Dragon Ball: Best Mentors, Ranked

Highlights

• Goku and his allies overcame challenges through training with mentors like King Kai, Master Roshi, Beerus, and Whis.
• Mentors like Beerus and Whis helped students develop iconic techniques like Kaio-ken, Spirit Bomb, and Ultra Instinct.
• Future Gohan and Piccolo played crucial roles as mentors, helping Future Trunks and Gohan become strong warriors.

Training was the answer to virtually every challenge that Goku and his allies faced throughout various iterations of the Dragon Ball franchise, as their martial arts skills grew under the tutelage of a distinguished group of mentors. Individuals such as King Kai, Master Roshi, Beerus, and Whis have exerted a monumental impact on the series so far, by making their students stronger combatants and better people at heart.

Mentors in the series have varied in their demeanor from being relatively hostile, as in the case of Beerus, to more amicable and equitable relationships such as those between Future Gohan and Future Trunks. It was the guidance of such individuals that yielded some of the series’ most iconic techniques, such as the Kaio-ken, the Spirit Bomb, and the Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego forms. With this in mind, here are the best mentors in Dragon Ball, based on their strengths and the impact their guidance had on the students they taught.

7 Beerus

A Reluctant Teacher To Goku And Vegeta

When introduced in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Beerus was depicted as apathetic and uncaring towards the Earthlings of Universe 7, seeing their affairs as trifling matters due to his status as a God of Destruction. Upon witnessing Goku ascend to the level of a Super Saiyan God, Beerus saw his potential and began to help in training both him and Vegeta.

Over time, his selfish and malicious behavior, coupled with his constant threats of destroying Earth, diminished considerably. During the Tournament of Power, Beerus started to acknowledge and praise the efforts of the Z Fighters, which highlighted a growing sense of respect towards them. He has also shown pride in Goku and Vegeta’s development, even commending them for their efforts at certain points.

6 Whis

Instructed Beerus, Goku, And Vegeta About Autonomous Ultra Instinct

Calm, aloof, and somewhat indifferent, Whis is an Angel and one of the children of the Grand Minister, assigned as the mentor and martial arts teacher of Beerus. His cordial mannerisms, coupled with his perpetually calm persona, have allowed him to foster a more amicable relationship with the Earthlings of Universe 7, but they also give off the impression that he is unbothered by anything.

Whis is the only one who can reign in Beerus’ tantrums as his Guide Angel Attendant, and he has also encouraged Goku and Vegeta’s bids to enter the domain of the gods. Despite how nonchalant he is, Whis expressed joy upon seeing Goku’s growth, especially when he achieved Ultra Instinct Sign, and later Mastered Ultra Instinct in the Tournament of Power, indicating that he highly values him as a student.

5 Future Gohan

Trained Future Trunks In The Alternate Timeline

The first adult version of Gohan to appear in the series, Future Gohan was the sole mentor of Future Trunks in their timeline, where the Androids had ravaged the Earth and killed the entire Dragon Team. Having unlocked the power of the Super Saiyan form after witnessing the deaths of his friends, he was the only one who could keep up with Androids 17 and 18.

Sadly, his strength always came up short in defeating them. Future Gohan invested a great deal of time in training Future Trunks, even becoming a sort of elder brother to him. This made his eventual death at the hands of the Androids all the more horrific for Future Trunks to witness, triggering his first Super Saiyan transformation in the process.

4 Goku

Helped Gohan Unlock His Latent Potential In The Cell Games

Although Goku has more often played the role of student, one noteworthy instance where his guidance was crucial came when he trained his own son, Gohan, during the build-up to the Cell Games in Dragon Ball Z. Spending an entire year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, both father and son pushed each other to their limits, which helped Gohan unlock the Super Saiyan form in rapid time.

As they continued to train, Goku’s persistence began to pay off as Gohan started to release his untapped potential, and nearly achieved a new transformation, but was too tired to maintain it at the time. It took Android 16’s death at the hands of Perfect Cell to push Gohan over the edge and fuel his ascension to the level of Super Saiyan 2, which proved that Goku’s efforts had borne fruit.

3 Piccolo

Turned Gohan From A Helpless Child Into A Fearsome Warrior

Formerly the rival and sworn enemy of Goku, Piccolo became an unlikely mentor for Gohan after his father’s death while fighting Raditz at the start of the Saiyan Saga in Dragon Ball Z. Made to train the young boy into a warrior capable of facing off against the invading Saiyans, Piccolo put Gohan through a harsh gauntlet that molded him into a strong fighter.

While their relationship was rocky at first, due to Gohan fearing Piccolo, this changed dramatically after a year, to the point where the latter became a surrogate father to the young Hybrid Saiyan. He even sacrificed himself to save Gohan from Nappa, further strengthening their relationship, which has only grown stronger in the years since.

2 King Kai

Taught Goku The Kaio-ken And Spirit Bomb

While his role has diminished to that of a supporting character, and his pupil’s strength now far exceeds his own, King Kai was one of the most important mentors in Goku’s life, and his teachings have proved invaluable on several occasions. During his time in Other World following his death against Raditz, Goku trained with King Kai for an extended period.

During this time, he learned both the Kaio-ken and the Spirit Bomb, which would become crucial additions to his arsenal of attacks. These techniques have been vital in many of the conflicts that Goku participated in, such as his battles against Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Kid Buu, as well as Hit and Jiren in Dragon Ball Super. Later on, he spent another seven years training with King Kai after he died in the Cell Games Saga, during which time he achieved the Super Saiyan 3 transformation.

1 Master Roshi

The Inventor Of The Kamehameha And Goku’s First Mentor

A lecherous and long-lived hermit who founded the Turtle School and came to be regarded as a legendary martial artist, Master Roshi was responsible for training both Goku and Krillin during their early adventures in Dragon Ball. Having invented the Kamehameha, the series’ most iconic attack, Roshi was the one who demonstrated it to Goku for the first time, which allowed the young Saiyan to replicate it.

The Kamehameha is now one of Goku’s signature attacks, and his time spent training with Krillin and Master Roshi on the hermit’s special Training Island was critical to his early growth as a martial artist. Roshi also taught Goku the importance of always trying to improve his abilities after defeating him at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. As the series has gone on, Roshi’s direct contributions have reduced in volume, but he still has a huge influence on Goku and his attitude towards martial arts.