Could a human being in Dragon Ball match Goku's immense power? Humans in Dragon Ball Z are shown to be weaker than the Saiyans. By the time Dragon Ball Super rolls around, Goku has seemingly left his human companions so far in the dust it seems impossible for them to catch up. But is this truly the case?
There are actually multiple ways humans can match or even exceed Goku's strength in Dragon Ball, even without resorting to taking out the Dragon Balls to wish for infinite power.
A Human Can Have Their Hidden Potential Unlocked
As demonstrated with Krillin on Namek, it is possible for a human being to have their hidden potential unlocked by a Namekian or the like. While Krillin's hidden potential doesn't even put him on par with Goku after he trained under 100 times Earth's gravity, it does make him stronger than Goku was when fighting Vegeta.
There are multiple ways Hidden Potential can be unlocked. Gohan has his hidden potential unlocked both as a child by Namek's Grand Elder Guru and as a teen by the Old Kai. Both indicated that there is potential underneath even the Hidden Potential that can normally be unlocked. In fact, the Old Kai's ritual pushes Gohan beyond even the potential of a Super Saiyan 3.
Is it possible that a human's hidden potential can really put them on par with a Saiyan? Yes. Tien is able to hold down Cell and stand up against Super Buu with nothing but pure training. His hidden potential must be vast, especially considering that, by the time he fights Super Buu, Buu has already absorbed Gotenks, a Saiyan. While Tien's power paled in comparison to Ultimate Gohan's power, should Tien have undergone as many rituals as Gohan had, Tien might've been on-par with Buu.
A Human Can Learn Hit's Time-Leap Abilities
The Time-Leap technique is a unique ability known only by Hit, the legendary hitman from Universe 6. The ability allows Hit to freeze time for anywhere between 0.1 to 0.5 seconds, allowing him to land blows on a target. The attack only works on those who are less familiar with how the technique works or equal or lesser to Hit's power levels.
This might not inherently make someone who learns the Time-Leap technique on-par with Goku, but it could help them win a fight against Goku, especially if they've had their Hidden Potential unlocked, potentially coming on-par with Goku. Goku needed to stack the Super Saiyan Blue form and Kaio-Ken technique in order to become powerful enough to react to Hit's attacks in-time. Should a human stack the Time-Leap power with their unlocked potential, they might be able to even the playing field against Goku.
A Human Can, in Theory, Learn Ultra Instinct
Ultra Instinct is not a technique inherent to Saiyans, even though Goku manages to harness it during the fight against Jiren. This technique can only be harnessed through intense work and training, with its power surpassing that of the Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue forms. The form itself is one that can be harnessed by Gods like Beerus.
Through intense training, a human can, in theory, achieve Ultra Instinct form, managing to surpass Goku's Super Saiyan God form and gain power on par with the Gods of Destruction themselves. Of course, due to the incredible difficulty of reaching Ultra Instinct, it would be incredibly hard for any normal human to achieve.
Unless, of course, they had previously had their Hidden Potential unlocked twice. It is possible a human being like Tien or Master Roshi could harness the power of Ultra Instinct if they put their mind to it. If Roshi could develop the Kamehameha technique and fight in the Tournament of Power, he could train enough to gain Ultra Instinct in theory. All of these are incredibly difficult techniques that are hard to master, but should a human being reach that power level, he'd be able to surpass Goku!
