When Shounen fans think of Dragon Ball, it’s likely that the first image that comes to mind is of either the spiky-haired Goku or Vegeta. They are, of course, the main characters, and their extreme, earth-shaking battles are the bread and butter of the entire franchise. While the majority of the spotlight might be hogged by the hordes of burly men, the Dragon Ball franchise has a fantastic female cast, as well, and quite a few of them could, can, and did give the boys a run for their money, including the ultra-powerful Saiyans.

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While not every female character is worthy of consideration, plenty of women from Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Super, and GT are worthy of mention. The series may be about epic fights between beings of godlike strength, but that doesn't mean men should go down as the de facto strongest duelists.

Updated on March 21st, 2022 by Tanner Fox: Dragon Ball is an expansive media franchise featuring dozens of manga volumes, hundreds of anime episodes, and more than a handful of feature films and video game outings. With a near-uncountable roster of powerful characters, narrowing down the toughest of the tough is no easy task.

That said, a few female characters stand out. From Goku's significant other to the trainers of the Gods of Destruction, these superpowered women could take on anyone or anything.

Marron

Marron in the Dragon Ball anime.

The child of a legitimately intense femme fatale—and Earth’s strongest human— seems like it might be the chosen one, but, if Marron is any indication, that prophecy is flawed at best.

To be fair, Marron has absolutely no interest in being a fighter of any kind, but to think of her genes and the kind of battles her parents went through, it’s slightly sad to think of the wasted potential. Marron displays no extraordinary powers or natural strength advantages of any kind, making her the weakest of the weak.

Mai

Mai from the Dragon Ball anime.

Mai, specifically the one from Trunks' broken future, is no stranger to brutal conflict. Along with being a survivalist and trusted leader, she’s a master of hand-to-hand combat and an expert with various firearms. Despite being only one rank above the essentially powerless Marron, Mai is exponentially more powerful and dangerous than her blonde-haired predecessor.

Still, with seemingly no ki control, Mai is far less effective than she should be, and, when compared to some of the other women in the series, she just can't compete.

Baba

Fortuneteller Baba from teh Dragon Ball anime.

Fortuneteller Baba is an old hag who physically poses no threat to anyone whatsoever, but brawn doesn’t always determine who is or isn’t powerful. Baba is an exceptionally gifted magic user, and she isn’t afraid to demonstrate this multiple times. In fact, her power is so great that she’s able to bring the deceased back to life, complete with their physical bodies—if only temporarily.

While that’s just one example of her potent abilities, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think she’s got a few more tricks up her sleeve, especially ones that would make Mai’s weapons or martial arts useless.

Launch

The character Launch from the Dragon Ball anime.

Dragon Ball character that more-or-less disappeared despite a few blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos here and there, Launch was once an intense main figure in both Goku’s and Master Roshi’s lives.

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Most of the time, Launch was a cheerful lady, but, once she sneezed, it all went out the window. She’s become explosively angry and ready to take anyone on. She also had a selection of high-caliber weapons at her disposal. While her battle skills might seem similar to Mai’s, the reason Launch beats out the freedom fighter is due to the sheer unpredictability of her fits of rage. She’s like a constantly cornered tiger—one that definitely shouldn’t be provoked.

Miza, Iwaza, and Kikaza

Miza, Iwaza, and Kikaza in Dragon Ball Super.

A part of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga in Dragon Ball Super, Miza, Iwaza, and Kikazi are footnotes in the grand scheme of things. That said, they were able to give some of the series' central characters a run for their money.

After being freed from Galactic Prison by Moro, the three retake Sagenbo's Spaceship and cause chaos on New Namek. When Master Roshi catches up with them, they fuse together and pummel him, though he's eventually able to defeat them once he begins fighting while blindfolded. They're also able to take on Krillin in their fused form.

Chi-Chi

Chi-Chi from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Often considered to be something of a comic relief character, Chi-Chi is best known as Goku's love interest. She's an undeniably significant part of the character's life, but the running gag of her nagging disapproval of her friend-turned-husband hinders her.

While her skills and abilities are rarely at the forefront of Dragon Ball's story arcs, she has proven herself to be a formidable fighter capable of keeping up with Goku and Gohan. She's undeniably strong, but she's still outpaced by some of the series' fiercer female fighters.

Bulla

Dragon Ball GT, Vegeta spending time with Bulla aka Bra

As the second child of Bulma and Vegeta, it’s no surprise that Bulla harbors exceptional power due not only to her parentage, but also to her status as a half-Saiyan. While those facts alone might make it seem that Bulla is among the series' strongest characters, Bulla isn’t a fighter by nature, and, despite her potential, she has much to actually prove.

In GT, Bulla much prefers shopping to anything regarding fighting, and, although the “Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files” state that she could become a Super Saiyan under the right circumstances, this never happens. Her incredible potential should count for something, but she never manages to live up to the legacy of her parents.

Gine

Gine from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Gine, the mother of Goku, is a pure Saiyan and easily one of the series' most powerful women. However, it's explained in Dragon Ball Super: Broly that, despite being a warrior race, not every Saiyan is suited for combat. Gine has likely trained extensively, but her legacy doesn't even come close to that of her son's.

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According to the manga, she actually does have battle experience as a low-class warrior. That, along with an "almost mastery" of ki-based techniques, general power, Oozaru-transformation capabilities, and Saiyan blood, would allow her to easily best those beneath her.

Fasha

Fasha from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Despite her less-than-impressive ranking, Fasha is a fearsome, relentless, and ruthless fighter, relishing in carnage and destruction like a true Saiyan. She’s proven to be a proficient ki-user and brawler. Plus, when transformed into a Great Ape, she’s an extremely dangerous and destructive force.

While Gine and Fasha have extremely similar skillsets and likely boast similar power levels, Fasha is able to edge out Goku’s mother due to a battle spirit and savagery that Gine simply doesn’t possess.

Bulma

Bulma looking angry in Dragon Ball Super

Bulma's strength lies in her immense intellect, which opens the door for some wild possibilities. Her intelligence is second to none, and she could create an all-powerful arsenal of weapons if she really needed to.

In fact, fans have seen her develop a bullet that potentially had the power to wipe out Goku Black. Because of her Goku-slaying capabilities—though that ultimately didn't pan out—Bulma is potentially far more powerful than she might seem, and she poses an immediate challenge to everyone below her.

Videl

Videl from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Videl isn’t capable of designing a weapon that could potentially terminate Goku Black, but, after being trained by Gohan, she could certainly beat even a low-class Saiyan warrior like Gine or Fasha.

Videl, like Gohan, would eventually lose her edge, but, at her height, she was indistinguishable from a superhero, which she was sure to take advantage of in her role as Great Saiyaman 2. While she’d never reach the powered-up heights of those operating beyond human constraints, she’s definitely no pushover, and fans have their fingers crossed that she’ll jump back into the fray in some future saga.

Pan

Pan from the Dragon Ball anime series.

While Pan is only a baby in Dragon Ball Super, it’s already apparent just how powerful she is, as she's seen performing advanced techniques despite the fact that she’s not even potty-trained.

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Fast forward to Dragon Ball GT, and the older Pan is quick to demonstrate that powerful Saiyan blood most assuredly flows through her veins. Quite the powerful fighter, she’s able to go on incredibly dangerous adventures with Goku and Trunks without worrying too much about her safety. Better yet, she has the potential of becoming a Super Saiyan—and even further beyond—so she’s leagues beyond those ranked below her.

Zangya

A still of Zangya from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Zangya is first seen in the 1993 Dragon Ball Z movie Bojack Unbound, and she was an impressively gifted fighter. The only female member of Bojack’s group, she was easily able to hold her own against the Z Fighters, and she even posed a sizable threat against Future Trunks. In fact, it took the might of Super Saiyan 2 Gohan to outmatch her.

She's easily one of the strongest female characters to appear in a Dragon Ball film, and, though she's very rarely seen in the franchise, her appearances are always worthy of note.

Ribrianne

Ribrianne from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Despite being something of a joke character at first glance, Ribrianne is a unique fighter that poses a considerable challenge to Universe 7—including Goku and Vegeta.

With multiple transformations, unique techniques, and the ability to channel the adoration of her Universe into a force of energy capable of expanding her strength to previously unobtainable levels, Ribrianne's convention-breaking appearance proves that looks aren’t everything. Android 18 would eventually get the upper hand against Ribrianne despite being “Super” and gigantic, but the absolute extent of her power remains uncertain.

Android 18

Android 18 from the Dragon Ball anime series.

In truth, Android 18 couldn’t stand a chance against the powered-up Super Saiyans who emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, something that was demonstrably proven when Future Trunks cleaned up his own timeline. Logically, that would mean that Zangya should have Android 18 beaten, but she doesn’t.

As seen by Android 17 in the Tournament of Power, if 18 were to undergo some extreme training, even someone like Zangya would be no match. The potential is there, it just needs to be seen in practice. Perhaps some time spent training with her brother out in the wilderness would do her some good.

Cocotte

The Pride Troopers from the Dragon Ball anime.

As a member of the Pride Troopers, Cocotte is leagues beyond many participants in the Tournament of Power, and, although she isn’t at the peak of power in the series, she’s still a formidable force that shouldn’t be underestimated. She seems to be equal in strength to Android 18’s level of power during the tournament, but she had the unmatched advantage of being able to manipulate space.

Despite the fact that it would be Android 18 who would eliminate Cocotte, the Pride Trooper still edges her out in power, as her “Cocotte Zone” was seemingly impenetrable—even by Android 17 and Goku standards.

Caulifla

The character Caulifa from the Dragon Ball anjime series.

Caulifla, with her tough attitude and eagerness to brawl, was already someone with whom few would trifle, but, once she learned how to tap into the potential of the Super Saiyan state, it was a game-changer. Proving to be incredibly adept at learning new skills, Caulifla soared through the ranks of Super Saiyan transformations, seemingly mastering forms that normally took years to achieve in mere seconds.

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Her attitude, tactical mind, and quickly-mastered powers easily earn her a spot among Dragon Ball's most powerful women. It'll be interesting to see if she’ll end up becoming something more of a threat than the reasonably friendly position she’s in now.

Android 21

Android 21 from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Hailing from FighterZ, Android 21 is a little hard to gauge due to the plotline of the game involving equalizing and/or reducing all the major players’ power levels. Even when considering that caveat, though, there’s no question that Android 21 belongs amongst the highest echelons of powerful female fighters.

Much like Cell, Android 21 is comprised of the cells of the most powerful fighters—including Majin Buu—and she can increase her power by absorbing others. Critically, though, Android 21’s greatest strength comes from her sharp intellect and her unprecedented manipulation abilities. With her virtually unrivaled intelligence and sheer power, Android 21 is a tremendous threat.

Kale

Kale from the Dragon Ball anime series.

At first, Kale seemed like nothing more than a pushover; timid, soft-spoken, and generally averse to any kind of combat, any hopes of her being a fighter—let alone a formidable one—seemed to be a pipe dream… until she snapped, that is.

Very clearly based on the original Broly, Kale’s explosive rage triggered a new transformation. Giant, muscular, and seething with uncontrollable fury, the powered-up Kale proved to not only be a threat to Goku, but to everyone at the Tournament of Power. If she wasn’t contained, there’s no telling what would have happened.

Kefla

Kefla from the Dragon Ball anime series.

Mixing Caulifla’s savage battle spirit and potent power with Kale’s seemingly limitless pools of berserker-rage-fueled potential results in Kefla, the scariest, fastest, and most dangerous female Saiyan in the series.

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While both of the Universe 6’s main Saiyan ladies were formidable in their own rights—especially the berserk Kale—having both of their strengths combined while simultaneously shaving off the majority of their weaknesses, Kefla was a nearly indestructible warrior, and the true extent of her powers remain undetermined.