The 25 Most Powerful Dragon Ball Villains, Ranked (2024)

Dragon Ball has introduced some of the most remarkable heroes of any anime, but the strongest Dragon Ball villains can face them head-on. The action-packed anime gets increasingly more intense as each arc progresses: that's because the villains only become deadlier. Dragon Ball introduced the idea of “powering up” and getting stronger through rage, training, and evolving martial arts techniques. Without Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, there wouldn’t be shows like Naruto, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, and a hundred more. With the expected return of Dragon Ball Super, it looks like the franchise will never end.

Goku and the rest of the Z Fighters are not the only ones who enhance the series. With an incredible rogues gallery made up of bizarre aliens and interdimensional monsters, there’s never a shortage of someone to fight. Over the years, Goku’s fights have gotten more extreme. Goku's biggest concern used to be facing someone powerful enough to destroy a city. Now he deals with enemies strong enough to destroy the universe. Who are the strongest Dragon Ball villains Goku and friends have faced thus far?

Updated by Arthur Goyaz on May 17, 2024: Over the course of hundreds of episodes, Dragon Ball has introduced some of the most iconic anime villains of all time. This list has been updated to add more of Goku's powerful enemies and to meet CBR's current formatting standards.

25 Emperor Pilaf Came From A More Comedic Era Of Dragon Ball

Emperor Pilaf is by far the weakest mainstream villain from the Dragon Ball franchise. However, Pilaf, Mai, and Shu were never meant to be "strong" in the conventional sense. Emperor Pilaf sought the Dragon Balls with plans of world domination. When the character was introduced, Dragon Ball was not a series about godlike aliens trying to destroy the universe.

Dragon Ball was an adventure series written like a comedy. As Goku and his allies grew more powerful, the series outgrew Pilaf and his more humorous antics. The villain and his partners do frequently return in Dragon Ball Super, mostly played for laughs. With him wielding no special powers, it makes sense for him to be considered the weakest villain in Dragon Ball history.

24 Master Shen is the Evil Mind Behind the Crane School

Although Dragon Ball Z's electrifying rhythm offers some of Dragon Ball's best fighting scenes, not every good villain needs to show their fists to carry out their wicked plans. Take a look at Master Shen, Master Roshi's archenemy and the founder of the Crane School. His main goal after becoming a master was to create a place where martial arts are taught in order to inflict the worst possible amount of damage on opponents and make them suffer mercilessly.

Although Master Shen is not seen fighting in the anime, he's behind many evil machinations that take place in the Tien Shinhan Saga's World Tournament. Master Shen manipulates Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu to punish Goku and his friends despite the good nature of their hearts, teaching life-threatening techniques such as the Tri-Beam. In addition, Shen attempts to kill Goku in cold blood the night before the tournament. However, Master Shen lands at the bottom of the list because he's never seen springing into action.

23 Tao Pai Pai Brought A Darker Tone to Dragon Ball

Tao Pai Pai, or simply Mercenary Tao, imposed a major tonal shift on the original Dragon Ball anime. Before him, Goku mostly had to face one-episode villains or bad guys who didn't pose a real threat to his friends and him. Then Mercenary Tao appears and the anime delivers the first impactful death in the Dragon Ball series: Bora, a sturdy Village Chief who led a peaceful life with his kid, Upa, is brutally murdered by Tao.

Before Mercenary Tao, villains said a lot and did very little. He, however, did justice to his threatening words by defeating Goku and leaving him to die. His mistake was underestimating Goku's resilience. The young hero trains in the Korin Tower and gets revenge on Tao, but it's not the last fans see of him. The ruthless assassin is rebuilt as a cyborg and fights Goku's allies, defeating Chiaotzu and nearly beating Tien Shinhan in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

22 Nappa Almost Took Down Goku and His Allies All By Himself

Nappa begins the Saiyan showdown against Goku and his allies by showing off the Saiyan's intimidating arsenal: from powerful blasts that cover large areas to the summoning of Saibamen, humanoid creatures built for combat, he shows that he isn't messing around. However, Nappa's specialty is provoking his enemies. His insulting jokes lead to Yamcha carelessly dying at the hands of the Saibamen and Chiaotzu and Tien sacrificing their lives in vain.

The problem with Nappa is that he only thinks with his fists. If his brain was half as powered as his Saiyan abilities, he would've gone far. He used taunting enemies as a weapon, even though Nappa himself was prone to get carried away by insults. Too worried about intimidating Goku and overwhelmed by his ill temper, Nappa ends up killed by Vegeta for insubordination in a ruthless Dragon Ball betrayal.

21 Super Android 13 Gathers the Androids' Most Powerful Attributes in One

Gero's personal vendetta against Goku gives the hero a real hard time throughout Dragon Ball Z, but the mad scientist ends up dying at the hands of his own creation. In the film Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!, Dr. Gero's computer carries on the scientist's wishes to kill Goku even after his death, launching new deadly Androids after him. When Androids 14, and 15 each fail to defeat Goku's allies, Android 13 absorbs 14 and 15's cores into his own program and becomes Super Android 13, a nearly indestructible Android version capable of combining the best attributes of Dr. Gero's creations.

Super Android 13 has pretty much a whole team of Android at its core, turning it into a deadly army-of-one. Goku is forced to transform into a Super Saiyan to match its power; that alone is enough to justify Super Android 13's presence among Dragon Ball's strongest villains. To defeat Super Android 13, Goku comes up with a tit-for-tat strategy, absorbing a spirit bomb and punching through Super Android 13 with it.

20 Before Becoming A Valuable Ally, Vegeta Was A Nightmare

Vegeta is generally regarded as a hero as brave as Goku, but there are many instances in which Vegeta proved to be one of the best Dragon Ball villains. He's introduced in the Saiyans saga, where he and Nappa land on Earth to take down Goku. There's an argument to be made that Goku lost this battle. In fact, Goku might never have beaten Vegeta in hand-to-hand combat. While it's true that Vegeta gets defeated before joining the good side, this only happens because Krillin, Gohan, and Yajirobe join forces to stop him.

To fans who wondered what would happen if Vegeta turned back to his murderous roots, the Majin Boo saga gives them a taste of his destructive potential: consumed by the Majin's mark, Vegeta executes a huge chunk of the World Martial Arts Tournament's audience, showing no regard to innocent lives being lost. Vegeta lands in the number 20 spot because, despite his time as a villain causing a lot of damage to Goku and his allies, Vegeta ultimately becomes a good-hearted hero.

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19 The Red Ribbon Army Relied On Numbers And Technology

In the early days of Dragon Ball, supernatural elements were still few and far in-between. While transformations and ki were still around, they weren't as abundant. This meant that a powerful human army could pose a threat, but not for a superhuman being as skilled as Goku.

The original Red Ribbon Army is composed of mostly human enemies whose abilities pale in comparison to Goku except for General Blue, whose strategic thinking and strong muscles put up a reasonably tough challenge. In addition, the Red Ribbon Army's technology also poses a terrifying threat. Even after their downfall, the evil group has continued to lurk, first through Dr. Gero's continued Android development and, later, when the organization was fully revived by Magenta in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

18 King Piccolo Began The More Serious Era Of Dragon Ball

The original Dragon Ball anime was fairly lighthearted for the first couple of seasons. Goku met his best friends and adventured, collecting the Dragon Balls and introducing fans to his incredible world. The series, which started off so tame and lighthearted, embraced a genuinely dark arc when King Piccolo entered the scene.

King Piccolo succeeds in taking over the world, using an army of minions and monsters, defeating Goku, and killing many martial artists in the world. He's even responsible for taking Krillin's life, forcing Goku to rely on the Dragon Balls to bring him back. Goku must unleash his full power to defeat King Piccolo, but not before the king plays one last card, creating an egg containing his offspring.

17 Piccolo Proved To Be Even More Dangerous Than His Father

A fan-favorite, Piccolo joined the Dragon Ball universe in the last arc of the original Dragon Ball anime. His father, King Piccolo, was one of Goku’s toughest foes, giving the child hero the hardest fight of his young career. After a brutal battle, Goku killed King Piccolo. Before he died, however, the demon lord birthed Piccolo, imbuing him with all his hatred, so he’d one day kill Goku and subjugate humanity.

When Piccolo first met Goku in the World Martial Arts Tournament, he had every intention of doing that. Despite years of training Goku received from Kami, Piccolo proved more than a match for the young warrior. Only through trickery and some luck did Goku prevail. For years, Piccolo continued his training in silence, intending to defeat Goku and take over the world. However, the arrival of the Saiyans forced him to begin working with Goku and his allies, even training Gohan in an attempt to bring out his hidden potential.

16 Raditz Brought an Evil Never Before Seen to Earth

After Goku’s Saiyan brother Raditz arrives, a whole new world opens in Dragon Ball Z: appearing in the first episode of the anime, he introduces the new darker, action-packed appeal of DBZ, dismissing the lighthearted, adventurous charm of classic Dragon Ball. Through Raditz, Goku discovers he's from a race of super-powerful warriors who spend lifetimes conquering worlds and that his initial mission on Earth was to destroy humanity.

Goku finds himself too startled by the shocking revelations to cast off Raditz, only leaving his stupor when his evil brother kidnaps Gohan. Raditz is exactly the opposite of Goku: all the love and compassion in the latter's heart gives space to hatred and indifference in Raditz. He shows no mercy towards humanity and, after years of leading a peaceful life, Goku isn't ready to fight Raditz when he appears. At the end of the day, Goku and his allies are forced to team up with Piccolo to beat Raditz, and Goku ends up dying with him.

15 The Ginyu Force Was Frieza's Most Powerful Special Force

After Goku fought Vegeta, there was a question about who or what could possibly come next. After all, Vegeta boasted about being able to destroy a planet. This kicked the series into overdrive; anyone they now faced would have to be planet-busters and above. In their quest to the planet Namek for their set of Dragon Balls, Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma learn about the evil intergalactic dictator, Frieza. They also discover he hired the Ginyu Force to acquire the mystical orbs. Though Frieza is considered the mightiest in the universe, he delegates matters of killing to those beneath him.

The Z Fighters form a tenuous alliance with Vegeta. Despite being stronger than when he first fought Goku, Vegeta loses to the Ginyus. The Ginyu Force outclasses Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin, leading to some of the most violent fights in Dragon Ball to date. Only a newly empowered Goku could beat them. Despite that, each member of the Ginyu Force was singlehandedly dealt with by Vegeta, causing the group to rank in the lower half of the list.

14 Garlic Jr. Attained Immortality Itself

Garlic Jr. is noteworthy for having an anime saga that serves as a sequel to a movie. Garlic Jr. made his DBZ debut in the very first DBZ movie Dead Zone. In Dead Zone, which is set before the Saiyan Saga, Garlic Jr. desires revenge for Kami sealing his father away. In order to get that revenge, Garlic Jr. collects the Dragon Balls and wishes for immortality.

Garlic Jr. was sealed away at the conclusion of Dead Zone. He, however, returned in an anime filler arc. The Garlic Jr. Saga, which is set between the Frieza and Trunks Sagas involves Garlic. Jr escaping the Dead Zone and plunging the world into a brainwashed apocalypse with the Black Water Mist. Without the help of Goku and Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin successfully send Garlic Jr. back to the Dead Zone where he has yet to return. If he does, he'll find himself far outclassed.

13 Cooler Sought Revenge On The Super Saiyan Who Finished His Brother

There is some debate about whether Frieza’s brother Cooler is canon or not. On the off chance that Cooler is canon, it’s an opportunity to check out another side of Frieza’s dysfunctional family. In their younger days, Frieza and Cooler hated each other, but after hearing Frieza died at the hands of a Saiyan from Earth, Cooler needed to avenge his family.

When he arrived, Cooler’s appearance was nearly identical to his brother’s. In this form, Goku does well, but Cooler reveals that, unlike his brother, he can transform one more time. Goku hero goes Super Saiyan. Overwhelmed, just like his brother before him, Cooler refuses to back down and nearly destroys the Earth with a Death Ball, but gets rebounded back by Goku’s Kamehameha. Of course, Cooler returned later, remade by the power of the Big Getty Star, but even that wasn't enough to stop two Super Saiyans at once.

12 Dr. Gero's Androids Wanted Revenge For Goku's Destruction Of The Red Ribbon Army

The arrival of Trunks set the stage for some of Dragon Ball Z’s most pivotal moments. After traveling through time, Trunks warns Goku and his friends that in three years' time, a pair of androids will kill them. Taking the warning to heart, Goku and the Z Fighters train harder than ever before to prepare for the threat.

The first androids to appear in Dragon Ball Z are Android 19 and Android 20. Even though Goku loses, due to preexisting heart problems, Vegeta and Piccolo beat the mechanical duo. Little do the heroes know that Trunks inadvertently messed up the timeline and Android 19 and 20 are not the real threat. In fact, it’s Androids 17 and 18; once they’re activated, they kill Dr. Gero and defeat the rest of the Z Fighters before later being absorbed by Cell.

11 Broly (Dragon Ball Z) Showed The Dangers Of A Berserker Saiyan

Often referred to as the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly’s power was staggering even when he was only a baby. Vegeta had always heard the myth of the Legendary Super Saiyan and thought it was nothing more than a yarn. Broly's genes turned him into a powerful weapon, capable of outpowering any other Saiyan.

Upon encountering the fearsome villain, Vegeta changes his mind altogether, sinking in fear, realizing that despite him, Goku, Gohan, and Trunks are all capable of turning Super Saiyan, they’re nothing before Broly. Seemingly getting stronger with each passing second, Broly’s limits aren’t entirely known. Only through DBZ shenanigans, the Z Fighters lending their energy, does Goku win.

10 Cell Was Created To Become The Perfect Lifeform

The Androids might have been bad, but they were nothing compared to Cell and his awesome might. Created by Dr. Gero, Cell possessed the DNA of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, and other great warriors. While this made him fearsome, Cell’s absorption of Android 17 and 18 allowed him to reach his Perfect form, transforming him into a being capable of wiping out solar systems.

With Cell, it wasn’t just the planet that was at stake, but the universe. If the Z Fighters lost, Cell would destroy the world and move on throughout the cosmos, destroying world after world. At first, it seemed like no one could stop him, but Cell’s machination eventually brought Gohan’s latent power to the fold, turning Gohan into a Super Saiyan 2. Regardless, Cell nearly achieves victory; his power set the bar for every character to come. That said, despite his energy, Cell couldn't hold a candle to enemies that came later like Majin Buu, or the gods of destruction, but it's the perfect villain to open the top 10 strongest villains in Dragon Ball.

9 Janemba Was The Personification Of Evil

Nearly as powerful as Majin Buu, Janemba was literally the living definition of evil. The central antagonist in the Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn movie, Janemba is a plague not just to Earth, but his existence threatens all reality, including the afterlife.

Janemba had two forms and though Goku could defeat the first form by transforming into Super Saiyan 3, Janemba’s second form still proved too much for both him and Vegeta. With the ability to manipulate reality, essentially using time and space as his weapons, Janemba was incredibly fearsome. His only real weakness was insults thrown at him; they would temporarily catch him off guard. He would have destroyed the universe if not for Goku and Vegeta fusing into Gogeta. The fused Saiyan successfully destroyed the demon by purifying his evil energy with a special attack.

8 Majin Buu Destroyed A Large Part Of The Universe

Created by the evil wizard Bibidi, Majin Buu was a malevolent djinn and the most powerful villain in the entirety of Dragon Ball Z. Upon getting resurrected by Bibidi’s son Babidi, Buu goes on a rampage, tearing through the Earth’s protectors. Buu’s power is so great he kills Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta and destroys Earth, and Goku is forced to go Super Saiyan 3 for the first time.

While viewers had seen other villains with the ability to transform, Buu’s power to transform was especially unique. He would absorb warriors, which boosted his strength and would alter his appearance and mental state. Each Buu was more deadly than the last. Buu became stronger than Super Saiyan 3 Goku, forcing Goku and Vegeta to fuse into Vegito. Despite everything, it took Goku charging the biggest Spirit Bomb he’d ever produced to bring an end to the strongest DBZ villain.

7 Cell Max Improved On The Cell Design But Lost Intelligence

The Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie introduced many new elements to the world of Dragon Ball including new androids, new transformations, and even a new Cell. The Red Ribbon Army resurrects a monstrous version of Cell. Making matters worse, Goku and Vegeta are off-world training with Beerus, Whis, and Broly. This leads Gohan and Piccolo to step up and each achieve new forms.

Cell Max is even stronger than the original Perfect Cell and requires Gohan to tap into yet another hidden form to defeat him. Cell Max also has very few weaknesses with the top of his head being a soft spot that the heroes target.

6 Fused Zamasu Proved The Danger Of Real Immortality In Villains

The power of Fused Zamasu was so great, that not only did his strength menace one reality, but it leaked over to other dimensions and timelines, threatening to wipe them out too. After Zamasu and Goku Black had been fighting Goku and Vegeta, the evil duo realized they shouldn’t underestimate their opponents any longer and fused. Revealing their secret weapon to be a set of Potara earrings, they became the being known as Fused Zamasu.

Taking on the combined assault of two Super Saiyan Blues, Fused Zamasu dominated Goku and Vegeta with minimal effort. It all looked rather hopeless, as nothing, not even Super Saiyan Blue Vegeto or Trunk’s Spirit Bomb Sword could put him down permanently. In fact, destroying his body only released greater power. Only Zen-Oh, who is effectively God, was able to kill him, wiping all traces of the villain from existence. Because of his oppressive power and high durability, Fused Zamasu earns the number five spot in the rankings.