Top 10 Most Powerful Dragon Ball Z Characters

This list includes the most powerful characters from Dragon Ball Z only. Characters from Dragon Ball GT or Dragon Ball are not included.

There is a separate list that includes characters from Dragon Ball GT.

The Top Ten

Super Vegito

Technically, the Omni King is the strongest, but that would be stupid. Super Vegito is stronger than Fused Zamasu, who, by the way, absorbed the entire 4th dimension. Fused Zamasu is said to be possibly even stronger than Whis, and Vegito beat him. That makes Vegito the second strongest being in the universe.

Most powerful character in Dragon Ball Z. The only other character in DBZ that comes close is Super Gogeta in the movie Fusion Reborn. Though Gogeta might seem identical to Vegito (and I actually easily prefer Gogeta and think he's much more awesome), Vegito is actually stronger because the Old Kai said that the Potara Earrings fusion is much stronger than the Fusion Dance.
Ultimate Gohan

Gohan has always had the most potential in Dragon Ball. He was the first to transform into Super Saiyan 2 and also defeated Cell. In the next series, nobody could beat Super Buu. Gohan came down from the Kai planet and just dominated Buu.
If Gohan had trained as hard and as long as Goku and Vegeta did, there is absolutely no doubt he would be the strongest character in all of Dragon Ball.

Ultimate (aka Mystic) Gohan is not only more powerful than a SSJ3 transformation but is completely stable. The only reason why it was decided Goku would defeat Kid Buu was because Goku was the main guy.
I love Goku as a character, but if you pitted them both against one another, Gohan would dominate simply because he has ascended to a superior form.
Super Gogeta

Gogeta is stronger than Vegito, thus making him the strongest character in DBZ. Goku stated in his fight with Janemba, "You should be proud of yourself, only Majin Buu has pushed me this far in battle," when Goku turned SSJ3. This implies that Janemba is stronger than Buu. Yet, Gogeta defeated Janemba with a single attack that included six hits, whereas Vegito took a while to defeat Super Buu.
While I understand that Vegito needed to save his friends, he could have killed Super Buu and then revived his friends with the Namekian Dragon Balls. In conclusion, Gogeta was able to maintain his power and attacks. With his Stardust Breaker attack, he was able to unmutate Janemba. Vegito had to manually get inside of Buu to free his friends. Gogeta could have used Stardust Breaker to free his friends.
Goku

Son Goku (Saiyan name Kakarrot) is the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. He possesses many powerful abilities, including super strength, ki control, flight, teleportation, super speed, enhanced reflexes, and Super Saiyan transformations that increase his... read more

Are you serious? Goku Super Saiyan 4 is way stronger than Vegeta could ever be. Goku beat even Majin Vegeta. He has defeated Vegeta multiple times. Vegeta never stood a chance. The only time Vegeta won was the first time they fought.
Goku is the one who beats all of the strongest villains. Even Vegeta himself admitted that Goku is much stronger than him. Vegeta was inferior to Frieza, Buu, Cell, Broly, and so many others. Goku is the one that beat Frieza, Buu, Broly, and everyone else but Cell and that other guy that Gohan had to take care of himself. But seriously, anyone who truly knows this show knows that Goku is not only the main character but the most powerful character on the whole show!
Whis

Whis is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Dragon Ball Super. He was created by Akira Toriyama and first appeared during the Battle of Gods saga. Whis serves as the attendant and martial arts teacher of Beerus, the God of Destruction, and is known for his calm demeanor and immense power... read more

Beerus would absolutely wipe the floor with, say, Vegito (officially stated, you know), and Whis was able to take Beerus out in one move. Whis is the strongest in the regular fields. Only someone capable of absorbing him could win, and even then, Whis moves faster than anyone else shown so far can think, so that may not even work.
As of 2016, Whis is the absolute strongest. Only until they introduce a new, even stronger character, or Goku/Vegeta complete their training, will we have competition.

How is Whis ranked this low? In Battle of Gods, Beerus defeated most of the Z warriors and only had to use 70% of his power against Super Saiyan God Goku.
And Whis knocked out Beerus with a single chop to the neck. In addition, in Resurrection F, Whis was easily avoiding and countering base Goku and Vegeta's attacks - base Goku and Vegeta with god ki, might I add.
The only people who could rival Whis are his sister Vados (who is arguably stronger) and possibly Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Vegito, the latter of which is unlikely to happen.
Vegeta

Vegeta is a fictional character from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, created by Akira Toriyama. He is the prince of the fallen Saiyan race and initially appears as an antagonist before becoming one of the series' main protagonists. Vegeta is known for his rivalry with Goku and his relentless drive to... read more

Hmm, Goku is ranked higher than Beerus even though he didn't get close to defeating him. And Vegeta trains just as hard as Goku. Even though Vegeta had a better fight against Beerus than Goku did, what makes it even more questionable is that Goku didn't even touch Beerus, and Beerus was only using 60% of his power. So explain to me how Goku is stronger than Beerus.
And keep in mind that Goku was a Super Saiyan God, and Beerus defeated him with 40% of his power left. So don't say that Goku could go Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan and defeat Beerus because if Beerus could beat Goku in Super Saiyan 1 and he beat Goku in Super Saiyan God, then he could beat him in Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan.

Vegeta's power level was higher than SS3 Goku's during Battle of Gods, even if it was just for a brief moment. That brief moment shows us what Vegeta is capable of and the power levels he can reach.
Also, in the next movie, Akira Toriyama said he was going to be the main character, which means he will certainly get a power boost. We will have to wait and see.
Kid Buu

Kid Buu is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball Z anime series created by Akira Toriyama. He is the purest and original form of Majin Buu, making him extremely powerful and unpredictable. This version of Buu is known for his destructive tendencies and childlike yet brutal demeanor. Fans often view... read more

Kid Buu held back a Spirit Bomb that contained the power of all the Z fighters, every living being on Earth, all of the Namekians, the Elder Kai and Supreme Kai, King Yemma, and all of his attendants with Goku pushing on it in base form. He was able to overpower it and throw it back. Only when Goku got his strength back and finished the attack with his (x100) Super Saiyan 2 strength was it enough to defeat him, after which Goku was exhausted again.
I put my vote on Kid Buu.

Kid Buu is stronger than Goku SSJ3. Goku only defeated him because people gave him the power of the Spirit Bomb.
Goku (Super Saiyan 3)

Son Goku (Saiyan name Kakarrot) is the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. He possesses many powerful abilities, including super strength, ki control, flight, teleportation, super speed, enhanced reflexes, and Super Saiyan transformations that increase his... read more

I just think he is strong because he took down Janemba. (I thought that was pretty cool.) Anyway, he also looks super cute in that form.

Goku just can't be beaten. Nobody can stop him, not Cooler, Frieza, Meta Cooler, Broly, or even Buu.

Because of his training and due to Gohan's lack of training, he would be slightly stronger than Gohan.
Goku (Super Saiyan God)

This ranking is crazy for a Super Saiyan God. I would think he should be at least in the top 7.
Come on, this doesn't make any sense!

Why is he in this place? He is the strongest character in Dragon Ball Z! He should at least be in the top 3, but never in the top 35!

The third strongest, in my opinion. Much weaker than Bills, who is weaker than Whis.
Beerus

Beerus is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He debuted as the main antagonist in the 2013 movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. As the God of Destruction, he plays a key role in Dragon Ball Super and other franchise entries that followed.

He defeated Android 18 with a simple move, then defeated Piccolo and Tien with a couple of chopsticks, defeated Super Saiyan 3 Goku by touching him, beat Gotenks by spanking him a little, defeated Mystic Gohan and Majin Buu in half a second, and defeated Vegeta in 1 second, all of it with a smile. And then he defeated Super Saiyan God with 70% of his power.
The only two who are stronger than him are Whis and the unbeatable Wasabi (joking about the Wasabi).

If you have seen the movie, you would probably know that Goku was forced to say "I quit" by Beerus. More comes when Beerus grabbed Buu and defeated him and the rest of Goku's family, including Gotenks. Later on, Beerus reveals that it takes 6 Super Saiyans to create a Super Saiyan God, which only brought Beerus's power to just 70%.
So basically, he is the strongest known DBZ character after Whis, his own trainer.

The Newcomers

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Perfect Cell
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Dodoria

Dodoria is one of Frieza's two most trusted subordinates in an army of millions. He is almost always seen beside Frieza, executing his orders and carrying out violent missions alongside Zarbon. Dodoria plays a key role in advising Frieza and enacting ruthless strategies to expand his master's dominion... read more

The Contenders

Super Buu (Gohan absorbed)
Broly

Broly is a major character in the Dragon Ball franchise, originally appearing as the main antagonist in the Broly film trilogy and later in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. He is portrayed as a Legendary Super Saiyan, a rare transformation that appears once every thousand years. His father is Paragus, who plays... read more

Broly isn't the strongest character in the series, but he definitely has the most potential and talent. He was born with a power level of 10,000, surpassing the power level of Prime King Vegeta. In contrast, Goku was born with a power level of only 2.
Just think about it, what if Broly had put the same time into training as Goku did? He would've reached Legendary Super Saiyan 3 in no time. Legendary Super Saiyan is considered to be between Super Saiyan 1.5 and 2.5 in terms of power. Additionally, Super Saiyan 2 doubles the Saiyan's power level compared to the base Super Saiyan form.
So, if Broly put in the work and reached Legendary Super Saiyan 2, he would be as strong as Goku in his Super Saiyan 3 form. Broly often toys with his opponents, and his fights are always handicapped. It's a shame they didn't have a Broly saga.
Gohan

Son Gohan is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He was introduced as the first son of Goku and Chi-Chi in chapter 196, titled Kakarrot, which was first published on October 8, 1988, in Weekly Shōnen Jump.... read more

The kid who killed Cell! If he didn't study, he would be stronger than Goku.

I would say that Gohan is a very powerful character with hidden potential compared to the other characters.
Gotenks (Super Saiyan 3)

Goten is the only good part about Gotenks. Without Trunks's part in him, Gotenks wouldn't have been so cocky and overconfident and gotten his ass kicked by Buu.

Because even if it was brief, Gotenks held his own against Super Buu as a Super Saiyan 3.
Future Trunks

Future Trunks is a recurring character in the Dragon Ball universe. He makes his debut appearance during the Android Saga to assist Goku in defeating Cell. He's also the son of Vegeta and Bulma. He's a powerful warrior with unique abilities and is proficient in using his sword to defend himself.... read more
Super Janemba

Janemba is a fictional character from the anime film Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, created by Akira Toriyama. He appears as the primary antagonist of the movie and is born from a malfunctioning Soul Cleansing Machine in the Other World.... read more

Janemba can crush SSJ3 Goku and SSJ2 Vegeta and is as strong as Buuhan, which means he is stronger than Mystic Gohan. That is why he is the best. If you did not know this, Janemba can regenerate. Remember, Pikkon insulted and cracked his skin, but he regenerated from it. He is truly the best, better than Ultimate Gohan.
Super Buu (Gotenks and Piccolo absorbed)
Broly (Legendary Super Saiyan)

He's a legend and undefeated. He is a legendary Super Saiyan, and he can totally wreck Buu, that fatty.

I think Broly should be on top of the list because he could destroy any DBZ character.

I really like him. I mean, if he was alive, he could destroy anyone in SS3.
Vados

Vados is a fictional character from the anime and manga series Dragon Ball Super, created by Akira Toriyama. She is an Angel and the attendant and martial arts teacher of Champa, the God of Destruction of Universe 6. Vados is the elder sister of Whis, who serves a similar role in Universe 7.

I heard that she is slightly more powerful than Whis, so I guess that places her in the Top 10 (maybe Top 5) most powerful Dragon Ball Z characters.

She's currently the most powerful being in the DB universe. The sexism in DB makes her rated below Whis, whom she trained and is a little weaker than she is (like the case of Cyborg #17 and Cyborg #18).

She's Whis's elder sister and martial arts teacher and surpassed him in terms of power.
Cell (Super Perfect Form)

Ironically, this was the best villain and the strongest.
Piccolo

Piccolo is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He first appeared in chapter 161 of the manga, published in Weekly Shonen Jump on February 22, 1988.
He is a member of the Namekian race and has powers that include ki manipulation, regeneration, telepathy... read more

Piccolo's strength is greater than half the universes, and he was able to hold his own against Android 17. I'd like to see Krillin do that.
Trunks

Trunks is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball Z anime and manga series, created by Akira Toriyama. He is the son of Vegeta and Bulma and is known for traveling back in time to warn the Z Fighters of future dangers. Trunks is one of the series' most prominent characters and appears in several major... read more

Destroyed Frieza and demolished Androids 17 and 18 while Gohan Super Saiyan could not even scratch them. He clearly has the most potential in the series.

Future Trunks is the most badass character in DBZ. He killed Frieza in one episode.

He defeated android 18 and 17 in the future timeline and also Cell. He executed 14.
Kid Trunks

Kid Trunks is a fictional character from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, created by Akira Toriyama. He is the son of Vegeta and Bulma and makes his first appearance during the Majin Buu Saga. Kid Trunks is best known for his fusion with Goten, which creates the powerful fighter Gotenks.

Goten could have beaten Trunks. It's just because of the age difference.

Kid Trunks can beat Gotenks in a battle.
Frieza

Frieza is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama. He is the main antagonist of the Frieza Saga and is known as a tyrannical ruler of the Planet Trade Organization.
Feared across the universe for his power and cruelty, Frieza plays a major role in the series'... read more
Super Buu

Super Buu is a fictional character from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, created by Akira Toriyama. He is one of the more dangerous and intelligent forms of the villain Majin Buu. Super Buu appears during the Majin Buu Saga and engages in major battles with characters such as Gohan and Gotenks.

Think about it. If he absorbed SSJ4 Gogeta, what would stop him?