After the devastating news of the Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama himself passing away recently and seeing that Dragon Ball projects are still on their way, it’s time for a little tier list of some of the most interesting characters of the franchise. This is more like a personal set of preferences, so there’s no use getting upset if your favorite character isn’t included in the right area.
We’ve done a few tier lists involving Dragon Ball video games in the past, such as the top tier list for Dragon Ball FighterZ or the top tier list for Dragon Ball Legends, but now it’s time for something a bit different.
Tier S:
- Vegeta
- Piccolo
- Goku
- Android 18
- Frieza
Vegeta has gone a long road from being a ruthless villain to becoming a loving father and a protector of the Earth. That’s why he clearly deserves his place on this list.
Piccolo is a wise and powerful guy who has a lot of interesting tricks up his sleeve. He may be weaker than Goku or Vegeta, but he is still one of the most important Dragon Ball characters.
Love him or hate him, we just cannot conceive Dragon Ball without Goku, which is why the beloved Saiyan cannot possibly miss this list. He saved the world numerous times and remains the main Dragon Ball character.
Android 18 has also been a villain before, but she became a loving wife for Krillin and also a trustful Z warrior when it is needed.
Frieza also has a well-deserved place in Tier S due to the fact that even though he is pure evil, he always has a strong motivation and keeps his evil path. As much as we appreciate the power of redemption that is often presented in Dragon Ball, we just cannot have our love for Frieza.
Tier A:
- Gohan
- Trunks
- Goten
- Broly
- Kefla
Gohan is the half Saiyan and half-Earthling character who is also the son of Goku and Chi Chi. Gohan has always been exceptionally strong, and he even had the ability to increase his power level a lot faster than his father did. One theory suggests that the simple fact of Gohan being a hybrid of half-Saiyan and half-Earthling is what helped him become so strong.
Trunks is the son of Vegeta and Bulma, meaning that he’s also a Saiyan-Earthling hybrid. He had an unforgettable entrance back in Dragon Ball Z when he single-handling defeated Frieza.
Goten is the second son of Goku, meaning that he’s also a half-Saiyan and half-Earthling hybrid. He didn’t get too many chances to shine.
Broly is the Legendary Super Saiyan who gave Goku, Vegeta, and the rest a run for their money. He isn’t among the good guys, but we also can’t say that he is actually evil. Broly has mental issues severe enough to consider Goku an enemy simply because he was crying too loud when he was a baby.
Kefla is the Potara fusion of Kale and Caulifa. Those two characters are female Saiyans from a different universe, and they gave Goku a lot of headaches during the Tournament of Power arc from Dragon Ball Super. We hope to see them again in the future of Dragon Ball.
Tier B:
- Krillin
- Tien
- Cell
- Android 17
Krillin is known as one of the strongest Earthlings in Dragon Ball, even though he is mocked a lot by the fans by being extremely weak compared to the other Z warriors. However, Krillin knows some truly devastating and tricky fighting moves, such as the Destructo Disc or the Solar Flare.
Tien, another Earthling who is very strong, is also a character who deserves more spotlight in Dragon Ball. He has been forgotten by the writers, even though he had some interesting contributions during the Tournament of Power. Tien has some very impressive fighting moves that Goku cannot do, such as the Multi-Form technique or the ability to grow two extra arms.
Cell was one of the classic Dragon Ball Z villains back in Dragon Ball Z, but even so, he was below Frieza in terms of character development. Cell was a biological android created by Dr. Gero to kill Goku, and he was always willing to steal other fighters’ powers and keep bragging about it a lot. The nerve on this guy, right?
Android 17 was introduced as a villain back in the Cell Saga of Dragon Ball Z, but he slowly became one of the good guys as well. He participated in the Tournament of Power as well, where he truly managed to pull it off and shine a lot.
Tier C:
- Yamcha
- King Kai
- Beerus
- Master Roshi
Yamcha is one of the Dragon Ball characters who gets a lot of hate for losing in plenty of matches, but even so, he is not that weak. He actually has some interesting fighting moves, as let’s not forget that he was trained by Master Roshi long ago.
King Kai is the one who has taught Goku a lot of useful fighting maneuvers such as the Kaioken or Spirit Bomb. King Kai is more like a master rather than a fighter, but he is still a very interesting character.
Beerus is the God of Destruction, and despite his name, he is not evil. He needs to destroy just to maintain some sort of order in the Universe, and he threatened to even destroy the Earth when he was first introduced. Guess who stopped him?
Master Roshi is the first master that Goku had. Roshi is an old turtle hermit who rarely gets involved in a fight. But when he does, you’ll remember it for sure!
Let’s keep in mind that there are numerous Dragon Ball characters who have made their appearances during the franchise, and it would be pretty impossible to mention them all in a relatively short article. Therefore, sticking to the most important ones was a much better idea.