The Dragon Ball series features some of the most powerful fictional characters in shonen. Both Goku and Vegeta have continued to grow stronger as the series progresses, and so do their antagonists. However, the vast growth such characters have had in terms of power leads to a large amount of power creep settling in for many of the other established heroes.

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Certain sagas like the Tournament of Power and Galactic Patrol Prisoner Sagas made an effort to include the greater cast. Oftentimes, a handful of characters are clear-cut above the rest. While Toriyama's passing has halted the production of the Dragon Ball Super manga, and the Daima series seems to be the future for the anime, the series' continued success opens the door for more appearances by the cast, where they can possibly power up. These are some Dragon Ball heroes who deserve to grow stronger.

1 Yamcha

The Wolf Of The Desert

Yamcha seemingly can't catch a break. He is one of the earliest members of the group that would come to be known as the Z Fighters. He is first encountered in the Dragon Ball manga, where he shows himself to be a powerful bandit who fears nothing but women. His capability is shown through his technique, namely being one of the first fighters to learn the kamehameha under Master Roshi, and also performing the wolf fang fist, a unique ki-powered attack.

However, Yamcha dropped off around the time of Dragon Ball Z, where a near-dead saibamen took him out with a suicide bomb attack, leading to his iconic death pose. Since then, he has largely stuck to the sidelines, helping take on weaker enemies while a stronger ally, typically a Saiyan, is holding off the main villain.

Despite minimal involvement in fights, Yamcha is shown to still have some level of strength. This mainly shows in his efforts as a baseball player, where he uses a modified version of his wolf fang fist to strike out an opposing team. He ultimately wins one game by braving a barrage of attacks caused by Beerus and Champa, two gods of destruction. While the resulting damage causes him to collapse, he is shown to have still survived. Perhaps there's still something of a fighter in him after all.

2 Krillin

Goku's Best Bud

A former monk of the Orin Temple, Krillin first became Goku's resentful rival upon joining the turtle school in Dragon Ball. Initially a somewhat spiteful person, he grew resentful of Goku's superior strength. However, their bond was forged by training together in the months leading up to the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament.

Despite being one of the strongest purely human characters, Krillin is largely played for comic relief, with most foes doing significant damage to him. He has been killed several times, dying in nearly every iteration of Dragon Ball thus far. His death often serves as a motivator for Goku to take a given opponent seriously, such as Frieza.

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After marrying Android 18 and having a child, his training became much more intermittent, having retired before Super and oftentimes only returning when a foe had underlings to take on. He previously received a minor "power-up" in the anime, achieving power in a "state of selflessness," during a training session with Goku in the Forest of Terror. This seems to be an extension of a continued willingness to put aside his fears when fighting for the sake of another. However, he was still the first fighter eliminated in the Tournament of Power.

While many post-Z iterations of Dragon Ball attempt to capitalize on nostalgia for the original Dragon Ball series, perhaps a more detailed arc partnering Krillin alongside his best friend once more could be an interesting way to revisit beats from it.

3 Launch

Split Personality

Launch was a somewhat significant character in the original Dragon Ball, joining the supporting cast sometime before the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament took place. She was a woman with two personalities. One was a blue-haired woman who eschewed violence and was considered to be pure of heart, the other was a foul-mouthed, blonde woman who was known to commit crimes and threaten anyone who irritated her with a machine gun. A simple sneeze was all it took for her to switch personalities.

Unlike the majority of other significant characters here, she fell off beyond not participating in battle (something she didn't do much of in the first place). Launch just disappeared from the greater cast in Z. Many characters from the original Dragon Ball, including non-fighters like Puar and Oolong, stuck around well after their debut. Launch, however, despite being a beloved character, has made next to no appearances in the main storyline after Dragon Ball, outside extended media such as video games.

Many female fighters, including those who are retired or semi-retired, such as Chi-Chi, Android 18, and Videl stayed in the story well after they stopped regularly participating in battles. However, in Launch's case, perhaps her more aggressive side may give her the potential to make her return as a fighter.

4 Tien Shinhan

Self-Styled Savant

A descendant of the unseen triclops race, Tien has always been a skilled martial artist. He is introduced in Dragon Ball as the top disciple of Master Shen and Mercenary Tao, fighting for the Crane School alongside his friend, Chiaotzu. He is shown to be able to overpower Yamcha and is evenly matched with a young Goku, narrowly beating him in a fair fight. Once desiring to become a ruthless assassin, Tien is able to reform and eventually becomes one of Goku's strongest allies in the original Dragon Ball's run.

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Despite largely sitting out fights after Z's Saiyan Saga, Tien manages to occasionally have shining moments of brilliance. He puts his own life on the line multiple times, saving Android 16 and Android 18 from a Semi-Perfect Cell, as well as briefly battling Super Buu to save Gohan. He even manages to receive praise from Beerus, his universe's God of Destruction, in the Tournament of Power saga. Now a teacher in his own right, operating the Tien-Shin Style Dojo, further focus on him and his growing power may add positively to the series.

5 Majin Buu

The Better Half

Unlike the majority of Z fighters who experienced power creep roughly around the Saiyan Saga, Buu didn't even appear until his own titular saga. Initially a somewhat amoral yet ultimately innocent character, he split into good and evil forms after his anger got the better of him.

Despite a large amount of power going to his evil half, Good Buu remained a strong contender in his own right, being asked to participate in multiple tournaments that spanned across universes. However, Buu often slept through said tournaments, except for a 3v3 against Universe 9, which took place before the Tournament of Power.

Buu returned to fight Moro in the Galactic Patrol Prisoner saga, temporarily regaining the memories of the Grand Supreme Kai, who was absorbed by Buu in the past. This appearance proves Buu is still capable of taking on even greater foes and could be primed for another power-up in future Dragon Ball stories.

Dragon Ball Z (1989)

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Release Date

April 26, 1989

Studio

Toei Animation

Number of Episodes

291