8 Saiyans With the Most Wasted Potential in Dragon Ball

The world of Dragon Ball is full of incredibly strong characters, some capable of destroying planets. Among these, the Saiyans are some of the most powerful fighters. Super Saiyans, in particular, stand out because of their huge potential for growth and the immense power they can achieve.

The Saiyan race includes many of the strongest characters in Dragon Ball, like Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, and Gohan. But being a Saiyan doesn’t automatically make someone powerful. Several weaker Saiyans in the series haven’t been able to reach their full potential, despite their strong lineage.

Tarble Is a Disgrace to His Prestigious Saiyan Family

Saiyans are incredibly rare in the Dragon Ball universe, so it’s surprising when Tarble shows up – especially since he doesn’t share his family’s natural talent for fighting. He unexpectedly appears in the special episode, Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!. This could have been a chance for Tarble to train with Vegeta and grow stronger, but instead, he remains a minor character and hasn’t played a significant role since his initial introduction.

Tarble was banished from Planet Vegeta because he was seen as a disgrace to his family. Despite this, he’s still a member of the Saiyan royal family and considered an elite warrior. While fighting doesn’t come easily to him, he could definitely improve with just one day of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber alongside his brother. Even Trunks could offer him valuable guidance. At the very least, Tarble should be able to protect his alien wife, Gure, if they’re ever in danger.

Goten’s Early Gains Have Been All But Erased

The Dragon Ball series suggests that Saiyan-human hybrids are potentially more powerful than full-blooded Saiyans. This is seen early on with Gohan becoming stronger than Goku, and there’s an initial expectation that Goten will become even more powerful. While Goten remains the youngest person to ever become a Super Saiyan – achieving it at just seven years old – Goku believes Goten and Trunks are the ones destined to defeat Majin Buu, based on their rapid early development.

Goten is now a teenager, but he hasn’t yet reached the power level of Super Saiyan 2. It seems he’s relying too much on fusing with Trunks to become Gotenks, and hasn’t focused on improving his own strength. While Gotenks can become a Super Saiyan 3, it’s not a reliable way to fight, and their fusion hasn’t been working well lately. Luckily, the artist Toyotarou has expressed interest in a future Dragon Ball story arc focused on Goten, which could finally give him a chance to grow as a fighter.

Turles’ Strength Is Contingent Upon A Predatory Plant

A common theme in Dragon Ball Z is the arrival of Saiyans on Earth, and the movies continue this trend. The Tree of Might introduces Turles, a powerful villain with a team called the Crusher Corps, who bears a striking resemblance to Goku. This unusual similarity fuels the movie’s battles. Turles proves to be a strong opponent for Goku, but his power comes from consuming the fruit of the Tree of Might.

Turles grows incredibly strong, easily overpowering Goku’s Kaio-Ken and even surviving a Spirit Bomb. But without the fruit that fuels his power, he’s surprisingly weak. The story only hinted at Turles’ potential, and he would have been a more compelling villain if he returned. He could have been motivated by a desire to defeat Goku and prove himself as the strongest Saiyan.

Universe 6’s Cabba Stands on The Precipice of Saiyan Greatness

The introduction of multiple universes in Dragon Ball Super revealed a strong Saiyan population in Universe 6. Kale, Caulifla, and Cabba represent this universe, with Cabba developing a close bond with Vegeta, who is impressed by his power. During the Tournament of Destroyers, Vegeta’s challenging training helps Cabba first become a Super Saiyan. He continues to grow, achieving Super Saiyan 2 status during the Tournament of Power.

Cabba has a naturally high potential for becoming a Super Saiyan, though he remains somewhat enigmatic. Vegeta intends to help the Saiyans of Universe 6 flourish, which would be a perfect opportunity for Cabba to develop his abilities and earn Vegeta’s approval. Unfortunately, Cabba’s progress is stalled by his lack of appearances after the Tournament of Power.

Broly & Paragus’ Vendetta Against Vegeta’s Bloodline Gets Cut Short

Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan features the introduction of Broly, a powerful new villain, and his father, Paragus. Paragus devises an elaborate plan to attract Vegeta to a planet called “New Planet Vegeta” by offering him the chance to rule a new Saiyan race. However, this is a trap: Paragus intends to destroy Vegeta and his friends once they arrive on the planet, which is deliberately set on a collision course with a comet. Paragus’s hatred of King Vegeta is clear and makes sense, and it’s a conflict that could have been explored further in other films.

Paragus dies quickly, and Broly’s character isn’t very well developed, with his reasons for acting feeling weak. While the versions of Broly and Paragus in Dragon Ball Super are more interesting, they still haven’t reached their full potential. Broly has been around since 2018, but hasn’t had much meaningful development beyond some lighthearted training. Hopefully, he’ll play a major role when the Dragon Ball Super manga continues.

Goku’s Mother Gine Is Dragon Ball’s Biggest Fridging Offense

Planet Vegeta, the original home of the Saiyan race, was destroyed before the story of Dragon Ball even started. Still, we’ve seen flashbacks that show us more about Goku’s parents, Bardock and Gine, and their lives right before Goku was sent to Earth. These flashbacks make it clear that Bardock and Gine loved Goku very much and would do anything to protect him. However, they remain fairly simple characters with not much depth.

Bardock feels like a well-developed character thanks to his dedicated TV special, the Episode of Bardock OVA, and his appearances in the Dragon Ball Super storyline featuring Granolah the Survivor. Sadly, Gine isn’t present for most of these events, which hinders her development. It’s unfortunate, but predictable, that Goku’s mother doesn’t get the same focus as his father. It would have been easy to include Gine alongside Bardock during his flashback to Planet Cereal, but instead, she remains a significant Saiyan who probably won’t get much further character development.

Nappa Got Killed Off in DBZ Too Soon

Dragon Ball often surprises viewers by playing with what they expect to happen. When Nappa and Vegeta first appear, Nappa seems like the more powerful of the two. He causes massive destruction, but Goku quickly defeats him with a single blow. This is a clever move that both subverts expectations and highlights how much Goku has grown in strength.

Vegeta’s willingness to betray others and his lack of close bonds are highlighted by his treatment of Nappa. It’s interesting to consider that if Nappa had lived, he might have helped Vegeta defeat Goku and the other Z Fighters. Unfortunately, Nappa dies before we see powerful transformations like the Super Saiyan form, and it would have been great to explore his character further. Though Dragon Ball GT briefly revives Nappa, Vegeta kills him again, and this second death is played for laughs rather than offering any real emotional connection or character development.

Raditz Holds Greater Value as a Looming Presence in Goku’s Life

The series Dragon Ball Z immediately throws viewers into a dramatic situation, revealing that Goku is actually an alien – a fact shared by his previously unknown brother, Raditz. Goku barely has time to absorb this news before he’s forced to fight Raditz to protect his son and the Earth. Given that Goku usually tries to redeem his enemies, it’s shocking when a major character is killed off so early in the series.

It feels like a missed opportunity that Raditz hasn’t returned to the story yet. Goku has a habit of helping even the worst villains find redemption, so it would make sense for him to want to do the same for his brother. Family is incredibly important in Dragon Ball, and it’s a shame Goku doesn’t have a brother to create interesting conflict. Raditz could be a fun character whether he became a true ally or a recurring, but ultimately unkillable, rival.

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2026-03-12 19:42