The most popular and well-known part of the Dragon Ball series is Dragon Ball Z. It’s the second main installment and will likely always be considered the most important. Dragon Ball Z introduced a constantly evolving system of power levels, which became a key feature of the series.
The story consistently raised the stakes with increasingly powerful characters appearing in each new story arc. This meant that characters who once seemed incredibly strong quickly began to look less impressive. This even happened to the main characters and those previously considered god-like, as later additions to the story often surpassed them in power. Here are seven examples from Dragon Ball Z where even the most powerful characters were overshadowed.
7) Goku’s Base Form
At the conclusion of the original Dragon Ball series, Goku’s victory over Piccolo established him as the most powerful fighter. But the beginning of Dragon Ball Z quickly proved he still had a long way to go. His brother Raditz showed him the true power of a Saiyan, making Goku seem surprisingly weak. In their first battle, Goku was even forced to sacrifice himself to defeat Raditz.
Throughout this part of the story, it became clear that Goku’s son, Gohan, actually had even more potential than he did. Luckily, this realization pushed Goku to keep training and become even stronger. Still, even after getting more powerful, Goku sometimes struggled and didn’t always seem invincible.
6) Krillin
Krillin first appeared as Goku’s rival in the original Dragon Ball, leading fans to expect a significant role for him in the sequel. However, Dragon Ball Z consistently portrays Krillin as a supporting character, primarily used to highlight the seriousness of threats. This became clear in the Saiyan Saga when Nappa and Vegeta arrived, establishing Krillin as a powerful human, but one who was still far weaker than the Saiyans.
This storyline established that humans simply couldn’t reach the power levels of Saiyans and other incredibly strong fighters. It was a shame, especially considering Krillin had shown real potential as a rival to Goku early on, learning similar skills and even injuring Frieza. However, the way power worked in this series wasn’t kind to Krillin; in most other anime, he’d be considered unbelievably powerful.
5) Frieza Was No Match For Future Trunks
Frieza knew a powerful warrior called a Super Saiyan was destined to defeat him, so he took extreme steps to prevent it – including destroying the Saiyan home planet, Vegeta. Although he feared this Super Saiyan, Frieza was a formidable opponent and managed to fight effectively for a long time before ultimately being defeated by Goku and Vegeta’s combined strength.
Frieza was once seen as an incredibly powerful villain, capable of destroying planets. But when he returned to Earth seeking revenge, Future Trunks defeated him with a single, decisive blow, completely obliterating him. As the Dragon Ball series progressed, however, the increasing power levels of other characters made even Frieza seem relatively weak.
4) Gohan
I remember when everyone thought Gohan was the strongest of them all. It really became clear at the end of the fight with Cell – he was the first Saiyan to reach Super Saiyan 2! With Goku gone, it seemed like Gohan was now Earth’s main protector, and everyone expected him to stay that way.
In the following story arc, Gohan, still protecting Earth, seemed noticeably weaker than Vegeta, who had been consistently training and become more powerful. Goku also surpassed Gohan through his own training. It’s possible that the creator, Akira Toriyama, initially planned for Gohan to be the strongest character, but he reduced Gohan’s strength to allow the return of the original main characters and continue the series.
3) Shin
Shin was the first character in the Dragon Ball series presented as a god. As the Supreme Kai, he’s responsible for watching over the entire universe. Because of this, fans initially thought he’d be the strongest character in the series. He demonstrated god-like abilities like healing, creating objects, and possessing great physical strength, solidifying his role as a divine being.
The Saiyans quickly became much stronger fighters than Shin, even though they didn’t have any magic. It feels like the author didn’t quite know what to do with Shin’s character. He had the potential to be a powerful god, but instead, he ended up as a relatively unimportant character who mostly just watches the action.
2) Vegeta
Vegeta is undoubtedly a powerful character in the Dragon Ball series, and certainly not weak. However, the show consistently positions him as second to Goku, which has led many fans to see him as the weaker of the two. This pattern continues even in the newest series, Daima.
Vegeta mastered Super Saiyan 3 without needing any special training, unlike Goku and Gotenks. However, Goku quickly unveiled an even more powerful transformation, once again making Vegeta seem less strong despite his incredible skill and natural talent as a fighter. The Dragon Ball series should really address this imbalance, maybe in a separate story where Vegeta finally becomes stronger than Goku, if only for a change.
1) Goku’s Super Saiyan 3
I remember when Goku first went Super Saiyan 3 in Dragon Ball Z – it was a huge deal! But honestly, the way it happened made it seem a little underwhelming. Up until then, whenever a character unlocked a new form, it felt like a real game-changer, like the heroes were finally going to take control of the fight. This one just didn’t quite have that same impact, at least not initially.
Despite being incredibly powerful, Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 form mostly just helped him stall for time. While strong, he couldn’t beat Majin Buu because the transformation quickly used up all his energy. Against an enemy like Majin Buu, who could endlessly regenerate and didn’t tire, Goku’s strongest form in Dragon Ball Z ultimately wasn’t enough.
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2025-11-03 17:11