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The 17 Most Powerful 'Dragon Ball' Characters, Ranked By True Anime Fans
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Vote up the Dragon Ball characters with the strongest power level.
The Dragon Ball Universe is a rich world from the mind of the brilliant Akira Toryiama, filled with some of the most outrageously powerful warriors in all of anime. Not only are they incredible to watch in their own right, but these amazing characters also provided a template for shonen heroes that came after them.
Some of the most powerful DBZ characters are Z Fighters like Goku and Vegeta. Others are immortal gods, like Beerus and Zeno. Still others are frightening villains, like Frieza and Buu. For this list, we'll be counting down some of the strongest characters in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and more.
It's one thing to compare DBZ characters to those from separate anime, but it's another to decide who is truly the most fearsome fighter within this franchise. Which character would you least want to encounter in a Tournament of Power?
- 158 VOTES
Zeno
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super, episode 40
What He's About: Zeno is the Omni-King of the multiverse. He's in total control of everyone, which is terrifying since he's been known to destroy entire universes on a whim. He doesn't see the inherent value of life and is confused when others do. That said, he is willing to listen to other perspectives and change his opinions.
Why He's So Strong: Unlike most characters on this list, Zeno doesn't fight. If he were relying on physical strength, battle sense, and speed alone, he'd be destroyed more or less instantly. Despite his small size, Zeno is still incomparably powerful, because he can instantly erase anyone and anything from existence with no effort at all.
- 270 VOTES
The Grand Minister
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super, episode 55
What He's About: The Grand Minister (or Grand Priest in some English versions) is an angel who serves as an advisor and assistant to Zeno and Future Zeno. He's also the father of all of the other angels, including Whis and Vados. Throughout the series, he appears indifferent to violence and destruction, but in reality he just knows more about Zeno's true intentions than other people do and stays calm as a result.
Why He's So Strong: As the leader of the angels, the Grand Priest is one of the most powerful beings in the multi-verse. He is capable of instantly destroying anyone or anything, including angels who are otherwise immortal. He can use a crystal ball to watch any event anywhere in the world, or instantly warp to the place in question. He's constantly in Ultra Instinct Mode, making it pretty much impossible for anyone to land a hit on him.
- 379 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
What He's About: Whis is an angel who serves as Beerus's attendant. He also teaches him martial arts, which he reluctantly trained Goku in, too. For the most part, Whis is calm and unflappable, even when universes are being destroyed in front of him. However, he does get frustrated if Beerus gets out of control; he can be put back into a positive mood with some delicious food.
Why He's So Strong: According to Akira Toriyama's assessment of his characters' abilities, Goku as a Super Saiyan God would be a 6, Beerus would be a 10, and Whis would be a 15. That's pretty terrifying. Aside from his angel abilities, Whis's biggest strength lies in his speed. He can move so quickly that it's impossible for the human brain to process, let alone counter, his attacks.
- 476 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
What He's About: Gogeta is a fusion of Goku and Vegeta created through a Fusion Dance. Like Vegito, he possesses a combination of Goku and Vegeta's personality traits. The two warriors decide to fuse in order to defeat the reality-warping demon Super Janemba.
Why He's So Strong: Gogeta not only possesses the strength of both Vegeta and Goku, he enhances it. According to a 1995 issue of Shonen Jump, Fusion Dance is able to draw out more raw power than the Potara earrings are, which places Gogeta even beyond Vegito in terms of strength. He's even stronger in his Super Saiyan 4 or Blue forms.
- 565 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
What He's About: Beerus is Universe 7's God of Destruction, which means that it's his job to wreck things. He does this when it needs to be done, but also when he's displeased by things like a planet's greasy cuisine. He resembles a feline, which is fitting since he's also prone to lazing around and gorging on snacks.
Why He's So Strong: Most of Beerus's powers are expended on destroying planets. He once wrecked a huge chunk of a planet just by tapping his nail. The first time Goku fights the god in his Super Saiyan 3 form, Beerus destroys him with barely any effort, even though his powers are suppressed at the time. Given his status as a deity, it's hard for anybody to stand up to him, aside from other gods.
- 644 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super: Broly
What He's About: As a child, Broly and his father Paragus were exiled to a remote planet, because King Vegeta couldn't stand the idea that Broly could be more powerful than his own son. Paragus put Broly through harsh, traumatic training while they were on the island. Eventually, they were rescued by Frieza's forces, leading them to become the protagonists' enemies for a while. But Broly isn't evil - he's confused and struggling to overcome his past.
There is another version of Broly who appears in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, but this version is generally considered non-canon.
Why He's So Strong: Power levels are not always treated consistently within the DBZ universe, but it's worth noting that Broly was born with a power level of 10,000. That sheer talent, plus the fact that he had the genetic ability to access the Legendary Super Saiyan transformation is why he was considered enough of a threat to be banished from Planet Vegeta. He would only grow stronger from there. His main weakness is the fact that he initially struggled to control his Legendary form.
- 752 VOTES
Vados
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super, episode 18
What She's About: Vados is the daughter of the Grand Minister and sister of Whis, and she's responsible for serving Champa and teaching him martial arts. Unofficially, she also serves as the destruction god's dietician and health coach, though he rarely listens to her. She finds his unwillingness to work on getting into better physical shape quite frustrating.
Why She's So Strong: As Champa's combat teacher, Vados is far beyond him when it comes to technique. Her physical strength is astonishing - she's been shown dragging all six planet-sized Super Dragon Balls by herself. Also, an angel, she can't be destroyed unless she violates angel law.
- 869 VOTES
Vegito
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z, episode 268
What He's About: Vegito is the result of Vegeta and Goku's fusion using the Potara Earrings, which they undertake in order to defeat Super Buu. Because of this, he embodies a combination of their characteristics. He's creative and spontaneous like Goku, while also being strategy-minded and a bit overly sure of himself like Vegeta. He's the best (and worst) of both.
Why He's So Strong: As he is a literal combination of two of the strongest fighters, Vegito is the most powerful character to appear in the original Dragon Ball manga. Though he doesn't possess as much raw strength as the alternate fusion Gogeta, his stamina is better, which means that he would be more successful in a longer battle than his counterpart. His most memorable battle comes in Dragon Ball Super when Super Saiyan Blue Vegito hits Fused Zamasu with a Final Kamehameha.
- 963 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball, episode 1
What He's About: The main protagonist of Dragon Ball, Goku is a Saiyan who was raised on Earth. He's obsessed with fighting and would gladly spend his life seeking out strong opponents even if there were no threats to his home planet. Since the Earth is constantly threatened and he hates to see innocent people suffer, he ends up playing the hero on more than one occasion. He's not particularly bright, but he's extremely caring and courageous.
Why He's So Strong: Goku is so strong that fans regularly debate about whether it's possible for any anime character to defeat him. His abilities revolve around immense physical strength, massive Kamehameha blasts, and a series of transformations that he unlocks over the course of the series. It's epic enough when he goes Super Saiyan for the first time, but later on, his Ultra Instinct form blows that one out of the water.
- 1051 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z, episode 5
What He's About: When Vegeta first shows up, he was a villain intent on destroying Earth. Why? Because he was working for Frieza, who destroyed Vegeta's whole race. It took a long time for him to come around, but he eventually starts working with Goku instead of against him. Still, he considers Goku to be his ultimate rival and wants nothing more than to defeat him. Even though Vegeta is often focused on revenge and strength, he does have a soft side - he cares a lot about his wife, Bulma, and his children, Trunks and Bulla, even if he isn't always good at showing it.
Why He's So Strong: Vegeta has been a powerful foe since his debut, and ever since then, he has ramped his power through intense training sessions and multiple transformations. His signature ability, the Galick Gun, lets him fire off a massive beam of power that's strong enough to damage the surface of the Earth. He was able to achieve the Super Saiyan Blue Super Saiyan Evolved form, which is a pretty significant power increase.
- 1142 VOTES
Jiren
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super, episode 85
What He's About: Jiren is a fiercely independent warrior who is committed to rescuing Universe 11 at all costs. He refuses to put his principles to the side, though he might consider it if it meant he could have the one wish he holds dear. Also, he refuses to accept help from anyone. This makes him a good foil for Goku, whose whole life is about his bonds with others.
Why He's So Strong: As a child, Jiren was weak, but he took charge of his own fate and trained himself to be one of the most powerful beings in the entire multiverse. He's stronger than just about any other mortal being, and he even is able to best some gods. Before Goku achieves his Perfected Ultra Instinct form, he has no chance against Jiren. Even then, it takes both Goku and Golden Frieza to finally defeat him. While Jiren's outlandishly strong, his moves aren't especially complicated - they involve swift, decisive hits, and powerful blasts of ki.
- 1260 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z, episode 1
What He's About: Gohan is Goku and Chi Chi's older son. Though he's quite powerful and spends a lot of his time defending the Earth from danger, he isn't particularly interested in fighting and would prefer to spend his time on studious pursuits - and when he's an adult, on spending time with his wife, Videl, and his daughter, Pan.
Why He's So Strong: Gohan's raw potential actually supersedes his father's. He doesn't spend nearly as much time training and fighting, but if he approached things with the same vigor as Goku, he would likely outclass him. Gohan learned two of his signature moves - Masenko and Special Beam Cannon - from Piccolo, while he picked up Kamehameha from his dad. He achieves Super Saiyan 2, and might have reached even greater heights with more training.
- 1334 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z, episode 44
What He's About: Frieza is one of those villains who loves being evil and has no plans to stop - unless teaming up with his enemies benefits him personally, of course. As the emperor of Universe 7, he devotes most of his time to destroying planets and having the remaining inhabitants work for him whether they like it or not. Any tactic that expands his power is acceptable in Frieza's eyes.
Why He's So Strong: Thanks to a genetic mutation, Frieza is far stronger than most other members of his race. Not only that, but he can easily ramp up his power in a short period of time, making him one of the most dangerous villains around. When he's finally defeated, Beerus found this shocking, since he didn't think that anyone other than him could do it. His signature move is Death Beam, a highly concentrated beam of energy that can destroy anything it touches. Like many characters, he possess many additional forms, but these aren't designed to enhance his power - they're designed to suppress his immense strength so that he can properly control it.
- 1434 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z, episode 232
What He's About: Majin Buu is the collective term for Buu's multiple forms, which result from differing circumstnaces, like when he expels all of the evil inside of him or absorbs powerful beings like the Grand Supreme Kai. Each form has a different personality and different goals. Buu's original form, Kid Buu, is a master of chaos who delights in destroying whole planets and is even willing to hurt himself to make that happen.
Why He's So Strong: Buu's strength and specific abilities vary depending on who he's absorbed and which form he's taking. Those who underestimate his smaller Kid Buu for do so at their own peril - this form is so full of unregulated evil that his powers are essentially unlimited. He can shoot people with bursts of electricity, generate massive energy beams, mimic others' attacks, and freely manipulate his body into any shape he pleases. No wonder Goku can't defeat him without a Spirit Bomb!
- 1550 VOTES
Hit
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super, episode 32
What He's About: Hit is an assassin from Universe 6. He's highly skilled at his work and can dependably carry out just about any mission. Despite his willingness to take lives, he still tries to do so honorably. Rather than sneaking up on his opponents, he announces his presence and purpose. He also shows mercy to those he doesn't have to destroy, and generally dislikes violence that isn't necessary.
Why He's So Strong: One of Hit's most noteworthy powers is his ability to skip forward in time by 1/10th of a second. This gives him a massive upper hand in battle. But even without this power, he's incredibly strong. Rather than using ki blasts - which he's perfectly capable of creating - he's more interested in a good old fist fight.
- 1658 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Super, episode 18
What He's About: Champa is the god of destruction in Universe 6. Like his twin brother, Beerus, he's incredibly powerful and confident in his abilities, but he's also lazy and immature. He considers Beerus to be his fiercest rival.
Why He's So Strong: As a god of destruction, Champa has the power to destroy literally anything with almost zero effort, including ghosts. No ordinary person stands a chance against him. That said, he does have some stamina issues, which Vados thinks are tied to his weight, which make it hard for him to successfully fight his twin brother Beerus - one of the other most powerful beings in the universe.
- 1741 VOTES
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Animated Debut: Dragon Ball Z, episode 141
What He's About: Made from the combined cells of some of the world's greatest fighters, Cell represents the pinnacle of Dr. Gero's scientific prowess. Even though he's designed as a “perfect warrior,” with material taken from Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and others, Cell isn't content with his original form. He wants to absorb as many powerful fighters as possible in order to achieve his own idea of a perfect self.
Why He's So Strong: Cell gains his power from absorbing the cells of others. This gives him seemingly limitless potential, although according to him, he does have a final, perfect form. When he achieves that form, he goes even further by becoming Super Perfect Cell. This allows him to mount a Solar Kamehameha, an attack that might have wiped out the whole solar system if not for Gohan awakening his own latent power.
