Dragon Ball Z is often seen as the highlight of the Dragon Ball franchise, and as such, it has countless powerful and fan-favorite characters. With multiple story arcs and almost constant power-ups throughout Dragon Ball Z, so many characters are given the chance to scratch the upper echelon of the series’ power scale. Goku and his friends progressed through numerous battles to keep saving their home, they all kept getting stronger. Yet, even with each character growing in strength per episode at points, many fan-favorite characters have become eclipsed by the top ten strongest characters in the entirety of Dragon Ball Z.
On top of the numerous powerful characters, there are also certain exceptions that the list will have to make. Many powerscaling fans are aware that Dragon Ball Z was the introduction of fusions through both the fusion dance and the Potara earrings, and it also references very powerful characters from the past that fans never get to see in action. With all of these things considered, the list will not contain any fusions (unless the characters’ powerset specifically involves absorbing or fusing) or any characters that lack screentime but get mentioned.
1) Goku
Son Goku, the first Saiyan on Earth and the constantly evolving fighter, is, unsurprisingly, our first entrance. As the protagonist Goku has the positive trait of constantly rising to the upped ante of each new villain. Fans were treated to the first instance of Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 3 from Goku, and we have gotten to see constant growth and adaptation as he grows from each battle. Not only is Goku one of the strongest characters outright, but he also constantly brings his allies and even his enemies upwards with him. Goku’s growth is so immense that it has caused at least three other mentions on this list to push well beyond their natural limits.
Beyond Goku’s outright powerups, there is also his undeniable ingenuity that shows its head time and time again as the martial artist trains himself to his next level. We get to see as Goku pushes himself on his way to Namek, blasting himself with his own ki blasts in order to up his endurance and strength at the same time. Fans are also keen to point out Goku’s almost unmatched ki control when it came down to how quickly and efficiently he learned the instant transmission after healing and training on Yardrat.
2) Vegeta
A villain turned rival turned friend, the prince of Saiyans was destined to earn a spot on any list involving the strongest. Vegeta was the de facto strongest character during his arrival arc however, he quickly became a very medium fish in a huge ocean of constantly powering-up foes. However, the Prince never let the power cliffing get him down and he continued his intense and tough training to ensure he could keep pace with Goku and any villain they may have to face.
Some power-ups he gains access to are Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2. Even though he never achieves any of the new forms or power-ups on screen at first, it is still clear that he is able to reach and master the forms as he trains. But the big thing that sets Vegeta apart from just about any other character is his absolute willingness and determination to face down any enemy. This determination can be seen on display during the final arc of Dragon Ball Z, where Vegeta takes episodes of punishment from Kid Buu to give Goku the time he needs to charge the Spirit Bomb.
3) Gohan
The Power of Potential trope personified, Gohan is one of the few characters who truly has the potential to rise beyond any enemy or ally in his vicinity. Gohan was shown repeatedly to be able to amp up far beyond his base power and fight above his projected weight class such as against Raditz. Gohan has continuously shown himself to be capable of facing off against the biggest threats in the series, and being the first half-blooded Saiyan has, on more than one occasion, had to step in to help save the world.
Two prime examples of his outright power were Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga and Unleashed Potential, or “Mystic” Gohan in the Buu Saga. Super Saiyan 2 was a historic moment in the anime, and even as Dragon Ball Z continued, there were only roughly about five characters who surpassed Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 power level, one of them being Gohan himself. Unlocked Potential has always been a key way to power up for characters with deep or suppressed power, and Gohan is no different. After being unlocked, Gohan quickly began to demonstrate that he was more powerful than Super Buu, but ended up falling to the villain because of underhanded tactics.
4) Buu
Functionally immortal and full of pure evil, the pink Majin was almost unstoppable once introduced during the Buu Saga. Even the lowest form of Buu was shown to firmly outpace and overpower the majority of the Z-Fighters and was only pushed to a bit of exertion by Super Saiyan 2-level Vegeta, who still was unable to do any meaningful damage to the villain. On top of all of this, there are the additional forms of Buu, which absorb and fuse with different Z-Fighters allowing the Majin to access higher power and different techniques.
Once Buu awakened to his Super Buu form the only enemies who were capable of fighting toe to toe with him were fusions or awakened Gohan. Eventually, Super Buu would become Kid Buu who Vegeta and Goku note is weaker but much more difficult to defeat. Buu was finally defeated once Vegeta managed to secure Goku enough time to use the Spirit Bomb.
5) Cell
Cell was the perfect Android and the perfect amalgamation of all of the DNA from each fighter who had landed on Earth. With all of the DNA and knowledge at Cell’s fingertips, the android quickly grew into the deadliest villain we had seen so far and continued to grow beyond what any of the Z-Fighters were capable of defeating. Cell forced almost every Z-Fighter to access deeper powers within themselves, but consistently was a step ahead of each of his opponents. Cell had acquired the potential and battle hunger of every character we had seen fight on Earth this far, and clearly showed just how strong a being like him could be.
Compared to the later Buu Saga, Cell would still be one of, if not the strongest, character under Buu. It is important to note that the only person capable of defeating Super Perfect Cell was Gohan after he achieved Super Saiyan 2 and used the amped Kamehameha. Dragon Ball Z had left many characters behind, and the only characters that achieved power equal to Super Saiyan 2 or beyond were Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Buu. Considering that this would solidify Cell as easily a top 10 character in terms of power.
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6) Piccolo
Once a Demon King, Piccolo was quickly left behind as the speed of villain power-ups began to match the speed of Saiyan power-ups. However, this does not mean that Piccolo is a weakling by any metric. The only characters above Piccolo by the time of the Buu Saga were Saiyans or the main villains. Piccolo also has several very powerful attacks and has many clutch saves and impressive aura-filled battles that ensure he will land himself on any proper Dragon Ball fan’s list.
Once Piccolo absorbed Kami, that was the last power-up we saw the Namekian achieve in Dragon Ball Z, but that does not mean that he was relegated to a realm of weakness. Piccolo’s usefulness has indeed reduced substantially from the Android Saga, but he remains above the rest of the Z-Fighters, bar Saiyans and half-Saiyans.
7) Dabura
Dabura, the Supreme Demon King, may have appeared to be just another lackey under Babidi’s control, but it is verified that he is at least as strong as Perfect Cell. This does tier the Demon King under all of the Saiyans and Super Perfect Cell and Buu, but again, bar these exceptional powerhouses Dabura is no joke. Additionally, a testament to his strength is the interesting techniques he has such as the spit that caused Piccolo and Krillin to be turned to stone.
It is stated that if Gohan was taking the fight seriously, Dabura would have stood no chance; however, the Demon King has a handful of very solid showings. Dabura was eventually done in by Buu, but not many characters can say they were sent off by the final villain of an anime, so there has to be some merit to that.
8) Future Trunks
Future Trunks, much like Piccolo, hit his stride in the Android Saga, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t one of the strongest. Being a half-Saiyan already gives him an upper edge over the power the Saiyans can access, and his passion to defeat the Androids propels him to new heights as the Android and Cell Sagas march forward. Trunks lands himself on this list because he is above every other Z-Fighter in the series, again, bar the other Saiyans, and he also manages to have the on-screen kills of Frieza and King Cold.
On top of Trunks’ epic entrance, there’s also the very fact that he returned to his timeline and made good on avenging Future Gohan. Any character who defined an arc in such a way deserves to be recognized, and given that he is the son of the Prince of Saiyans it is no wonder he landed somewhere on this list.
9) Pikkon
Pikkon is one of the fan-favorite anime-exclusive characters that has gotten a handful of appearances and references in a handful of movies, including the Buu Saga. Pikkon’s outright power is a relative unknown, and fans are open to speculate just how strong he is, but if the Pikkon featured in the other world, during the Buu Saga, is close to as strong as the Pikkon fans saw in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn then Pikkon is a real contender for the list. In the movies, Pikkon is at least close to Goku, and while being weaker, he was able to hold off the villain Janemba.
Pikkon in the series is shown in the Other World Tournament, and this means that he is at least roughly strong enough to face off against other Kai’s chosen representatives. Pikkon is one of the characters whose upper limits are simply unknown but is represented as at least being stronger than all of the non-Saiyan Z-Fighters.
10) Uub
Our final pick for this list is another incarnation of the pink menace that almost defeated Goku and Vegeta, but he now goes by Uub. Goku had made a wish when he was finishing off the pure evil Kid Buu that he could return one day in a good incarnation, where they could fight and challenge each other without the universe hanging in the balance. At 10 years old he is clearly the most powerful full-blooded earthling fans have ever seen and has likely boundless potential.
To speak to Uubs potential, he is the direct reincarnation of the most dangerous villain the Z-fighters had ever faced, and he also has enough ki to excite Goku. Goku even goes so far as to cheat to ensure that he can fight Uub in the first round of the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament where the two clash for the first time, and Goku deems Uub powerful enough to become his pupil and new training partner.
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