Dragon Ball has been operating for over forty years. Between the manga, anime, and many adaptations and spin-offs, there is no shortage Dragon Ball content out there. In the nearly half century that the series has been around, it has introduced countless characters to fans.
Plenty of characters have had their highs and lows throughout the series, with some reaching new heights and others falling into relative obscurity. While the future of the series is uncertain, we've kicked things off with a new pick order that might surprise some. These are the strongest characters Dragon Ballat least for now.
Piccolo
New form, new piccolo
For the longest time, Piccolo was a character that was relegated to a supporting role. Although Goku was an equal during their battle at the World Martial Arts Tournament, Piccolo gradually became a side character with Goku and later Vegeta and other Saiyan characters grabbing everyone's attention.
He may still lag behind Vegeta and Goku, but Piccolo is definitely stronger now than when he started Cool. Now that he's unlocked his Orange Piccolo transformation, Piccolo will definitely be able to have a more direct impact on the story if he continues at all.
Broly
Broly instantly became one of Dragon Ball's strongest
As far as non-canon movie exclusive villains go, Broly was probably the most popular among fans. After years of wishing he could make it to the series officially, he finally got his time to shine with his debut Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
In terms of raw power, Broly has one of the biggest potentials in the series. He demonstrated his ability to adapt and keep up with Goku and Vet's various transformations during their initial clash. Now that he's getting better at controlling his legendary Super Saiyan form, it looks like Broly could end up being one of the strongest characters in the series.
A weed
Everyone's favorite anti-hero finally caught up
Vegeta and Goku may be on the same level for the first time in years. While Goku seems to lean more towards Whis's training and mastering angel skills, Vegeta seems to be doing well under Beerus and the God of Destruction has taught him some valuable new tricks.
Goku may have had Ultra Instinct, but Vegeta managed to gain Ultra Ego, with a more aggressive fighting style that suited him perfectly. We know that Vegeta is only going to get stronger from here, so it will be interesting to see how things play out when he takes full control of Ultra Ego.
Goku
Goku still does incredible things
Speaking of Goku, it may come as a surprise to some that he isn't higher up here. While we know that Goku has often beaten the odds and pushed himself beyond what many expected him to be able to do, Super finds that there are entities even if he can't hope to match them. At least not yet.
Currently, Goku is developing well under Whis's guidance. As you would expect from Goku, he not only improved his mastery over Ultra Instinct, but also unlocked his unique form, which is called True Ultra Instinct. At the end of the Super Hero Saga, it is implied that Goku has become even more proficient with the Perfected Ultra Instinct. That would be hard to beat, at least for mortal characters. But there are a couple that have a pretty decent shot.
Gohan
Is Gohan back for good?
Gohan had an up and down ride the whole time Dragon Ball. Fans know that he has the potential to become the strongest character in the series, and now that he's unlocked his Beast form, it's likely that he'll continue to be a powerhouse.
While battling Goku in his Beast form, Gohan seems comfortable keeping up with his father while using Perfected Ultra Instinct. Keep in mind that Gohan normally slacks off in his training and Goku is much more dedicated. Although Goku was able to keep up due to being more practiced than his son, Gohan definitely has a higher ceiling.
Frieza
The surprising revelation established Frieza as the strongest mortal right now
Bringing Frieza back might have been a questionable decision, but you can't say the series hasn't been fun since his return. Frieza briefly reached the point where he was once again able to become Dragon Ball's strongest villain, but was quickly taken care of by Goku and Vegeta.
But thanks to the shocking revelation at the end of Granolah The Survivor Saga that he's unlocked a new transformation, Frieza looks set to once again become the strongest mortal in the universe. It was an impressive moment as he not only destroyed Awakened Gas, but also knocked out Goku and Vegeta in their True Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego forms in one hit. You can bet that Frieza will once again be a foe to defeat once the series returns.
Beerus
The God of Destruction is No Pushover
As the God of Destruction from Universe 7, there aren't many characters that are as powerful as Beerus. We saw how powerful he was during this Battle of the Gods movie where Goku struggled to keep up with the destroyer despite gaining an incredibly powerful Super Saiyan god form.
Goku and Vegeta benefit from Whis and Beerus taking an interest in them and are definitely much stronger now than before. But there's no indication that they, or other incredibly powerful characters like Broly, Gohan, or Frieza, come close to matching Beerus' terrifying power.
Angels and Grand Zeno
Some people just can't be beat
If anyone is stronger than a destroyer, it is Grand Zeno and the angels who guide him. Angels are much stronger than Gods of Destruction, they have almost immeasurable power. While Grand Zeno, who may not be strong in the traditional sense, is undoubtedly the most powerful being in the universe, due to his ability to erase anything in the universe from existence.
We probably won't see Goku and company ever reach that level of power, but that could be a good thing. As great as it is to have characters in the Dragon Ball universe with this level of power and ability, Goku and the rest of the main and supporting cast being a little more grounded keeps the story interesting.
Dragon Ball
- Release date
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1986 – 1989
- Network
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Fuji TV
- directors
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Osamu Kasai, Daisuke Nishio, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Minoru Okazaki, Mitsuo Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yutaka Satoh, Yûji Endô
- Writers
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Akira Toriyama, Keiji Terui, Toshiki Inoue, Takao Koyama, Michiru Shimada, Yasushi Hirano, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Yuichiro Oguro, Miho Maruo, Shunichi Yukimuro
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku (voice)
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Mayumi Tanaka
Krillin (voice)
