8. Manwolf

Manwolf’s fight seems like a joke, at least he seems strong enough physically. Although Jackie Chun easily tricked Manwolf out of the ring, he was still strong enough to pass the preliminary round. Despite this, Manwolf mainly existed to provide entertainment after Tien Shinhan brutally broke Yamcha’s leg in the previous match.

7. Panput

Panput is a really good boxer, he has won many major tournaments around the world. But unfortunately for Panput, most of the characters in the Congress were strong beyond the level of normal people. Panput may have been a threat in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, but this Games was a different story.

Goku defeated Panput in one page of the manga, it seemed like he did almost absolutely nothing, but that’s what made this tournament so interesting. If even someone as good as Panput couldn’t compete, it was easy to understand how strong the others were.

6. Chaozu

Poor Chaozu, even in the first Saga he appeared in, he barely had much acting space. Either way, Chaozu ultimately fails to make a strong impression on viewers, which is no wonder Toriyama doesn’t use him much.

Chaozu is not a traditional martial artist; instead, he fights using spiritual power. Chaozu may seem like a coward, but he also made Krillin worry about his “belly”.

5. Yamcha

The 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai did everything as if Yamcha was Tien’s opponent, they were the two people who interacted the most before the tournament started. Tien initially even thought Yamcha was the strongest student of the Quy sect.

Yamcha was the weakest of Kame Sennin’s students, but he still put up a great match with Tien Shinhan. It all ended when Tien broke Yamcha’s leg. Although he lost, this was Yamcha’s best display of strength in all of Dragon Ball.

4. Krillin

During this Grand Final, Krillin fought Goku seriously, using strategy to win against Goku. Krillin ultimately lost, but nearly defeated his opponent. If Goku hadn’t trained his tail between Sagas, Krillin would have victory within his grasp.

3. Jackie Chun

It’s unclear exactly how strong Jackie Chun is in this Games, Muten Roshi said that he secretly trained to participate in the tournament. Not only that, Jackie Chun didn’t actually lose, but just gave up the fight against Tien, jumping out of the ring himself to let Tien win. This is also the tournament that caused Quy to retire.

During the battle with Tien, Jackie Chun realized that it was time for him to pass the torch to the next generation. He tried to make Tien Shinhan abandon the sect, awaken his conscience, and then left the arena. This is an interesting one, as it keeps Chun’s true power a secret forever.

2. Tien Shinhan

Tien Shinhan was actually weaker than Goku in their final match, at least physically. Tien even said it directly, calling Goku the stronger of the two.

However, Tien is still very strong thanks to his ability to use Ki. Goku has the physical strength and skill to repel opponents, but Tien is implied to be a faster fighter, his Ki techniques surpassing anything Goku has. Although Tien Shinhan won the championship, he is really not as strong as Goku.

1. Goku

One thing is a bit strange, Goku is the strongest character participating in the Congress. Even though he lost, this is not the right time for him to win the first prize. Goku still needs to be more humble, losing to Tien made Goku’s victory in the 23rd Congress even more amazing.

22nd Martial Arts Festival, Goku is the best, he has clearly matured since the Red Ribbon Army Saga. Goku has a better understanding of the world around him, and his respect for martial arts makes Goku himself a much more “rounded” character.