It would be downright impossible to talk about legendary anime without mentioning the masterpiece that is Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball is filled with everything one might expect from an action-packed shonen series, whether that’s heart-pounding action, endearing characters, or amazing transformations that help individuals achieve new heights of power.
All of these facets get carried over to the anime’s sequel series, Dragon Ball Super, which ups the ante in every single department. It goes without saying that Dragon Ball Super contains some of the most powerful characters in Dragon Ball, but the exact rankings are always in flux.
Updated April 19, 2023, by Michael Colwander: The Dragon Ball universe is ever-expanding. What once was a single universe now spans 12 universes, each with extremely strong characters. Even though the Dragon Ball Super anime has been dormant since the conclusion of the Tournament of Power, it has continued through movies in Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, each pushing the boundaries of strength.
30 Frost
Frost gets revealed as one of Universe 6’s strongest fighters, and at first, he appears to be the friendly inverse of Universe 7’s Frieza. In reality, Frost’s kind-hearted behavior is merely a front for someone who’s just as wicked as Frieza, if not even more so.
Frost spends most of his time in his fourth form, but flashbacks indicate that he’s worked his way through several transformations, just like Frieza. Frost is powerful in what’s perceived to be his final form, yet it stands to reason that he also can transcend to Golden Frost or even the fifth form that Frieza’s brother, Cooler, exhibits.
29 Android 18
Android 17 turns into the surprise hero during Dragon Ball Super‘s endgame, but Android 18 has consistently been there to fight by her husband Krillin’s side and defend the planet that she’s grown to love. Android 18’s contributions to battle feel fairly perfunctory when Dragon Ball Super begins.
However, Android 18 is rightfully recruited to participate in the Tournament of Power, and she survives longer than many of the series’ staple characters. Android 18 also jumps into battle during the onslaught assault against Cell Max, which speaks to how she’s still ready to take on impossible threats.
28 Pikkon
Pikkon is admittedly an anime-exclusive Dragon Ball character. Goku first crosses paths with Pikkon during the Other World Tournament, which pits the strongest fallen fighters against each other in order to earn the opportunity to train under Grand Kai. Pikkon is Goku’s greatest opponent during these proceedings, and the duo pulls off a draw.
Pikkon becomes a steady defender of justice in the afterlife. He provides Goku with vital support during Janemba’s reign of terror in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. Dragon Ball fans were disappointed when Pikkon didn’t join Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power because he represents such tremendous power.
27 Cabba
Cabba was the first Universe 6 Saiyan viewers were introduced to. Cabba is a member of Planet Sadala’s Defense Forces and a member of a Saiyan race that is much further evolved than their Universe 7 counterparts, giving them a much higher skill floor. Yet, Cabba nor any of the Universe 6 Saiyans had knowledge of the Super Saiyan transformation.
Vegeta goaded Cabba into transforming during their fight in the Tournament of Destroyers, which he then taught Caulifla through non-emotional means. During the Tournament of Power, Cabba achieved Super Saiyan 2, making Super Saiyan 3 close to reality.
26 Caulifla
Caulifla is a true Saiyan prodigy. Her high potential and eagerness to fight closely resemble Goku. Caulifla quickly got a handle on the Super Saiyan transformation, becoming the first female Super Saiyan in the Dragon Ball franchise, and even briefly surged into Super Saiyan 2 to stop an out-of-control Kale.
Caulifla couldn’t retain her Super Saiyan 2 transformation until she witnessed Goku demonstrate it in the Tournament of Power. Afterward, she transformed into Super Saiyan 2 as if she had known how to for years. Caulifla is a very quick learner and there’s little reason to doubt she’ll attain Super Saiyan 3 by the next time Dragon Ball fans get to see her.
25 Gotenks
Goten and Trunks are incredibly early bloomers, and their Super Saiyan milestones easily trump those of their parents. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero showcases teen versions of Goten and Trunks, who are surely destined for greatness, and their exploits as Saiyamen is currently being chronicled in the manga.
Goten and Trunks are at their strongest when they’re fused together as Gotenks, who can tap into Super Saiyan 3 strength. A true battle of fused Saiyan strength between Gotenks and Universe 6’s Kefla is hopefully on the horizon.
24 Dyspo
Dyspo is one of the elite members of Universe 11’s Pride Troopers. While Jiren and Top bring strength to the justice team, Dyspo brings speed. Dyspo may very well be the fastest mortal in the multiverse.
Dyspo is so fast, the only way he was eliminated in the Tournament of Power was for Gohan to team with Frieza to limit his area of movement and for Gohan to sacrifice himself. While Gohan was disappointed he didn’t make it further in the Tournament of Power, Piccolo reassured him by noting that Dyspo’s speed could’ve been increasingly difficult to overcome in the later stages of the tournament.
23 Majin Buu
Dragon Ball has a history of rehabilitating its villains into powerful allies, which carries over into the events of Dragon Ball Super. Majin Buu wipes out the planet’s population and rotates through multiple versions of himself before he reaches perfection. The rotund “Good Buu” sticks around and becomes one of Mr. Satan’s closest friends.
Dragon Ball Super actually allows Buu to engage in some battles, which reveal someone who’s only grown stronger since the events of Dragon Ball Z. There’s even a particularly amusing joke where Buu slims down into a buff, athletic state after strenuous training apparently burns off his fat.
22 Android 17
The Tournament of Power is a fantastic opportunity to bring back characters who haven’t been seen in a decade, but it also gives them another chance to shine. It’s safe to say that no character shines brighter than Android 17.
Android 17 makes his return for the first time since Dragon Ball Z’s Android invasion. Android 17 now works as a wildlife ranger on a remote island. Despite his newfound employment and family, Android 17 hasn’t stopped training. It’s this training that allows him to survive until the very end of the Tournament of Power.
21 Kale
While Cabba and Caulifla were able to transform and get the hang of their newfound Super Saiyan form quickly, the timid Kale struggled to reach it herself. Despite Cabba and Caulifla’s best attempts, Kale gave up. However, after feeling threatened that she might lose her best friend to Cabba, Kale reaches a more powerful iteration of Super Saiyan.
Kale’s brand of Super Saiyan most closely resembles Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan transformation. Similar to Broly, Kale initially lacks control over her new form and becomes a nearly unstoppable force for Universe 6.
20 Frieza
Few characters strike fear into the hearts of the Z-Fighters like Frieza. Frieza’s reign of terror had initially come to an end shortly after Namek in the early days of Dragon Ball Z. Frieza, wiser through experience, has begun to do something he has never previously done in his life: train.
While Frieza and his newfound Golden form see a bitter end during the Resurrection F arc, Goku enlists Frieza’s help for the Tournament of Power with the promise of restored life. Goku’s bizarre trust in Frieza gets justified as Frieza fights side-by-side with Goku, eliminating Jiren. Frieza’s frequent returns showcase his strength and will to finally kill Goku despite many fans growing tired of seeing him. Frieza’s feats have only become more impressive in the Dragon Ball Super manga.
19 Hit
Strength isn’t just about power. Every so often, a character debuts in Dragon Ball with a powerful ability that is extremely difficult to overcome. Few abilities are more overpowered than Hit’s time-stopping abilities, which allow him to make pinpoint strikes to incapacitate his targets.
This makes Hit the perfect assassin, as many of Hit’s targets never even know they were targeted until it’s too late. The only two characters who have been able to overcome Hit’s time abilities are Goku and Jiren. Despite this, Hit does manage to briefly kill Goku, which makes Hit one of the few characters to do so.
18 Gamma 1
Gamma 1 is one of two new Androids created by the Red Ribbon Army, which still isn’t fully out of commission. Gamma 1 gets created by Dr. Hedo and initially serves as one of the antagonists of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero alongside Gamma 2.
It’s difficult to gauge which Gamma is stronger than the other or in general. Gamma 1 is able to hang with Gohan in his Super Saiyan form and his Ultimate form. After Cell Max gets unleashed, Gamma 1 shifts his focus to stopping the berserk monstrosity, but he finds himself unable to do any damage whatsoever.
17 Gamma 2
Gamma 2 is the second of the two new Androids introduced in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Piccolo believes that both Gammas are roughly on par with Goku and Vegeta in terms of power, though it’s unclear if Piccolo means Goku and Vegeta in their strongest forms. While Gamma 1 fights Gohan, Gamma 2 takes on Piccolo.
In his fight with Piccolo, Gamma 2 triggers Piccolo’s Orange form. In the struggle to overcome Cell Max, Gamma 2 does manage to cut off one of Cell Max’s arms, though it requires his sacrifice. While it’s tough to discern which Gamma is stronger, Gamma 2 could get the edge due to executing more impactful results.
16 Piccolo
Few characters in Dragon Ball have been around as long as Piccolo. Initially appearing during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament as the primary antagonist, Piccolo has since turned to the side of good. Piccolo continues to pursue a higher level of strength while still keeping watch on his pupil, Gohan.
In Super Hero, Piccolo learns of the plot of the revived Red Ribbon Army to unleash Cell Max. Knowing that Goku and Vegeta are off training on Beerus’ planet, Piccolo gets his potential unlocked, similar to Gohan, thanks to Shenron. Shenron also added an extra bonus, which was later revealed to be a new transformation dubbed “Orange Piccolo.” In this form, Piccolo easily outmatches Gamma 2 but still falls short of Cell Max.
15 Cell Max
In what has become a tradition in Dragon Ball movies as of late, Cell is the latest iconic villain to return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Unlike Frieza, who was dead, and Broly, who was previously non-canon, this new and improved Cell is not the same Cell Gohan killed during the Cell saga.
Cell Max was created by Dr. Hedo using incomplete and difficult-to-understand data from Dr. Gero. This results in Cell Max not even having the ability to regenerate. Despite this, Dr. Hedo still managed to create a Cell far more powerful than Dr. Gero’s. Due to being released early, Cell Max lacks any semblance of control. While Cell Max has a built-in weak point that initiates self-destruction, causing enough damage took one of the most powerful transformations in the Dragon Ball series to trigger.
14 Top
Universe 11 was the only one that stayed in for the long haul, along with Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power. A big factor in their success was Top. The leader of Universe 11’s Pride Troopers, Top is easily one of the strongest fighters in the tournament.
The fact that Top can access the power of a destroyer makes him even more fearsome. Top is able to easily dispatch Frieza, and he beats him within an inch of his life. It takes everything that Vegeta has to finally beat the God of Destruction-in-waiting, once and for all.
13 Vegeta
Vegeta’s pride has remained constant throughout the series. It’s one of the biggest driving factors that help him acquire new heights of power—something he’s managed to achieve in spectacular fashion. Vegeta was easily one of the strongest characters when he was first introduced in Dragon Ball Z.
Ever since Vegeta’s arrival, he’s had a knack for digging deep and finding a well of power to overcome his opponents. This was on display during the Tournament of Power, where he unlocks a new form of Super Saiyan Blue. It seems there’s no stopping Vegeta from reaching the power required to best his rival.
12 Kefla
What happens when a Saiyan prodigy fuses with an uncontrollable Broly-like Saiyan? Kefla. Kefla was the last-second desperation Potara fusion between Caulifla and Kale to stave off elimination by Goku in the Tournament of Power.
Kefla is extremely powerful, even garnering the attention of the meditating Jiren. Kefla is able to transform into a controllable Legendary Super Saiyan form, giving her a more powerful form beyond regular Super Saiyan. Goku was only able to eliminate Kefla by tapping back into Ultra Instinct. Had Goku not, Jiren may have been the only one who could stop her.
11 Goku
Goku, Dragon Ball‘s humble and sometimes naive protagonist, is also typically at the center of most of the series’ major conflicts. Goku’s power levels soar through the roof in each and every encounter where he’s faced seemingly insurmountable odds. Goku remains one of the strongest anime characters in general and can hold his own against most anime juggernauts.
From his group effort against Fused Zamasu to a one-on-one showdown for the ages against Jiren — little can stand in Goku’s way. Goku is determined to do whatever it takes to attain victory, even if that means breaking his own limits in order to protect the people that he loves.
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