While Dragon Ball started as a comedy with some martial arts, it’s undeniable that the concept of the franchise has shifted almost exclusively towards action (although the trademark humor is still present.)
Starting with Dragon Ball Z, audiences across the world have been dazzled by the thrilling hand-to-hand combat, extreme transformations, and zany plot featuring legions of lovable characters.
That said, there’s a huge chunk of the show’s aesthetic, appeal, and even inner core that’s beyond the humor and the fighting, and that’s the mix of the mystical and technological aspects.
In this list, we’re aiming to catalogue the fantastic magical items and technological achievements that give an entirely unique layer to the world of Dragon Ball.
It is not only comprised of traditional “artifacts” like ancient weapons, flying clouds, and deity-designed items, but also considers modern-day, man-made artifacts, such as human-built time machines and killer androids.
We’re also looking at the entire Dragon Ball mythos, canon or otherwise. The only limit we’ve put on our entries is that nothing that could be considered food or drink (or otherwise digestible) will be included, so no Senzu Beans or Ultra Divine Water.
With that said, here are The 25 Most Powerful Dragon Ball Artifacts, Ranked.
25. The Power Pole
Goku’s Power Pole was one of his most iconic tools in the Dragon Ball. Created by Korin with the purpose of using it to reach Kami’s Lookout, the pole had the magical ability to extend to great lengths at the wielder’s command.
Of course, it also had use in battle, both for brute force and tactical implementation, such as when Goku used the Power Pole to defeat Garlic Jr.’s minions in the Dragon Ball Z film Dead Zone, or even to trip the ultra-powerful Dr. Wheelo in The World’s Strongest.
Based upon one of Sun Wukong’s possessions in Journey To The West, the ancient story that Dragon Ball is based on, the Power Pole easily makes our list, and, despite its low rank, it’s a fantastic and iconic tool.
24. Flying Nimbus
A prominent item in Dragon Ball and early Dragon Ball Z, Flying Nimbus is even more iconic than the Power Pole, which is impressive, since it’s a cutesy cloud that you can ride on.
Gifted to Goku by Master Roshi, who originally received it from Korin, the Flying Nimbus is based on yet another item from the classic Journey to the West that Dragon Ball was inspired by.
Before characters were flying left-and-right from their own volition, Nimbus was an invaluable resource that allowed for incredibly fast and precise flight, and even had a safety measure of being able to only be ridden by someone with a pure heart (something Roshi definitely was not.)
Most interesting, though, is that the Flying Nimbus is one of many, all of which are part of a large Nimbus under Korin’s watchful eye.
23. Bansho Fan
The Bansho Fan, appearing in Dragon Ball, is a rather odd item, and yet another that was based on the ancient Chinese classic, Journey to the West.
Supposedly created by the feathers of the Hikui Bird (although Master Roshi was apparently too drunk to remember exactly while writing down the instructions), it supposedly has the power to control weather, along with creating clouds, downpours and strong winds. It’s also apparently needed to control the fires of the “Magical Furnace of Eight Divisions”
Despite all of these supposed weather-related and supernatural powers, we rarely see the Bansho Fan, with its final use during one of the last few episode of Dragon Ball, where Goku wields it to snuff out the flames on Fire Mountain, home of the Ox-King.
22. Capsule Corp. Capsules
The first instance of technological artifacts on our list, and one of the Dragon Ball franchise’s most iconic items, the Capsule Corp.’s main product, their propriety capsules, are one of the most impressive strokes of genius in the series.
Shaped like little pills, they are actually extremely powerful containment units capable of holding every day items, to vehicles like planes and cars, or even space ships and beyond.
And when you’re done flying or driving, you can simply re-shrink the item back into capsule form and store it for later use.
This invention must have been a game-changer for the world of Dragon Ball, and it certainly took off like electricity, as Bulma and the Briefs family are incredibly rich and prosperous because of it.
Why fly on a cloud when you can carry a jet or space ship in your pocket?
21. Mr. Popo's Magic Carpet
Sure, flying clouds and jets that can fit in your pocket are cool, but why bother with the effort of pressing a button or screaming its name when you can simply warp around on a hipster-approved carpet?
Mr. Popo, Kami’s longtime caretaker, is not only lightning-fast on his own, but is also the keeper of a magic carpet that can nearly-instantaneously take its riders anywhere on the planet.
What sets this carpet apart from our previous vehicular or travel-focused entries is the sheer speed in which the carpet moves. While Nimbus is definitely fast, as is self-propelled flight or any Capsule Corp. ship, Mr. Popo’s magic carpet will take you to your destination in the blink of an eye, almost as a more limited “Instant Transmission, “and that is most impressive.
20. Kami's Spaceship
While the Capsule Corp. would eventually develop their own series of incredible space ships (stereo placement notwithstanding), the original vessel used to get Bulma, Krillin and Gohan to Namek, and the one that first brought Kami himself to Earth, was the spaceship of the Nameless Namekian.
Inconceivably ancient, this sleekly-designed starship was used by a very young future-Kami to escape the planet Namek while strange weather ravaged the ecosystem, moving the entire Namekian race towards the brink of extinction.
With only a few alterations made to its systems during a brief refurbishment, this blindingly-fast vessel, moving hundreds of times the speed of light, proved incredibly useful and critical to Dragon Ball Z’s most famous sagas, and its appearance remains as one of the most identifiably “Dragon Ball-esque” in terms of aesthetic.
19. Crystal Balls
Extending poles, alien spaceships and little pill-shaped containers are all well and good, but none of those tools provide the ability to communicate across the cosmos, or even into the afterlife, at a whim. And that’s where the series’ stalwart of crystal balls come in.
Not just limited to anywhere in the universe and beyond the limits of life and death, Crystal Balls could be used to see the past and future and even locate Dragon Balls if need be.
These ancient artifacts are also interesting because they’re used by a wide variety of characters, both evil and good, magically talented or otherwise.
Famously, Baba is the prime Crystal Ball wielder, but Babidi, Kami, Old Kai and even GT’s villainous Dr. Myuu are known to use them.
18. Korin's Staff
Some of Korin’s belongings have already appeared on this list, like his collection of cartoony, flying clouds or the exstending Power Pole, but we’ve yet to hit on the funky cat’s most interesting and powerful possession: his staff.
Korin is an old guy, and he’s never without his walking stick, which appears somewhat like a cane or crutch. It’s more than a flimsy piece of wood to hold the feline up, however; it’s a powerful, magic tool, capable of exceptional feats.
Specifically, he uses the staff to destroy a column of ancient stone, which was something that not even the villainous Mercenary Tao could accomplish.
More intriguing, however, is that Kami’s staff and Korin’s are more-or-less identical, which begs the question as to who crafted these mysterious items, as they appear to be far more than mere canes.
17. The Z Sword
On the Sacred World of the Kai, the Z Sword, much like King Arthur’s Excalibur, was plunged deep into a stone, and remained extremely difficult to pull out.
That would all change during the Buu Saga, when Super Saiyan Gohan was able to release the sword from the stone, and train with it to become even more exceedingly powerful than he already was.
The sword itself was absurdly heavy and required great skill to wield appropriately. With that great weight came great power, though, as Gohan was able to effortlessly slice an incoming boulder with the burdensome blade.
Perhaps the greatest aspect of this artifact was that after being broken by Gohan, it released the captive Old Kai, who was able to unleash Gohan’s ultimate hidden potential, crafting an exceptional warrior that would help lead Earth to victory against the bubblegum-hued Majin Buu.
16. Sealed Ball
Majin Buu was, by far, Dragon Ball Z’s most powerful villain. Possessing a seemingly never-ending glut of forms and transformations, this gooey, pink creature not only posed an existential threat to Earth, but even managed to carry much of it out by wiping out nearly the entire population of the planet.
Even Super Saiyan 3 Goku, an impossibly strong form, was barely able to go toe-to-toe with the monstrous enemy.
Keeping that in mind, it’s all the more impressive that somehow, someway, Bibidi was able to capture the gelatinous Buu in a some combination of magic and technology known as the Sealed Ball, and keep him contained there for millions of years.
Of course, Bibidi’s son, Babidi, would eventually unleash the beast inside using stolen energy, but the idea that some wimpy magician was able to devise a way to contain Buu is pretty wild.
15. Dr. Gero's Supercomputer
Dr. Gero was an evil genius, that’s an indisputable fact. Much like how Bibidi was somehow able to contain Majin Buu, Gero was somehow able to create artificial lifeforms that were exponentially stronger than Frieza, and even a Super Saiyan.
He didn’t work alone, though, as his dreaded Supercomputer not only helped him create these monstrosities, but continued and enhanced his work long after his death.
It’s conceivable that given enough time, Dr. Gero’s Supercomputer would have eventually been able to design an artificial lifeform that would be superior to a Super Saiyan 2, or 3, or even beyond. Thankfully, its destruction has guaranteed that we won’t have to find out.
The fact still stands, though, that a man-made computer was able to design devastatingly powerful adversaries that could potentially much up to gods if enough time was allowed.
14. The Androids
While Dr. Gero’s supercomputer is impressive in its own right, it’s the products of that computer and Dr. Gero’s twisted mind that really take the cake in terms of man-made “artifacts.”
While all were strong, the ultimate android, Cell, was only able to be defeated by the advent of the Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
But let’s talk about Cell for a second: he’s borne from the cells of both heroes and villains, and was even capable of emulating a Super Saiyan transformation.
Does this mean that he’s capable of training and possibly achieving Super Saiyan 2, or beyond? Could he emulate a Super Saiyan God? What if Cell was rebuilt, this time with the cells of Beerus and Buu added in?
With the death of Gero and his computer, we may never find out, but Android 21 in Dragon Ball FighterZ gives a fairly good approximation.
13. Black Water Mist
The Garlic Jr. saga isn’t exactly beloved by fans, but it did introduce some interesting and powerful artifacts, the Black Water Mist being one of them.
Garlic Jr.’s father, Garlic, had failed in his bid for the role for Kami, and started a war against the Earth with hordes of demonic followers.
Although he was eventually sealed away, he left behind the Black Water Mist, which his son used in an act of vengeance.
This strange item infects anyone who breathes in its murky mist, forcing the evil in their hearts to the forefront, turning them into violent, vampiric slaves who can then spread the virus through their bite.
To make matters worse, the effects will be permanent after twenty-four hours!
Thankfully, there is an artifact that can easily counteract the spell…
12. Sacred Water
Where the Black Water Mist was a powerful weapon that could be dispersed across an entire planet in order to cultivate an army of demonic, obedient, violent vampires (who can easily spread the infection by biting victims) it had a weakness: the Sacred Water.
The Black Water Mist corrupted and possessed minds, while the Sacred Water was capable of lifting the haze of mind control and curing whatever dark spells caused these problems in the first place.
Aside from saving Earth with this Water in the Garlic Jr. saga, it was used once again in Dragon Ball GT, where Kibito Kai freed Dende and Mr. Popo from Baby’s mind-control, proving that it also works on non-magic induced incidents of stolen will, which is mighty impressive.
11. Superhuman Water/Commeson
On the topic of mists and water, we’d be remiss unless we spoke about the so-called “Superhuman Water,” also known as Commeson.
This is a legendary substance that was supposedly able to exponentially increase the powers of anyone who drank it. This wasn’t true, as Commeson turned out to be an extremely powerful weapon, with none of the purported benefits to drinkers.
Commeson is able to absorb any victim, no matter how powerful, neutralize them and drain their strength. Following this process, a duplicate of the victim is made, and the original soon fades from existence.
Sadly, Commeson started to become overwhelmed with its victim’s desire to find the “power” that it supposedly granted, and it turned against its own creators before being sealed away, then awakened and finally destroyed by Goku and co.
10. Tapion's Sword and Ocarina
On Tapion’s world, a terrible, ethereal beast known as Hirudegarn was unleashed onto the unsuspecting planet, created using the concentrated negative feelings of the population over centuries.
Terrifyingly powerful and seemingly unstoppable, the only relics that could damage and control the enemy were two sacred ocarinas and two sacred swords, with one of each being distributed to Tapion and his brother.
When Hirudegarn was unleashed on Earth years later, it’s that same ocarina and sword that kept the creature at bay, allowing for the chance to destroy him once and for all at the hands of Super Saiyan 3 Goku, who would likely have failed without their power.
Although not necessarily canon, it’s quite intriguing to realize that the sword Trunks cuts Frieza in half with is supposedly same sword used by Tapion, who hands it over to the youth after Hirudegarn’s defeat.
9. Bulma's Time Machine
According to literal gods in the Dragon Ball universe, time travel is something reserved only for the divine, and mortals definitely shouldn't even attempt it due to the insane and unpredictable ramifications that may occur.
And yet, we have the greatest genius in Dragon Ball history, Bulma (right behind her father, that is), who is able to crack the code of time travel and develop a machine that can soar through time and space with comparative ease.
Without this time machine, Goku would have succumbed to a heart virus, and much of the world’s population would have been wiped out by the androids. Through the time machine, and Trunks, this crisis would be averted.
Alas, after returning to protect the future from the likes of Majin Buu, Trunks would once again need the time machine to go back and warn his friends about the dreaded adversary Goku Black.
8. Namekian Dragon Balls
Dragon Balls play a critical role in the Dragon Ball franchise (go figure) and have been the focus of various adventures and plots, although they later became more of a Deus Ex Machina than a serious story-telling element or macguffin.
There are many different versions of these magical, crystalline orbs in the franchise, and the comparatively least powerful ones are the Namekian version.
Slightly superior to Earth’s at the time they were used, these large, heavy spheres summoned the dragon Porunga, who could grant multiple wishes and was able to revive people as many times as needed. Additionally, the balls could be used in only 130 days instead of a full Earth year, and they eve had a Namekian password that would protect against outsiders trying to use the power for themselves, a’la Frieza.
7. Earth's Dragon Balls
Earth’s Dragon Balls are small in size (which is great for travel) and summon the Eastern-style dragon known as Shenron.
While his ability to grant wishes was always impressive, he was strapped with certain limitations. However, once Dende became the Kami of Earth, he was able to greatly enhance Earth’s Dragon Balls, finally bringing them on a level that surpassed the Namekian originals.
Where they were once only capable of delivering one wish per use, they could now grant three wishes, which was the most glaring flaw with Earth’s original set.
What makes them rank so highly on this list, however, is that contained within each Dragon Ball is a supremely powerful and villainous dragon which are unleashed in the final arc of GT, whose leader could only be defeated by the power Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta and a little bit of luck (in this case, a Spirit Bomb.)
6. The Black Star Dragon Balls
While GT may no longer be canon, it did deliver some interesting concepts, such as the aforementioned Shadow Dragons, who emerged from the Dragon Balls due to their overuse.
The Black Star balls, on the other hand, were an entirely different beast.
Created by the “Nameless Namekian,” these balls were far more powerful than the set used for most of the franchise.
Summoning Ultimate Shenron, no wish was off limits and, crazier yet, there was no year-long “recharge” period for the Black Star balls, meaning that they could immediately be re-gathered for a follow-up wish.
All of this efficiency and power comes with a price though: the balls will scatter not on Earth, but across the cosmos, and if they are not recollected to their home planet, the planet on which the wish was made will be destroyed in a year’s time.
5. Time Ring
While Bulma’s ability to create a time machine from scratch is incredibly impressive, the amount of study and resources it takes, plus the ability to manufacture the fuel, adds a serious dampener on plans for time-hopping adventures.
Gods, specifically Supreme Kai, on the other hand, have no such limitations (for the most part) using the precious artifacts known as Time Rings.
Where Bulma’s time machine creates alternate realities when tearing through time, Time Rings do not. The rings also offer a protection to their wearer, where if their past is affected, it will have no ramifications on their current selves.
One limit to this power, however, is that a Potara earring must be shared with a Supreme Kai in order for anyone who wishes to use the ring for time travel, which may not be as attainable or desirable as creating fuel from scratch.
4. Angel Attendant's Staff
Some of the more intriguing characters in the generally uneven Dragon Ball Super are the attendants of the Gods of Destruction, such Beerus’ Whis or Chompa’s Vados.
Despite their varied looks, all of the angels have at least one item in common: their staff.
This staff is a powerful tool that, aside from healing properties and the possibility of its use as a weapon, allows for seamless transitions between planets or communication through visual messages.
They’re also capable of projecting images from both the present and past and contain their very own pocket dimension, which has exceptionally intense gravity.
Whis sucked Goku and Vegeta into this secret realm in oder to train them to stop wasting their ki, which paid off immensely in their growths as warriors.
3. Potara Earrings
While fans can continue to debate about whether or not Gogeta (the fusion of Goku and Vegeta through the fusion dance) is better than Vegito (Goku and Vegeta’s fusion through the earrings in question), the truth is that only Vegito is currently canon. That said, our main focus is on what allows for the creation of Vegito in the first place: the Potara Earrings.
Stylishly worn by Supreme Kais, these earrings allow their wearers to use Time Rings, but they can also fuse two warriors together into one supremely powerful form.
While the fusion only lasts an hour (unless you’re a Supreme Kai) this nearly limitless ability can create a warrior whose powers are genuinely umatched, which safely cements Potaras near the top of our list.
2. Super Dragon Balls
While Earth’s regular (and Black Star) Dragon Balls were formidable, along with their supposed Namekian progenitor set, the truth is that the Super Dragon Balls are the actual original versions, created by the Dragon God Zalama.
These planet-sized, translucent orange spheres are scattered between Universe 6 and 7, and requires a password that uses the phrase “peas and carrots” to summon not Shenron or Porunga, but the “Dragon of the Gods,” Super Shenron.
Although limited to only one wish, their wish-granting potential is absolutely unlimited (and have no planet-destroying side effects like GT’s dreaded Black Star set)
That said, they’re still bound to a yearlong period to recharge their strength before being able to be used for wishes again, but with the promise of limitless wish-granting-potential, it almost doesn’t matter.
1. The Dragon Radar
What’s the point of having all these wish-granting orbs if no one can find them to make any wishes? Once again Bulma comes into to save the day (likely defying gods in the process, too) with her greatest invention: the Dragon Radar.
Sure, time travel is neat, but with the Dragon Radar, you have the potential to have multiple wishes granted, likely negating whatever you’d need time travel for in the first place.
Heck, with the Super Dragon Balls’ restriction-less wishes, even the worst catastrophes can be prevented or reversed.
Of course, the only downside to this abuse of all the celestial wish orbs is that, at least in GT, this kind of selfishness resulted in the apocalyptic awakening of the Shadow Dragons. But that’s not canon, so, in the meantime, enjoy all the wishes that Bulma’s given you the ability to have granted.