Comic Book Resources published a power ranking of Goku’s youngest son on October 24, 2026, evaluating how Dragon Ball Goten grew from comic disguises into a top video game fighter. Written by Daniel Kurland, the retrospective tracks how the warrior created by Akira Toriyama has evolved through different eras after the original series debuted on television on April 26, 1989 [1]. The ranking arrives as Dragon Ball Super: Beerus placed second in a Fall 2026 Japanese popularity poll [2].
Early Battles of Dragon Ball Goten
Goten appeared after the seven-year time gap following the Cell Games, shocking his family with his fast growth. Kurland said Goku and Chi-Chi had Goten during this peaceful era (following Goku’s sacrifice against Cell), making Dragon Ball Goten a young prodigy. He reached Super Saiyan at only seven years old, while Gohan transformed at one and Trunks did so at eight. He adapted to Super Saiyan Full Power without difficulty, but he had fewer solo fights after that early start [1].
At the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, he entered the Junior Division and lost his match against Trunks before both boys decided to steal an adult costume to join the senior bracket. Since they were too young for the adult tournament, they fought together as Mighty Mask, trying to coordinate every move so they appeared as a single person. That shared disguise foreshadowed their future fusion, but the heavy costume made moving difficult in a real match. Their tournament run ended when Android 18 threw a Destructo Disc that cut the costume apart, revealing their identities to the arena crowd and causing their disqualification [1].
Bandai Namco added Mighty Mask to Sparking! ZERO in the Super Limit Breaking Neo DLC, giving fans a chance to play as the disguised duo. Kurland placed this version at the bottom of his ranking because the costume blocked their sight and limited movement, turning what could have been a strong team into a clumsy handicap [1].
Super Saiyan Growth and Secret Identities
In Dragon Ball GT, the young hero had stopped training during the peaceful stretch after the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga, which left his skills rusty when evil arrived. When the Neo Machine Mutant Tuffle called Baby attacked Earth, Goten was the first hero infected by the parasite. Baby used Goten’s body to battle Gohan, passing the infection to his brother so the possessed Saiyans could target Vegeta. Kurland ranked Baby Goten near the bottom because the boy had turned his back on martial arts, meaning the extra power from Baby couldn’t push him to Super Saiyan 2 [1].
His standard Super Saiyan form performed much better in the main timeline. Having access to the form from early childhood helped him fight without hesitation, keeping his combat instincts sharp. In one clash, he and Trunks battled seven rogue Cell Juniors, holding their ground against the smaller clones by relying on teamwork and rapid energy blasts [1].
Later in Dragon Ball Super, Goten took on another disguise during the High School Saga, which set up the events of the movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Inspired by an in-universe superhero named Clean God and Gohan’s Great Saiyaman, Goten adopted the superhero name Saiyaman X-2, teaming up with Trunks as Saiyaman X-1. The inventor Pilaf made his suit, and Goten developed fresh moves like the Up-Cycle Punch and the Cyclone Style! Tornado Double Hurricane. He used those skills to beat Dr. Hedo’s Alpha and Beta androids, showing better training habits than his older GT version who had abandoned serious martial arts [1].
Metamoran Fusion and Power Limits
Fusion gave Goten a way to reach top-tier strength during the Buu Saga, letting two young Saiyans combine into a single warrior. By executing the Metamoran fusion dance with Trunks, they created Gotenks, who surprised the older cast by jumping straight into Super Saiyan 3 without needing Super Saiyan 2. That transformation matched Goku’s biggest power tier and made Gotenks one of the strongest fighters on the battlefield. Kurland said this form showed Goten’s peak potential, even if it took two fighters to reach that height [1].
That reliance on fusion came with real costs for his personal growth. Focusing on joint training caused their individual skills to drop, and recent stories show the pair struggling to execute the dance correctly. The boys fell out of practice over time. Those failed fusions left them weak when they needed to act fast, producing awkward forms that could not fight properly [1].
Non-Canon Forms of Dragon Ball Goten
Kurland gave his top ranking to an incarnation from outside the main show, pointing to video games where older versions get more room to fight. In Super Dragon Ball Heroes, the Time Patrol recruited teen Goten under the guidance of the Supreme Kai of Time, Chronoa, during the Dark Demon Realm Saga. This version used his GT design, giving Dragon Ball Goten a disciplined approach to battle that helped him stand out from his past versions. He unlocked Super Saiyan in his battle against Shroom before Old Kai drew out his hidden strength, turning him into Ultimate Xeno Goten to battle Demigra [1].
He used that power to defeat Demon God Dabura, Super Android 13, Lord Slug, and Bojack. These video game storylines connect to wider discussions about the strongest non-canon Dragon Ball characters. When fusing into Xeno Gotenks against Towa and Mira, he used the Super Ultra Burning Kamehameha, which Kurland named his strongest attack [1].
Television Momentum in Fall 2026
While Kurland looked back at Goten’s history, the anime property continues to draw big audiences on television today. CBR writer Renee Senzatimore reported that marketing firm CM. Site Co Ltd. surveyed 2,360 men and women aged 10 to 40 on the Japanese poll site Rankingoo to track the top anime of the Fall 2026 season. Mystery drama The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Part 1 won first place with 267 votes, but Dragon Ball Super: Beerus secured second place with 143 votes, beating other popular shows [2].
The Saiyan series finished ahead of Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc with 117 votes and Ranma 1/2 Season 3 with 106 votes. It also scored higher than A Tale of the Secret Saint with 105 votes and Blue Box Season 2 with 80 votes. Toei Animation released Beerus on October 11, 2026, refreshing the God of Destruction arc with new scenes and original actors Masako Nozawa and Koichi Yamadera returning to their roles [2].
Two of the 19 planned episodes had aired by October 23, with Episode 3 set to air on October 25, 2026. That television schedule follows news that Netflix streams Dragon Ball Super Beerus for global viewers, while Crunchyroll also carries the show for audiences outside Japan. One survey voter said, “Goku’s battles are exciting no matter how many times you watch them,” pointing to the lasting appeal of the franchise from its 1989 television start to recent releases like Dragon Ball DAIMA [2].
- ONLINE NEWS Kurland, D. (2026, October 24). Every Version of Goten in Dragon Ball, Ranked By Power. Comic Book Resources. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Senzatimore, R. (2026, October 23). The Top 10 Best Fall 2026 Anime So Far, Ranked. Comic Book Resources. [Article Link]
