During the various Dragon Ball anime, it's mentioned many times that the Saiyans are a warrior race. When their civilization still existed, individuals were judged heavily on their battle power even before they were born. And the few Saiyans that are left regularly talk about and compare their strength.
What isn't often spoken about is their intelligence. Saiyans from the past must've had some intellectual capabilities as they had some highly advanced technology - most of which was taken from elsewhere, but they figured out how to use it. Yet, out of the remaining members of the species that feature heavily in Dragon Ball, who's the smartest?
Updated on May 4, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Dragon Ball is a series full to the brim with some of the most iconic characters in anime history. This is especially true in the case of the Saiyans, who are in a class of their own when it comes to their massive power levels, with most people not coming anywhere close to their immense potential. However, brawn isn't the only thing that wins battles in the world of Dragon Ball, with brains playing a key role too. Keeping this in mind, here are all the major Saiyans of Dragon Ball, ranked in terms of how intelligent they were.
13 Raditz, Always Underestimated His Opposition
For a character that introduced viewers to the very concept of the Saiyan race itself, it was somewhat underwhelming to see just how weak Raditz really was. He might've given Goku and Piccolo a tough time, but a lack of respect for the opponent's power ultimately proved to be his downfall.
It didn't help that he didn't understand the readings of the scouter, leading to Gohan managing to stun Raditz at one point during the battle. All in all, Raditz has no one but himself to blame for his premature loss against the protectors of Earth.
12 Nappa, Wasn't Aware Of The Biggest Threat To His Life
The duo of Nappa and Vegeta were easily two of the most intimidating characters on the entire show during the Saiyan Saga. The fact that they were plowing through the Z Fighters without a care in the world was quite incredible indeed.
Nappa, the weaker of the two, held his own for the longest time before Goku beat him to a pulp. Unfortunately, Nappa had teamed up with the wrong Saiyan, and could only look on helplessly as the friend he trusted laid him to rest with a powerful energy blast.
11 Broly, Isolated Upbringing Means He Lacks Basic Knowledge
The canon (Super) version of Broly spends most of his childhood living on a planet with only his father - and various creatures - to keep him company. Because of this upbringing, Broly is very limited socially and knows nothing about the world.
All the brute knows is how to fight, and he's not very tactical in that regard. He doesn't incorporate clever strategy or planning. The Warrior charges headfirst into combat with his rage-filled blows. So, on all accounts, he's one of the least intelligent Saiyans ever.
10 Goten, Only A Child And Not A Particularly Smart One
It's a little unfair to judge Goten's intellect as he is only a child after all. However, from what he's shown so far, he doesn't seem like he's going to be the brightest Saiyan of all time. He's lovingly dim-witted and naive, especially compared to what Gohan was like at that age.
The kid also lacks self-awareness, as evidenced when he trains with Videl and competes in the tournament. He simply doesn't realize that he's very different from regular people. Even though he's not the smartest, he remains among Dragon Ball's most underrated characters.
9 Kid Trunks, The Son Of A Genius, But He's Not Yet One
Trunks has an incredibly intelligent mother in Bulma and an extremely strong father in Vegeta. So far, the child version of the character seems to be following more in his father's footsteps. After all, the kid is one of only a handful of people to win a tournament in the Dragon Ball series, albeit in the junior division.
Yet, the young Saiyan wouldn't be considered dumb for his age. And in his paring with Goten, he's clearly the smarter one. He even tricks his best friend on several occasions.
8 Goku, The Smartest Fool
Goku's dim-witted nature is a part of his charm. Growing up in the jungle and then solely focusing on training means the Saiyan isn't too knowledgeable about the real world - even the concept of kissing somehow confuses the warrior. And many of his most immoral acts are a result of a lack of intelligence instead of malice.
Yet, what stops him from being the dumbest person in the series is his battle IQ. Most of the time, he is one of the smartest fighters in the universe, as he proves when he combats Hit's time skip ability in their first meeting.
7 King Vegeta, Smart Enough To Rule Under Frieza's Thumb
King Vegeta was definitely smart enough to be the ruler of the Saiyans without really facing any major revolts, which is a massive achievement given the battle-hungry nature of this race. However, the fact that he chose to be subservient to Frieza without really understanding the long-term consequences of this action was a foolhardy decision on his part.
After all, the main reason Frieza even eradicated the Saiyans in the first place was so his dominion wouldn't be threatened. If King Vegeta had made the most of this fact and tried to train the perfect Saiyan, perhaps the race could've survived after all.
6 Kale, Jealousy Makes Her Seem Dimwitted
During Super, the Universe Six Saiyans spend most of their time in battle, so it's hard to decipher how smart they actually are. In the case of Kale, her intelligence seems pretty average. However, her jealously makes her seem stupid at times. The Saiyan becomes enraged just from seeing Caulifa bond with someone, even when it's clear that everything is innocent.
Speaking of her rage, that's where much of her fighting ability comes from, so she's not a genius in combat. That doesn't stop her from being one of the strongest Saiyans in the series, though.
5 Caulifla, The Average Saiyan
Despite being from a whole other universe, Caulifla isn't too different from an average full-blooded Saiyan from Universe Seven. She is constantly determined to improve and reach new levels of power. As a result, she can be a little impulsive and not always think things through before acting. Therefore, she doesn't often seem very smart.
That being said, in her battles with Goku, she does prove her intelligence in combat. She even outwits the Saiyan a couple of times, which isn't easy to do in a fight with the protagonist.
4 Cabba, More Level-Headed Than Most Saiyans
While Cabba is among the strongest members of the Universe Six Tournament of Power team, it isn't his best contribution to the cause. What makes him so vital to the team is his level-headedness.
Going against his Saiyan tendencies - especially as a full-blooded member of the race - Cabba is able to remain calm most of the time. He does occasionally get rattled, but generally, he's a cool and cautious figure. This sort of behavior shows that he's smarter than the average Saiyan.
3 Vegeta, The Smartest Strategist... At Times
Outside of combat, Vegeta seems to be a pretty smart guy. Rarely does anyone make him look like a fool, and despite being an alien, he seems to have a grasp of the social conventions of humans, at least more than Goku does.
In battle, however, is where his brain truly shines. Yes, Vegeta makes plenty of dumb mistakes, usually because of his pride or tendency to overestimate his own abilities. Yet, he is still an incredibly smart fighter. Throughout the franchise, he regularly employs clever strategies to give himself the upper hand over his intellectually inferior opponents. For instance, many of his eliminations in the Tournament of Power are directly thanks to his superior battle IQ.
2 Future Trunks, Cleverly Efficient
As viewers don't regularly see Trunks in his timeline, it's hard to know everything the hero can do. But it's clear that he's a very resourceful guy. And he has some tech skills, even if he's not on the level of his mother.
Plus, unlike Goku and Vegeta, Trunks is smart enough to avoid letting his pride or arrogance be his downfall. If he's got the upper hand on a villain, he takes advantage of it. That's why in his time, he kills the Androids, Cell, and Debura - a victory which meant Majin Buu was never released from his ball.
1 Gohan, Very Book Smart
Gohan is not a typical Saiyan. He does not have a strong desire to train and fight. Instead, he becomes a student, succeeds in school, and gets a seemingly impressive job. So, he's certainly the most book-smart Saiyan in the series by far. He also likely has a lot more real-world knowledge than the average Saiyan, as he actually lives amongst other people.
Combat-wise, he does lag behind a few of the others, but not because of his intelligence. As shown in the Tournament of Power, Gohan might not be a true warrior, but he still knows what he's doing in a fight. And he even incorporates plenty of smart strategies when they're needed. Overall, he's the most well-rounded Saiyan when it comes to intellect.