Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon have been two of the most successful anime of all-time when it comes to planting themselves into Western pop culture. Despite being the two most recognizable franchises in the medium, they couldn’t be further apart thematically and conceptually.
While Ash Ketchum and Goku are leagues apart from one another, that doesn’t mean Goku wouldn’t enjoy capturing and training Pokemon. Friends who happen to be fans of both franchises tend to get lost in conversation talking about which Pokemon Goku would have on his roster if the two ever crossed over.
10 Blaziken
The biggest criticism levied at Goku and Dragon Ball Z as a whole is that he simply becomes as strong or stronger than his enemy. Goku will never be outmatched as there always comes a point in which he reaches a new power level, and this often comes with a brand new name attached to said power level. In that way, the Fire-type starter Pokemon known as Blaziken also matches its opponent’s strength in battle. More specifically it shoots out flames from its wrist that intensify and become stronger to match its foe.
9 Machamp
In the world of Dragon Ball Z, there aren’t exactly superheroes, but Goku and company are the closest things it has to an Avengers-like group. Gohan has a stint in which he’s known as Saiyan Man, but that doesn’t last long. With Goku for all intents and purposes being a hero, and Machamp being a Fighting-type Pokemon known as the Superhero Pokemon, the pairing of the two seems like a no-brainer. Goku would see its obvious strength and its four arms, then quickly conclude that Machamp is more than welcome on his roster.
8 Hawlucha
Saiyan, hero, and father are some of the words that come to mind when defining Goku, but there’s one word that stands above all the rest. No matter what’s going on in his life or what sort of challenge presents itself, at his core, Goku is a fighter.
The same can be said by the Fighting and Flying-type Pokemon known as Hawlucha. Inspired by Mexican luchador wrestling, the creature known as the Wrestling Pokemon is always ready for a fight and encompasses that fighting spirit Goku’s had inside him since birth.
7 Darmanitan
On the surface, Goku is a lovable idiot who happens to be the strongest fighter to ever exist. Though he loves his family and enjoys their company, he often loses concern and attachment when a challenge presents itself. He’ll often turn all of his focus to an opponent to the detriment of everyone around him. Darmanitan is a Pokemon that burns hot all of the time and packs an incredible punch. When injured in battle, it turns to stone to protect itself and heal. This is a move Goku could adopt and learn from to give his fighting style a level of strategy and complexity.
6 Kommo-O
Kommo-O is a Dragon-type Pokemon that is just as powerful as his typing counterparts, but it lacks the raw uncontrolled aggression most of them are known for. This creature’s sole goal is to find opponents worthy of battling and challenging themselves at the turn of every corner. It has no interest in lesser opponents, as defeating them serves no purpose. Goku takes this approach in the same way, as he’s constantly looking for the next big challenge that can push his power to the next level. His eagerness for these challenges often supersedes logic and reason.
5 Hariyama
Goku is an agile and sturdy fighter who often relies on movement and speed to get the upper hand on his opponents. So why would Goku want to capture and train a large and seemingly slow Pokemon like Hariyama? Well, the Fighting-type known as the Thrust Pokemon is much more dangerous than it looks. It challenges others to tests of strength without thinking twice. Does this type of short-sighted aggression sound familiar? It seems like Hariyama was partly inspired by Goku’s well-known recklessness.
4 Sawk/Throh
Though they’re two different Pokemon, it didn’t feel right putting one on the list over the other. Sawk and Throh are a pair of Fighting-type Pokemon from the 5th generation of games, Pokemon Black & White.
Though they are base forms with no evolutions, they are connected as Pokemon in martial arts gis with one specializing in judo and the other in karate. Goku enjoys a good fight and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him catch and train both of them to entertain himself by watching them spar one another.
3 Incineroar
On the surface, Incineroar may look like a Pokemon more suited for Vegeta than Goku, but there’s a case to be made for the pairing. Yes, Incineroar is naturally violent and has a rather selfish personality. That being said, Goku shares a lot of those same tendencies, but they only come out when he’s fighting, so they’re less apparent. Incineroar finds no value in bullying or beating down weaker Pokemon, which is an aspect of its personality Goku would likely admire. There’s no honor or respect in defeating something or someone that doesn’t present a challenge.
2 Urshifu
Urshifu is a rather new Pokemon and happens to be one of the newest legendaries, making its debut in Pokemon Sword & Shield. Trainers are gifted its base form, Kubfu. Depending on if they train it in darkness or water, it evolves to either be a Fighting and Dark-type or a Fighting and Water-type. It’s considered to embody the feeling of rage, and though Goku is often seen as a light-hearted goofball, when he enters combat and has a defined goal in mind it’s hard to match his level of aggression.
1 Infernape
Pairing Goku with Infernape is a bit of a cheat when it comes to this list, considering both of them draw their inspiration from the same source. Both of them are based on the Chinese mythological god known as Sun Wukong who’s most known for being a primary character in the fable titled A Journey to the West. As a Fire and Fighting-type, Infernape has the combat skills and passion to fit in right alongside Goku. It also happens to be one of the quickest Pokemon in existence, and shares that connection to speed with Goku.
NEXT: 10 Attack On Titan Characters & Their Perfect Pokemon Partners
