Most Resilient Fighters In Dragon Ball

Key Takeaways

• Characters in Dragon Ball have intricate fighting styles and evolving personalities.
• Some characters rely on resilience in unique ways, such as training or regenerative abilities.
• Krillin, Android 17, Majin Buu, Vegeta, Frieza, and Goku display different forms of resilience.

The fighting style in Dragon Ball has evolved greatly throughout the anime franchises, from Goku’s grounded martial arts combat as a kid to planet-destroying attacks by literal gods. Yet, most characters have their own fighting styles, which consist of intricate moving patterns and special attacks that have become part of their personality. Combined with the ever-evolving nature of protagonists and antagonists, this results in a plethora of powerful characters.

While some of these characters are powerful in a more measurable way, including reality-destroying entities, others show their strength in more distinctive ways. For instance, some characters train more than anyone else, as well as characters that refuse to give up no matter what, or even have impressive regenerative abilities that make them almost impossible to beat. Regardless of the reason, Dragon Ball has its fair share of characters whose main strength is their resilience, which comes through in a variety of ways.

1 Krillin

Keeps Training And Fighting Knowing His Limitations

• Highlight: Krillin stands up to Frieza to help his friends despite knowing he cannot defeat the tyrant in Dragon Ball Z

Considering how many times Krillin died in the anime series, resilience might not be the first word that comes to mind when describing this Z fighter. However, Krillin’s many deaths are also a sign of his disposition to put himself in harm’s way time and time again despite knowing he lacks the power to beat the enemy.

Krillin is known to acknowledge his fear, yet he chooses to stick around to help his friends and the world, putting himself in a dangerous position. Yet, his bravery is only part of his resilience as he continues to train and refine his skills despite knowing he is not the most powerful of warriors, and is only human at the end of the day.

2 Android 17

A Powerful Android With An Infinite Energy Reserve

• Highlight: Android 17 takes on Trunks, Piccolo, and Tenshinhan in Dragon Ball Z

Both Android 17 and 18 are capable of great destruction as was seen in Future Trunk’s doomed reality in which the twin androids left a wake of death where they passed. While they both redeemed themselves, falling a bit into the background, Android 17’s appearance in Dragon Ball Super reminded fans why he was once feared.

With an infinite energy reserve, Android 17 is one of the toughest opponents to beat, as his great stamina allows him to go toe-to-toe with Goku, but also other great enemies, even becoming the winner of the Tournament of Power.

3 Majin Buu

Regeneration And Stamina In A Variety Of Powerful Versions

• Highlight: Majin Buu survives Vegeta’s sacrificial final attack in Dragon Ball Z

Majin Buu has an arsenal of abilities that make him one of the toughest villains to beat, bringing down all the Z fighters at some point and even destroying Earth. Even though Kid Buu’s main attribute was his evilness, Good Buu shows how the character had power beyond its sadistic ways, guaranteeing some crucial wins in the Tournament of Power.

Yet, this character not only stands out for its many powerful versions but also because of his inexhaustible reserves of stamina and impressive regeneration that keep him in fights, even when at a disadvantage.

4 Vegeta

Will Power And High Stamina Make Up A True Warrior

• Highlight: Vegeta refuses to give up against Toppo in Dragon Ball Super

Very few fictional characters have Vegeta’s mentality, with a thirst to be the best that makes him a relentless warrior who is constantly training and focusing on bettering himself, regardless if he loses or wins a fight. As one of the characters with the highest stamina in Dragon Ball, Vegeta is always putting himself through unimaginable strains to train his body and mind.

While he does have other faults, like his ego and his Saiyan pride, Vegeta has maintained himself as one of the strongest characters in the franchise by sheer force of will, relying on his resilience alone to keep improving.

5 Frieza

An Antagonist With Rising Power Levels And Regenerative Abilities

• Highlight: Frieza decides to destroy Namek when he realizes he is going to lose in an attempt to keep himself alive in his fight against Goku in Dragon Ball Z

Frieza forever changed Dragon Ball since his first appearance as the feared tyrant who pushed Goku to the point of transforming into the legendary Super Saiyan. Despite being defeated in Namek, Frieza continues to be a threat, years and series later, and somehow always manages to come back.

As the opposite of Vegeta, Frieza does not need to push himself to become stronger and can become more powerful by doing very little. He is not only capable of evolving at an astonishing speed, he has unlocked terrifying transformations as well as a regenerative power that makes him a tough opponent to beat and one of the most powerful characters in the franchise.

6 Goku

The Epitome Of Resilience And Persistence

• Highlight: Close to dying, Goku finds the strength to defeat King Piccolo with one final punch in Dragon Ball

As one of the strongest characters in all anime, Goku’s power level has been constantly growing since his days as a kid chasing after Dragon Balls. Yet, what makes Goku stand out is not his natural strength but rather his ever-growing persistence, overcoming obstacle after obstacle and withstanding impossible amounts of damage without giving up.

In a true sense, Goku has started a lot of his fights with major enemies at a disadvantage when it comes to actual raw strength. However, the character’s love for fighting coupled with his desire to save his friends makes him incredibly tough to beat, resilient to a point where he keeps going no matter what, pushing beyond his limits in every fight.