Heroes are only as good as their villains, and fortunately, the Dragon Ball franchise has some of the best villains in pop culture. From the goofy exploits of Pilaf and the gang in the original Dragon Ball, to the seemingly unstoppable Jiren in Super, the franchise has never had an issue when creating memorable villains. They range from silly and ineffective, to serious and being a threat to the universe. Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu, and Goku Black are just a small handful of the dozens of villains Dragon Ball has at their disposal. Everyone has their own favorite. While Frieza is often cemented as the “big bad” of the series, my favorite has always been Cell.

The debate over who’s the best villain in Dragon Ball will continue until the end of time. Every fan has their own preference, so not every fan in the world will agree who’s the best bad guy. Another heated debate is who the strongest villain in the series. Since the introduction of power levels in the Saiyan Saga, a person’s strength can be measured to a numerical unit. Power levels were always introduced as a flawed measurement in the show, yet it is still constantly brought up by the fandom when comparing villains. Power levels essentially disappeared after the Frieza Saga, especially after they reveal that Frieza’s full power level was around one-hundred million.

That would mean every succeeding villain of Dragon Ball needed to have a power level of over two-hundred million to be a bigger threat. It doesn’t help that some of the Z warriors’ power levels are apparently only a few thousands, making the overall power ranking really weird. It’s honestly best to just ignore power levels, and evaluate the individual villains in the franchise by their skill and martial arts capabilities. This is what I’m going to do in this list of 25 Dragon Ball Villains Ranked From Weakest To Most Powerful.

25 A Minor Nuisance More Than Anything

via neogaf.com

Pilaf’s power level was never scanned, but you don’t need to scan him to see that Pilaf is a weak buffoon. The very first major antagonist in the Dragon Ball canon, Pilaf’s main motivation is to collect the Dragon Balls and wish to become ruler of Earth. Of course, Goku and friends have stopped him multiple of times. Even when he gets all seven Dragon Balls, his wishes don’t end up being what he wanted. Instead of wishing to be ruler of Earth, he wanted he and his lackey’s youth back. Rather than turning them into their prime, the Eternal Dragon instead turns them into infants.

Pilaf and his goons are more of a nuisance than a real threat.

They have caused real trouble before, like the time they released King Piccolo from his rice cooker. They also used robot suits and gave kid Goku a run for his money briefly. However, they themselves aren’t powerful beings. Heck, they are weaker now than they were back then, since they’re kids and all. Pilaf set the stage for future Dragon Ball villains, but he certainly didn’t set the standards of future bad guys. He’s mostly just comedic relief, and we all love him for it.

24 Even The Name Isn't Intimidating

via dragonball.wikia.com

It may be hard to grasp it now, but the Dragon Ball manga first started as a purely gag-based manga. It was originally a loose parody of the classic Journey to the West novel. The characters were generally silly, the plotting was absurd, and a bunch of juvenile humor was spread out. It is a stark contrast to the very serious Dragon Ball Z sagas like the Namekian and Androids Sagas.

Monster Carrot from chapter seventeen in the original manga is a prime example of the franchise's ridiculous story beats. Monster Carrot is a one-off villain; he is an anthropomorphic rabbit with the powers to turn anyone he touches into carrots. He was able to turn Bulma into a carrot. Goku and Yamcha are able to save Bulma and defeat Monster Carrot. How Goku ultimately beats Monster Carrot may be as ludicrous as his powers though. Goku was able to use his power pole to extend all the way to the moon and strands Monster Carrot on it. He presumably perishes when Master Roshi blew up the moon during the World Martial Arts Tournament. While turning anyone he touches into carrots seems like an extremely good advantage to have in battle, Monster Carrot surrenders too easily to Goku and Yamcha for him to be taken as a serious threat.

23 A Walking Stereotype

via: Dragon Ball Wiki

Even though I’m big Dragon Ball fanboy, I really do think that the original Dragon Ball manga holds up very well. I think the humor works, the artwork is great, and the story is super creative. There’s a reason why the franchise has endured for all these decades. With that said, General Blue is one of those aspects that does not hold particularly well. Both a product of his time and the ignorance of gay people, General Blue was the stereotypical gay villain.

He was super flamboyant, and it was implied he may be attracted to younger boys.

General Blue worked for the Red Ribbon Army. He was in charge of helping to find the Dragon Balls and assisting in the Army’s goal of world domination. He has psychic powers and was able to make Goku freeze with his abilities. At that point in the series, he was one of the first enemies that seemed as if he could beat Goku. His psychic powers made it difficult for Goku to gain the upper hand, and he was only able to defeat him with the help of his friends (and later Arale). Of course, it is later established that much stronger people are immune to his psychic powers, which would make General Blue a non-threat in the present Dragon Ball timeline.

22 The First Real Villain

via 1oshuart.deviantart.com

If General Blue was one of the first foes of Goku that seemed capable of beating him then Mercenary Tao was the first enemy that seemed completely capable of ending Goku. A life-taker for hire, he was employed by the Red Ribbon Army to find and eliminate Goku. He even exterminates General Blue with just his tongue. Blue was, at that point, giving Goku a lot of issues. Tao’s defeat of Blue establishes him as a next level menace. He nearly succeeds in his job of eliminating Goku in their first fight, forcing Goku to climb Korin Tower to get the sacred water.

Fortunately, Goku was able to utterly overwhelm the life-taker after returning from the top of Korin Tower. He then kicks a grenade at Tao, seemingly destroying him. He eventually returns as a cyborg. Sadly, his transformation as a cyborg didn’t make him a bigger threat, despite all his boasting. He was effortlessly defeated by Tien in the World Martial Arts Tournament, and has only appeared as comedic relief in filler. Mercenary Tao was introduced as the franchise’s first truly intimidating villain. Sadly, he ended up being nothing but a foot note for bigger and badder foes.

21 Long Live The King

via tetsuok9999.deviantart.com

Tao was a threating enough antagonist in the early Dragon Ball days. However, he pales in comparison to the evil of King Piccolo. The original King Piccolo is similar to future foes like Frieza and Cell, rather than the silly exploits of Pilaf and the Red Ribbon Army. Initially introduced as a demon, Piccolo sought out world conquest and the elimination of all the world’s strongest warriors. In a surprise twist, he mostly succeeds. He sent out his hatchlings to eradicate participants of the World Martial Arts Tournament, which led to the passing of Krillin.

He then personally exterminates Master Roshi and Chiaotzu.

Not only that, he was able to wish back his youth with the Dragon Balls. He then destroys the Eternal Dragon, and takes the throne from King Furry to become ruler of the world. He is able to easily defeat Goku in their first encounter. Piccolo was not only probably the first competent villain in the franchise; he was also probably the first truly frightening one. Goku was only able to barely defeat Piccolo in their rematch. King Piccolo has since been overshadowed by future antagonists, including his own reincarnated offspring. With that said, he left a mark on the series, and future antagonists would take inspiration from Piccolo.

20 Failing The Mission

via youtube.com

It’s interesting that King Piccolo is often thought of as one of the franchise’s best villains, whereas Raditz is often ridiculed as being one of the weakest foes in Dragon Ball Z. That’s because Raditz probably is the weakest villain in Z. He was the first enemy encounter and defeated in the Dragon Ball Z series. He was quickly ignored afterwards, and every proceeding villain was established as being much stronger. With that said, Raditz was actually a pretty big threat when he was first introduced.

His strength was so high that he essentially forced Piccolo and Goku, Earth’s strongest warriors at that point, to team up to stop him. Despite them outnumbering him two to one, Raditz was able to easily best them at every corner. Goku had to sacrifice himself to finally stop him, and Piccolo even lost an arm (don’t worry, he grew it back). When it was revealed that Nappa and Vegeta were even stronger, it isn’t meant to undermine Raditz’s strength. It’s meant to heighten how big of a threat those other two Saiyans are. King Piccolo may be a more celebrated villain in the series, that’s only because he accomplish so much of his goals. Raditz may have failed at his goals but he was actually technically stronger than the original Piccolo.

19 A Satisfying End

There possibly has never been a more brutal fight in the series than when the Z Warriors fight with Nappa. Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, Tien, and Chiaotzu were utterly decimated by Nappa in the Saiyan Saga. The gap of power between Earth’s warriors and the Saiyan Elite couldn’t be more apparent as soon as Nappa hit Tien’s arm. From there, the Z fighters were completely powerless to stop Nappa. Chiaotzu blew up to stop him, and it didn’t even scratch him. Tien used up all his strength to shoot a powerful energy blast, which was also useless against him. By the time Goku showed up, over half of the Z Warriors had perished.

Goku’s dispatch of Nappa is one of the more satisfying in the franchise.

While it isn’t the same as when Goku ultimately beats Frieza at the end of the Namekian Saga, there is just something gratifying seeing someone who has been eliminating all of our favorite characters get paralyzed so easily by the lead character. Nappa, in the grand scheme of things, is probably one of weakest major villains in Dragon Ball Z. However, the impact he left can never be understated. He was the most brutal foe the heroes have faced at that point, and really did seem as if no one could stop him.

18 Don't Judge A Book By Its Color

via youtube channel "mrm678dude"

We didn’t get to see Dodoria fight much, yet when we did, his cruelty was almost unmatched. Dodoria is a high ranking general in Frieza’s army. Frieza has amassed thousands in his army, so it is safe to assume Dodoria must have been pretty strong to be one of Frieza’s top generals. In fact, it is safe to assume he was only behind Zarbon and the Ginyu Force in terms of strength in Frieza’s army. He may have been easily disposed of by Vegeta early in the Namekian Saga but his acts of villainy are pretty severe.

Before coming across Vegeta, Dodoria showed off his strength when he viciously slaughters a group of Namekian warriors. He proceeds to then snap the neck of Moori, and eliminate a young Namekian. In Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, Dodoria and his men ended Bardock’s allies. He then nearly ends Bardock with an energy blast from his mouth. Vegeta may have easily gotten rid of him but Dodoria is far from being the weakest Dragon Ball villain out there. He may also be one of the most sadistic, with his ruthless ending of the Namekians ranking among the vilest things shown on the series.

17 The Right Hand Man

via slotherius.deviantart.com

While we didn’t get to know Dodoria for too long before being ended by Vegeta, we actually spent a great deal of time with Zarbon. Frieza’s right hand man, Zarbon is one of the most powerful generals in Frieza’s army. He is always by Frieza’s side; not out of loyalty, mind you, he stays with the emperor out of fear. He pretty much serves as the main antagonist of the first third of the Namekian Saga, being the first person to beat Vegeta on Namek.

Zarbon didn’t show off his immense power too much, with his only time to shine is his first fight with Vegeta.

A handsome looking alien, Zarbon is obsessed with looking beautiful. He is so obsessed with being beautiful that he refuses to transform into his more powerful, yet hideous form. He only does it when it is absolutely necessary. After Vegeta beat Dodoria, the Saiyan Prince assaulted Zarbon. Zarbon was able to annihilate Vegeta by transforming into his monster form, though the Saiyan still lived. Vegeta was able to fully heal, and in their rematch, Zarbon was destroyed. While he met the same fate Dodoria in the end, he was the first enemy in the Namekian Saga to prove to be a real threat to the heroes and allies.

16 A Force To Be Reckoned With

via comicvine

Zarbon and Dodoria may have been high ranking generals in Frieza’s army, but the Ginyu Force were Frieza’s most powerful soldiers. Led by the over-the-top Captain Ginyu, the Ginyu Force are a more sadistic version of the Power Rangers. Each member are super flamboyant, and each one of them have their own gimmicky power. The five members go to different planets to end the entire population. They have literally conquered dozens of worlds, and were thought of as being the strongest beings in the universe, only behind Lord Frieza himself.

That is, until they met Goku, who made quick work with almost all members of the Ginyu Force. Goku was so overpowered at that point in the series, that it was almost comical in how easy he defeated the Ginyu force. He took out Recoome with one punch. He toyed with Burter and Jeice before knocking the former unconscious. Captain Ginyu wasn’t even a match to Goku’s might, forcing the proud leader of the Ginyu Force to switch bodies with the Saiyan. Other than Recoome, none of the Ginyu Force members got to show off their strength. Recoome may have utterly dominated against Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan (even snapping Gohan’s neck) but they were all weak against the might of Goku.

15 An Android Threat

via dragonball.wikia.com

After defeating Frieza and proving he was the strongest in the universe, it didn’t seem as if there was anyone else left to oppose Goku. The series was too popular to end right there though, so Akira Toriyama needed to come up with new villains for Goku to face. Since a stronger being in the universe couldn’t possibly exist at that point, Toriyama decided to borrow elements from The Terminator and created the Androids. The Androids were invented by Dr. Gero, a former scientist that worked for the Red Ribbon Army.

After Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army, Dr. Gero had been planning his revenge. By sending out flying cameras to follow Goku, he observed all his major battles post-Red Ribbon. He then created data to counteract against his techniques and moves, and gave them to his Androids. After Androids 17 and 18 proved to be uncontrollable, he instead put them to sleep. He then created another Android, and even made himself into one. Android 19 was able to get the upper hand over a sick Goku, but was ended by Super Saiyan Vegeta. It is never stated how powerful Android 19 was, and he didn’t really do much other than almost beat Goku, who had a heart virus at the time. Still, he withstood a lot of Super Saiyan level attacks, so I’m going to assume he’s stronger than all of Frieza’s army.

14 Getting More Powerful

via: Ultra Dragon Ball Wiki

Dr. Gero is more intelligent than he is powerful, even after he turns himself into an Android. He claims he’s stronger than Android 19, who was keeping up with Super Saiyans. We never got to see that, as he spent most of his time running away. He knew he was outmatched by Vegeta, so he decided to run and hide. He then tries to absorb Piccolo’s energy. He was instead easily beaten in a fight with Piccolo.

When it comes to showcasing his strength, Dr. Gero falls behind.

He only really got to beat up Krillin, which isn’t that big of an accomplishment. With that said, what makes Dr. Gero scary is his intellect and his legacy. Dr. Gero was easily one of the smartest beings in the world of Dragon Ball. He may have spent most of his fights hiding and running, he wasn’t really a coward. He’s calculating, he knows when he’s outmatched, and just needed to hide until he figures out a way to win. He is also patient, waiting years to get his revenge on Goku. Most importantly, Gero created new characters that would be important to the greater Dragon Ball mythos. These include Androids 16, 17, 18, and Cell.

13 She's Not One To Be Messed With

via: pinterest.com

It is at this point of the list that I become hazier in the details of which villains are stronger than whom. Not only are power levels completely abandoned, some of the villains in the franchise actually stick around and become stronger. Whereas before every succeeding villain was stronger than the previous one, now the villains powers fluctuate depending on the situation and story. Android 18 is undeniably really powerful, and is probably stronger than most of the proceeding villains in the franchise.

Her single handed defeat of Vegeta in the Androids Saga is one of the most one-sided fights in the franchise.

Sadly, we never got to see her have a real fight in Dragon Ball Z. Fortunately, in Dragon Ball Super, Android 18 had several fights in the Universal Survival Arc. It is stated in the Universal Survival Arc that Android 17 may be stronger than Majin Buu, however, there isn’t any comparison of 18’s strengths. The closest we get is that it is suggested that she is one of the weaker members in Team Universe 7, not including the pure humans who have been eliminated at that point. Still, it is a fair assumption to believe that Android 18 got somewhat stronger between Z and Super, since she was in the final thirteen participants in the tournament of power.

12 The Offspring

via.ScreenRant.com

The Piccolo that we all know and love didn’t have a long career as a villain, but his status a series icon can never be disputed. King Piccolo’s reincarnation and last offspring, Piccolo Junior is first established as being stronger than the original Piccolo. His initial goal was to eliminate Son Goku and take over the world. He eventually becomes one of the Earth’s protectors after bonding with Gohan, Goku’s son. He would remain one of the more powerful members among the Z Warriors, even becoming stronger than both Goku and Vegeta during the Android Saga.

Unfortunately, he didn’t stay the most powerful for long. The Saiyans quickly rose above him, and Piccolo sadly never caught back up. He still trains vigorously after the Android Saga, but he never really had any more amazing fights after that saga. It’s hard to determine Piccolo’s overall strength when compared to all the other villains. He is clearly more powerful than the early Androids and every villain preceding them. However, is he as powerful as Cell by the time Dragon Ball Super happens? I don’t think so, since he is seem struggling with relatively weak foes like Frost, in the series.

11 A King Under Control

via YouTube ( Laughingstock Media)

Dabura is the demon king, and was under the control of the evil Bobbidi. It is claimed that he is the strongest from the demon realm, and Bobbidi was able to easily take control of him because he had evil in his heart. He didn’t fight much in the series, though he was able to showcase a variety of interesting powers. For example, his spit turned people into stone. His only real fight was with Gohan, who wasn’t at his peak. Gohan was still able to hold his own against the demon king, however, it is kind of implied that Dabura may have not been using his full strength. Dabura was then easily beaten by Majin Buu, who proceeded to turn him into a cookie and eat him.

Since he only fought against Gohan, it is hard to gauge Dabura’s full power. Goku summarizes that Dabura’s strength is equal to Perfect Cell. He later claims that Dabura may actually be stronger than that, since he has unique abilities that put him ahead. It is hard to one-hundred percent confirm that Dabura is more powerful than Cell, since even a weakened Gohan was able to keep up with him. With that said, Cell says he had gotten stronger in the underworld in Dragon Ball FighterZ, so I’m going to put Cell ahead on this list.

10 His Powers Are Special

Cell Kamehameha
via 1337.games

I’ve mentioned this before, but Cell is my personal favorite villain in the Dragon Ball franchise. A bio-engineered Android created by Dr. Gero, Cell came from an alternate future to absorb Androids 17 and 18 in order to become perfect. His early appearances didn’t make him seem too powerful, as even Piccolo was stronger than him. However, Cell is capable of draining people dry for more energy, giving him more strength. He’s able to drain enough people that, when he meets up with Piccolo again, he handily defeats him.

After absorbing Androids 17 and 18, he becomes so powerful that even the Namekians from New Namek were able to sense him.

Once he is in his Perfect form, he hosts a tournament to test his strength against the world’s strongest. He finally meets his end when Gohan, who achieved Super Saiyan 2, was able to blast him to dust with a Father-Son Kamehameha. Where he ranks in this list is kind of dubious. He is very evidently stronger than most villains in Dragon Ball Z, yet it is his strength compared to Dabura that is the most debated. The show stated Dabura is as powerful as Cell, if not more so. But in the video game Dragon Ball FighterZ, Cell states he has trained in the afterlife and has gotten stronger. I know the video games are generally not canon with the main series, however that is enough validation for me to outrank Cell over Dabura.

9 From A Blob To A Contender

via vignette.wikia.nocookie.net

The most powerful villain in Dragon Ball Z, Majin Buu was a malicious entity that put the entire universe at risk. Created by the evil wizard Bibbidi, Buu was born as a child-shaped pink blob. He was a being of little words – he would just destroy and leave to go find his next target. After absorbing the Supreme Kais on the Planet of Kais, he actually got weaker and became a fat man-child with a strong sweet tooth.

Even as chubby Buu, he was still the most powerful being in the universe.

When Buu befriended Mr. Satan during the Majin Buu saga, he decided to expel all the evil within himself. That is what led to the creation of Super Buu, who was more powerful than the chubby, good Buu. Super Buu turned the good Buu into candy and ate him. Vegeta was able to tear out the good Buu from within Super Buu, regressing Super Buu back to his pure form. Because of his child-like appearance, pure Buu is often labeled as Kid Buu. Goku was able to finally destroy Kid Buu with a Super Spirit Bomb. The chubby Majin Buu still exists as a separate entity, while Kid Buu was reborn as a kind-hearted human named Uub.

8 Became Stronger Over Time

via: Comic Book

Android 17 originally didn’t do much in Dragon Ball Z. All he really did was travel with 16 and 18, and have an awesome fight with Piccolo. After that, he essentially disappeared. He and 18 were equal in strength during the Androids Saga, though it appears as if things have changed by the time 17 returned in Dragon Ball Super. When Goku was picking the ten man team for Team Universe 7 for the Tournament of Power, he meets 17 for the first time. They spar for a bit, and it is at that point that Goku made a startling revelation. 17 has been training since the end of the Androids Saga and has probably surpassed Majin Buu in terms of strength.

From there he would become a valuable asset in Team Universe 7, eliminating many powerful warriors. He even fought against some of the most powerful fighters in all of the multiverses, including Jiren. His role in the tournament had made 17 a fan favorite again. By the end of the tournament, 17 was the last warrior standing and won for Universe 7. He then makes the noble to decision to wish all the universes that were erased in the tournament back into existence with the Super Dragon Balls. He was then rewarded with a cruise ship by Bulma.

7 From An Alternate Timeline

dontfeedthegamers.com

The first two dozen episodes of Dragon Ball Super were pretty rough. While the Tournament arc with Universes 7 and 6 was a step in the right direction for the series, it wasn’t until Goku Black was introduced that the series found its groove. Goku Black had the appearance of Goku but was evil. The speculation of who he was added a much-needed level of intrigue for the show.

He also looked really cool, especially when he turns Super Saiyan Rosé.

It turns out that Goku Black is actually an alternate timeline Zamasu, a Kai from Universe 10. Zamasu was disgusted with mortals, so he decided to hatch a plan to eradicate all mortals. He uses the Super Dragon Balls to gain the most powerful body in the multiverse, which ended up being Goku. He then teams up with another Zamasu from a different timeline, and the two of them then headed out to Trunks’ timeline to execute their plan. As a villain, Goku Black was almost unstoppable. He was able to hold his own against the combined might of Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks. He was able to accomplish a lot of his goal before he was ultimately erased from existence by future Zeno.

6 The Big Bad

via villains.wikia.com

Because of the serialized nature of the series, there isn’t really a one big bad that encompasses the entire franchise. Each major arc generally has their own major villain. There are some recurring villains, like Pilaf. With that said, Frieza is probably the closest character to be considered to be the main villain of the franchise. The self-proclaimed ruler of the universe, Frieza was thought of as being the strongest being in the galaxy. He annihilated entire populations, destroyed planets, and he did it all in the comfort of his hover chair.

He was the one that destroyed Planet Vegeta, setting the events of the entire series. He had literally thousands of soldiers under his command, and he had no equal in the entire galaxy. That is until he met his match against Goku, who transformed into a Super Saiyan for the first time to beat him. He would then later be exterminated by Trunks on Earth and banished to Earth’s underworld. He was soon resurrected, able to achieve a new golden form, and was promptly terminated again. He is resurrected once more after helping Goku and the others win the Tournament of Power at the end of Dragon Ball Super. His upgraded Golden Frieza form puts him in the same league as Super Saiyan Blue and was a vital help towards Goku in his final push against the unstoppable Jiren. Frieza is alive now and seems to be getting stronger.