Summary
Since transforming into a Super Saiyan duringhis 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 ofDragon Ballis 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 SuperandDragon Ball Heroeshave each introduced their fair share; as have the manyDragon Ballmovies. They might not be quite up to Goku’s incredibly high standards, but they are immensely powerful nonetheless.
Updated June 29, 2025, by Tom Bowen:With Dragon Ball Daima due out later this year, it seems safe to assume that Goku and the rest of the Z-Fighters are going to keep getting stronger. Whether or not any new combatants will be introduced during this time remains unclear, and there are plenty of classic 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, with his Beast transformation making him one of the strongest Saiyans to appear throughout Dragon Ball media.
20Shugesh
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990)
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 untilTeam 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.
19Tora
A fierce combatant and the second in command of Team Bardock, Tora made his debut in 2011’sDragon Ball: Episode of Bardockmanga, 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 ofDragon 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 totransform into a Super Saiyan, but was still an incredibly impressive combatant in his day.
18Raditz
First Appearance: The Raditz Saga (Dragon Ball Z)
It’s a little strange to think that Raditz was once the most powerful fighter inDragon 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 himselfwas born out of pure desperation and is a true testament to the strength of the Saiyan invader.
17Nappa
First Appearance: The Saiyan Saga (Dragon Ball Z)
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 surviveChiatotzu’s heroic self-destruct-style attackwith 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.
16Bardock
First Appearance: The Frieza Saga (Dragon Ball Z)
In recent years,Dragon Ballfans have been given a far greater insight intoGoku’s father Bardock, with the once mysterious Saiyan having appeared in severalDragon Ballmovies 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.
15Goten
First Appearance: Great Saiyaman Saga (Dragon Ball Z)
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 forDragon 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 inDragon Ball Superand ends up costing him dearly during the Majin Buu saga.
14Trunks
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.
13Cabba
First Appearance: Universe 6 Saga (Dragon Ball Super)
Cabba is one ofthe three Universe 6 Saiyanswho were introduced inDragon 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.
12Yamoshi
First Appearance: Namek Saga (Dragon Ball Z)
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 toGoku 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, inDragon Ball Super, it is revealed that Yamoshi’s spirit played an integral role in the creation ofthe 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.
11Caulifla
First Appearance: Universe Survival Saga (Dragon Ball Super)
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.
