Dragon Ball Characters Who Ended Up Being Surprisingly Weak

The sheer amount of power most major characters wield in Dragon Ball is off the charts. The humble beginnings of the series are left in the dust as heroes and villains become so powerful that they can destroy entire planets without batting an eye.

With that in mind, it can be odd to see characters who enact evil plots or consistently fight with the Z Warriors without boasting the level of power required to be relevant in a high-stakes battle. Despite all the promise these characters have, they get defeated with ease more often than not, which hurts fans who are particularly fond of some of these combatants.

8

Babidi

For An All-Powerful Wizard, He Can Barely Hold His Own In A Fight

• Debut: The Wizard’s Curse (Episode 220 of Dragon Ball Z)

The dark wizard who enacts an evil plan to revive Majin Buu, Babidi seemed like a character who could bend the entire planet to his will if he wished. After all, it’s no mean feat to dominate Vegeta and enhance his power, even if the Saiyan unconsciously allowed this possession to take place.

However, after a disagreement with Majin Buu, his so-called “servant” was angered by Babidi’s rudeness and decided to put a premature end to their partnership. Seeing Babidi in such a pathetic state seconds before his demise made it clear that this character was nothing more than a vehicle to move the plot forward.

7

Monaka

Beerus Lied To Goku About This Character’s Power To Keep Him Motivated

• Debut: The Matches Begin! We’re All Off to the “Planet with No Name!” (Episode 32 of Dragon Ball Super)

When Beerus introduced Monaka, viewers assumed that they were going to witness Goku’s next challenge, one that would compel him to become stronger than ever before. While Monaka doesn’t make a great first impression, fans assumed that he would reveal the true extent of his power when push came to shove.

However, this moment never came. Instead, Beerus put a damper on fan expectations by revealing that Monaka was a weak mortal who was used as an excuse to push Goku and help him excel in the tournament. It’s a hilarious moment, even if the plan was pretty stupid in hindsight and paints Beerus in a bad light.

6

Piccolo

Even After Gaining A New Transformation, Piccolo’s Power Is Still Well Behind The Saiyans

• Debut: Lost and Found (Episode 123 of Dragon Ball)

Piccolo is one of the most beloved characters in Dragon Ball, appearing as the antagonist of the final arc in the original series before slowly turning over a new leaf in Dragon Ball Z. His bond with Gohan is a special one, as the Namekian finds new ways to enhance his strength and pull his weight in combat.

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However, Piccolo has never enjoyed a proper victory barring his Special Beam Cannon against Frieza. Even after receiving the Orange Piccolo form, he still played second fiddle to Gohan when Cell Max appeared. His weaknesses have mostly been ignored by fans, but they can’t help but be surprised by the lack of victories Piccolo has achieved in solo fights.

5

Gotenks

Aside From An Impressive Showing Against Buu, This Fusion Has Done Little Else

• Debut: Gotenks Is Born (Episode 251 of Dragon Ball Z)

The fusion of Goten and Trunks was a hyped up moment that showed the promise of fusing two powerful fighters to multiply their strength many times over. However, Gotenks‘ arrogance prevented him from getting a dominant victory over Buu despite outclassing the villain several times over.

After these flashes of brilliance, Gotenks has become a forgotten fusion that’s used only briefly in sporadic appearances and is handily defeated every single time. Hopefully, fans will be treated to more moments where Gotenks will get to shine, although this seems unlikely.

4

Dabura

The Demon King Is Hilariously Weak And Barely Poses A Challenge

• Debut: The Wizard’s Curse (Episode 220 of Dragon Ball Z)

When Dabura was introduced along with Babidi, fans assumed that the Demon King would be a competent warrior in battle. While he performs impressively against Gohan, it’s clear that the Demon King is nowhere near strong enough to fight any Saiyan in their prime.

This leads to an embarrassing moment where Dabura tries to establish dominance over Majin Buu, only to be handily defeated and turned into a cookie. It’s one of the most humiliating and shocking deaths in the franchise, turning Dabura into a joke who failed to live up to his lofty potential.

3

Kibito Kai

The Fusion Of Two Divine Beings Doesn’t Do Anything In Major Battles

• Debut: Ready to Fuse? (Episode 267 of Dragon Ball Z)

Kibito Kai is the fusion of Supreme Kai and his attendant, Kibito. This was meant to show off the power of the Potara Fusion, with the Old Kai failing to mention that this fusion would be permanent (a fact that was retconned not long after in Dragon Ball Super).

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While Supreme Kai didn’t make a strong impression in battle, fans assumed that Kibito Kai would be able to play a bigger role in the fight against Buu. However, this fusion is wasted as he watches from the sidelines and is largely useless in the final confrontation.

2

Raditz

Goku’s Brother Is Nowhere Near As Strong As His Gifted Sibling

• Debut: The New Threat (Episode 1 of Dragon Ball Z)

The Saiyans in Dragon Ball have reached new heights of power to become one of the strongest species in Universe 7. With this context, one can’t help but be disappointed by how weak Raditz was despite making a strong first impression.

He pushed Goku and Piccolo to their very limits, with the former having to sacrifice himself to end Raditz’s threat once and for all. However, while Goku came back to life and slowly became one of the most powerful Saiyans of all time, his brother is largely forgotten and is arguably the weakest fighting Saiyan in the series by a country mile.

1

Nappa

Given The Heights That Saiyans Can Reach, Vegeta’s Partner Was Lacking

• Debut: Gohan’s Rage (Episode 5 of Dragon Ball Z)

Nappa makes a strong first impression, with this powerful Saiyan killing numerous members of the Z Warriors all by himself and pushing the others to their very limits. However, after Goku arrives, the gulf in power is astoundingly clear.

The fact that Goku flexed to absorb Nappa’s ki attacks without taking any damage and stood on his head in one of the most humiliating moves in the series showed just how weak Nappa was compared to his partner. The only reason that Goku used Kaio-ken to defeat Nappa was because the Saiyan was planning to attack Krillin and Gohan. Without this power, he wouldn’t have reached his opponent in time.

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  Dragon Ball
  

  Release Date

  1986 – 1989

  Directors

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  Minoru Okazaki, Daisuke Nishio

  Writers

  Akira Toriyama

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  Dragon Ball Z
  

  Release Date

  1989 – 1995

  Directors

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  Daisuke Nishio

  Writers

  Akira Toriyama, Takao Koyama

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  Dragon Ball Super
  

  Release Date

  2015 – 2017

  Showrunner

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  Tatsuya Nagamine

  Directors

  Tatsuya Nagamine

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  Writers

  Tatsuya Nagamine, Akira Toriyama

  
  
  
  

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