Dragon Ball’s power scaling is notorious—but how does it actually work? From Goku’s original power level of 5 to universe-shaking gods, let’s break down the system.
The Power Level Era (Dragon Ball – Frieza Saga)
Original Scale
Power levels were introduced in the Saiyan Saga:
- Farmer with shotgun: 5
- Roshi: 139
- Raditz: 1,500
- Nappa: 4,000
- Vegeta: 18,000
- Goku (Kaio-ken x4): ~32,000
Namek Saga Explosion
- Captain Ginyu: 120,000
- Frieza (First Form): 530,000
- Frieza (Final Form): 120,000,000
- Super Saiyan Goku: 150,000,000
Why Power Levels Were Abandoned
Toriyama stopped using numerical power levels because:
- Numbers became meaninglessly large
- They restricted storytelling
- Fans obsessed over calculations instead of story
Multiplier Era (Cell – Buu Sagas)
Super Saiyan Forms
Instead of numbers, power became measured by transformations:
- Super Saiyan: 50x base
- Super Saiyan 2: 2x SS (100x base)
- Super Saiyan 3: 4x SS2 (400x base)
Fusion Multipliers
- Potara: ~dozens of times combined power
- Fusion Dance: Similar, but less than Potara
God Ki Era (Battle of Gods – Present)
What Is God Ki?
God Ki is divine energy that:
- Cannot be sensed by mortals
- Grants access to god-tier power
- Is fundamentally different from regular ki
New Transformations
Super Saiyan God (SSG):
- Ritual-obtained divine transformation
- Goku achieved this, nearly matched Beerus’s power
- The clash “could destroy the universe”
Super Saiyan Blue (SSGSS):
- Super Saiyan applied to God Ki
- Stackable with Kaio-ken
- More controlled than SSG
Ultra Instinct:
- Technique, not transformation (at first)
- Body moves without thinking
- Angels use this naturally
- Mastered UI combines instinct with full power
Current Scaling (Simplified)
Rough hierarchy from Tournament of Power:
- Zeno: Omnipotent, erases universes instantly
- Grand Priest: Top 5 fighters in multiverse
- Angels: Universe caretakers, mastered UI
- Gods of Destruction: Can destroy anything
- MUI Goku: Rivals GoD level
- Jiren: Surpassed GoD level
- SSB Evolution Vegeta: Near GoD level
- Golden Frieza: Blue tier
Manga Developments
Granolah/Gas Arc
Introduced wish-granted power—circumventing training. This created fighters above GoD level temporarily.
Ultra Ego
Vegeta’s answer to Ultra Instinct:
- Gets stronger as he takes damage
- Embraces Destruction energy
- Opposite philosophy to UI
Scaling Problems
Dragon Ball’s power scaling has issues:
- Inconsistent feats: Blue Goku struggles with opponents SSJ should defeat
- Plot-dependent strength: Power adjusts to story needs
- Unclear multipliers: How much stronger is Blue than God?
- Side character neglect: Krillin can’t scale with gods
How to Enjoy Dragon Ball Scaling
The best approach:
- Accept power is narrative-driven, not math-based
- Enjoy transformations for spectacle
- Don’t compare across sagas literally
- Trust that main characters are always “strong enough”
Dragon Ball was never about precise scaling—it’s about hype moments and pushing limits.