Summary
From young Goku’s quest to find his grandpa’s Dragon Ball to battles with literal gods,Dragon Ballhas changed so much since its creation in 1984. For instance, the powerful protagonist,Goku, has gone through so many transformations, from design to personality to strength. Although he started as an abnormally strong child, he went on to have powers rivaling those of gods, not only surpassing any human, but also most of his fellowSaiyans.
While Goku comes from a strong alien race, not all Sayian warriors are as strong as theDragon Ballprotagonist and his family. With some Saiyans that were never able to reach the first of the many Super Saiyan levels,this warrior race has had some weak fightersthroughout the franchise’s history, especially when considering some of their weak depictions inDragon Ball GT.
Updated on Jun 24, 2025, by Ana Micaela Leite Scheidemantel:Although Dragon Ball Daima has yet to introduce new Saiyans, the past anime series still managed to depict some Saiyans that are not up to the warrior race’s standards. These include some extra characters that have not been able to prove themselves as top-tier fighters. These Saiyans are just not as strong as the strongest warriors of the race, but also, they have not been able to show their true strength. Be it because of their unrealized potential, young age, early death, or lack of storyline, these Saiyans have not shown the true power of what their race is truly capable of.
10Goten
A Young Super Saiyan Who Has Not Received The Spotlight Yet
Goten’sintroduction seemed very promising, between being one of the youngest Super Saiyans in the franchise and his Goku-like appearance. However, his value as a fighter so far has been tied to his best friend Trunks, who is a bit older but also stronger than him.
His role inDragon Ball GTalso did not help in making him stronger, yet up untilDragon Ball Super,Goten has only made an impact on the battlefield when in his fusion form, Gotenks. However, with his natural talents and powerful family, there is still a lot of hope for this character to grow into his strength and rank among the most powerful of his race.
9King Vegeta
A Powerful Leader But A Weak Warrior
As Vegeta’s father and the king of the Saiyans,King Vegetadoes have some strength from a political standpoint, yet he was never powerful enough to fight Frieza. Moreover, he was surpassed by Vegeta pretty early on in the franchise, never really showing how powerful he might actually be.
Overall, King Vegeta was mostly worried about continuing his reign rather than actually fighting. Therefore, fans never really figured out what his limitations were as a fighter and as a Saiyan.
8Bardock And His Team
Low-Class Saiyan With The Potential To Go Beyond
Bardockmight be one of the most conflicting fan-favorites out there, as he’s had canonical and non-canonical appearances that depictdifferent versions of the character. However, he is referred to as a lower-class Sayian that, like his son Goku, had the potential to break the limits set on him. Yet he was never really able to show how capable of a fighter he could have been.
Although all weaker than him, Bardock’s team was filled with second-rate Saiyans like Shugesh and Tora, who frequently failed as Saiyans. Unlike Bardock, they never really had the potential to expand beyond their assigned nature in the first place, but it was always suggested that Bardock might be capable of more. He just never gets the chance to show it.
7Paragus
Uses His Son’s Power To Compensate For His Lack Of Strength
One would expect that the father of one ofthe strongest Saiyan warriorswould hold some degree of power himself, butParagus’power merely extended to controlling his son, Broly. As a schemer, his strength comes from exploiting his son’s power, never really showing any real physical prowess of his own.
Even though the character never really shows off his skills as a Saiyan warrior, he is mostly depicted as defenseless without his son to help him out, so there’s little reason to believe Paragus has some extreme hidden strength he hasn’t displayed.
6Tarble
Vegeta’s Forgotten And Disappointing Brother
Although some fans might not even remember him, Vegeta has a brother who was exiled for being considered too weak. There is not much information on the Saiyan except that he is a source of major disappointment when it comes to his powers aand fighting ability.
However, his powers are actually a bit inconsistent, as he is said to have beaten two of Frieza’s powerful minions, which is no easy feat for any Saiyan. YetTarbleis definitely one of the weakest warriors of his race, and one of the biggest disappointments inDragon Ball, as he never had any real impact, especially when considering that his brother is one of themost accomplished Saiyansever.
5Pan
Unrealized Potential That Could Still Become Reality
There is still time to correctPan’sfate as a Saiyan fighter, since she shows so much potential as a flying baby, the daughter of Gohan and Videl, and a granddaughter to Goku and Hercule. Just like her father, she has a lot of untapped potential, taking on powerful enemies at a young age and giving her own mother temporary Saiyan powers.
However, she is still too young to prove herself as a Saiyan, yet if Gohan is any indication, she might never reach her full potential. Despite being portrayed as a fighter inDragon Ball GT, she seems to lose battles more than anything else, yet there is always a chance her fate will be changed, and she will show howpowerful her 1/4th Saiyan side really is.
4Nappa
Sadist Saiyan With Standard Powers
AlthoughNappalooks very intimidating, he is one of the weakest Saiyans when compared to how strong his race can actually become. As one of the first few Saiyans to appear inDragon Ball Z, Nappa is physically strong, beating most of the human Z-fighters, but once Goku arrives, it becomes clear that he pales in comparison to other warriors of his race.
Nappa was easily killed by Vegeta, showing he never stood a chance against the strongest Saiyans, even if his sadistic personality made him seem stronger than he actually was.
3Raditz
Lower-Level Saiyan Who Serves As An Intro To The Warrior Race
WhenRaditzfirst appeared inDragon Ball Z, he was able to do quite a bit of damage. He was even responsible forone of Goku’s deaths. However, the more that was revealed about Saiyans and their powers, the more obvious it became that Raditz was not considered a great warrior within the race’s parameters.
Concerned by Goku and Piccolo’s power in the beginning ofDragon Ball Z,this Saiyan is consistently referred to as a lower-level warrior serving only to introduce the powerful race to the anime. With how much Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Saiyans have evolved since then, Raditz pales in comparison.
2Gine
A Non-Warrior Saiyan Reduced To Being Goku’s Mother
While being Goku’s biological mother might warrant some status in theDragon Balluniverse,Gineis very unlike her son, being portrayed as frail and gentle. As a low-class Saiyan with no real feats as a fighter, Gine is portrayed more as Goku’s mom, although it is not clear if that is because she has unrealized potential or just a weak nature.
Overall, very little is known about Gine in the canon, as she has received very little attention in the franchise so far. Nevertheless, she just seems to not have the physical strength or the power to stand out among the warrior race, even though her genetics have created some of the strongest Saiyans ever.
1Bulla (Bra)
Wasted Potential On An Almost-Human Saiyan
It’s hard to considerBullaa Saiyan, since she very much seems like a typical human and never really displays any aptitude for fighting. As Vegeta and Bulma’s second child and Trunks' sister, there is no mistake in saying that she has incredible potential to become a powerful Saiyan.
Yet, so far, she has done very little as a fighter to show her connection to the Saiyan name, especially considering herDragon BallGTcharacterization. Regardless, as a half-Sayian, and daughter to two fan-favorite characters, she has failed to amaze as a fighter, especially when looking at the other younghalf-Saiyans like Goten and Trunks. There is always a chance that Bulla can make a difference as a Saiyan warrior in the future, since she is still very young, but as it stands, she still has to prove herself as a warrior.
