Who hasn't dreamt of stepping inside a hyperbolic time chamber, doing some push-ups, scarfing down some bowls of rice and emerging glowing, spiky haired and ready to take on the universe one ki blast at a time. It's called the Dragon Ball effect, and the characters of the franchise make it look so easy.
Yet no matter how hard we try to go Super Saiyan while home alone standing in front of the mirror, we will sadly never be able yell loud enough to match the untold multi-colored powers of the characters blasting their way onto this list. (That is unless you can get some facetime with Shenron.)
These are the uppermost limits of awesome, and until the next episode of the latest series unveils a previously impossible level of energy (our guess is it will be called Super Saiyan Rainbow) this is the benchmark for all others to attain to.
[Note: Since we've already rated the franchise's gods from weakest to strongest, we will be focusing entirely on non-dieties in this round.]
Here are the 15 Most Powerful Dragon Ball Beings, Ranked From Weakest To Most Overpowered.
Kale
This meekly shy Universe 6 Saiyan is a bit of wild card, but in the Tournament of Power she unleashes a Beserker Super Saiyan that has the ability to easily stop a kamehameha from Super Saiyan Blue Goku. Not too shabby for a little girl turned out of control she-beast.
Just how much power is hidden within Kale's petite frame is unknown, but Vegeta has called it “the Saiyan's true form” and at the very least it's on par with that of a Legendary Super Saiyan. In fact she is basically a female version of Broly, the only other character to achieve that status.
While many believe Dragon Ball's creators are just dishing out some unnecessary fanservice by introducing a carbon copy of Broly into canon, based on her performance against SSB Goku many think she may be even more powerful. They're wrong, but it's a fun theory none the less.
Broly
According to Vegeta, Broly is the most powerful Saiyan in history. He might be on to something considering Broly is a Legendary Super Sayian whose power level is so immense it has the ability to destroy entire galaxies and seems infinite in its potential.
What's more, unlike everyone else who has to train to achieve their abilities, Broly is inherently powerful and just popped out the womb a little asskicker.
Broly is so powerful he has to wear a power suppressor for fear he could lose control and destroy everything around him. Even then he is able to obliterates planets, and his base forms exceeds those of Goku, Vegeta and anyone else at the same level.
Though we should note having not appeared in the manga, Broly is not technically considered canon.
Gotenks
When Goten, the (second) son of Goku, and Trunks, the son of Vegeta, join bodies, the result is nothing sort of the most powerful pipsqueak ever fused.
Freakishly muscular for his age, Gotenks is formed thanks to a technique known as the Fusion Dance, allowing the two tiny Siayan half-breeds to do a little dance and temporarily merge into a single, super entity. Adorable tiny jacket and all.
The only drawback to this very powerful character is the fact he is still a little kid. Immature, inexperienced and a little too arrogant for his own good, he is ultimately overpowered by Buu despite putting up a good fight.
Though if nothing else he will go down in history as having the best attacks including “Galactic Donut,” “Super Ghost Kamikaze” and our personal favorite, “Continuous Die Die Missile.”
Future Trunks
Arguably the coolest Dragon Ball character, Future Trunks also gets bonus points carrying around a huge sword for no reason in particular other than its awesome.
At 17, he travelled back in time to warn his family and friends about the oncoming android threat and has been bopping around eras ever since.
Years later when he went up against Goku Black and Future Zamasu, the young time traveller achieved a new level dubbed “Super Trunks” using the power of rage to go Super Saiyan Anger. It has been implied that in this state Trunks possesses godlike ki that seems to be on par at the very least with a Super Saiyan Blue.
He was also able to upgrade his sword into a Sword of Light made purely of the ki of mortals containing the power of entire world. Ridiculous? For sure. Awesomer than awesome? Abso-freakin-lutely.
Janemba
There is no villain more sinister, or demon more powerful, than Janemba. After all, he is the “living definition of evil.” In his initial state as a overly obese yellow monster, Janemba isn't much to be reckoned with, and a bit of an idiot.
However, in his second form as Super Janemba, more human-like and donning the purple and red colors of Hell, he's an unstoppable fury.
Easily able to defeat SS3 Goku and Vegeta, he is only beaten after the two fuse into Gogeta. Able to bend matter itself and transform the entire universe into his image, there's pretty much nothing Janemba can't do.
Though oddly he also possess the stupidest weakness in all of Dragon Ball in that he can be physically harmed by insults. However, not even your best crafted Yo Momma jokes would be enough to bring this demon down due to his powers of regeneration.
Gohan
Talk about untapped potential. When Gohan was the first to ever achieve Super Saiyan 2 in his awesome fight against Cell, it seemed like he was well on his way to becoming the greatest fighter in all of Dragon Ball. Even Goku claimed Gohan possessed a greater strength than himself.
While that still may be true, the young Saiyan has let his training take a back seat to his studies. Stupid books.
At one point with the help of Old Kai, Gohan was able to unlock his long dormant powers even further in an ultimate “mystic” form and unleash his full potential without even turning into a Super Saiyan - something not even his father was able to pull off.
Too much for even Super Buu to handle, when Ultimate Gohan does go Super Saiyan he becomes all the more of a force to be reckoned.
Hit
Hit the Infallible is Universe 6's legendary assassin. If that's not cool enough, he can literally jump through time. Instead of manipulating ki to power his fighting, Hit relies on light-speed jabs to his opponents weak points to win the day.
Enhanced by his intuitive learning and signature Time-Skip technique - which allows him to skip time for a tenth of a second, basically acting like teleporting - he might just be the most gifted, straight-up, hand-to-hand combatant in all of Dragon Ball.
During their battles, Hit was on par with both Vegeta and Goku in their Super Saiyan Blue forms and could easily hold his own against their more energy infused attacks. Even Goku admitted that Hit could have easily killed him if the assassin hadn't held back from doing so at the time.
Super Buu
The magical genie-like life form made of bubble yum known as Majin Buu is probably the craziest character in Dragon Ball. From Good Buu to Kid Buu and Innocent Buu, he has many forms and personalities with some truly ridiculous powers. But by the far his greatest (read: most powerful) is Super Buu.
In the manga Goku admitted that while he could beat Kid Buu, both he and Vegeta together were no match for Super Buu. The result of Evil Buu eating Good Buu in chocolate form, this enhanced Majin Buu not only looks like a brawler but has enough unbridled anger to rip through dimensional walls.
When he nonchalantly defeats both Piccolo and Gotenks and absorbs both, allowing his power to skyrocket, Super Buu is able to easily defeat Ultimate Gohan. It would take the fused powers of both Goku and Vegeta to finally defeat him in the end.
Frieza
When Frieza first appeared on the scene, no one could contest his rule. Then Goku went all Super Saiyan on his tail and that was that. After later getting sliced into a million pieces by Future Trunks only to be wished back to life, Frieza finally gets wise and attempts to do something he's never done before in his life: train.
When he finally hits the gym, he emerges four months in a Golden Form that is almost unstoppable. Luckily he can't hold this Ultimate Evolution for long, but at the time Golden Frieza was superior to both Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms, not every breaking a sweat against their full power.
Though as it stands due to being a lazy brat, he'll most likely be left in the dust as the two Saiyans continue to progress.
Vegeta
Easily the greatest and longest running debate in Dragon Ball is over who is more powerful - Vegeta or Goku. For a short time there Vegeta was, but thanks to training in the hyperbolic time chamber Goku surpassed him and this hotheaded warrior has been playing catch up ever since.
However, Vegeta is the more disciplined of the two, and power hungry, which allows him very often to rival his adversary's more gifted natural talents.
Overall, Vegeta's unrelenting drive to be the best, his equally as forceful pride and his epicly frowning eyebrows all put this Warrior Prince on the same eternal upward power trajectory as his fellow Siayan kinsman.
Rest assured whatever weird color Goku's hair turns next, Vegeta's will not be far behind. Though when it comes to mustaches, no one's got him beat.
Toppo
You don't get to be a candidate for God of Destruction if you don't have the power to back it up. Hailing from Universe 11, Toppo is right on par with the best that Goku has to offer (at the moment).
Despite looking like the by-product of an unnatural three-way between a cat, a walrus and Santa Claus, Toppo is no joke. Sure, his “Justice Flash” attack is as stupid as they come, but he shrugs off Goku's epic kamehameha like a boss.
In the anime, he evenly matches Goku's Kaio-ken before their fight is stopped and in their manga matchup Toppo takes every form Goku throws at him until finally punting him as a Super Sayian Blue right out the ring.
Goku
No matter what villain, adversary or obstacle gets thrown his way, Goku will always rise to the challenge and ascend to new levels of previously unimaginable power befitting the story at hand or the writers' disposition that particular day. Like Superman, only way cooler and with better hair.
Being the main character of the franchise, all others play second fiddle to this Saiyan, and like Vegeta, are just trying to keep up.
We have yet to see just how powerful Kakarot (his birth name) can become, and most likely never will. He's even achieved Ultra Instinct, something even the gods have trouble mastering. Though we should note, that Akira Toriyama himself has stated he has no plans of Goku surpassing Beerus in power….“right now.”
Jiren
“There is a universe where lives a mortal even a God of Destruction can’t defeat.”
During Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power, the Gods of Destruction marvel at the power the quite, bug-eyed grey humanoid fighting for team Pride Trooper.
The character's very existence was considered a rumor, until Whis realizes that he is the only mortal alive that a God of Destruction cannot defeat.
Little is know about this justice fighter, save that he selflessly protects Universe 11, can manhandle Goku and Vegeta (at the same time!) and makes gods wet their pants. The only reason Toppo was even chosen as a God of Destruction candidate was because Jiren passed on the job.
While his abilities are more myth than precedent, there is a very good chance he is the most powerful living being in all of Dragon Ball. Certainly, the most powerful non-fused one.
Gogeta
What do you get when you combine two already unstoppable fighters into one super-duper unstoppable fighter, all thanks to the power of acting like a ballerina? Gogeta - the result of Goku and Vegeta performing the heck out of the Fusion Dance.
Unable to defeat the sinisterly demonic Janemba alone, Goku was left little choice but to couple up with Vegeta, teach him the fine art of getting jiggy with it and together to unleash the extremely awesome Gogeta.
In a matter of seconds the fused Saiyan turns Janemba into swiss cheese and one Stardust Breaker later blows a hole right through him. Although certainly not canon by any means, stated Super Gogeta's power level was 2,500,000,000. Never has dancing been so powerful.
Vegito
Take a Goku, add one Vegita, throw in a stylish pair of earrings and what do you get? The most powerful character in all of Dragon Ball. (Zen-Ohs and talking dragons aside.)
The result of the Potara Fusion of everyone's favorite two Saiyans, Vegito (aka Vegerot aka ベジット) is best known for dominating Buu not only as a mortal being, but also as a delicious looking piece of candy.
So amazing is Vegito that he literally eats Super Buu and beats him senseless with his internal organs. Despite toying with Buu, Vegito could have easily destroyed him at any second, which could probably be said about any character he goes up against so long as his fusion holds out.
In the manga he has surpassed Beerus and during the anime (which vastly underplays his power) he cockily toys with Fused Zamasu as a Super Saiyan Blue, nearly obliterating the godly Kai.
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What do you think of our rankings? Did we miss any other powerful fighters from Dragon Ball? Let us know in the comments.