Dragon Ball follows the story of Goku, a Saiyan who lives on Earth and protects it from all incoming threats. Like Goku, there have been quite a few Saiyans introduced to the fans in the series. Known to be a race of warriors, most Saiyans are ferocious in combat, thanks to their ability to grow throughout the fight. Consequently, only a handful can stand up to them in battle.
That's not to say that weak Saiyans don't exist in Dragon Ball. As there's a plethora of Saiyans, some are bound to be weaker when compared to others — especially those introduced before the Super Saiyan transformation became commonplace within the franchise.
Updated December 10th, 2022 by Kennedy King: Although the Dragon Ball Super anime remains on hiatus, the franchise's manga and consistent film releases continue to provide new adventures for long-time fans of Goku and the Z Fighters. As a result, there is more Saiyan-centric content available than ever before, providing an even better idea of which Saiyans can hold their own against the universe's toughest fighters.
The Strongest Saiyans
Cabba Easily Reaches Super Saiyan 2
Dragon Ball Super really expands the scope of Goku's story by bringing many alternate realities into play. An extremely exciting revelation that comes along with this news is that Universe 6 contains a number of Saiyans — a few of whom Goku and Vegeta are able to take under their wings.
Cabba idolizes Vegeta, and although his female Saiyan friends are stronger and hit greater heights, Cabba still achieves Super Saiyan 2 with minimal effort. If Vegeta continues to train him, he’ll only tap into more severe reservoirs of power.
Broly Took On Two Super Saiyan Gods
Broly is the son of Paragus, but he is better known as the famed Legendary Super Saiyan. Currently, he is the strongest of the Saiyans in Universe 7, having toppled the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza in a fight during Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
In order to beat Broly, Goku and Vegeta used the Metamoran art of Fusion. Surprisingly, Broly put up a decent fight against them despite their massive power boost. Undoubtedly, he is an unstoppable force who can beat anyone he comes across.
Goku Has Defended Earth From Countless Galactic Threats
The main protagonist of the Dragon Ball series, Goku is a Saiyan from Universe 7 who easily slots among the strongest characters in the story. In fact, some would argue that the kind-hearted Saiyan warrior is one of the strongest characters in the history of anime.
In his lifetime, Goku has fought against many powerful opponents and bested most of them through hardwork and sheer willpower. He even manages to compete with God-level threats and opponents, such as his clashes with Beerus — a literal God of Destruction — and Jiren.
Vegeta's Ambition & Determination Make Him An Unstoppable Force
Vegeta is the Prince of all Saiyans, and like Goku, he is among the strongest characters in the history of anime. Over the years, his progress has been incredible, and despite his overwhelming power, he keeps growing stronger with each passing day.
Thanks to his training with Whis, Vegeta reached new heights which made him capable of fighting against Toppo, a God of Destruction in the making. In the Moro arc, Vegeta has grown closer to Goku in terms of power, utilizing his Saiyan ego to reach new heights.
Goku Black Shows Off Goku's Frightening Side
Dragon Ball Super has done an excellent job of genuinely pushing the series' heroes, both physically and psychologically. Goku Black is arguably the best example of this, and it paints a scary picture of what would happen if Goku strayed to the dark side.
Goku Black is technically Zamasu, a kai who has taken over his body; however, it doesn’t change the fact that this villain becomes a distinct character. Goku Black even has Super Saiyan Rosé, his own unique brand of transformation, plus a menacing energy scythe and immortality that pushes the Z Fighters to their absolute limit.
Future Trunks Fights To Protect Two Timelines
One of the most exciting moments in Dragon Ball Super is when the fan-favorite character, Future Trunks, returns to the prime timeline to help out with a colossal threat. Future Trunks helps hammer in the severity of this situation while also bringing in one more Saiyan to assist the Z Fighters.
Trunks gets to be the big hero at the end of the Goku Black arc, which is only fitting for the displaced hero. The Super Saiyan Rage transformation that he unlocks and the energy that he channels into his sword set a new precedent in strength for the Saiyan.
Gohan Has As Much Potential As Any Character In The Series
Gohan is the first son of Goku and Chi-Chi, making him the first half-Saiyan, half-human hybrid in the franchise. Gohan was known to be a prodigy since he was a kid, and his talent amazes even the strongest of warriors as the series progressed.
Gohan possesses great potential, which he taps into when needed. He is the first Saiyan to reach Super Saiyan 2, and in his Ultimate state, he is a force to be reckoned with. Recently, he even achieved a brand-new form unique to him known as Gohan Beast, setting the bar even higher for his character moving forward.
Kale Seems To Be The Strongest Fighter In Universe 6
Kale is a female Saiyan who hails from Universe 6 — but more importantly, she is also the Legendary Super Saiyan. She was said to be one of the most powerful fighters in Universe 6, and as evidenced during the Tournament of Power arc, her raw potential is virtually unlimited.
In the Tournament of Power, Kale gave fans a glimpse of her true strength, even mesmerizing the likes of Son Goku and his companions. If her universal counterpart, Broly, is any indication, then Kale will continue to prove the innate strength possessed by the Saiyan race.
The Weakest Saiyans
Nappa Couldn't Hold A Candle To Vegeta Or Goku
It can be easy to overlook the fact that when Vegeta finally lands on Earth, he comes with an equally imposing partner — the bald, brutish warrior known as Nappa. Nappa's burly physique makes him an obvious threat, and Vegeta lets him do the dirty work, which includes taking down a lot of the Z Warriors.
Goku's defeat of Nappa is the first thing that the hero does when he arrives to save the day, but it's actually Vegeta who ultimately eliminates him. Unfortunately, he never received a real opportunity to reappear and get stronger.
Tarble Doesn't Possess The Strength Of A Saiyan Royal
Tarble is the youngest son of King Vegeta, whose first appearance comes during a Dragon Ball Z OVA. Surprisingly, despite his illustrious bloodline, he isn't as physically gifted as most of the other Saiyans seen throughout the series.
To be fair, Tarble is an above-average fighter who was able to fight against Frieza in his first form — a feat few in the series have managed. Nonetheless, he is still easily among the weakest Saiyans in the series, making Tarble a far cry from his much more powerful sibling.
Raditz Is Currently Weaker Than Every Z Fighter
Raditz was the elder brother of Goku and serves as the main antagonist of the Raditz Saga. He is considered a middle-class Saiyan who has a power level of 1600, which is more than respectable for a character who appeared early in Dragon Ball Z.
At the beginning of the Raditz Saga, he appeared to be much stronger than both Goku and Piccolo. However, they soon surpassed him and his strength appears to be insignificant to even some humans, such as Krillin, at this point in the series.
Turles Is A Lesser Version Of Goku In Every Way
Dragon Ball is such a fun anime series because it brings truly creative enemies from different planets and universes into the mix. Despite the variety present, audiences seem to also love the idea of an evil Doppelganger just as much. Turles first appears in Dragon Ball Z's Tree of Might film, and for some reason, he looks identical to Goku.
Even though Turles has recently returned to the Super Dragon Ball Heroes promotional anime, he hasn't proven to be much more of a challenge. However, the Tree of Might's fruit still provides him a solid boost in power.
Gine Shied Away From A Life Of Combat
Gine is the mother of series protagonist Goku and the wife of Bardock. Although a Saiyan, Gine wasn't gifted in terms of combat like others, spending most of her time living a normal life and working as a meat distributor on Planet Vegeta.
Even though Gine hated fighting, she still possessed the power of a lower-class fighter. As a Saiyan, she undoubtedly possessed some level of combat prowess. Unfortunately, it still pales in comparison to most of her contemporaries.
Fasha Fought Alongside Bardock As A Lower-Class Saiyan
Fasha was one of the members of Bardock's crew. Although little is known about her, she appeared to be a ruthless fighter who was used to winning most of her fights. As with most Saiyans, she perished at the hands of Frieza shortly before the events of the series.
As a Saiyan, she could turn into a Great Ape, greatly enhancing her powers in the process. Despite her clear abilities and destructive nature, she was still a low-class warrior. Compared to the other Saiyans featured in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, she was quite weak.
King Vegeta Groveled In Front Of Multiple Enemies
King Vegeta was the ruler of the Saiyans inhabiting Planet Vegeta in Universe 7 prior to Goku's arrival on Earth. Known to be fierce, he ruled with an iron fist over his fellow Saiyans. However, as evidenced by his encounters with both Beerus and Frieza, King Vegeta's power falls well short of Dragon Ball's strongest fighters.
Even though King Vegeta was considered a powerful Saiyan by his people, his level of power soon became insignificant the more fans watched Goku and Vegeta. While he would almost certainly be proud of his son's progress, King Vegeta couldn't even defeat the members of the Ginyu Force — let alone any of Dragon Ball Z's main enemies.