While Dragon Ball Z is entertaining and gripping for many reasons, there is one part of this show that attracts us more than any other. It all comes down to one simple question that never seems to be truly answered: who is the most powerful warrior in the universe?
It seems that the many amazing characters in this series are constantly in flux, becoming more and more powerful as time goes on, challenging each other, discovering new techniques, and never failing to surprise us. Some would say that it's now reached a point where it's almost ridiculous.
First it was Super Saiyan, then it was Super Saiyan 2, then 3 and 4, and finally we have reached the realms of Super Saiyan Blue. Even now, there seems to be Ultra Instinct to deal with.
While these continuously increasing power levels can become somewhat tiresome, they also supply us with a constant stream of new battles and abilities to contend with.
Goku is the main character of the entire series, and over the years we've watched him grow considerably as a fighter. Today, he seems to be on the same level as many gods. It always seems like Goku has the power to defeat even the strongest of foes, even when the odds are stacked impossibly against him. Some would say that he's overpowered as a character, and that he's "too good." Well, in the current age of Dragon Ball Z, that argument simply doesn't hold up to scrutiny. There are plenty of characters today that could destroy him in seconds.
Here are 8 Dragon Ball Gods Way Stronger Than Goku (And 12 So Much Weaker).
Weaker: Dende
From the moment we first met him on Namek, it was obvious that Dende was not a fighter, but definitely someone willing to put it all on the line for the good of his people and his planet.
There were a couple of close calls on Namek where he was threatened by Frieza and his men, but Dende made it out of there alive. He ended up on Earth, and became the guardian in the place of Kami, at Goku's personal request.
As a guardian, he assumes the role of a deity, or god, on our planet. Dende still doesn't have much actual fighting power, but he's always had something that Goku can only dream of - an amazingly useful healing power. But let's face it, in a real fight with Goku, Dende wouldn't last a millisecond.
Stronger: Beerus
Beerus has become a major character in the newer Dragon Ball Z series, and he's a very tough nut to crack. He's the God Of Destruction in Universe 7, and he has some frightening abilities and powers.
Beerus is feared by most fighters in the universe, including Goku, Vegeta, and even more powerful life forms.
Like many of the Gods, he has the power to completely erase beings from existence. Not only that, but he has the power to wipe out entire planets and even whole solar systems with one strike. Although Goku has been progressing in recent times, the general consensus is that he is still nowhere near the level needed to defeat Beerus.
Weaker: Kami
Never has it seemed plausible that Kami would ever have the power to beat Goku, or any other super Saiyan for that matter. He once served as the Guardian of Earth, and that made him a deity of sorts.
Of course, we all know that he no longer has that role, as he chose instead to fuse with Piccolo to boost the Namekian fighter's power significantly.
Kami does have the power to call upon and control the dragon balls, but even these powers would not be enough to hard a single hair on Goku's head. However, that's not to say that Kami didn't prove an extremely useful ally over the years.
Stronger: Whis
Whis earns his place in this article almost automatically.
The fact that he's much stronger than Beerus obviously makes him stronger than Goku in turn.
Whis has demonstrated this fact before, knocking Beerus out cold with a single blow. Although his fighting power is surprisingly strong, Whis remains an extremely benevolent figure, taking the appearance and the personality of an angelic figure. He looks after Beerus in many ways, and he also shows an affinity for Goku and the other Z Fighters.
If Goku and Whis ever faced off, Goku wouldn't last long. Whis is, of course, the strongest and fastest being in Universe 7, and that's a title that won't be usurped anytime soon.
Weaker: King Kai
King Kai is a fan favorite of the Dragon Ball Z series, and he's also a very important character. He is considered to be a deity, or a god, and holds the title of King of the North Area of Universe 7.
We all know that he lives alone on a tiny planet with some quirky animals, but despite his lighthearted and comical personality, he is one of the best martial arts instructors in the universe. This was made obvious when Goku and other fighters trained under him, and became immensely stronger in the process.
We rarely get to see King Kai fight, but it's fair to say that he probably has a few tricks up his sleeve. That being said, he would have no chance against Goku.
Stronger: Champa
There are those who would say that Goku is actually stronger than Champa, but the general consensus is that Champa would still manage to hold the Super Saiyan at bay.
Champa is only slightly weaker than his twin brother, Beerus.
That's only because Champa is much fatter and more unhealthy than Beerus. It seems like their difference in power is almost negligible, and because of this it seems unlikely that Goku would be able to succeed against Champa where he'd fail against Beerus.
In fact, it has been suggested that Beerus and Champa are actually equal in power, and it's only Champa's lower stamina that makes him less of a threat. Technically, Goku could find some way to exploit this weakness, but it seems unlikely that he'd survive Champa's initial onslaught.
Weaker: Supreme Kai
Also known simply as Shin, the Supreme Kai was introduced to us right around the Buu Saga, and he's proven to be a popular and important character in Dragon Ball Z.
For those wondering, Supreme Kais are actually considered Gods, and they work with the Gods Of Destruction, attempting to safeguard, oversee and protect their universe. The Supreme Kais are also known as Creation Gods.
Shin's power would have been impressive if we'd met him earlier on in the story.
He probably would have been able to deal with even the strongest villains in the Namekian Saga without much effort. But today, he is considerably weaker than many of the heroes we know and love, even those much weaker than Goku. So yes, Goku would obviously be able to quickly end any fight between him and the Supreme Kai.
Stronger: Vados
Just like Beerus, Champa also has an angelic attendant, and she's known as Vados.
Just like Whis, Vados is incredibly powerful, and could eat Goku for breakfast.
She is, of course, stronger than her student, Champa, and that makes her the strongest being in Universe 6. In the past, Vados has demonstrated feats such as destroying entire planets just by tapping her staff.
She is probably on an equal level of power to her brother, Whis, although there are still those out there that could defeat her, few as they may be. Goku, however, is not one of those fighters. A fight between him and Vados would not end well for our favorite Super Saiyan.
Weaker: Kibito
Kibito will be a familiar face to many hardcore Dragon Ball Z fans, and he was an interesting addition to the series.
He is pretty much inseparable from the Supreme Kai, which makes sense given the fact that he is sworn to protect Shin as his personal bodyguard. These two try their best to contain and then defeat Buu, but ultimately this proves to be a task that they must leave to more powerful mortals.
Kibito sometimes looks down upon mortals, and is probably a little uncomfortable about the fact that people like Goku are so much more powerful than he is, especially given the fact that Kibito is considered a God.
Kibito is definitely capable of impressive power, but he's nowhere near Goku's strength, even when Goku is at base power.
Stronger: Great Priest
We've mentioned Whis, Vados, and a few Gods of destruction, but there's someone vastly more powerful than any of these names, and that's the Great Priest, otherwise known as the Grand Minister.
This immensely powerful god is the father of both Whis and Vados, and he is much more powerful than both of them.
Like his children, he is considered to be an Angel. Not much else is known about the Great Priest, and his past is a bit of a mystery.
e is considered to be one of the top 5 fighters in the entire multiverse, and almost every other person fears him, respects him, or envies him. We're not sure how Goku really feels about the Great Priest, but we know for sure that he would have no chance against him.
Weaker: King Yemma
Even the most casual fans of the Dragon Ball Z universe know all about King Yemma. He's been a pretty interesting and entertaining character over the years.
Of course, we all know that while he's a god, he doesn't even begin to approach the levels of power found in some of the other gods we've mentioned so far - even if he does hold the important responsibility of judging the deceased.
Goku, having perished multiple times, probably knows King Yemma better than any other mortal, and the two have something of a rapport. Even though King Yemma is powerful to stand his ground against powerful mortals, we all know that this comical Ogre King would have no change of stopping Goku in his tracks.
Stronger: Zen-Oh
All Dragon Ball Z fans know who Zen-Oh is, and they are well aware of just how powerful this character really is.
This article wouldn't be complete without him, and yes, he is obviously much more powerful than Goku.
Zen-Oh might not look like much, but his is the Omni-King of the entire Multiverse. As such, he is feared and or respected by virtually every other name mentioned in this article, and even character such as Great Priest would never dare to oppose him.
His power to "erase" people is not to be taken lightly, and this power holds true even against Gods and mortals who have been granted immortality by the Dragon Balls. He can't be destroyed and even Goku's heroics can't change that fact.
Weaker: Guru
Moving way further down the power rankings, we fall to another fan favorite, Guru. This large, lovable Namekian was the guardian of his planet and his people when Frieza's forces invaded.
Although old and frail, he was still considered a God.
The Namekian people fought long and hard to protect Guru, but even Nail's bravery couldn't stop the Grand Elder from passing away during the invasion and later destruction of his planet.
Guru does show off some pretty impressive powers however, including the famous ability to unlock other people's potential. He was able to significantly boost the power of Krillin, for example. There would only ever be one result in a fight between Goku and Guru, however.
Stronger: Zamasu
Yes, we know that a lot of Dragon Ball Z fans will probably disagree with us here, but we're going to have to put Zamasu at a stronger power level than Goku.
First of all, let's remind ourselves of who Zamasu is. He is one of the most talented Supreme Kais to ever walk the Earth, and advanced to a level of power thought impossible for the Kais to attain. The story behind this fighter gets a little complicated at times, splitting off into multiple timelines.
In one timeline, Zamasu and Goku spar, with Zamasu blocking Goku's moves effortlessly, although Goku eventually won. In another timeline, he steals the body of Goku, eventually becoming "Goku Black." Yet another version of himself was able to attain immortality, meaning that no matter what Goku or anyone tried to do, Zamasu could not be destroyed.
Weaker: Princess Snake
Princess Snake is a character that some Dragon Ball Z fans might have forgotten entirely, although true fans will no doubt remember her. When Goku first perishes and gets transported to heaven, he must travel along the long winding path of snake way. Here, he is tested by several obstacles and trials, one of which being Princess Snake, a serpent deity.
Her castle is placed along Snake Way, and many people are lured inside by this devilish woman. Although she appears to be a beautiful woman, she in reality a snake-like monster who tries to steal Goku's heart.
She is obviously unsuccessful, and in the end this was only another rather minor side story in the list of Goku's many adventures.
Stronger: Sidra
This is another entry that might cause some division among our readers.
Sidra is the God of Destruction of Universe 9, and many people consider him to be the weakest God of Destruction out there. He has been shown struggling both mentally and physically against opponents that he really should be able to beat, such as Frieza and other fighters. In addition, other Gods of Destruction have been depicted as much stronger than Sidra, overcoming his power with minimal effort.
However, even though many Dragon Ball Z fans like to make fun of Sidra for being weak, the fact remains that he is still a God of Destruction. This means that he would still most likely reign supreme over Goku in a fight.
Weaker: Old Kai
Old Kai might just be the most hilarious character ever included in Dragon Ball Z. The scene where he dances around Gohan for days and days sums up the uniquely wacky nature of this show's humor, and it had plenty of us rolling on the floor laughing.
Like the other Kais, he is considered a god of sorts, and has all the powers and abilities of his people. This Old Kai was once sealed up inside of a Z-Sword, and he wasn't too happy about it. Old Kai has the appearance of an old, wrinkly man who just so happens to be purple.
He is so weak that a simple energy blast from Goku in his base form would injure the old man.
To be far, Old Kai does have some interesting magical powers, such as the ability to unlock other people's potential.
Weaker: Shenron
Yes, this is the famous Dragon Shenron, who is linked to the power of the Dragon Balls. Shenron is also known as the "Divine Dragon" or the "God Dragon," which cements his standing as a god or deity in this series. He is summoned by any who collects all of the Dragon Balls, and can grant them wishes.
This dragon is said to live deep within the fiery depths of Earth. While his hulking, massive appearance is quite a sight, he's actually not all that powerful on his own.
He has the power to grant immortality and make people massively more powerful, but it's tough to determine whether or not Shenron himself has those same powers. Still, it's pretty clear that someone like Goku is actually stronger than this God Dragon.
Weaker: Korin
While Korin might appear to be just a regular cat, true fans of the Dragon Ball Z series know that he is much more than that. In the lore, he is considered to be a "Senbyo," or an immortal cat. To date, he is over 800 years old.
He is also known in many circles as the "God of Martial Arts."
That title is well-deserved, and he has actually trained many big names in the franchise, including a young Master Roshi. He also trained Goku, so he shares some of responsibility of making Goku the amazing fighter he is today.
Since the early days, Korin has faded almost completely to obscurity, being relegated to a glorified Sensu Bean dispenser. Despite his title, Korin is definitely not as strong as Goku.
Weaker: Mr. Popo
Another fan favorite character from the series is Mr. Popo. While Mr. Popo looks vaguely human, the fact remains that this character is not actually from Earth.
We don't actually know what exactly Mr. Popo is, but he is considered a deity in the series lore. He has a few interesting powers that far outstrip those of normal mortals, and he was bound to protect Kami for many years.
Interestingly enough, Mr. Popo has fought Goku before.
This was a surprising battle, as Mr. Popo handily beat Goku quite convincingly, even swallowing one of his Ki blasts whole.
While it's safe to say that Goku is probably now stronger than Mr. Popo, their remains a sense of mystery surrounding this strange character.
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How do other Dragon Ball gods stack up to Goku? Let us know in the comments!