Who Would Win: Goku Super Saiyan 3 Buu Saga vs SSJ Gotenks

The eternal debate in the realm of Dragon Ball fans is whether Goku's Super Saiyan 3 form can defeat SSJ Gotenks in a battle against Super Saiyan 2 Buu. According to the canonical source material, such as the manga and anime, Gotenks comes out as the victor in this hypothetical clash.

Gotenks Wins

Gotenks, the fusion of Goten and Trunks, overpowered Super Saiyan 2 Buu in SSJ form. It's also widely acknowledged that no one, including Goku himself, expected Gotenks to become a Super Saiyan 3. Even Goku himself admitted he couldn't defeat Super Saiyan 2 Buu in his normal form, and now he is no longer hiding from Vegeta about his Super Saiyan 3 capabilities.

Theoretical Analysis

While the mainstream view is that Goku would require Super Saiyan 3 to defeat Super Saiyan 2 Buu, arguments support the idea that original form Goku alone could handle Super Saiyan 2 Buu even before reaching Super Saiyan 3. Consider the following key points:

Power Comparisons in 'Daizenshuu' and 'Chouzenshuu'

Daizenshuu 7 and Daizenshuu 10 as well as Reprint Chouzenshuu 2: From these official Dragon Ball fan guides, it is stated that Goku and the Z Fighters faced an evenly matched copy of Gohan, who is stated to be as strong as the real Gohan. This is also corroborated by Kai (the Dragon God).

Notably, even under a fraction of his power, Goku and Vegeta managed to face Super Saiyan 2 Buu effectively. In one instance, Vegeta fights Super Gotenks 3 and Piccolo, and they are described as having the same strength as the real ones.

Fusion Power and Immortal Buu

During the Buu Saga, Vegeta and Goku uncovered the extent of Gotenks' power. Vegeta comments, This... Is this the power of those two? Its... On a completely different level. This suggests that Gotenks, even without reaching Super Saiyan 3, already had power that surpassed even the highest levels of Saiyan strength.

Vegeta and Goku also described Buu as nearly immortal, meaning that their power was only a fraction of their usual strength. Even with such limitations, it’s clear that Gotenks was still able to confront and hold his own against Buu.

Power Analysis of Base Goku and Vegeta

Base form Goku and Vegeta, after training with Vegito, already exhibited a power level that was theoretically a hundred times stronger than their past selves. This further supports the idea that even in their base forms, these fighters could easily handle Super Saiyan 2 Buu, let alone resort to Super Saiyan 3.

Regeneration and Visual Effects

It's also important to note that the power gaps seen in the manga and anime are sometimes a matter of visual effects or regeneration abilities, rather than hard power comparisons. For example, Gohan's Kamehameha matching Goku's Kamehameha in size is purely a visual effect and shouldn't be taken literally. This is also seen in other battles where there are significant differences in power but the attacks visually match in size.

In conclusion, while the official canon often portrays Goku needing Super Saiyan 3 against Super Saiyan 2 Buu, the power comparisons in Daizenshuu and the advancements in base form Goku and Vegeta suggest that Gotenks could realistically hold his own even without reaching Super Saiyan 3 status.

Therefore, in a hypothetical battle, Gotenks would likely remain a formidable opponent for Super Saiyan 2 Buu, even without reaching Super Saiyan 3.

Conclusion

The debate may rage on, but the debate itself serves to highlight the rich lore and complexities of the Dragon Ball universe. Whether you side with the classic canon or the more theoretical analysis, it's clear that Gotenks has earned his place in Dragon Ball's pantheon of powerful fighters.