GokuvsThanos

Base Thanos is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe — but Goku operates at a scale that makes Marvel's cosmic hierarchy look modest by comparison.

Thanos can trade blows with the Hulk, survive attacks from Galactus, and project energy at planetary levels. These are incredible feats. But current Goku threatened to destroy Universe 7 just by clashing fists with Beerus — and he's gotten exponentially stronger since then.

The speed gap is the most decisive factor. Goku in Ultra Instinct moves and reacts at speeds that make lightspeed look pedestrian. Thanos, while fast by Marvel standards, doesn't operate anywhere near this tier. Goku could land thousands of planet-busting strikes before Thanos could process what's happening.

With the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos rewrites this equation entirely — the Gauntlet operates at a level that transcends power scaling. But without it, Thanos is simply outclassed by Dragon Ball's exponential power creep.