As Dragon Ball progressed, Goku's opponents not only got stronger, but more and more foreign. After he'd beaten the likes of the Red Ribbon Army, it took beings from other planets like the Namekian King Piccolo and other Saiyan warriors to provide him with a worthwhile challenge. To help you keep track of some of the races that have been introduced so far in the Dragon Ball franchise, we've compiled a list of ten of the strongest we've seen up to this point. Since it can be difficult to discern how strong a race is unless we've seen more than one of its members in action, we'll only be considering races where we've seen at least two of its members engaging in battle. That means that whatever race Jiren belongs to won't be appearing on this list at all, since for all we know, the rest of his people are as strong as Krillin.
10 Humans
While humans are the weakest race on this list, they haven't always been completely useless. Despite lacking the strength of other races, they figured out how to fly and develop destructive energy techniques like the Kamehameha, Tri-Beam, and Evil Containment Wave. We know that this crafty race can at least hold off a few Frieza Force grunts, although the planet would be doomed by now if it weren't for Goku and Vegeta. What they lack in strength they make up for in intelligence and personality, and we only hope to see more out of the human race as its warriors continue to train and grow.
9 Namekians
While we do have the Namekians to thank for the Dragon Balls, we've constantly seen how they've remained powerless to stop any invasion on their homeworld without Saiyan intervention. There are quite a few exceptional Namekian warriors like Piccolo, Saonel, and Pirina, who all got their incredible strength due to fusing with other strong Namekians, although this ability has never benefited any other Namekian besides Piccolo. With the ability to regenerate lost limbs, increase in size at will, and stretch their arms beyond inconceivable proportions, a Namekian warrior at his prime will find himself well-endowed for a variety of combat systems, but overall, they should just rely on the Dragon Balls instead of their own power to get the job done.
8 Androids
Androids can be created in a variety of ways: they can be fully artificial (Androids 16 and 19), formerly human (Androids 17 and 18), or they could be bio-androids, a combination of both (Cell). While the strength of androids varies from subject to subject, for the most part, they tend to hover around the power level of a Super Saiyan or a Super Saiyan 2. Originally, Android 17 wasn't strong enough to defeat Piccolo after he fused with Kami, but in Dragon Ball Super, he's shown that he has enough power to compete with a Super Saiyan Blue. Of course, Android 17 is an exception, and for a long time, Cell represented the pinnacle of strength for an Android.
7 Core People (Kais)
Born from special fruit-bearing trees of the World Core, Kais, otherwise known as Core People, were introduced to fans in Dragon Ball Z as the rulers of the universe, with many appointed to oversee entire quadrants of the galaxy. Their affinity for magic is prominent enough that when the Supreme Kai was first introduced, his power paralyzed Piccolo with fear, not to mention the fact that Goku learned many of his most effective techniques, like the Kaio-ken and the Spirit Bomb, from King Kai. Shin, the Supreme Kai of Universe 7, possesses enough strength to crush Frieza in one blow (who at the time was just underneath a Super Saiyan in terms of power), and Zamasu who was able to hold his own against Super Saiyan 2 Goku. While the power of a Kai is easily outclassed by many of the mortals they claim to rule over, their peculiar abilities have enabled them to protect their universes from some truly nasty threats in the absence of outside aid.
6 Majins
After being introduced to the concept of love, Majin Buu created his own wife, Miss Buu. Over time, their procreation led to the establishment of the Majin race, which fans can play as in the Xenoverse franchise and Dragon Ball Online. Due to Majin Buu being the progenitor of their race, all Majins possess an affinity for magic, and can turn opponents into candy for a more delicious absorption. Their regenerative powers make them tough to beat, and with their Purification technique, Majins can release their dormant power, pretty much gaining the insane strength of Kid Buu along with his immoral nature and unpredictable style of fighting, making them destructive forces of nature.
5 Neo Machine Mutant Tuffle
The Tuffles themselves were a weak race that perished during their war with the Saiyans, but their revenge lived on in Neo Mutant Machine Tuffles like Baby in Dragon Ball GT as well as Oren and Kamin from Super Dragon Ball Heroes. What makes their race particularly strong is their ability to possess strong hosts. In taking over Vegeta's body, Baby was even able to compete with Super Saiyan 4 Goku! After fusing into one being, it also took a Final Flash from Vegeta's Super Saiyan Blue Evolved form to deal with Oren and Kamin.
4 Saiyans
The Saiyan race has come a long way since the early days of Dragon Ball Z. After Goku reawakened the Super Saiyan transformation, the race began to evolve at an unprecedented rate, attaining power that rivaled the gods in only a few years. As of now, Goku, Vegeta, Broly, Kale, and Gohan are some of the strongest Saiyans in existence, but the rest aren't pushovers either. As they continue to unlock new heights to their limitless strength, they can only go higher on a list like this.
3 Frieza Race
Originally, Frieza couldn't hold a candle to a standard Super Saiyan, but after training for several months, his Golden Form allowed him to trade blows with someone like Jiren, while also granting him the ability to manipulate Energy of Destruction, which even Goku couldn't do. Frieza may be the strongest of his race, but he's not an oddity in the slightest. Cooler, Frieza's brother, has gone on to unlock his own Golden Form in Super Dragon Ball Heroes, and Frost managed to gain enough power to fight on par with Super Saiyan Vegeta for a bit. If Frieza's people trained as much as Saiyans did, they'd probably become stronger than Angels in a few years, but of course, they'll always find thousands of reasons to avoid getting their own hands dirty.
2 Beerus's Race
Not much is known about Beerus's race. In fact, we don't even have an official name for them! Still, the fact that both Beerus and Champa managed to become Gods of Destruction means that their race has a high potential for power. It hasn't been confirmed if Universe 11's Dyspo belongs to the same race as Beerus and Champa, although it is highly likely due to how similar he looks to them. Despite not possessing the power of a god, Dyspo's affinity for speed and his ability to last in fights against powerful warriors like Goku, Hit, Frieza, and Gohan, would only serve as another indication of this race's strength.
1 Angels
Whether or not Whis is even the strongest Angel in his family, he's proven to be leagues above every other fighter we've seen in action in the series, Jiren included. Angels not only possess an instinctive mastery over Ultra Instinct, but they can turn back time, revive the dead, and take down a God of Destruction with just one hit! Unfortunately, we can't gauge the full extent of their abilities given that we've never actually seen an Angel in battle, we're not even sure our simple minds could handle the full extent of their abilities if we saw them for ourselves. The Grand Priest truly raised a handful of monsters, but at least their beautiful garments and pristine hairstyles hide the fact that just one could defeat every single major Dragon Ball villain at the same time.