In Dragon Ball, the bigger they are... well, the bigger they are. Turns out that size isn't really correlated to strength or combat skill in Akira Toriyama's energetically crafter world. Some of the strongest beings in the Dragon Ball universe are well below average in height. Even one of the most memorable villains in the franchise, Frieza, is just 5'2"/158 cm. But you do have to admit that his presence on-screen was gigantic.
Suffice to say, height doesn't matter much in Dragon Ball. Still, as with every competition or professional fight, the competitors are always sized up as is tradition. After all, it's their first weapon-- instilling fear into their opponent with their imposing size and physical stature. As such, we're here to evaluate which among the Z-Fighters of Earth get this initial advantage in a battle.
10 CHIAOTZU - 4'6"/138 cm.
Chaiotzu doesn't appear to be much of a physical fighter given his great height disadvantage but he still manages to exceed expectations from time to time as one of the earliest members of the Z-Fighters. His height remained that of a child's but Chiaotzu more than makes up for his short stature with his capabilities.
In fact, Chiaotzu is one of the most hardworking fighters in the loose collective of Z-Fighters, often training with Tien Shinhan for competitions and bouts. Regardless, Chiaotzu's skill with psychic powers is quite formidable and he has even shown in Dragon Ball Super that he can momentarily stop or stall a fully grown Goku.
9 KRILLIN - 5'0"/153 cm.
One of the most celebrated characters in Dragon Ball for dying and coming back to life too many times, Krillin is a memorable figure. He's not as tall or as strong as the other members of the Z-Fighter group but Krillin proves a bit more hard work and dedication can even out the playing field. He has proven time and again that he's very much capable of stopping intergalactic threats even if it meant sacrificing his life.
Apart from being one of the bravest members of the Z-Fighters, Krillin is also capable of doing what some Saiyans can such as levitation and throwing some energy beams. This is more amazing considering the fact that Krillin is one of the purest human beings among all the Z-Fighters. Despite that, he still managed to surpass what made him physically weaker than the other species in his collective.
8 VEGETA - 5'5"/164 cm.
Otherwise known as Vegeta IV, Vegeta is the polar opposite of Goku in the Dragon Ball franchise and is a royal Saiyan who's become a close friend of the Z-Fighters after initially posing as their enemy. With that said, Vegeta isn't really that imposing as a fighter and only stands at the height of 5'5" or 164 cm. He is well-built though and can easily go toe-to-toe with Goku.
He is, however, less powerful than Frieza since the latter easily destroyed his homeworld and enslaved his Saiyan race. Nevertheless, Vegeta has shown that he has always been a good guy and a prominent member of the Z-Fighters despite the rough start. The power he lends to the Z-Fighters roster is certainly significant and his absence would be noticeable.
7 YAJIROBE - 5'5"/165 cm.
Yajirobe is that weird character you've forgotten existed since he didn't talk much or gave much of a memorable presence. Underneath the disheveled appearance is actually an honorable man-- Yajirobe was once a samurai who became a ronin, or masterless and ended up wandering on his own.
Yajirobe is usually a loner and prefers his own company, often acting rudely toward others. When it comes to reliability, however, Yajirobe is faultless; he often delivers the much-needed Senzu Beans to the Dragon Team during dire situations. Sometimes he also trains with them in preparation for contests. Though he's not really an active member of the Z-Fighters, Yajirobe's help has saved their lives many times.
6 TRUNKS - 5'7"/170 cm.
For a fairer comparison, we're putting future Trunks here since the kid version of Trunks is still growing and his future version is pretty much his final height. Anyway, Trunks is a lucky son, being taller than his father and growing up in the company of legendary fighters. His help, especially from the future version, has been invaluable during the Cell Saga.
Hence, he is most certainly an honorary member of the Z-Fighters just as much as kid Trunks is. Still, future Trunks' personality is highly different from kid Trunks and even more likable arguably since he's more cautious, less boastful, and definitely wiser than his alternate timeline version.
5 GOKU - 5'9"/175 cm.
Alright here you go, Goku or Kakarot, the main character of the Dragon Ball franchise, is but an average man when it comes to height. Well, at least, he's of average height if he lives in the U.S.
Without a doubt, Goku is the most valuable member of the Z-Fighters collective. His appearance usually acts like a coup de grace that sends the big bad villains straight to the grave or running back from where they came. Of course, Goku is also one of the earliest members of the Z-Fighters, so deserves that treatment.
4 GOHAN - 5'9"/176 cm.
Gohan is a spitting image of Goku both as an adult and a child. Though the difference is, Gohan is a hair taller than his father, about 1 centimeter. This is irrelevant, however, since Gohan being a member of the Z-Fighters is already a given. As Goku's oldest son, much rests on Gohan shoulders as the spiritual successor of his father.
He became that and would have made Goku proud. In fact, Gohan has proven to be an effective Z-Fighter especially in the absence of his father. Moreover, Gohan would continue to further the Saiyan generation and produce more future members of the Z-Fighters. Despite being similar to Goku in appearance, Gohan is more scholarly and prefers to use his Saiyan powers only when necessary.
3 YAMCHA - 6'0"/183 cm.
Alongside Krillin, Yamcha is also one of the purest human members of the Z-Fighters and he has been a part of the Dragon Ball franchise since the beginning. Sadly, his being a human being proved to be the reason for his early retirement in the franchise as he quickly became outclassed and outgunned by his peers, even Krillin.
Even so, Yamcha has contributed much to Earth and to the Z-Fighters. His retirement from joining Goku and friends in competitions did not stop him from facing threats and invasions that target Earth particularly when Goku and some of the Z-Fighters' mainliners are not available.
2 TIEN SHINHAN - 6'2"/187 cm.
Tien Shinhan didn't get his finest hour and never really got the spotlight he needed up until the Cell saga where he held Cell on his own using his life force for a special attack. This maneuver practically saves the whole Earth. After that, Tien has shown again and again that he's not to be underestimated.
He was even brave enough to face and fight Beerus in Dragon Ball Super. Like Krillin and many of the earliest members of the Z-Fighters, Tien has come a long way personality-wise from the cold and merciless warrior he once was to a noble hero who would lay down his own life more than once to save his friends and the Earth.
1 PICCOLO - 7'5"/226 cm.
Adding to the long list of enemies whom Goku turned into friends is Piccolo, a direct descendant of the ruthless despot King Piccolo who sought to destroy Goku. Piccolo eventually outgrew this violent tendency and saw reason, becoming Goku's ally in the process and aiding the Z-Fighters from time to time in the Saiyan's absence.
All in all, Piccolo has always been one of Goku's most trustworthy and reliable allies and never falters in the show. When not helping Goku, Piccolo sometimes acts as a guardian to Gohan and even trains Goku's son mentally and physically. You just can't go wrong with a Namek friend and uncle.