Dragon Ball: 8 Weakest Saiyan Characters, Ranked

Highlights

Despite being a powerful leader, King Vegeta was never strong enough to fight Frieza, surpassed by his son Vegeta.
Bardock, a lower-class Saiyan, had the potential to surpass his limitations, unlike his second-rate teammates who failed.
Paragus uses his son Broly’s power to compensate for his lack of strength as he relies on schemes rather than physical prowess.

From young Goku’s quest to find his grandpa’s Dragon Ball to battles with literal gods, Dragon Ball has changed so much since its creation in 1984. For instance, the powerful protagonist, Goku, has gone through so many transformations, from design to personality to strength. Although he started as an abnormally strong child, he went on to have powers rivaling those of gods, not only surpassing any human, but also most of his fellow Saiyans.

Dragon Ball: The 20 Most Powerful Saiyans, Ranked According To Strength

Saiyans are some of Dragon Ball’s strongest characters. Like Goku and Vegeta, these are the most powerful Saiyans of them all.

While Goku comes from an strong alien race, not all Sayian warriors are as strong as the Dragon Ball protagonist and his family. With some Saiyans that were never able to reach the first of the many Super Saiyan levels, this warrior race has had some weak fighters throughout the franchise’s history, especially when considering some of their weak depictions in Dragon Ball GT.

8 King Vegeta

A Powerful Leader But A Weak Warrior

As Vegeta’s father and the king of the Saiyans, King Vegeta does have some strength from a political standpoint, yet he was never powerful enough to fight Frieza. Moreover, he was surpassed by Vegeta pretty early on in the franchise, never really showing how powerful he might actually be.

Overall, King Vegeta was mostly worried about continuing his reign rather than actually fighting. Therefore, fans never really figured out what his limitations were as a fighter and as a Saiyan.

7 Bardock And His Team

Low-Class Saiyan With The Potential To Go Beyond

Dragon Ball Z Bardock Father of Goku movie

Bardock might be one of the most conflicting fan-favorites out there, as he’s had canonical and non-canonical appearances that depict different versions of the character. However, he is referred to as a lower-class Sayian that, like his son Goku, had the potential to break the limits set on him. Yet he was never really able to show how capable of a fighter he could have been.

Although all weaker than him, Bardock’s team was filled with second-rate Saiyans like Shugesh and Tora, who frequently failed as Saiyans. Unlike Bardock, they never really had the potential to expand beyond their assigned nature in the first place, but it was always suggested that Bardock might be capable of more. He just never gets the chance to show it.

6 Paragus

Uses His Son’s Power To Compensate For His Lack Of Strength

One would expect that the father of one of the strongest Saiyan warriors would hold some degree of power himself, but Paragus’ power merely extended to controlling his son, Broly. As a schemer, his strength comes from exploiting his son’s power, never really showing any real physical prowess of his own.

Dragon Ball: Which Version of Broly is Better?

Broly has been a part of the Dragon Ball franchise since the 90’s but was only made canon in 2018. Which of these two versions stands out as the best?

Even though the character never really shows off his skills as a Saiyan warrior, he is mostly depicted as defenseless without his son to help him out, so there’s little reason to believe Paragus has some extreme hidden strength he hasn’t displayed.

5 Tarble

Vegeta’s Forgotten And Disappointing Brother

Although some fans might not even remember him, Vegeta has a brother who was exiled for being considered too weak. There is not much information on the Saiyan except that he is a source of major disappointment when it comes to his powers aand fighting ability.

However, his powers are actually a bit inconsistent, as he is said to have beaten two of Frieza’s powerful minions, which is no easy feat for any Saiyan. Yet Tarble is definitely one of the weakest warriors of his race, and one of the biggest disappointments in Dragon Ball, as he never had any real impact, especially when considering that his brother is one of the most accomplished Saiyans ever.

4 Nappa

Sadist Saiyan With Standard Powers

Although Nappa looks very intimidating, he is one of the weakest Saiyans when compared to how strong his race can actually become. As one of the first few Saiyans to appear in Dragon Ball Z, Nappa is physically strong, beating most of the human Z-fighters, but once Goku arrives, it becomes clear that he pales in comparison to other warriors of his race.

Nappa was easily killed by Vegeta, showing he never stood a chance against the strongest Saiyans, even if his sadistic personality made him seem stronger than he actually was.

3 Pan

Unrealized Potential That Could Still Become Reality

There is still time to correct Pan’s fate as a Saiyan fighter, since she shows so much potential as a flying baby, the daughter of Gohan and Videl, and a granddaughter to Goku and Hercule. Just like her father, she has a lot of untapped potential, taking on powerful enemies at a young age and giving her own mother temporary Saiyan powers.

However, she is still too young to prove herself as a Saiyan, yet if Gohan is any indication, she might never reach her full potential. Despite being portrayed as a fighter in Dragon Ball GT, she seems to lose battles more than anything else, yet there is always a chance her fate will be changed, and she will show how powerful her 1/4th Saiyan side really is.

2 Raditz

Lower-Level Saiyan Who Serves As An Intro To The Warrior Race

When Raditz first appeared in Dragon Ball Z, he was able to do quite a bit of damage. He was even responsible for one of Goku’s deaths. However, the more that was revealed about Saiyans and their powers, the more obvious it became that Raditz was not considered a great warrior within the race’s parameters.

Concerned by Goku and Piccolo’s power in the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, this Saiyan is consistently referred to as a lower-level warrior serving only to introduce the powerful race to the anime. With how much Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of Saiyans have evolved since then, Raditz pales in comparison.

1 Bulla (Bra)

Wasted Potential On An Almost-Human Saiyan

Dragon Ball - Bulla All Happy And Wrapped Up In A Blanket

It’s hard to consider Bulla a Saiyan, since she very much seems like a typical human and never really displays any aptitude for fighting. As Vegeta and Bulma’s second child and Trunks’ sister, there is no mistake in saying that she has incredible potential to become a powerful Saiyan.

Dragon Ball - Bulla Little Known Facts List Header Image

Dragon Ball: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Bulla

Bulla, the daughter of both Bulma and Vegeta, is a character that isn’t explored nearly enough in Dragon Ball but actually has quite a lot going on.

Yet, so far, she has done very little as a fighter to show her connection to the Saiyan name, especially considering her Dragon Ball GT characterization. Regardless, as a half-Sayian, and daughter to two fan-favorite characters, she has failed to amaze as a fighter, especially when looking at the other young half-Saiyans like Goten and Trunks. However, there is always a chance that Bulla can make a difference as a Saiyan warrior in the future, since she is still very young, but as it stands, she still has to prove herself as a warrior.