Verdict: Zeno, the Omni-King, is the strongest Dragon Ball character because he can erase entire universes on a whim. Among fighters, Whis and Beerus sit at the top, and Black Frieza is the strongest mortal after one-shotting both Goku and Vegeta in the manga.
Updated October 9, 2026 · Based on Dragon Ball Super manga and anime feats
Who this is for: fans getting ready for the Dragon Ball Super: Beerus anime, which premieres October 11, and anyone settling a power-level argument.
How we rank: on-screen and on-page feats from Dragon Ball Super, its manga and its movies. When the anime and manga disagree, we lean on the manga, which runs further ahead.
Who is the strongest Dragon Ball character?
Graphic: NerdSnack.
| Rank | Character | Biggest feat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeno | Erases universes instantly |
| 2 | Grand Priest | Even Whis defers to him |
| 3 | Whis | Knocks Beerus out with one chop |
| 4 | Beerus | Beats Super Saiyan God Goku while holding back |
| 5 | Black Frieza | One-shots Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta |
| 6 | Goku | Beats Jiren with Mastered Ultra Instinct |
| 7 | Vegeta | Ultra Ego gets stronger as he takes damage |
| 8 | Gohan | Beast form destroys Cell Max |
| 9 | Gas | Wished to be the universe’s strongest |
| 10 | Jiren | Strongest fighter in the Tournament of Power |
| 11 | Broly | Forces Goku and Vegeta to fuse |
| 12 | Granolah | Wished for power at the cost of his life span |
| 13 | Moro | Drains energy from whole planets |
| 14 | Hit | Freezes time in fights |
| 15 | Toppo | Uses a God of Destruction’s power |
The 15 strongest Dragon Ball characters, ranked
15. Toppo
Toppo leads Universe 11’s Pride Troopers and is training to become its next God of Destruction. In the Tournament of Power, he drops his hero act and taps into a destroyer’s energy, which makes him one of the toughest fights Vegeta has in the arc.
14. Hit
Universe 6’s legendary assassin can skip and freeze time for fractions of a second, and he keeps improving the trick mid-fight. Goku needs Super Saiyan Blue with the Kaio-ken just to keep up with him.
13. Moro
The Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc villain drains life energy from entire planets. He also copies the abilities of anyone he absorbs, and by the end of the arc he has merged with Earth itself.
12. Granolah
The last Cerealian used his planet’s Dragon Balls to become the strongest warrior in the universe, giving up most of his remaining life span to do it. His wish only held until someone stronger came along.
11. Broly
In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, his power keeps climbing the longer he fights. He overwhelms Goku and Vegeta one at a time, and they only beat him by fusing into Gogeta.
10. Jiren
Jiren is the strongest fighter in the Tournament of Power and treats Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta like nothing. He only goes down after Goku masters Ultra Instinct and Frieza and Android 17 join in.
9. Gas
In the Granolah the Survivor arc, the Heeters use the Dragon Balls to make Gas the strongest warrior in the universe. He fights Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta at the same time and comes close to killing them both.
8. Gohan
Gohan’s Beast form in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero finally lets him use the potential everyone always talked about. He destroys Cell Max, and it’s the first time in years that he’s been in the same conversation as Goku and Vegeta.
7. Vegeta
Ultra Ego is Vegeta’s answer to Ultra Instinct, built on a God of Destruction’s mindset. It gets stronger the more damage he takes. He fights Gas to a standstill with it before Black Frieza shows up.
6. Goku
Goku masters Ultra Instinct in the Tournament of Power and keeps refining it in the manga. He edges Vegeta because Ultra Instinct has the longer track record, but the two keep trading places.
5. Black Frieza
Frieza found a Hyperbolic Time Chamber and spent about 10 years of training time inside it. In chapter 87 of the manga, he kills Gas with one attack, then drops True Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta with a single blow each.
That makes him the strongest mortal in the series. For more on the form, see our Black Frieza explainer.
4. Beerus
Universe 7’s God of Destruction can erase anything with Hakai. In Battle of Gods, he beats Super Saiyan God Goku while clearly holding back. Black Frieza might be catching up, but nobody has shown they can actually beat him.
3. Whis
Whis is Beerus’s attendant and teacher, and he’s far stronger. He knocks Beerus out with a single chop to the neck and can rewind time a few minutes. The Angels exist partly to keep the Gods of Destruction in check.
2. Grand Priest
The father of the Angels runs the Tournament of Power for Zeno. Whis speaks of him as being on another level, and the series consistently places him just below the Omni-King.
1. Zeno
The Omni-King rules all 12 universes and can erase any of them instantly. He wiped out the entire future timeline in the Future Trunks arc and erased every universe that lost the Tournament of Power, even though they came back after. Nobody else in Dragon Ball comes close.
Why aren’t Gogeta and Vegito ranked?
Fusions don’t last, so we rank characters on their own. At their peaks, Gogeta and Vegito are stronger than Goku or Vegeta alone. Gogeta beats Broly, and Vegito fights Merged Zamasu, which would put both around the top five.
Does Dragon Ball Daima change the rankings?
No. Daima is set before Dragon Ball Super, so its forms, including Goku’s Super Saiyan 4, come before Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego. The top of this list is all Super-era power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the strongest Dragon Ball character?
Zeno, the Omni-King. He can erase entire universes instantly.
Is Beerus stronger than Goku?
Yes. Goku hasn’t beaten Beerus, and Beerus held back against Super Saiyan God Goku in Battle of Gods.
Is Black Frieza stronger than Goku?
Yes, for now. In chapter 87 of the manga, Black Frieza knocks down True Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta with one blow each.
Who is stronger, Whis or Beerus?
Whis. He’s Beerus’s teacher and can knock him out with one chop.
Where should you start with Dragon Ball Super?
The manga is the fastest way to catch up on Black Frieza and the Granolah arc. The anime covers through the Tournament of Power, and the two movies cover Broly and Gohan’s Beast form.
Next step: catch up before the Beerus anime with our Dragon Ball Super: Beerus guide. For more power rankings, see the strongest Naruto characters and the 25 best anime series of all time.
Sources: feats from the Dragon Ball Super anime, VIZ’s English edition of the Dragon Ball Super manga, and the films Battle of Gods, Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Prices checked on Amazon (US) on October 9, 2026; every product listed is sold and shipped by Amazon. Graphics: NerdSnack.
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