15 Strongest Dragon Ball Characters of All Time, Ranked

Oct. 8, 2023, 4:31 p.m.

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15 Strongest Dragon Ball Characters of All Time, Ranked

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Summary Dragon Ball Super has introduced characters stronger than Vegeta and Goku, including gods and new fearsome foes.

Majin Buu's is the weakest character on the list who is more than capable wiping out Earth and many other planets.

Gohan, Broly, Jiren, Granolah, and Gas are among the top strongest characters in Dragon Ball Super, each with unique powers and abilities.

There's no shortage of increasingly powerful characters in the Dragon Ball continuity, so the title of the series' strongest character often changes. The series gained a controversial reputation for a formulaic structure that would introduce a new level of strength with a frightening villain, only to have Goku defeat them. Thankfully, the series has grown beyond that trope, as it's no longer earthbound warlords or intergalactic conquerors the Z-Fighters are facing but literal gods and a surprising amount of characters stronger than Vegeta and even Goku.

Dragon Ball Super is the ongoing storyline of the Dragon Ball franchise written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. It has taken several characters from the original series and elevated them to new heights - not just Goku and Vegeta. Not only that, but Super has introduced fans to all-new characters, most of whom are so powerful that the familiar Saiyan warriors may never rival them.

The franchise is notorious for rapidly changing and/or fluctuating one’s power level depending on the story, making a concrete power-ranking almost impossible. Especially with the story being filled with temporary transformations that often seem to wear off when needed most. However, in the current state of Dragon Ball Super, it can be confidently asserted that these top 15 characters are Dragon Ball’s strongest.

The list will only include characters considered canon to the main Dragon Ball series, so it will not include characters from the movies, games, or Super Dragon Ball Heroes anime.

20 Kefla is Universe 6's Strongest Saiyan Yet

Debut: Chapter #38 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga, Episode #114 of the Dragon Ball Super Anime

Outside of Android 18 and a few others, Dragon Ball is not well-known for its powerful women, but that definitely changed with the arrival of Kefla. The fusion of Kale and Caulifla, Kefla takes the strengths of both women and magnifies them to an absurd degree. Kefla's primary display of power was during the Tournament of Power against Goku, and what a showing it was. Not only was Kefla able to keep up with Goku in his Super Saiyan Blue form, she even surpassed him in some ways.

Kefla is actually the very first canon female fusion in Dragon Ball history.

Unfortunately, Kefla would ultimately lose that fight against Goku, though it wasn't for lack of power. With Goku in his Ultra Instinct Sign form, it didn't matter how devastating Kefla's attacks were since they couldn't hit Goku. Still though, Caulifla and Kale are young, and their bond is even stronger than Goku and Vegeta's, so it's entirely possible that Kefla could rival the strength of fusions like Vegito and Gogeta.

19 Piccolo is a Classic Villain Turned Hero Who's an Absolute Powerhouse

Debut: Chapter #161 of the Dragon Ball Manga, Episode #123 of the Dragon Ball Anime

Few Dragon Ball characters have obtained the status of icon quite like Piccolo, and part of that is due to the Namekian's sheer prowess in battle. Piccolo plays a pivotal role in so many Dragon Ball arcs for good reason, as he is a strong fighter and an even stronger mentor figure to fighters like Gohan. In battle, Piccolo has always been a strong foe with a variety of powerful techniques in his repertoire. Despite this, it wasn't until Super Hero that he finally got a power-up that put him in line with the Saiyans.

Orange Piccolo is a hulking brutish form of the character which magnifies all of Piccolo's power. Though Piccolo ultimately did require Gohan's help in his battle against Cell Max, the new orange form made an impressive display. Orange Piccolo is a form that's tough to evaluate at the moment, as it's one battle against Cell Max may not be enough to really show just how strong the form is.

Related "A Bit of a Headache" Dragon Ball's Creator Confirmed A Secret Frustration With Piccolo Akira Toriyama has been working on Dragon Ball for decades, with Piccolo being one character he doesn't always enjoy writing, and for good reason.

18 Majin Buu And Their Many Forms

Debut: Chapter #460 of the Dragon Ball Manga, Episode #232 of the Dragon Ball Z Anime

Majin Buu is a character the writers of Dragon Ball Super have had to write out of most conflicts due to their incredible abilities and potential strength. The plump Buu that's currently been living a comfortable life with Mr. Satan is far from the fearsome forms the final DBZ arc showcased. Buu reached ridiculous levels of power after absorbing his foes leading to the classic debate of whether Kid Buu is stronger than Buuhan in Dragon Ball Z.

Still, even after reverting to his Kid Buu form, the chaotic villain wiped out Earth and many of the universe's planets while casually hunting Goku and Vegeta, making Buu a fitting final villain for the DBZ series. As powerful as Buu was and still is though, the Super era of Dragon Ball has introduced so many powerful beings that Dragon Ball's final big bad just can't compete.

17 Cell Max is the Ultimate Form of an Incredibly Powerful Villain

Debut: Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Cell Max might have had a very brief time to shine during Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero's action-packed climax, but that was more than enough to confirm that he's an absolute nightmare to face. Cell Max was able to face off Gohan, Piccolo, both Gammas, Android 18, and Krillin without too much effort. Even when Piccolo debuted his powerful Orange form, that wasn't enough to stop the mighty Cell Max. Living up to his name, Cell Max took everything that made Cell so strong and turned it up a notch.

Unfortunately, though he had all of Cell's strength, Cell Max didn't have the Dragon Ball Z villain's intelligence or cunning. It's tough to say whether this seriously hurt him in his fight or not, but he was ultimately taken down by Gohan Beast in a show-stopping finale. Gohan Beast is supposedly one of Dragon Ball's strongest forms ever, so it's hard to fault the villain for his loss.

16 Vegeta, A Destroyer God In Training

Debut: Chapter #10 of the Dragon Ball Z Manga, Episode #5 of the Dragon Ball Z Anime

Vegeta has broken the barrier of Super Saiyan numbering and even god ki transformations like Super Saiyan Blue, as he’s found a way to harness the very power of Destruction itself - just like a Destroyer God. The incredibly powerful Ultra Ego transformation is a state of being where every hit he takes makes him stronger. He doesn’t have to channel ki to destroy things; Vegeta can simply will them to be destroyed with Hakai.

However, Vegeta has not mastered Ultra Ego in the Dragon Ball Super manga and has a long way to go before rivaling other members of Dragon Ball's strongest characters. Still, Vegeta is quite powerful in the manga, and with further training, it's clear that the former Prince of Saiyans could possess a power that rivals the likes of Beerus himself.

15 Fused Zamasu Was a Villain So Powerful Even Goku & Vegeta Couldn't Beat Him

Debut: Chapter #42 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga, Episode #64 of the Dragon Ball Super Anime

Fans of Dragon Ball were stunned when Super introduced Goku Black, an evil version of the Saiyan protagonist who was wreaking havoc on Future Trunks' timeline. Eventually, it was revealed that Goku Black was actually an alternate version of the Kai Zamasu. Once Goku Black and normal Zamasu fused, they turned into the incredibly powerful being known as Fused Zamasu, and once that happened, Goku and Vegeta's fight against him was basically over.

Possessing all the powers of a Saiyan and all the powers of a Kai, Zamasu is incredibly powerful in his own right. Goku and Vegeta's only hope against him was a fusion of their own, and though that proved to be enough to 'beat' Fused Zamasu, a quirk in his powers led him to multiply endlessly, creating a massive army of Fused Zamasus. Goku and Vegeta couldn't compete against the horde of Zamasus, leading them to call on Zeno for support.

14 Moro, One of Super's Strongest Villains

Debut: Chapter #43 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga

Known as 'Planet-Eater Moro', Moro is an ancient sorcerer who was designed as a being of pure evil. Starting off as rather weak, Moro's power initially seems to be a mixed bag. Buu is even able to restrain him with ease at first. Unfortunately for the people of Earth, Moro would only grow stronger as his powers slowly returned to him. Eventually, Moro is said to be so powerful that Vegeta could never train hard enough to match him.

At his strongest, Moro uses the energy from the many planets he's consumed to become an absolute powerhouse. Even Goku is ultimately impressed with Moro in his final form and remarks that Moro was the toughest villain he had faced at the time, and could have been even stronger if he had just focused on training himself. That's a high compliment coming from Goku, cementing Moro's status as a deadly foe.

13 Goku, A Mortal Who Has Earned The Respect Of Gods

Debut: Chapter #1 of the Dragon Ball Manga, Episode #1 of the Dragon Ball Anime

Being one of the world's most popular characters, Goku needs little introduction. His accomplishments over the franchise's history include saving Earth on multiple occasions, often with the help of his allies and the techniques he's learned from several powerful masters. During the Saiyan's battles in DBZ, foes like Frieza and Cell have remarked how many of Goku's attacks are more than capable of destroying planets, and he's gotten a lot stronger during his training in DBS. So strong that his energy almost broke the fabric of the universe while battling Beerus, the God of Destruction.

Just as Vegeta has unlocked Ultra Ego by channeling Destroyer energy, so, too, has Goku unlocked power normally reserved for divine beings: Ultra Instinct. Ultra Instinct is an angelic state that allows one’s body to move autonomously, making the warrior wielding it nearly untouchable. Goku learned it from the Angel Whis, just as Lord Beerus helped Vegeta with Ultra Ego. However, Goku is far better with Ultra Instinct than Vegeta is with Ultra Ego. Though beyond that, the two are remarkably close in terms of power-scaling - perhaps the closest they’ve ever been.

To many fans' delight, Vegeta defeated Goku in a training exercise during Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero that saw the two duel in their base forms to the point of exhaustion.

12 Gohan Could Be Stronger Then Anyone If He Put His Mind To It

Debut: Chapter #2 of the Dragon Ball Z Manga, Episode #1 of the Dragon Ball Z Anime

Like Piccolo, Gohan got a significant upgrade in the film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero in the form of Beast Gohan. According to creator Akira Toriyama, Beast Gohan is stronger than Goku and Vegeta. After unlocking the new form in the Super Hero arc, Gohan easily tanked Cell Max's devastating punches that made short work of Orange Piccolo.

Despite having little time to shine, Gohan has proven capable of incredible feats when his inner strength is unleashed throughout the franchise. Despite Gohan's incredible power though, it's unclear how he ranks among the series' strongest fighters. Beast Gohan had an excellent showing against Cell Max, but hasn't had too many times to really show off his full power against other threats. A recent sparring match between Gohan and Broly suggests the two are on a similar level, but that match didn't bring out the kind of rage which makes the Legendary Super Saiyan such a monster in battle.

11 Broly, A Power That Even Destroyer God's Fear

Debut: Chapter #42 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga, Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan Movie (1993)

While Goku and Vegeta explored alternate avenues of power beyond their Saiyan heritage, Broly quite literally surges with the power of his people. As the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly has access to primal Saiyan power. Goku and Vegeta do not, and that power makes him practically unstoppable. Not even Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta were enough to beat Broly. It had to be Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta to finally take Broly down - as shown in Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Broly is so powerful that Lord Beerus has been reluctant to let him train on his world for fear of the damage he'd do. While later arcs of the Dragon Ball Super manga have seen the rehabilitated Saiyan training on the Destroyer's world with Goku and Vegeta, the fact that a literal Destroyer God is nervous around Broly is perhaps the most telling aspect of his strength.

Related New Dragon Ball Goku Vs. Broly Animation Bring the Manga to Life Like Never Before A new Dragon Ball Super fan animation features an epic battle between Goku and Broly and a shocking development for the Legendary Saiyan.

10 Jiren, The Pride of Universe 11

Debut: Chapter #30 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga, Episode #85 of the Dragon Ball Super Anime

The final hurdle that awaited Goku and his friends at the end of the Dragon Ball Super anime was the strongest warrior from Universe 11, Jiren the Grey. While the sequel series struggled to connect many of its arcs in meaningful ways to help set up compelling villains, Jiren was a character that met all the hype his character received during and even before the Tournament of Power began.

Very few fighters forced the strongest Pride Trooper to take them seriously, and even Ultra Instinct Goku failed to knock Jiren out of bounds. It took a lot of wearing down and the power of teamwork for Goku's team to finally triumph over Jiren, a foe the series failed to provide much backstory for. The source of Jiren's outrageous strength is also not clarified, but it's a strength that is rumored to be beyond some Gods of Destruction.

Related Dragon Ball Super's Final Jiren Fight Broke a Decades-Old Tradition With One Subtle Twist The legendary final battle against Jiren in Dragon Ball Super surpassed many expectations, mainly because it did something other arcs rarely pull off.

9 Granolah, The Last Cerealian With A Powerful Wish

Debut: Chapter #67 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga

With the help of many training arcs and the wisdom of incredible teachers, characters like Goku attained astonishing strength. The same can not be said for Granolah, who wished on a pair of Dragon Balls to be the universe's strongest warrior. While the wish ultimately came true, it came with a drastic downside: the revenge-hungry orphan's life span would be reduced to three more years.

Such a wish was made to avenge his Cerealian people from the Galactic Tyrant Frieza, but he'd ultimately be manipulated to face off against Ultra Instinct Goku and Vegeta's newest destroyer form, Ultra Ego. With his new powers and special eyes that grant him incredible ki-sniping abilities, Granolah defeated Goku and Vegeta with their godly forms. He eventually became a valuable ally against another foe who'd take advantage of Dragon Balls for an even bigger power boost.

8 Gas, The Heeter Family's Secret Weapon

Debut: Chapter #68 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga

Gas served as the ultimate antagonist during Dragon Ball Super's Granola arc and proved strong enough to fight Saiyans like Goku's father, Bardock, from a very young age. Still, his already impressive level of power grew considerably after his own family wished with Dragon Balls that he'd become stronger than Granolah. However, the improved power boost was given at the price of an even shorter life span for Gas.

The warrior's wide range of abilities includes the power to materialize seemingly any object or weapon Gas can think of, telekinesis, and unbelievable durability. Much like Broly, Gas seems to harbor some sort of primal rage power-up that he'd struggled to control throughout his life. Even after being healed and reaching new levels of strength, Goku and Vegeta struggled against Gas's new power. By teaming up with Granolah, Gas was eventually defeated, but he was finally reduced to dust with a single blow from one of the franchise's best characters.

7 Frieza, The Galactic Tyrant Has Risen Again

Debut: Chapter #247 of the Dragon Ball Manga, Episode #44 of the Dragon Ball Z Anime

A relatively new transformation for the classic DBZ big-bad, Frieza debuted his ‘Black Frieza’ form in Dragon Ball Super chapter #87 and immediately proved his superiority. In this chapter, Black Frieza one-shotted both Goku and Vegeta when they were in the divine states of Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego. Respectively, not even Broly could pull something like that off. In fact, the whole reason Goku, Vegeta, and Broly are currently training on Beerus’ world is to get strong enough to challenge Black Frieza, and based on the events of this chapter, it’s uncertain if they will.

Frieza achieved this form by training in a time-displaced pocket dimension akin to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for ten years. After arriving on the battlefield at the end of the Granolah arc, he destroyed a mangled Gas with a single blow, then surprisingly spared Goku and Vegeta. What Frieza hopes to achieve with his newfound power currently needs to be clarified. Unless the Saiyans train in a similar manner or find a new way to increase their strength, they may never surpass Black Frieza.

Related Frieza Can Kill Beerus - Dragon Ball Super's Next Arc Has a Big Opportunity It Shouldn't Pass After unlocking Black Frieza, the beloved Dragon Ball villain can shake up the Dragon Ball Super story by ending the God of Destruction Beerus.

6 Vegito, A Godly Gift That Fuses Two Into One

Debut: Chapter #504 of the Dragon Ball Manga, Episode #268 of the Dragon Ball Z Anime

Fans got their first satisfying introduction to Goku and Vegeta's Potara Earrings fusion during Dragon Ball Z's Buu Arc. Buu had absorbed Gohan and Gotenks, and all seemed lost until fans' dreams came true in a fusion of fan-favorite characters, Goku and Vegeta. Once Vegito appeared, the unstoppable Super Buu was quickly proven to be out of his league. The powerful fusion would return in Dragon Ball Super when it was required to take down an evil god.

Potara Earring's create a permanent fusion if used by two Kais. However, if two mortals use the earrings, the transformation becomes limited based on the amount of power that is used.

While the transformation is active, the fused warrior has been nearly untouchable, even against overwhelming foes like Super Buu and the Fused Zamasu. The two fused warriors' strength is combined, making Vegito easily one of the franchise's strongest characters; it's a fusion that can not be achieved unless a pair of the Kai's Potara Earrings are available. Plus, both times Goku and Vegeta have used the Potara earrings, it has failed to last long enough to defeat their opponents definitively.

5 Gogeta, A Very Temporary But Very Powerful Fusion

Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn Movie (1995)

Shonen Jump, the publisher of the Dragon Ball manga, officially settled the debate long ago that Gogeta would beat Vegito. However, both fighters' power levels are so similar that the Vegito could still find a way to win. Due to Vegeta's pride, he and Goku have not resorted to using the Fusion dance lightly. The epic form first debuted against a demon comprised of the universe's evil energy.

Dragon Ball Super debuted the fusion and its SS Blue form against Broly's primal rampage. Once Gogeta transformed into his godly blue form, he was utterly untouchable and overwhelming. Broly is commonly recognized as one of the strongest Saiyans in the entire franchise's history, so the fact that Broly was basically helpless against Gogeta is proof positive that Gogeta is one of the franchise's strongest characters of all time.

4 Lord Beerus, The Multiverse's Strongest God of Destruction

Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods Movie (2013), Chapter #1 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga

While the mortals that have taken up the prior entries on this list are impressive in their rapid elevation of extreme power, they still can’t defeat the might of the strongest God of Destruction himself, Lord Beerus. In Dragon Ball Super chapter #28, Lord Beerus is forced to battle every other God of Destruction from across the Dragon Ball multiverse and comes out on top - but that’s not all. Lord Beerus is the master of Destruction - or Hakai - and can will things out of existence by simply raising his hand.

Throughout Dragon Ball Super, Beerus has been training Goku and Vegeta for a very good reason. He has been a Destroyer God for millions of years and wants someone else to get stronger than him so he can retire. Vegeta is slowly learning to use Hakai, but no mortal has been able to match the full might of a Destroyer who can simply decide to erase one from existence - and Beerus is the toughest Destroyer of them all.

Related Dragon Ball's Beerus Has a Secret Weakness That Proves How Goku & Vegeta Could Kill Him Beerus maybe Dragon Ball Super's Ultimate God of Destruction, but they can die thanks to one glaring weakness that Goku or Vegeta would never exploit.

3 Whis And His Divine Angel Siblings

Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Movie, Chapter #1 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga

Whis is an angel who’s charged with not only guiding Lord Beerus in his cosmic purpose to maintain order in the universe through destruction but also training him. In a way, Whis is Lord Beerus’ martial arts master, who’s teaching the God of Destruction the ways of Ultra Instinct (something Beerus still hasn’t mastered). Beerus cannot touch Whis, while Whis can inflict any level of punishment he wants on Beerus if the two were ever in a serious bout. However, that’s not something an angel would ever engage in and is purely hypothetical.

Angels are seemingly eternal while Dragon Ball Super's Gods of Destruction are not (with the Tournament of Power proving that terrifyingly accurate), implying angels are simply of a higher plane of existence, justifying Whis' position as one of Dragon Ball's strongest characters. Whis and his siblings are seemingly in a consistent state of Ultra Instinct, and it's unlikely fans will ever get to see Whis's full range of power and capabilities put on display. Still, Whis has admitted that even his strength pales in comparison to that of another angel.

2 Grand Priest, Father Of The Angels and Grand Vizier of the Multiverse

Debut: Chapter #17 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga, Episode #55 of the Dragon Ball Super Anime

If Whis is above Lord Beerus, then it only makes sense that the Grand Priest is above Whis, as he is the father of all angels and the right-hand person of the Omni-King (King of All) himself. Grand Priest enforces the divine decrees of the Omni-King(s) and is the one who assigns angels to their Gods of Destruction. It could be argued that Grand Priest is the true mastermind behind how the entire multiverse functions in Dragon Ball canon. It’s implied that he can deliver personal and harsh punishments to any who dare challenge him or the Zenos.

The Grand Priest is shown to be so intimidating that he silences Beerus with a short glare. Whis even pressured Goku not to challenge his father to a sparing match, likely fearing what such a display of power would do to Goku or maybe even the fabric of reality, which weaker warriors on the list have damaged. Like with Whis, Grand Priest isn’t aggressive in the slightest. In fact, he’s too powerful to be. At this point, characters start to enter a state of power so incomprehensible that fighting isn’t even necessary.

1 Grand Zeno aka The Omni-King, The King Of All The Multiverse

Debut: Chapter #13 of the Dragon Ball Super Manga, Episode #40 of the Dragon Ball Super Anime

Indeed, the perfect example of a being (or beings) so strong that they don’t have to fight is the Omni-King. Grand Zeno is Dragon Ball's most powerful being. He's the ruler of the cosmos, and someone who can eliminate an entire universe with a mere thought, a horrifying feat that was shown multiple times over during the Tournament of Power.

Dragon Ball Super’s Future Trunks Saga showed the Omni-King wipe out the universe in which Zamasu had taken over. At that point, Goku invited that version of Zeno (known as Future Zeno) back to his original universe, where Future Zeno could rule alongside his alternate self. While the idea of two Zenos ruling the cosmos may seem terrifying, it’s no more so than if just one was sitting on the throne, as the Omni-King is the pinnacle of what true power is in the Dragon Ball universe.

Read the Dragon Ball Super manga on Manga Plus and Viz Media