Deities of all kinds are pretty much a staple of the world of Dragon Ball. As the franchise has progressed, the dense, expansive hierarchy of deities has been further revealed. As with most aspects of the Dragon Ball franchise, the scale of the gods continues to grow to insane proportions - each new deity more overpowered than the last.
Conveniently enough, the order that these characters have been introduced almost perfectly lines up with their power levels, which comes in handy when ranking all the deities of the series.
There are a few differences, but regardless, the hierarchy of the gods is made pretty clear. Strangely enough, this power ranking might be one of the clearest things about the lore of Dragon Ball, since most aspects of the world are somewhat convoluted.
Even though Goku and his friends are the main focus of the Dragon Ball franchise, gods are a big part of the world, even more so in recent arcs of Dragon Ball Super. For this reason, we've taken a look at every deity, kai, and god in the franchise, and sized up their power levels.
Here is Dragon Ball: Every God Ranked, Weakest To Strongest.
DENDE
Though he was the second guardian of Earth to be introduced, as Kami's successor, Dende is by no means the fighter his predecessor was.
Dende was born with the rare ability to heal others, and though his brother was a great warrior, he himself is a small-framed Namekian with little fighting ability. But what Dende lacks in power, he more than makes up for his abilities.
Dende can heal others as well as create, resurrect, and modify dragon balls, which he does for Earth after becoming its guardian. Goku chose Dende to the Earth's next guardian for his magical abilities, and he has since watched over the planet.
As the guardian of Earth, Dende gains even more impressive abilities, but on a greater scale, he may be the weakest of all the gods.
KAMI
Before Dende, there was Kami, the guardian of Earth for over three hundred years. Kami gained his position from the previous guardian after purging the evil from his body, the essence of which formed into King Piccolo.
Eventually his reincarnation/son, Piccolo Jr. Kami, whose original name is unknown, was also a powerful warrior before becoming Earth's guardian, outclassing other competing for the position.
With how powerful King Piccolo and Piccolo Jr. are, and with the fact that they are part of Kami, we can come to the conclusion that Kami himself was an incredibly powerful fighting both before and after becoming Earth's guardian.
This power only seemed to increase after the fact too, since the nameless Namekian would gain a plethora of godly abilities upon becoming Kami.
NORTH, EAST, SOUTH & WEST KAI
The term "Kai" is derived from the Japanese word literally meaning "world king." Starting with the introduction of King Kai, the term "kai" would eventually become a huge part of the Dragon Ball mythos.
King Kai is one of four other Kai in Universe 7, the universe that most of Dragon Ball takes place in. He is the North Kai and is joined by the East, South, and West Kai.
Each of these Kai look after a specific area of the universe, overseeing the planetary guardians, like Kami, and reporting to the Grand Kai. Though the Kai's fighting ability is rarely seen, they are still powerful deities. Not only are they teachers to the greatest warriors in their sectors, but each of them is known to have high power levels and powerful godly abilities like telekinesis, telepathy, and magical materialization.
GRAND KAI
Overseeing the four Kai of Universe 7 is the Grand Kai. Though the Grand Kai doesn't appear in the original manga, he is mentioned. He showed up in the anime at the suggestion of creator Akira Toriyama.
By the very nature of his position, we can assume that the Grand Kai is stronger and more powerful than his underlings, and there is evidence to support this.
Not only is the Grand Kai the teacher of the greatest warriors in the universe, he is also one of the strongest warriors himself. However, not much is known about his fighting ability, and due to neglecting his training, his power has slipped a bit in recent time.
Still, his position as the Grand Kai definitely earns him a higher ranking, no doubt making him stronger than the quadrant Kai.
OLD KAI (FORMER SUPREME KAI)
Though he is seen to be weaker than Shin and other Supreme Kai, The Old Kai makes up for this with his vast magical powers.
Originally a powerful, young Supreme Kai of the fifteenth generation of Kai, he was changed after accidentally fusing with an Old Witch. Some of his godly power was lost, but in return he gained powerful magical abilities.
The Old Kai was sealed away in the Z-Sword by Lord Beerus, but was eventually released by Goku and Gohan. Currently, he acts as the advisor to the current Supreme Kai, Shin. Again, though he might not be able to defeat the likes of his sucessor, he is still a powerful magic-user, able to unlock the deep-seeded potential in Gohan and materialize nearly anything he wishes.
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SUPREME KAI
As we learned more and more of the hierarchy of Gods in Dragon Ball, it started to look a bit more like middle management, involving a multiple levels of overseers and higher-ups that each Kai has to report to.
Just above the Grand Kai are the Supreme Kai. These Kai, who far outclass their underlings, are also known as creation gods and are paired with the Gods of Destruction.
In Dragon Ball Super we learn of the alternate universes and the Supreme Kai that oversee them. Not much is known about these Kai and their fighting ability, but they are said to be powerful enough to defeat Frieza (Pre Super) with a single punch.
Without enough screen time to truly figure out their power, we're going to place the alternate universe Supreme Kai just above the Old Kai.
SHIN (SUPREME KAI)
In Universe 7, there are a handful of Supreme Kai, with one or two serving as the active overseer of the universe. The current ruling Supreme Kai is Shin, first seen in the Majin Bu Saga.
Like his fellow Supreme Kai, Shin is gifted with the ability to create planets and life as well as immense fighting power. Unlike his peers, we know a bit more about Shin's power and have seen him fight, albeit only a little bit, firsthand.
We know from a statement in the anime that he could take on Frieza before the events of Dragon Ball Super, like his fellow Gods, but thanks to seeing some of his power firsthand, he is ranked higher just by a thread.
He is also able to hold his own against Zamasu, one of the most powerful enemies in Super. All that said, Shin is consistently surprised by the power of mortals, so his power might not be all that special.
GRAND SUPREME KAI
Remember how we said that there's a lot of middle management in the hierarchy of gods? Well, this is perhaps the strangest part of that.
Standing above the Supreme Kai of Universe 7 is the Grand Supreme Kai. This Kai is much like the Supreme Kai - an overseer of the multiple Supreme Kai. However, the specifics of the Grand Supreme Kai's positions are not exactly stated.
In the Majin Buu Saga, the Grand Supreme Kai was stated as being the highest of all Supreme Kai. What exactly this entails is unclear, besides being an overseer. However, in Dragon Ball Super, we've yet to see any other Grand Supreme Kai - rather the Supreme Kai of each universe seem to act as the highest of all Kai of their respective universes.
Regardless, the Grand Supreme Kai of Universe 7 is shown to far outclass his underling Shin - able to, at least partially, hold off and slice apart the immensely powerful Majin Buu. Perhaps this Kai was forgotten in the writing of Super, but his power level still stands.
SUPER SAIYAN GOD GOKU
In both Battle of the Gods and Dragon Ball Super, the Super Saiyan God transformation was introduced into the lore. Though the form was eventually replaced by Super Saiyan Blue, it is still far more powerful, actually instilling the user with the full power of a god, albeit for a limited amount of time.
Before fans get mad that we didn't also include Super Saiyan Blue in this ranking, remember that Super Saiyan God actually transforms Goku into a god, complete with an immortally youthful appearance, while Blue only incorporates godly ki into the normal Super Saiyan form.
In the Super Saiyan God form, Goku could easily take on all of the Supreme Kais (though he could probably do so before this form) and was even able to take on Lord Beerus when using around 70% of his power.
CHRONOA
Some of you might be asking, "who's Chronoa?" and that's a fair question. Though never introduced in the manga or anime, Chronoa is one of the main characters featured in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse games. Readers can argue the canon all they want, but we thought it would be fun to include her on this list. She is, after all, the Supreme Kai of Time.
Like other Supreme Kai, she is some form of creation god, but instead of being tasked with overseeing the universe itself, Chronoa watches over the flow of time, removing rogue timelines and other anomalies.
Though she is stated to be around the same power level as her fellow Supreme Kais, her ability to control time bumps her up a few spots. The extent of this ability has not been fully seen in her video game appearances, but it easily gives her an edge over other deities.
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE DESTRUCTION GODS
The Gods of Destruction of every universe are stated to be in an entirely different category than their opposites, the creation gods/Supreme Kai.
Even more impressive, each God of Destruction seems to have earned their position, which entails destroying planets and species that are a threat to the development of their respective universes. This means they have trained to be powerful enough to both outclass the Supreme Kai and earn themselves the title of god.
Gods of Destruction are feared throughout their universes for their power alone. They have both massive fighting power and the ability to wield "destruction energy," a power capable of instantly destroying anything it touches. The power of Destruction Gods, unlike the Supreme Kai, manifests itself in raw physical and destructive power.
We've seen very little of the alternate universe Gods of Destruction, and it is implied that Champa and Beerus are some of the strongest, so the rest of the bunch are placed here.
CHAMPA
Champa is amongst the two strongest Gods of Destruction of all the universes. Champa is almost identical to his brother Beerus in both appearance and power. However, it is stated by Vados that, based on Champa's build, Beerus might be more powerful. This is a jab at Champa's weight, perhaps implying that his species' stamina can be affected by poor diet or lack of exercise.
Whatever the reasons, Champa is possibly not as strong as his brother, though he is still incredibly powerful. He is also trained by his Angel, Vados an incredibly powerful teacher, thus implying Champa has reached great levels of power. And it shows, as he is able to hold his own against his brother and shares the destructive power of all Destruction Gods.
BEERUS
In terms of power, Lord Beerus and Lord Champa are said to be equal. However, due to Champa's poor diet, his stamina is said to be inferior to that of his brother. Thus, we can conclude Beerus ranks higher than Champa.
What puts him above the other Destruction Gods is his training from Whis as well as his complete mastery of destruction energy. Beerus can easily destroy planets with a tap of his finger, but this isn't the only proof of his power.
In the Universal Surival Saga, Beerus is stated to not be the most powerful being of all universes - ranking beneath the angels and Zen-Oh. This might sound counterintuitive, but hear us out.
It is prophesied that there is a being who can surpass the gods of destruction - a mortal who turns out to be Jiren the Grey from Universe 11. Jiren is not a god, so he isn't included in this list, but his presence does tell us that Beerus was considered the strongest Destruction God before the knowledge of Jiren's existence.
ZAMAZU AND GOKU BLACK
Zamasu was one of the few examples of a Kai being promoted to a Supreme Kai. While apprenticing under the current Universe 10 Supreme Kai, Gowasu, he was chosen as his successor. However, Zamasu saw mortals as the cause of all problems and sought to use his power to rid every universe of them. Using the Super Dragon Balls to switch bodies with Goku, Zamasu defeated every single Supreme Kai and God of Destruction in all the universes.
From there, he teamed up with an alternate timeline version of himself, both of them enacting their "Zero Mortals Plan." Eventually, the two used their Potara earrings to more than double their power. Apart, these Kais are shown to be incredibly power, outclassing several other Supreme Kais. Fused together, with the strength of Goku and the Super Saiyan Rose transformation, they are almost unstoppable.
They are so powerful, in fact, that Zamasu has to be erased from existence to prevent his future evil.
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE ANGELS
The Angels are the teachers/attendants to the Gods of Destruction. Based on the fact that they train these gods, as well as their impressive abilities, they are stated to be stronger than the Gods of destruction.
Though they are not officially deities, they do have godly ki and clearly serve important purposes in the hierarchy of deities, so we'll count them in. Before we get to the strongest of them, there are the alternate universe Angels to look at.
Like the Supreme Kai and Destruction of their respective universes, the Angels other than Whis and Vados are assumed to be slightly less powerful. Not every Angel is the offspring of Great Priest, the strongest of the angels, and we've yet to see the limits of these side-characters' powers.
For now , we rank them just a bit below Whis and Vados. Regardless, it is worth noting that all Angels seem to have the combined powers of Destruction Gods and Supreme Kais, able to destroy and create at will and to control space-time.
WHIS
As Beerus' teacher, Whis is revealed to be much stronger than the god he is assigned to. On top of wielding the powers of all Angels, Whis is stated to be the fastest in the universe, proven true by both his fighting ability and ability to travel through space at light speeds.
In terms of fighting ability, Whis has been shown to easily subdue Beerus with a simple chop and effortlessly hold off Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta and Goku at the same time. Seriously, he can fight off the two warriors with nothing but his index finger!
However, it is implied that Whis is not the strongest of the Angels. Aside from his obviously more powerful father, his sister has implied she is stronger. Though it was only a passing comment, perhaps intended to be a jab between siblings, Vados stated she was stronger than Whis.
This may or may not be true, since Whis said that was a millennium ago, but we're taking her word for it in this ranking.
VADOS
Everything that has been said about Whis can also be applied to his sister, Vados. She and her brother stand high amongst the rest of Great Priest's children, two of the most powerful of the "younger" angels.
Vados has the same power as Whis, creation, destruction, space-time manipulation and high-speed travel. Though she may not be as fast as her brother, it has been implied that she is stronger.
If Vados kept up with her own training, we can assume she is still stronger than him in some aspect. As of right now, it seems the two are evenly matched, but if the past proves anything, she may be more powerful, and we hope to see a fight between the two to confirm this.
GREAT PRIEST
We keep mentioning the Great Priest, but who exactly is he? He is the most powerful of all Angels, reporting directly to Zen-Oh himself. He is not only the servant to the most powerful being in the universe, he is also considered to be one of the five strongest fighters in the universe. We do not know who the other fighters are, but we can assume Great Priest is the only Deity among them.
The power potential of the Angels seems to be near limitless. Therefore, Great Priest, father to half of the other Angels and strongest among them, is the most powerful of them all. Whis himself has stated that his power is nothing compared to that of his father's, which is really saying something.
He is so powerful that both Supreme Kai and Gods of Destruction show great respect to him, bowing at his presence. It seems like there's a ton of power hiding under his unassuming appearance.
THE DRAGONS
This one is a bit of a curveball, but hear us out. Throughout the entirety of the Dragon Ball franchise, we've witnessed several of dragons summoned to grant wishes by various sets of dragon balls. Though they are not fighters, and are more spiritual, magical entities, their power goes beyond simple physical prowess. As magical deities who grant wishes, the dragons have the ability to manipulate reality itself.
Of course, there are rules and limitations to the power of the Earth and Namekian dragons, but Super Shenron, the dragon of the Super Dragon Balls, has no limits besides the number of wishes per summoning.
Specifics aside, the dragons deserve a high ranking as being amongst the most powerful magical deities in the world of Dragon Ball.
ZEN-OH
Zen-Oh is, without a doubt, the most powerful and highest ranking being in the universe. Though he doesn't look like much, and acts somewhat childish, Zen-Oh (as well as his alternate timeline counterpart) stands as the king of, well, everything, presiding over the entire multiverse. Though he is not a warrior, Zen-Oh has the powers of an all-powerful god.
Beerus has stated that Zen-Oh does not fight, which perhaps explains why he loves watching fights. His power does not lie in martial arts and the like, but instead is a power beyond comprehension.
Zen-Oh and his timeline counterpart can easily destroy anything with a thought, erase entire universes and pretty much enact any thought or will he has into or out of existence. Basically he is the god of the Dragon Ball universe, and he is adorable.
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Which Dragon Ball god do you think is strongest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!