Dragon ball is a series famous for its extremely powerful warriors, and luckily for fans, the strength of these warriors can be objectively ranked through power levels. Over the years, fans have witnessed the growth and evolution of characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza as they continue to push their limits and unlock new levels of power. .
Although not tied to the series, early Dragon Ball Z introduced the concept of power level, a numerical measure of one’s strength in battle. Although they were introduced in the series to show how pointless their use on Earth-trained fighters would be, fans were soon disgruntled over which character had the number. bigger than the other character. Dragon Ball rarely reveals actual power levels, but looking at statements both within and outside the series, it is possible to determine which Dragon Ball characters rank highest in terms of power level.
12 Namekian Dinh: 42.0
Nail is one of the strongest Namekian warriors on the planet, and when he tried to fight Frieza in Dragon Ball Z chapter 92, Frieza’s scout gave a measurement of 42,000 for Nail’s power level. This number is significantly higher than the average Namekian soldier, with a maximum number of 3,000, making Nail their toughest warrior to date. However, Frieza far exceeded Nail’s power level and Nail was narrowly defeated. Nail eventually merged with Piccolo, contributing his rather impressive powers to boost Piccolo’s rating and put him on par with Frieza.
11 Goku when he arrived at Namek: 90,000
When Goku first arrived on planet Namek, he had a power level of 90,000. At the time, this was considered an extremely high power level as the average power level on Namek was only around 3,000. Goku’s appearance on Namek marks a turning point in the series, as this is when the idea of a true ‘Super Saiyan’ begins to emerge, with Vegeta believing that Goku has achieved said legendary power. This isn’t really a huge leap in measurement from Vegeta’s perspective, however, when Goku landed on Namek, he completely surpassed the power of every Saiyan before him dozens of times over. This newfound power is further boosted through the use of Kaioken, giving Goku a power level of 180,000, far surpassing Captain Ginyu’s power. Theoretically, he could push it even further with Kaioken x4 at this point, taking him to a maximum power of 360,000 if that’s still his limit on Kaioken.
10 Captain Ginyu: 120,000
When Ginyu faced Goku in Dragon Ball Z chapter 91, his maximum power level was set at 120,000 by his subordinates. This is actually the same scene where Goku’s 180,000 Kaioken power level is set, leaving Captain Ginyu shocked to learn that his power level has been thoroughly surpassed. Ginyu even begins to speculate that Goku might be a Legendary Super Saiyan, although Goku still doesn’t know what that is at this point in the manga. Ginyu’s power level of 120,000 still puts him above every Namekian, making it easy to see how he and the Ginyu Force were able to run rampant across the planet once freed by Frieza.
9 Vegeta after Zenkai fights Ginyu force: 250,000
After being defeated by Recoome, Vegeta almost died. However, with Goku’s timely arrival, he was able to recover thanks to Senzu beans and a Zenkai boost, which is a power boost that Saiyans receive after they return from the brink of death. With his newfound power and some rest, Vegeta’s power level skyrocketed to 250,000, making him one of the strongest characters in the series at the time. Vegeta’s new level of power allows him to easily eclipse members of the Ginyu Force, including Recoome, Burter, and Jeice. However, he was still no match for Frieza’s first form, who was able to hold his ground against an angry Vegeta.
8 Frieza first model: 530,000
When Frieza first appeared in Dragon Ball, he was incredibly powerful. His first form has a power level of 530,000, making him the absolute strongest character by an extremely wide margin. For reference, Goku’s power level just a few months ago on Earth was 8,000. This means that even after training with a literal god, Frieza’s suppressed power still eclipses Saiyan Saga Goku’s power by about 66 times. Frieza’s power level allows him to easily defeat Vegeta and the other Z Fighters, and he seems completely unstoppable. Frieza humiliated Nail during their brief encounter by revealing his disturbingly high power levels, which certainly shocked readers at the time.
Frieza 7th form: >1,000,000
After being slightly challenged by Vegeta, Frieza transformed into his second form, which he claimed had a power level of over 1,000,000. This form seems to make Frieza even more brutal than before and he commits some absolutely brutal actions while performing this transformation. That being said, this Frieza form took the hardest beatings, being challenged multiple times by Gohan and Piccolo, as well as being cut off by Krillin. Notably, Vegeta is actually the only fighter present who does not deal a blow to Frieza’s second form, as he is paralyzed with fear. It should be noted that once Piccolo merged with Nail, his power level should also have been around this 1,000,000 as Frieza deemed it necessary to use his third form immediately after their exchange . Unfortunately, Piccolo’s power level at the time was never explicitly stated, leaving the most famous Namekian unranked on this list.
6 Goku after recovering in the Healing Pod: 3,000,000
Despite getting kicked in the teeth by Frieza at every turn, this Goku is on a completely different level from every other Z-Fighter around him. Not only has he surpassed the late Saiyan race at this point, but Goku is also the only fighter capable of standing up to Frieza in any meaningful capacity. Readers see shortly after their battle begins that Goku also continuously uses Kaioken x10 in extremely short periods of time, something that was impossible for him just a few months ago. He even managed to create the magical Kaioken x20 Kamehameha, which actually injured Frieza in his final form – something no other character had achieved until then.
5 Yakon: 40,000,000
Yakon is not a character many fans remember, but he has the distinction of having his power level mentioned in the series. For a largely forgotten character, his power level actually ranks quite high. Yakon’s power during his battle with Goku was stated to be 800 kilos, confirming his power level to be 40,000,000. While using kili to measure power levels is a bit meaningless, it does give fans a sense of how strong Yakon is compared to other characters in the series. It may seem strange that a character with this level of power could cause trouble for Goku after seven years of training in the afterlife during the Buu arc, but Yakon’s strange powers are beyond his power level. can be summarized as a plot device to get at Vegeta. to witness a glimpse of Goku’s iconic Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
4 Frieza 50% Power: 60,000,000
Frieza’s overwhelming power at only 50% power is still a whopping 60,000,000 on Namek. This means that without using Kaioken, Goku is dozens of times weaker than Frieza and has no chance. It should be noted that with the help of Krillin and Gohan’s ki, Piccolo was able to fight against this version of Frieza for a short time, so his power level at that time must also have been top-notch. million for Frieza to even bother fending him off. Frieza’s 50% power level also helps create distance between the injured Frieza and Super Saiyan Goku, as Frieza’s power level would have to decrease significantly after being hit by the Spirit Bomb.
3 Almighty Frieza: 120,000,000
Frieza’s 100% power level stems from the powered up form he used to fight Goku on a dying Namek. Although his power level is said to be 120,000,000, the authenticity of this measurement is actually quite questionable. It seems to suggest that Frieza’s power level didn’t decrease at all after taking down Goku’s Kamehameha and the Large Spirit Bomb, which is strange. Hypothetically, Frieza’s true power at 100% when unfatigued would be much higher, which could explain his misplaced confidence in being able to defeat Super Saiyan Goku.
2 Super Saiyan Goku: 150,000,000
In perhaps the most iconic scene in anime history, Goku transforms out of rage and despair over the death of his best friend Krillin at the hands of Frieza. The result was the birth of the legendary Super Saiyan, giving Goku a whopping 150,000,000 power level. Goku’s transformation into a Super Saiyan was a game-changer in the Dragon Ball franchise, and the 50x Super Saiyan multiplier defined the landscape of Dragon Ball-related fighters for years to come. This level of power puts him ahead of Full Power Frieza, and surprisingly Yakon even though the latter is absolutely brilliant in the Majin Buu arc.
1 Dabura: >200,000,000
Again, it makes no sense that Dabura’s power level is only slightly higher than Goku’s, but the kili stat puts Dabura at the top of said power levels. Dabura is considered one of the strongest villains in the Majin Buu arc, and his power level is another example of Dragon Ball using kili measurement to give him a power level extremely rough. Dabura says that even a kili level of over 4,000 is not enough to defeat him, which confirms that he is at least stronger than a power level of 200,000,000. However, given that the Z-Fighters were hundreds or even thousands of times stronger at this point, it’s likely that this low measurement was simply an oversight by the Dragon Ball writers. If Dabura truly has a power level in this range, it would mean that no one, not even a Super Saiyan, could be more than twice as powerful over the course of a decade.
Power levels have been a controversial topic among Dragon Ball fans for decades. While they were initially used as a way to gauge a character’s strength, the concept became increasingly convoluted and meaningless as the series progressed. Still, Dragon ball fans will continue to debate where characters should rank based on power level for a long time to come.
