Between Planet Vegeta’s Saiyan Royal Army, the Frieza Force, and Planet Sadala’s military in Universe 6, Saiyan soldiers tend to be some of the deadliest warriors in the Dragon Ball franchise. Until they become a Super Saiyan for the first time, Saiyans grow stronger every time they recover from a near-death experience via a Zenkai Boost. The combination of their Great Ape form, Zenkai Boosts, and potential to turn Super Saiyan paved the way for great success on the battlefield for the Saiyans.
The strongest Saiyan soldiers in Dragon Ball became God Level fighters by Dragon Ball Super, but even the Z-Era soldiers were boasting impressive Powers Levels relative to their day. Worth noting, Saiyans like Goku, Gohan, Future Trunks, Bulla, and Pan are not part of the Saiyan Royal Army. While a case could be made for Goku based on his original backstory, Dragon Ball Minus and Dragon Ball Super: Broly have since retconned events so that Goku was sent to Earth peacefully by his parents, not to destroy it by the Frieza Force.
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8
Raditz is Barely Stronger Than a Saibaman
When he was introduced at the start of Dragon Ball Z, Raditz was far and away the most powerful character in the franchise. Even a team-up between Goku and Piccolo wasn’t enough to level the playing field between them and Raditz. For the first time ever, Goku had met an opponent he couldn’t beat. Goku dying alongside Raditz was downright shocking at the time.
In a way, it still is – albeit in the sense that someone as weak as Raditz was once strong enough to get Goku killed. At max, Raditz has a Power Level of 1,600, which makes him barely stronger than a Saibaman. Some guidebooks and in-manga dialogue suggest Raditz’s real power is closer to 1,200, which would actually make him exactly as strong as a Saibaman. Raditz is on the higher end for lower class Saiyans, but he still can’t keep up with the big boys.
7
Nappa Was Vegeta’s Right-Hand Man
Like Raditz, Nappa was once one of the most formidable threats in Dragon Ball. Up until Super Buu wiped out most of the cast near the end of Dragon Ball Z, Nappa held the distinction of killing the most main characters on screen. Nappa is responsible for Chiaotzu, Tien Shinhan, and Piccolo. Envisioned originally as an Elite Saiyan, Nappa was the strongest a Saiyan other than Vegeta and his father could be in the original manga.
Just like many old Dragon Ball lore details, this has long since been retconned. Nappa was impressive for the time, but even in the context of the story, he was nothing compared to Vegeta. Akira Toriyama uses Nappa’s rampage to establish how dangerous Nappa is, only to have Vegeta effortlessly kill him, instead establishing Vegeta as a much deadlier and more powerful warrior. Nappa’s narrative role was always to get killed by Vegeta, to highlight the Prince of All Saiyans as Goku’s greatest challenge yet.
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6
Paragus Was One of King Vegeta’s Most Loyal Men Before Getting Betrayed
Originally introduced in the non-canon DBZ movie, Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, Akira Toriyama made Paragus canon in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Like in the original film, Paragus is Broly’s father. When Broly is born with a Power Level of 10,000, King Vegeta exiles him to Planet Vampa, leading Paragus to abandon the Saiyan Royal Army and go after his son. By the end of his exile, Paragus had a Power Level of 4,200.
That alone means Paragus is stronger than Nappa, but it’s likely Paragus’ Power Level is actually lower than his prime. Vampa is a harsh planet with barely any food or water. Paragus is malnourished when he’s found in DBS: Broly, and not in good condition. At his most loyal, he was likely one of King Vegeta’s strongest soldiers. Ironically, being exiled is exactly what spared Paragus and Broly from Planet Vegeta’s destruction at Frieza’s hand. King Vegeta’s act of cruety is ultimately what saved them.
5
King Vegeta’s True Power Remains a Mystery
King Vegeta has never been shown in an actual fight in the Dragon Ball manga, the Dragon Ball Z anime, or any of the movies. Super Dragon Ball Heroes occasionally pays Xeno King Vegeta some lip service, but the original King doesn’t get the same level of respect. Very little is known about King Vegeta’s Power Level, but enough can be inferred based on dialogue from Vegeta, in-universe details, and just common sense.
The Saiyans are a warrior race who believe “might makes right.” Obviously, King Vegeta would have to be one of the strongest Saiyans in Universe 7 to be their King, if not the absolute strongest. This is backed up by King Vegeta being shocked that baby Broly is already so powerful in Dragon Ball Super. Vegeta also claims he was stronger than his father as a boy, meaning King Vegeta can’t be too strong, though. All things considered, King Vegeta likely had a Power Level of around 10,000 at death.
4
Bardock Was One of the Strongest Saiyans in King Vegeta’s Army When He Died
Bardock may have been a lower class Saiyan, but he proved that even the lowest Saiyans could achieve greatness. In Dragon Ball Z, Bardock experiences a Zenkai Boost that gives him a Power Level of 10,000, making him the strongest Saiyan after Vegeta. In Dragon Ball Super, Bardock undergoes an Ultra Instinct-like power boost, which gives him the speed, strength, and reflexes to battle Gas – a significantly stronger opponent.
In both continuities, Bardock eventually dies rebelling against Frieza and trying to stop the destruction of Planet Vegeta. Even at his absolute strongest, Bardock was nothing compared to even a fraction of Frieza’s power. Interestingly, Super Dragon Ball Heroes shows that Bardock had as much potential as Goku, if not more so. In the Xeno Timeline, Xeno Bardock goes on to become a God Level warrior who can even turn Super Saiyan 4.
3
Turles Overcame His Low Class Birth
Much like Bardock, Turles overcame his low birth to become one of the most powerful Saiyans in the universe. Turles is the main villain of Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, and looks exactly like Goku. In-universe, Goku and Turles’ hairstyles simply happen to be common among lower class Saiyans, and they are not related whatsoever. Narratively, Turles is a dark reflection of Goku, however, showing what Goku would have been like had he never hit his head.
Power-wise, base Turles is actually stronger than Vegeta was during the Saiyan Saga. After eating a Fruit from the Tree of Might, Turles’ Power Level shoots up to 300,000 – easily making him the most powerful Saiyan alive at the time. If Turles were able to eat more Fruit from the Tree of Might, he would have quickly surpassed Frieza and maybe even reached God levels of strength without needing to unlock God Ki.
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2
Cabba is the Most Powerful Saiyan Soldier in Universe 6
Cabba was introduced in the Universe 6 Tournament Saga as the strongest Saiyan in his home universe. Cabba is a member of Planet Sadala’s Army, and acts as the military’s representative during the Tournament of Destroyers. Even without access to Super Saiyan, Cabba’s base form is extremely powerful, easily keeping up with an experienced Vegeta who knows how to use God Ki. Cabba could have swept all of Dragon Ball Z with little effort.
Cabba grows even stronger when Vegeta emotionally baits him into unlocking Super Saiyan for the first time. In the Dragon Ball Super anime’s version of the Tournament of Power, Cabba goes on to unlock Super Saiyan 2 before being eliminated. While Cabba isn’t as strong as Caulifla or Kale in Universe 6, he remains Sadala’s greatest asset. He’s strong, an excellent teacher, and has already established a strong relationship between Universes 6 and 7.
1
Vegeta Has Always Been the Saiyan Army’s Greatest Soldier
Vegeta is the pinnace of what a Saiyan soldier can accomplish. He has been fighting his entire life. While Goku trained and played at tournaments, Vegeta waged war in life-or-death battles. Vegeta’s only gotten more powerful now that he’s learned the value of training. As of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Vegeta has officially surpassed Goku, and even has a new form (Ultra Ego) ready to put Ultra Instinct in its place.
Vegeta carries a lot of Saiyan pride, but he’s starting to recognize the sins the Saiyans committed. Vegeta is no longer a soldier – not really. He’s just a martial artist looking to prove himself. And while he’d never admit it, he’s looking to protect the people he loves with his power. Long gone are the days of Vegeta casually blowing up planets and betraying his friends. He’s changed for the better, and is building a brighter future for the universe.
