Saiyans are some of Dragon Ball’s strongest characters. Like Goku and Vegeta, these are the most powerful Saiyans of them all.

Since transforming into a Super Saiyan during his battle with Frieza on Planet Namek, Goku has repeatedly pushed the limits of Saiyan strength. He’s pioneered numerous new forms and has been able to overcome some of the strongest opponents in all of the 12 universes. While the face of Dragon Ball is undoubtedly the most powerful Saiyan though, he is far from the only one.

As well as the Saiyans who are currently living on Earth, many more exist in different timelines, galaxies, and universes. Some, like Broly and Future Trunks, have been around for decades now, but most of them were added to the series fairly recently. Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Heroes have each introduced their fair share; as have the many Dragon Ball movies. They might not be quite up to Goku’s incredibly high standards, but they are immensely powerful nonetheless.

Updated May 24, 2023, by Tom Bowen: With a new anime series rumored to be coming at some point over the next year or so, it seems safe to assume that Goku and the rest of the Z-Fighters are only going to get stronger in the coming months and years. Whether or not any new combatants will be introduced during this time remains unclear, though there are plenty of older characters that may well make a return. Some of the Saiyans, in particular, have been absent from the series for quite some time and their ability to grow stronger through battle perfectly lends itself to the skyrocketing power levels that have punctuated the series in recent years. Gohan is just the latest Saiyan to benefit from this inevitable power creep, though he’s still nowhere near as powerful as the very strongest Saiyans to appear throughout Dragon Ball.

20. Shugesh

Originally known as Panbukin in the Japanese Manga, Shugesh is one of the most powerful members of Bardock’s team. He certainly looks the part, too, with his muscular physique painting a pretty clear picture of a Saiyan who means business. Like most Saiyans, that business is death and destruction.

Together with his comrades, Shugesh wiped out entire civilizations and planets with very little regard for the consequences. He was one of the strongest Saiyans on Planet Vegeta until Team Bardock got ambushed by Dodoria and his cronies on Planet Meat. This led to the deaths of everybody but Bardock, who showed up just a little too late to save his loyal subordinates.

19. Tora

A fierce combatant and the second in command of Team Bardock, Tora made his debut in 2011’s Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock manga, which received an OVA adaptation later on that year. As sub-commander of the group, he has his own subordinates and is every bit as ruthless as one might expect from a Frieza Force-era Saiyan.

Interestingly, Tora actually appeared in the original run of Dragon Ball Z, showing up alongside Bardock and Tora as Frieza thinks back to some of the many Saiyans that he wiped out. Having died so early on in the series’ timeline, he never got a chance to transform into a Super Saiyan, but was still an incredibly impressive combatant in his day.

18. Raditz

It’s a little strange to think that Raditz was once the most powerful fighter in Dragon Ball Z. Granted, his power levels are a little laughable by modern standards and he didn’t stick around for all that long. At the time, however, Goku’s brother posed a very real and credible threat.

Neither Piccolo nor Goku was able to defeat Raditz on their own and, although they did eventually manage to get the better of him by working together, their victory comes at a great cost. Goku’s decision to sacrifice himself was born out of pure desperation and is a true testament to the strength of the Saiyan invader.

17. Nappa

Despite all of their training, the brute force of Nappa made the Z-Fighters look like helpless children until Goku showed up. He completely destroyed Gohan and Piccolo in battle and was even able to survive Chiatotzu’s heroic self-destruct-style attack with no more than a few scratches.

Much like Raditz, Nappa’s status as the big bad doesn’t last for too long, and, when compared to modern standards, his power level is a bit of a joke. Even so, the impact that he had on the series around the time of his introduction was massive and perfectly set the stage for the bigger and badder antagonists that were to follow.

16. Bardock

In recent years, Dragon Ball fans have been given a far greater insight into Goku’s father Bardock, with the once mysterious Saiyan having appeared in several Dragon Ball movies and games. He’s shown to have been a more than capable fighter, although was never able to make the leap to Super Saiyan.

Despite this limiting factor, however, his years of serving the Frieza Force allowed him to really hone his skills as a fighter and made him one of the strongest Saiyans on Planet Vegeta at the time of its destruction. It is possible that the planet’s ruler may have been a match for him, although King Vegeta’s fighting abilities have never really been explored.

15. Goten

Despite growing up with an overbearing mother and an absentee father, Goten is easily one of the most powerful fighters on Earth. He’s able to transform into a Super Saiyan at seven years old in the anime, although according to the manual for Dragon Ball Z: Buu’s Fury, he first mastered the transformation when was just three.

While there can be no denying that Goten is a powerful fighter though, he lacks both the experience and the maturity needed to really make the most of his strength. This is likely the reason why Goku opts against taking him to the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super and ends up costing him dearly during the Majin Buu saga.

14. Trunks

Like his friend Goten, Trunks is able to transform into a Super Saiyan from a very young age, although his immaturity can also prove problematic at times. He often allows himself to get distracted during fights and is far too confident for somebody with so little experience. As with his father Vegeta, his cockiness can sometimes have severe consequences.

There’s very little to choose from between young Trunks and Goten when it comes to power, although the time-traveling elements of the series arguably give Trunks the edge. Future Trunks serves as proof that the young child can and will reach far greater levels, whereas Goten’s true potential remains something of a mystery.

13. Cabba

Cabba is one of the three Universe 6 Saiyans who were introduced in Dragon Ball Super; all of whom are named after vegetables. He might not look it, but this skinny little Saiyan is incredibly strong and is also a very fast learner to boot. He masters the Super Saiyan transformation with very little tutelage and holds off some strong competition during the tournament of power while in this form.

For whatever reason, Vegeta has taken a real shine to Cabba and agreed to train the young Saiyan following their battle on the nameless planet. With such an accomplished mentor now in his corner, it’s quite possible that Cabba will become much stronger in future arcs and, at the very least, rival some of the other Saiyans from Universe 6.

12. Yamoshi

Though a lot of fans probably won’t know Yamoshi by his true name, they should be fairly familiar with his title. Yamoshi is the Legendary Super Saiyan to whom both Frieza and Vegeta are constantly referring prior to Goku first becoming a Super Saiyan on Namek. Given that he died more than a thousand years prior to the events depicted in both the manga and the anime, it’s difficult to gauge his true power levels, though it seems somewhat safe to assume that they were pretty high.

Initially, Vegeta implies that Yamoshi was only able to transform into a Super Saiyan while in his great ape form, but this has never been officially confirmed. Later on, in Dragon Ball Super, it is revealed that Yamoshi’s spirit played an integral role in the creation of the Super Saiyan God transformation. It’s again unclear as to whether Yamoshi was able to achieve the form himself, but his knowledge of it would at the very least seem to suggest that he had reached a level beyond regular Super Saiyan prior to his death.

11. Caulifla

Caulifla is a much more accomplished fighter than Cabba and is able to progress from Super Saiyan 1 to Super Saiyan 2 almost immediately. After Goku helps her to master the second form during the tournament of power, she becomes even more powerful, although still has some way to go if she hopes to challenge the very best.

Even at her strongest, she’s nowhere near a match for Goku who seems to be toying with her for much of their battle. Although he does transform into Super Saiyan form to deflect a powerful attack, he spends most of the fight powered down which suggests that he could defeat her quite easily if he so wished. She does provide more of a challenge once fused together with Kale, although even then is unable to defeat Goku.

10. Future Trunks

Future Trunks was only the second character in the anime to transform into a Super Saiyan and has mastered many more forms since then. He’s not been able to reach Super Saiyan 3 just yet, although the Rage form he acquires in the Future Trunks saga of Dragon Ball Super may well be just as powerful.

With the help of his trusty sword and the power of a dying planet, he’s able to slice fused Zamasu clean in half. This ultimately leads to the villain’s eventual defeat and even some kind words from his father Vegeta. Sadly, he leaves before the Tournament of Power takes place, although does return briefly during the Universal Conflict saga in Dragon Ball Heroes.

9. Goku Black

Goku Black came about as the result of Zamasu traveling back in time and using the Super Dragon Balls to steal Goku’s body. He’s seemingly able to get a lot more out of it than the Saiyan too, as shown by his mastery of the Super Saiyan Rose form. He’s strong enough to stand up to the full might of Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks and grows in strength further still with the help of the Potara earrings.

When fused together with the present-day Zamasu, he gains the power of immortality and this makes him nearly unstoppable and one of the very few series villains that Goku and his friends have been unable to overcome themselves. It instead requires the intervention of Zeno and the erasure of an entire universe to bring an end to his reign of terror.

8. Kale

Kale is the most powerful of the Universe 6 Saiyans thanks in large to her incredible Berserker transformation. While in this form, she’s up there with some of the strongest fighters in the 12 universes; although the immense power does come at a rather high cost.

Her blind rage makes her just as dangerous to her friends as she is to her foes, making it an incredibly risky and unpredictable transformation to use. When it comes to raw power though, few can match Kale at her very strongest, as evidenced by the devastating rampage she embarks upon during the tournament of power.

7. Shallot

One of two Saiyan brothers brought from the past by Zahha in order to compete in Dragon Ball Legends‘ Tournament of Time, Shallot is an incredibly powerful fighter and one of the first-ever Saiyans chronologically. Despite losing his memories, Shallot is able to hold his own against even the toughest of enemies and eventually fulfills his destiny of becoming a Super Saiyan God.

Due to when and where Shallot fits into the overall Dragon Ball timeline and the fact that he is not technically considered canon despite being designed by Akira Toriyama himself, it’s difficult to know exactly where his power level falls when compared to the rest of Dragon Ball‘s strongest Saiyans. However, the fact that he does eventually master the Super Saiyan God transformation would suggest that he at least has the edge over the Saiyans from Universe 6.

6. Giblet

Like his twin brother Shallot, Giblet was transported from the past to take part in the Tournament of Time. Upon his arrival, Zahha attempted to manipulate Giblet in order to get him to murder his brother and any other Saiyans he could get his hands on. Thankfully, the magical swordsman’s evil plan ultimately fails to come to fruition, but not before Giblet shows exactly what he’s capable of.

With the Dark Ki at his disposal and drawing power from all of his negative thoughts and feelings, he’s more than a match for his twin brother and would likely have finished him off for good had he not seen the light. He too eventually goes on to master the Super Saiyan God transformation, and, together with his brother, uses it to square off against Golden Frieza in a short yet epic battle.

5. Gohan

There was a time when Akira Toriyama wanted Gohan to replace his father as the central character in Dragon Ball, but fans just never really warmed to him in the same way as they did Goku. Even so, the young Saiyan did get to experience some time in the spotlight during the Cell Games saga and remains an accomplished fighter in the present era, as evidenced by his recent resurgence in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

He’s mastered many forms over the years, but his Potential Unleashed state remains one of his most powerful. He almost certainly has the potential to master some of the more powerful Super Saiyan transformations if he really wanted to but has expressed an interest in focusing more on his human side as he moves forward with his training.

4, Cumber

Cumber is a fairly recent addition to the world of Dragon Ball, but he’s already made quite an impression on fans. In his Super Saiyan 3 form, he is able to hold his own against the almighty Jiren and defeated Top while barely breaking a sweat. He’s an incredibly powerful fighter but is far from the best at this time.

As with most fighters, Cumber is no match at all for Goku’s Ultra Instinct form. With the character’s strength continuing to rise at a rapid pace though, there’s every chance that the evil Saiyan could eventually surpass Earth’s protector in one of the upcoming arcs. He still has several transformations still to master and so should, at the very least, get a lot closer to Goku’s level.

3. Broly

When fully powered up, Broly is able to get the better of both Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms thanks to his immense power. It’s only when the pair fuse together to form Gogeta that they’re able to defeat him and, even then, it’s certainly no walk in the park.

Much of Broly’s power comes from his uncontrollable rage and this can at times make him incredibly unpredictable. He was the first character in the series to master the Legendary Super Saiyan form and could prove to be a very useful ally to Goku and his friends in the future if he continues his training on Vampa.

2. Vegeta

Much to the frustration of the Saiyan prince, Vegeta has always been one step behind Goku when it comes to mastering new transformations. However, he never gives up and continues to push himself to all new levels in the hopes of surpassing his long-term rival. The fact that he now has a family to protect only helps in this regard. If anybody has the motivation and perseverance required to surpass Goku, it’s definitely Vegeta.

With the emergence of Cumber and Broly’s return inDragon Ball Super: Broly, Vegeta temporarily found himself quite far down the pecking order when it came to the most powerful Saiyans in Dragon Ball. His mastery of Ultra Ego in the Dragon Ball Super manga helped him to reclaim second place pretty sharpish, though, and arguably has him closer than ever to reclaiming the top spot after more than three decades.

1. Goku

Goku has always led the way when it comes to mastering new transformations and that continues to be the case in the modern age. He was the first to obtain all four levels of Super Saiyan in the original anime and most recently acquired Ultra Instinct during the Tournament of Power arc.

Although he was unable to fully master the form in the anime, viewers were still given a pretty good idea of what Ultra Instinct is capable of; those who read the Dragon Ball Super manga, even more so. While using Ultra Instinct, Goku just might be the strongest fighter in all of the 12 universes and is more or less unstoppable by all but the gods.