Power levels are a mess. Honestly, if you’re looking for a straight line between Raditz and Whis, you’re going to give yourself a headache. Gone are the days when a simple Scouter reading told you exactly who would win a fight. Back in the Frieza Saga, a jump from 18,000 to 24,000 meant a total beatdown. Now? We have characters like Android 17 suddenly trading blows with Super Saiyan Blue Goku after "protecting an island" for a few years. It makes no sense on paper, yet Dragon Ball Super levels of power have become the defining metric for the entire franchise's modern era.
The truth is that the scale didn't just grow; it shattered.
We moved from planetary threats to universal erasures. When Beerus first showed up, he shifted the goalposts so far that the old "Z" scale became irrelevant. You've probably heard people argue about "feats" versus "statements." That's because the anime often says one thing while the animation shows another. If Goku and Beerus were truly threatening to destroy the universe with the shockwaves of their punches in the Battle of Gods arc, why doesn't every fight since then delete the solar system? It’s a classic case of narrative necessity overhauling logical consistency.
The God Tier Shift and Why Numbers Stopped Working
Remember when Akira Toriyama gave that famous interview in 60th Anniversary Super Collaboration Biography? He mentioned a 6-10-15 scale. Goku was a 6, Beerus was a 10, and Whis was a 15. That was a long time ago. Like, really long ago. If we used that logic today, Goku would have surpassed Beerus ten times over with Ultra Instinct. But he hasn't. The manga makes it very clear that Beerus is a moving target. He is as strong as the plot needs him to be to remain the benchmark.
This is where "God Ki" complicates everything.
It isn't just a bigger number. It’s a different quality of energy. Imagine trying to measure the pressure of a fire hose using a thermometer. It's the wrong tool for the job. Super Saiyan Blue was supposed to be the pinnacle—perfect ki control combined with the power of a god. Then came the Kaioken x10 overlay. Then x20. Suddenly, the Dragon Ball Super levels of power jumped by an order of magnitude in a single tournament.
We also have to talk about the "mortal level" of universes. This is a huge point of confusion. Fans often think a high mortal level means the universe has stronger fighters. Nope. The Zen-Ohs explicitly state it’s about the quality of civilization and planetary development. Universe 7 is near the bottom because Frieza spent decades turning it into a graveyard, not because Goku is weak.
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The Problem With "Power Creep"
Vegeta’s development is actually the best way to track how the scaling has evolved. He didn't just get stronger; he branched off. While Goku chased the "reflexes of the gods" with Ultra Instinct, Vegeta went the route of "Destruction" with Ultra Ego.
Here is the kicker: Ultra Ego is technically "infinite" in potential because it feeds on damage.
In the Granolah the Survivor Saga, we saw the introduction of a new shortcut. Using the Dragon Balls to wish for the title of "Strongest in the Universe." Both Granolah and Gas did it. It’s a cheap move, sure, but it established a definitive ceiling. The dragon could only make them as strong as the potential they already had, compressed into a shorter lifespan. This confirms that Dragon Ball Super levels of power are still capped by biological potential, even if that potential is being bypassed by magic.
Jiren, Broly, and the "Anomaly" Factor
If we look at Jiren, he represents the absolute peak of "natural" strength. He doesn't have a God form. He doesn't have a gimmick. He is just... strong.
His presence in the Tournament of Power was a wake-up call. It proved that you don't need a fancy hair color to reach the level of a God of Destruction. He was stated to be "in the domain" of those gods. Then you have Broly. Broly is a freak of nature. His Wrathful form utilizes the power of the Great Ape (Oozaru) in human form, which is a 10x multiplier on top of an already massive base.
- Base Form: Usually kept suppressed.
- Wrathful State: Yellow eyes, massive aura, 10x boost.
- Super Saiyan: Standard 50x boost.
- Full Power Super Saiyan: The green-haired "Legendary" state that forced a fusion.
When Goku and Vegeta had to fuse into Gogeta to beat Broly, it showed that even God forms have limits. Fusion doesn't just add powers; it multiplies them. If Super Saiyan Blue Goku is a 100 and Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta is a 100, Gogeta isn't 200. He's effectively off the charts.
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The most recent development? Gohan Beast and Orange Piccolo.
Piccolo’s power up was a "gift" from Shenron, unlocking his latent potential and then giving him "a bit extra." Gohan, on the other hand, seems to have tapped into an evolved version of his Ultimate form. Toriyama himself stated in promotional material for Super Hero that Gohan is potentially the strongest mortal again. Whether you believe that or not depends on if you value author statements over the current manga feats of Ultra Instinct Goku.
Why You Should Stop Using Calculations
People love "Power Level" videos on YouTube. They use math. They say "Base Goku is 100 million, so SSJ Blue is 100 million times 50 times 2..."
Stop. It doesn't work.
The writers don't use calculators. They use drama. If the story needs Krillin to hold back a Kamehameha from a Super Saiyan Blue Goku, he will. It doesn't mean Krillin is universal. It means Goku has incredible ki control and was suppressing himself to the level of a human. That is the "Blue" form's actual purpose: precision.
The current hierarchy looks something like this (roughly):
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- The Zen-Ohs: Total erasure power, though zero fighting skill.
- The High Priest: The strongest actual combatant we know of.
- The Angels: Always in a state of Ultra Instinct.
- The Gods of Destruction: Beerus still seems to be the king of this hill.
- Ultra Instinct/Ultra Ego/Gohan Beast: The pinnacle of mortal strength.
- Black Frieza: Currently the "final boss" tier after his 10-year training session in the Room of Spirit and Time.
Black Frieza's arrival changed the game again. He one-shotted both Goku and Vegeta in their strongest forms. This tells us that the Dragon Ball Super levels of power still have a massive ceiling we haven't touched. Frieza didn't use a wish. He just worked. Ten years of training for a prodigy like him? It’s terrifying.
Is the Scale Sustainable?
Probably not.
We are reaching a point where characters are so strong that "planets" feel like cardboard sets. The challenge for the series moving forward isn't making Goku faster or stronger. It’s making the stakes matter. This is why the Moro arc was so popular; it wasn't about who could punch harder, it was about magic and energy absorption. It forced the heroes to think.
If you’re trying to track these levels for your own debates or fan fiction, focus on Narrative Tiers rather than numbers.
- Mortal Tier: Krillin, Tien, Roshi (still capable, but outclassed).
- Commander Tier: Gamma 1 and 2, Android 17, current Piccolo.
- God Tier: Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Frieza, Broly.
- Transcendent Tier: Beerus and the other Hakaishin.
- Angelic Tier: Whis and his siblings.
Actionable Takeaways for Power Scaling Fans
If you want to actually understand how these characters stack up without getting lost in the "bad math" of the internet, look at these three things:
- Ki Control vs. Raw Output: A character can have massive energy (like Broly) but lose to someone with less energy but better control (like Whis).
- The "Suppression" Factor: Always assume Goku is holding back unless he’s in a life-or-death struggle. He likes to test his opponents. This explains why he "struggles" against weaker characters.
- The Manga vs. Anime Divide: They are two different continuities. The manga power scaling is generally much tighter and more logical than the anime, which tends to favor "hype" moments over consistency.
The next time you see a debate about Dragon Ball Super levels of power, remember that Frieza spent 10 years in a vacuum just to prove that "hard work" (and being a natural-born monster) beats "divine shortcuts" every time. The scale will keep moving because as long as there’s a new transformation to sell, there’s a new ceiling to break.
Check the latest manga chapters—specifically the "Super Hero" adaptation and the following chapters—to see how Gohan's new form compares to the current state of Goku’s Ultra Instinct. The gap is closing, but the hierarchy is more unstable than ever.