The 40 Strongest Dragon Ball Super Characters At The End Of The Series (2024)

It would be downright impossible to talk about legendary anime without mentioning the masterpiece that is Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball is filled with everything one might expect from an action-packed shonen series, whether that's heart-pounding action, endearing characters, or amazing transformations that help individuals achieve new heights of power.

All of these facets get carried over to the anime's sequel series, Dragon Ball Super, which ups the ante in every single department. It goes without saying that Dragon Ball Super contains some of the strongest characters in Dragon Ball, but the exact rankings are always in flux. The strongest Dragon Ball characters come in all shapes, sizes, and universes, which makes for a fun topic to explore within the Dragon Ball fandom.

Updated May 17, 2024, by Brett Cardaro: With the Dragon Ball Super manga currently on hiatus and the anime showing no signs of returning any time soon, now is the perfect time for fans to look back on Dragon Ball's current power rankings before the series gets moving again. It's perhaps fitting that some of Akira Toriyama's favorite characters like Piccolo and Gohan have become more relevant than ever in the period leading up to the legendary mangaka's passing, as though he sought to set things in order one last time before passing on the torch to Toyotarou.

40 Whatever Krillin Lacks in Strength, He Makes up for in Intellect

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 25, "A Rival Arrival!!"

Krillin continues to be a fixture in the Dragon Ball universe. Despite being far outclassed by his Saiyan friends and his Android wife, Krillin is always ready to defend Earth whenever it's in danger. While Krillin has had to combat past trauma throughout Dragon Ball Super, he's always managed to overcome it.

What Krillin lacks in strength, he makes up with his intelligence. In the prelude to the Tournament of Power, he was able to use his fighting experience to outsmart Gohan in a sparring match. Krillin may not have lasted long in the Tournament of Power itself, but he did manage to save Android 18 from elimination, eliminating Majora, and picking up multiple tag team eliminations. Not bad for only roughly five minutes. While the debated rages on about whether Krillin or Tien is the strongest human, there's no arguing with Akira Yoriyama himself, who once stated that Krillin was the strongest human over Tien in DBZ.

39 Frost Is One Of Universe 6's Strongest Fighters

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 7, "Warriors From Universe 6"

Frost is one of Universe 6's strongest fighters. At first, Frost appears to be the friendly inverse of Universe 7's Frieza. In reality, Frost's kind-hearted behavior is merely a front for someone who's just as wicked as Frieza. Frost is a pirate who secretly starts wars, then buys ravaged countries at low prices as profitable reclamation projects.

Frost spends most of his time in his fourth form but has access to similar forms as Frieza. Frost is powerful in his current final form, but he could be far more powerful if he ever gains access to Frieza's Golden form or even paves a different path by accessing Cooler's fifth form.

38 Cabba Achieved Super Saiyan 2 In The Tournament Of Power

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 7, "Warriors From Universe 6"

Cabba was the first Universe 6 Saiyan Dragon Ball fans were introduced to. Cabba is a member of Planet Sadala's Defense Forces and a member of a Saiyan race that is much further evolved than their Universe 7 counterparts. This means Universe 6 Saiyans have a much higher skill floor.

Yet, Cabba nor any of the Universe 6 Saiyans had knowledge of the Super Saiyan transformation. Vegeta goaded Cabba into transforming during their fight in the Tournament of Destroyers, which he then taught Caulifla through non-emotional means. During the Tournament of Power, Cabba achieved Super Saiyan 2, making Super Saiyan 3 close to reality.

37 Caulifla Is A True Saiyan Prodigy With Enormous Potential

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 32, "The Super Warriors Gather! Part 2"

Caulifla is a true Saiyan prodigy. Her high potential and eagerness to fight closely resemble Goku. Caulifla quickly got a handle on the Super Saiyan transformation, becoming the first female Super Saiyan in the Dragon Ball franchise, and even briefly surged into Super Saiyan 2 to stop an out-of-control Kale.

Caulifla couldn't retain her Super Saiyan 2 transformation until she witnessed Goku demonstrate it in the Tournament of Power. Afterward, she transformed into Super Saiyan 2 as if she's been using the form for years. Caulifla is a very quick learner and there's little reason to doubt she'll attain Super Saiyan 3 by the next time Dragon Ball fans get to see her.

36 Dyspo Is An Elite Member Of Universe 11's Pride Troopers

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 30, "The Man Named Jiren"

Dyspo is one of the elite members of Universe 11's Pride Troopers. While Jiren and Top bring strength to the justice team, Dyspo brings speed. Dyspo may very well be the fastest mortal in the multiverse. Dyspo is so fast, the only way he was eliminated in the Tournament of Power was for Gohan to team with Frieza to limit his area of movement and for Gohan to sacrifice himself.

While Gohan was disappointed he didn't make it further in the Tournament of Power, Piccolo reassured him by noting that Dyspo's speed could've been increasingly difficult to overcome in the later stages of the tournament.

35 Seven-Three is an Artifical Being With Artificial Power

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chatper 50, "The Great Escape"

Seven-Three is a member of Moro's gang with a particularly devastating ability. Seven-Three can copy the abilities of up to three other people, and store them in the jewels in his head. He can then switch between them at will, though he can only use one person's abilities at a time. However, he doesn't just gain one ability of that individual's: he copies their entire arsenal of attacks.

Not only does Seven-Three gain their attacks and techniques, but he can even copy the raw combat power of those he copies. Being that he's also an Android, this actually can potentially make him superior to the original version of his enemy, because he has infinite energy just like Androids 17 & 18.

34 Android 18 Survives the TOP Longer Than Many Of The Series' Staples

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 349, "The Androids Awake!"

While Android 17 chose a life of isolation, Android 18 has consistently been there to fight by her husband Krillin's side and defend the planet that she's grown to love. Android 18's accomplishments in battle feel fairly perfunctory when Dragon Ball Super begins.

However, Android 18 is rightfully recruited to participate in the Tournament of Power, and she survives longer than many of the series' staple characters. Android 18 also jumps into battle during the onslaught assault against Cell Max, which speaks to how she's still ready to take on impossible threats.

33 Android 17 Has Never Once Stopped His Rigorous Training

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 349, "The Androids Awake!"

The Tournament of Power was a fantastic opportunity to bring back characters who haven't been seen in a decade, but it also gives them another chance to shine. It's safe to say that no character shined brighter than Android 17, and he makes his return for the first time since Dragon Ball Z's Android invasion.

Android 17 now works as a wildlife ranger on a remote island. Despite his newfound employment and family, Android 17 hasn't stopped training. It's this training that allows him to survive until the very end of the Tournament of Power. His intelligence also allowed him to gain the upper hand in fights where his strength was outmatched.

32 Uub is Dragon Ball's Strongest Pure Human Character

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 518 "10 Years After"

Uub is the reincarnation of Kid Buu, giving him a great deal of potential. However, as he was shown in the Peaceful World Saga at the end of Z, he doesn't have a handle on his power yet, so most of his potential has thus far gone untapped.

Uub hasn't played much of a role in Super, having only been shown as a young child in a brief scene during the Moro Arc. However, even then, he was already more powerful than any other human in the series (Uub is a human reincarnation of Buu), and had so much latent potential that it left all the Z Fighters, including Vegeta, in disbelief. Without the added boost of power that Uub gave Goku during the fight against Moro, it's very likely that Moro would have come out the victor.

31 Gotenks Can Tap Into Super Saiyan 3 Levels Of Power

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 418, "The Fusion Succeeds...?!"

Goten and Trunks are incredibly early bloomers, and their Super Saiyan milestones easily trump those of their parents. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero showcases teen versions of Goten and Trunks, who are surely destined for greatness, and their exploits as Saiyamen X-1 and X-2 were chronicled in the Super Hero arc of the manga.

Goten and Trunks are at their strongest when they're fused together as Gotenks, who can tap into Super Saiyan 3 strength. A true battle of fused Saiyan strength between Gotenks and Universe 6's Kefla is hopefully on the horizon.

30 Kale's Super Saiyan Resembles Broly's Legendary Transformation

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 32, "The Super Warriors Gather! Part 2"

While Cabba and Caulifla were able to transform and get the hang of their newfound Super Saiyan form quickly, the timid Kale struggled to reach it herself. Despite Cabba and Caulifla's best attempts, Kale gave up. However, after feeling threatened that she might lose her best friend to Cabba, Kale reaches a more powerful iteration of Super Saiyan.

Kale's brand of Super Saiyan most closely resembles Broly's Legendary Super Saiyan transformation. Similar to Broly, Kale initially lacks control over her new form and becomes a nearly unstoppable force for Universe 6.

29 Saganbo Became Too Strong For His Own Good

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 50, "Great Escape"

Saganbo is Moro's strongest subordinate and the leader of the Galactic Bandit Brigade. While he’s already exceptionally strong on his own, he briefly becomes one of the strongest villains in the series after Moro bestows some of his power upon him. For context: prior to Moro’s power-up, Vegeta believes Saganbo can be defeated by Kid Trunnks; after the power-up, Saganbo is confident that he can defeat a Super Saiyan God.

During the Moro arc, Saganbo was able to overpower Post-TOP Gohan, Piccolo and Androids 18 & 17, all at the same time. While the current versions of Gohan and Piccolo from the Super Hero Saga onward would utterly decimate Saganbo, it's still quite impressive that he was able to defeat so many powerful opponents singlehandedly.

28 Hit Is Probably The Dragon Ball Franchise's Greatest Assassin

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 7, "Warriors From Universe 6"

Strength isn't just about power. Every so often, a character debuts in Dragon Ball with a powerful ability that is extremely difficult to overcome. Few abilities are more overpowered than Hit's time-stopping abilities, which allow him to make pinpoint strikes to incapacitate his targets.

This ability makes Hit the perfect assassin, as many of Hit's targets never even know they were targeted until it's too late. The only two characters who have been able to overcome Hit's time abilities are Goku and Jiren. Despite this, Hit does manage to briefly kill Goku, which makes Hit one of the few characters to do so.

27 Future Trunks Becomes Stronger Than he Ever Was in the Past

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 313, "The Coming of King Cold"

Future Trunks has always been one of the characters in Dragon Ball with the greatest untapped potential. Being that Trunks is a half-breed saiyan like Gohan, his innate power is practically boundless, but he never actually learned how to channel it properly in DBZ. That's all changed in Dragon Ball Super, though.

During the fight against Zamasu, Future Trunks achieved a new form of Super Saiyan not even achieved by Goku and Vegeta: Super Saiyan Rage. It's a transformation that draws on Trunks' emotions, just as Gohan's power was always known to function in early DBZ. Combined with a Ki-sword created from the power of a Genkai Dama, Trunks was able to slash Fused Zamasu in half, a task that even Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta couldn't achieve.

26 Agnilasa Was The Last Act Of Desperation For Universe 3

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 38, "Universe 6's Last Resort"

Agnilasa was the last act of desperation for Universe 3. With their backs against the wall, the remaining five members of Universe 3 fused into one giant monstrosity called Agnilasa. Agnilasa was such a force that he awoke Jiren from his meditation. Jiren watched as Universe 7 fought Agnilasa, likely being ready on standby if Agnilasa won.

Eliminating Agnilasa took the five remaining members of Universe 7: Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Frieza, and Android 17. All combined their powers for one large-scale beam clash. Android 17, noticing Agnilasa's weak point, activated his barrier and lept through the warring beams to deliver a climactic blow. This gave Universe 7 the advantage to overcome Agnilasa and eliminate Universe 3.

25 Gamma 1 Can Hang With Gohan In His Super Saiyan Form

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Gamma 1 is one of two new Androids created by the Red Ribbon Army, which still isn't fully out of commission. Gamma 1 gets created by Dr. Hedo and initially serves as one of the antagonists of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero alongside Gamma 2.

It's difficult to gauge which Gamma Android is stronger than the other, or in general. Gamma 1 is able to hang with Gohan in his Super Saiyan form and his Ultimate form. After Cell Max gets unleashed, Gamma 1 shifts his focus to stopping the berserk monstrosity, but he finds himself unable to do any damage whatsoever.

24 Gamma 2 Actually Chops Off One Of Cell Max's Arms

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Gamma 2 is the second of the two new Androids introduced in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Piccolo believes that both Gammas are roughly on par with Goku and Vegeta in terms of power, though it's unclear if Piccolo means Goku and Vegeta in their strongest forms. While Gamma 1 fights Gohan, Gamma 2 takes on Piccolo.

In his fight with Piccolo, Gamma 2 triggers Piccolo's Orange form. In the struggle to overcome Cell Max, Gamma 2 does manage to cut off one of Cell Max's arms, though it requires his sacrifice. While it's tough to discern which Gamma is stronger, Gamma 2 could get the edge due to executing more impactful results.

23 Kefla Can Manifest A Controllable Legendary Super Saiyan Form

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 38, "Universe 6's Last Resort"

What happens when a Saiyan prodigy fuses with an uncontrollable Broly-like Saiyan? Kefla. Kefla was the last-second desperation Potara fusion between Caulifla and Kale to stave off elimination by Goku in the Tournament of Power.

Kefla is extremely powerful, even garnering the attention of the meditating Jiren. Kefla is able to transform into a controllable Legendary Super Saiyan form, giving her a more powerful form beyond regular Super Saiyan. Goku was only able to eliminate Kefla by tapping back into Ultra Instinct. Had Goku not done it himself, Jiren may have been the only one who could stop her.

22 Top Can Easily Access The Power Of A Destroyer

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 28, "The Gods of Destruction From All 12 Universes"

Universe 11 was the strongest obstacle for Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power, with members sticking around until the very end. A big factor in their success was Top. The leader of Universe 11's Pride Troopers, Top is easily one of the strongest fighters in the tournament.

The fact that Top can access the power of a destroyer makes him even more fearsome. Top is able to easily dispatch Frieza, and he beats him within an inch of his life. It takes everything that Vegeta has to finally beat the God of Destruction-in-waiting, once and for all.

21 Piccolo Continues To Pursue A Higher Level Of Strength

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Chapter 161, "The Fist of Son Goku"

Few characters in Dragon Ball have been around as long as Piccolo. Initially appearing during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament as the primary antagonist, Piccolo has since turned to the side of good. Piccolo continues to pursue a higher level of strength while still keeping watch on his pupil, Gohan.

In Super Hero, Piccolo learns of the plot of the revived Red Ribbon Army to unleash Cell Max. Knowing that Goku and Vegeta are off training on Beerus' planet, Piccolo gets his potential unlocked, similar to Gohan, thanks to Shenron. Shenron also added an extra bonus, which was later revealed to be a new transformation dubbed "Orange Piccolo." In this form, Piccolo easily outmatches Gamma 2 but still falls short of Cell Max.