The 10 Strongest ‘Dragon Ball’ Characters, Ranked

A ranking of the ten strongest Dragon Ball characters? Why do you distract yourself with such thoughts? Would this time not be better allocated towards your training? Comparison will not make your power level climb to over nine thousand—discipline will.

Let’s leave fusion out of this one, shall we?

10. Jiren

Did you know that every universe has a God of Destruction? And did you know that the God of Destruction is said to be the most powerful being in their respective universe? That sounds like an arbitrary limitation imposed upon the universe by those who do not understand discipline. Jiren is not a man to be swayed by imaginary limitations. He is so strong that he is able to surpass his own universe’s God of Destruction in power, becoming one of the the most powerful beings in the multiverse. Though he was defeated by our heroes, it was a team effort.

9. Broly

Broly is one of the strongest beings that the planet Vegeta has ever produced—so powerful, in fact, that King Vegeta III, father of Prince Vegeta IV (the Vegeta you are familiar with) banished Broly from the planet out of a jealous fear that the young warrior had greater potential than his own son. The King’s fears were not unfounded. Broly is one of the most powerful Saiyans in existence, strong enough to rival the might of Vegeta and Goku—stronger, in fact, requiring the pair to use fusion to take him down. He’s only this high on the list because he can’t actually control that power—his only weakness is that he does not have mastery over his emotions. His fits of rage also make him vulnerable to tricks and stratagems from his enemies. Broly must learn to discipline his warrior heart, the hardest of muscles to train, some would say.

8. Vegeta

Prince Vegeta IV was born to be one of the most powerful Saiyans in existence. His awesome power created in him a callous demeanor which made him disrespectful of beings that he deemed weaker than himself. It was only by the influence of Goku’s strength of arm and character that Vegeta’s heart changed. A warrior for justice, Vegeta has helped Goku and friends defeat some of the most powerful threats the universe has ever faced. With the awakening of his Ultra Ego mode, his power became akin to that of a God of Destruction, overpowering many of the foes that would prove a challenge to him in the past. After all, what is a challenge but an opportunity to improve?

7. Goku

The hero of Universe 7, Goku is indeed one of its strongest beings. Goku, more than anyone else on this list, knows the value of training. He has continually been able to surpass his own limitations, allowing him to stand toe-to-toe with the gods of the multiverse. His True Ultra Instinct form is one of the most powerful forms in all of existence, giving him nigh invincibility. His only limitation? He is mortal. Not even he can stand against Gods of Destruction like Lord Beerus. At least, not yet. Not without more training.

6. Gohan

Gohan, the son of Goku, has been acknowledged by the late, great Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama as the strongest hero in the series—with some room for interpretation. In his Beast Gohan form, Piccolo has said that Gohan’s power surpasses even Goku and Vegeta’s. What then prevents Gohan from becoming stronger even than Lord Beerus? From defeating foes that his father could not? Desire, or the lack thereof. Unlike his father, Gohan does not deprive pleasure from fighting. He prefers to pursue scholarly pursuits, the discipline of the mind—an admirable path, to be respected.

5. Frieza

Some may object to putting Frieza so high up, but in his latest appearance in the Dragon Ball Super manga, he was able to take out Goku and Vegeta, at the same time, with ease in his new Black Frieza form. Even if Gohan is stronger than his dad, it’s safe to assume Frieza is still stronger—for now—and poses a threat we haven’t seen the last of. He’s been keeping pace with our heroes for a while, too, as his Golden Frieza form allowed him to ascend to new heights of power and prove a worthy challenge to Goku in his Super Saiyan Blue form. In Goku’s own words, the villain could potentially have killed him on the spot. Unlikely, for there is one thing that training will never overcome: plot armor.

4. Lord Beerus

Lord Beerus is one of the Twelve Gods of Destruction, and presides over Universe 7. It is said that of the Twelve Gods, Lord Beerus is the most powerful of all. Not even Goku was able to defeat Beerus, despite the fact that their battle nearly tore apart not one, but multiple universes. Thankfully, Goku was able to convince Lord Beerus not to destroy Earth through the power of his own will, proving to Beerus that he was a worthy adversary, even if he was weaker. True power is not measured in the strength of one’s arm, my pupil, but the strength of one’s will. Is it not?

3. Whis

Whis is an angel responsible for guiding the wanton impulses of Lord Beerus, and as a result, his power level is orders of magnitude greater than the God of Destruction. While Whis’ full power has never been displayed, he was able to knock out a raging Beerus with a quick open-handed chop to the back of the God’s neck. After all, it was Whis who was responsible for teaching Beerus martial arts in the first place. Should we ever be graced with a display of Whis’ full power, it would be an awesome sight indeed.

2. The Grand Minister

The Grand Minister is the father of the Thirteen Angels that preside over the Gods of Destruction and the multiverse. As such, his power level is incomprehensible. Whis himself has acknowledged that his power level is but a molehill to the mountain that is his father. After all, what other being would be worthy of serving at the right hand of the most powerful being in all the universe? That being being …

1. Zeno

Be not fooled by his diminutive stature and childlike appearance, Zeno is a God of Gods. With a flick of his tiny wrist, he was able to wipe out six universes. Zeno is immortal and invincible, able to survive even the destruction of any universe that he resides in. This fact was confirmed by Future Trunks, who bore witness to Zeno’s continued existence even after the universe around him was destroyed in the far future. Essentially, Zeno is God, ruled by nothing but his own whims and fancy. Is such awesome power worth the responsibility it entails? Perhaps with enough training, you can decide for yourself.