Shenron is one of the most iconic characters in all of Dragon Ball. The enormous eternal dragon is at the center of many of the franchise's most beloved storylines, with his wish-granting powers often triggering massive battles or fixing the damage afterward. Seeing this mighty dragon utterly terrified when Lord Beerus appeared in Dragon Ball Super was quite a surprise for many fans. Why exactly is Shenron so scared of the God of Destruction?
How Does Shenron Know Beerus?
Dragon Ball fans often wonder how Shenron knows Beerus since the dragon appeared to be familiar with the ancient god. While Shenron does have a vast knowledge of the universe and its history, he is far from omniscient. However, it could be argued that Beerus' legendary status and crucial role in history would mean that Shenron would have at least heard of him.
It should be noted that Dende sensed the divine ki radiating from Beerus when the god crashed Bulma's birthday party. Shenron might also have a way to detect this, or perhaps the dragon might know of Beerus due to the former's special connection to Dende.
Why Shenron Is Scared of Beerus
Shenron is often nervous around Beerus, trying to be overly respectful. When the eternal dragon is summoned by Goku on the Princess Bulma, he instantly becomes nervous when he sees Beerus there. For the rest of the conversation, Shenron addresses Beerus with honorifics and acts very humble toward him. When the dragon leaves, he makes sure to say an extremely polite farewell to the God of Destruction.
Of course, it isn't hard to see why Shenron would be scared of Beerus. As the God of Destruction of Universe 7, Beerus possesses immense strength. He's able to destroy entire planets on a whim, with some saying he could destroy the universe if he wanted to. In fact, Beerus won a fight against Super Saiyan God Goku. After this clash, Whis pointed out that Beerus was only using around 70% of his power at the time. So it is little wonder that Shenron is scared of him.
Despite being an eternal dragon, Shenron has many significant weaknesses. The Dragon Balls themselves are not invincible and can be destroyed -- especially when they turn to stone during their cool-down period. Also, if the creator of the Dragon Balls dies, the balls themselves are rendered useless. On top of this, Shenron himself can also be killed, as seen when King Piccolo murdered the dragon after it granted him his wish. While Shenron is revived after this, it required Kami, the then-guardian of Earth, to do it.
All of this makes Shenron and his lifestyle extremely vulnerable to someone like Beerus, who is without a doubt stronger than King Piccolo and could effortlessly kill the dragon in a one-on-one fight. Likewise, Beerus' planet-destroying powers would let him destroy the Dragon Balls, Kami, Dende and Shenron without being near them or even breaking a sweat. As a God of Destruction can simply destroy all trace of Shenron -- and all methods of reviving him -- in one go.
Is Shenron Stronger Than Beerus?
While Shenron does possess great strength, his power is directly linked to the person who created him. Because of this, Shenron is not all-powerful. For instance, the dragon cannot kill someone whose power level exceeds that of his creator. And Beerus is clearly much more powerful than Kami or Dende, making him significantly stronger than Shenron.
This is also proved by the fact that King Piccolo killed Shenron in the original Dragon Ball, while the villain is later killed by a much younger and weaker Goku. Beerus, on the other hand, can go toe to toe with Super Saiyan God Goku and come out on top, showing how vast the power difference between them is. So, if Shenron can't handle King Piccolo, he certainly cannot beat a fully-powered god of destruction. The eternal dragon knows he better behave, or he won't be so eternal after all.