powerful enough to challenge even the gods. His path to becoming a world champion is also one of the most motivating stories in the series.
Goku competes in three martial arts tournaments before achieving victory. He narrowly loses to Jackie Chun in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai and Tien Shinhan in the 22nd. These losses teach him a valuable lesson: there’s always someone stronger, and this motivates him to continually seek out tougher opponents, a drive that continues throughout the Dragon Ball Super series.
Read More
- All Shadow Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- Dark Marksman Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 12 Release Date
- How to Get the Sunset Reed Armor Set and Hollow Visage Sword in Crimson Desert
- Keeping AI Agents on Track: A New Approach to Reliable Action
- Top 5 Militaristic Civs in Civilization 7
- How to Beat Antumbra’s Sword (Sanctum of Absolution) in Crimson Desert
- Best Bows in Crimson Desert
- Sakuga: The Hidden Art Driving Anime’s Stunning Visual Revolution!
- Sega Reveals Official Sonic Timeline: From Prehistoric to Modern Era
2026-03-29 15:36