Dragon Ball Xenoverse didn't just give us another fighting game. It gave us a digital toy box where Goku can get beat up by a custom-made Earthling wearing a tuxedo. It's weird. It's chaotic. Most importantly, the way the Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters actually function is often misunderstood by anyone who isn't spending hours in the training lab.
We’ve all been there. You pick Beerus because, hey, he’s a God of Destruction. You assume he’s going to melt faces. Then you get absolutely rinsed by a Saibaman. Why? Because Xenoverse isn't Dragon Ball FighterZ. It isn't even Budokai Tenkaichi. It’s an RPG masquerading as a brawler. The roster isn't just a list of names; it's a collection of stat blocks and frame data that sometimes makes zero sense compared to the anime's power levels.
The Stats Nobody Tells You About
If you look at the character select screen, you see bars. Those bars are lying to you. Well, not lying exactly, but they're incredibly vague.
Take a look at the "Custom" versions of characters unlocked through Mentors. These are often the strongest versions of Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters because of the customization keys. A "Custom" Hit or a "Custom" Pan can actually outclass some of the heavy hitters simply because you can tweak their stats to favor health or stamina. Stamina is the real currency of this game. If you run out of it, you're dead. It doesn't matter if you're playing as Whis or a cell-shaded Krillin; if your stamina breaks, the combo is coming, and it's going to hurt.
The difference between a "Standard" preset and a "DLC" preset is also massive. Dimps, the developer, clearly leaned into power creep. Characters like Jiren (Full Power) or Gogeta (DBS) have strings that connect much more fluidly than the base game characters. If you're still trying to main base-form Piccolo from the 2015 launch roster, you're fighting an uphill battle against modern frame data.
Why the Time Patroller is technically the "Worst" and "Best"
Your CaC (Create-a-Character) is the protagonist. Naturally, you'd think they are the best Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters by default. In terms of versatility? Yes. In terms of raw, unadulterated damage without a specific build? Not always.
Female Saiyans have the highest Ki Blast damage in the game. That’s a fact. Male Earthlings have the easiest infinite combos. But if you don't know the "staircase" combo or how to jump-cancel, your custom hero is just a punching bag for a skilled Cooler player. The nuance comes from the Super Souls. A Super Soul like "You're Just Pieces in a Game" can turn a mediocre character into a god. It’s not about the person on the screen; it’s about the passive buffs running in the background.
The Problem With "Canon" Power Levels
Forget the anime. Honestly, just wipe it from your mind when you're picking your fighter. In the world of Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters, Captain Ginyu is a high-tier threat. Why? Body Change.
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If you're playing a 3v3 match and a Ginyu player lands that ultimate, the game is basically over. They take your high-stat character, and you're stuck with a purple dude with a goofy pose. This is the kind of mechanical depth that people overlook. They see the roster and think, "I'll pick UI Goku because he dodges everything." Except UI Goku has a stamina bar that drains faster than a leaky bucket when he's auto-dodging. A smart opponent will just tap you with weak ki blasts until you're vulnerable, then hit you with a Stamina Break.
- The Beerus Disappointment: His moves look cool, but his "Before Creation Comes Ruin" Super Soul takes 30 seconds to activate. In a fast-paced PvP match, 30 seconds is an eternity.
- The Hercule Meta: No, seriously. Hercule (Mr. Satan) has i-frames (invincibility frames) on some of his goofy movements. A high-level Hercule player is a nightmare because you literally cannot hit him during certain animations. It’s infuriating.
- The Giant Form Issue: If you play as a Namekian and go Giant, you're a boss fight. But if the enemy knows how to circle-strafe and use specific "Giant-killer" moves, you're just a massive, slow target.
Tier Lists are Mostly Subjective
You'll see a dozen YouTubers claiming they have the definitive tier list for Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters. They're mostly wrong because the "meta" shifts based on whether you're playing 1v1, 3v3, or Parallel Quests.
In Parallel Quests (PVE), Final Form Cooler is a king because of his "Supernova Cooler" ultimate. It tracks well and hits like a truck. In PVP, that move is useless because any human with a functioning brain will just step-vanish out of the way. For competitive play, you want characters with "unvanishables"—moves that hit so fast or have such wide hitboxes that the opponent can't use their Z-Vanish to escape. Hit’s "Pure Progress" and his "Time Skip" moves are the gold standard here. He’s arguably the most "broken" character in the game if you know how to stance-cancel.
The Secret To Master Any Character
If you want to actually get good with the Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters, you have to stop mash-buttoning. Every character has a "Heavy Stamina Break" and a "Light Stamina Break."
Most players just spam Square (or X on Xbox) and hope for the best. Expert players learn the specific point in a combo string—usually 4 lights and 2 heavies for many cast characters—where they can tilt the analog stick and hit the attack button to break the opponent's guard. Once that guard is broken, the game changes. That’s when you drop the "Prominence Flash" or the "x100 Big Bang Kamehameha."
Nuance exists in the "back-hit" too. If someone vanishes behind you, every character has a unique back-hit animation. Some are slow (looking at you, Fat Buu). Some are lightning-fast (Android 17). Learning these timings is what separates the casual fans from the people who actually dominate the Conton City leaderboards.
Variations and Presets
Don't ignore the different presets. Goku has about 15 versions. One might have "Super Kamehameha," while another has "Spirit Bomb." The "Customization Keys" added in later updates changed the game entirely. They allowed players to take characters like Janemba or Broly and actually give them competitive move sets.
If you’re not using the Partner Customization desk near the Team Registration area, you’re missing out on 40% of the game's depth. You can change their AI behavior, their stat spread, and even their colors. It makes the Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters feel less like static presets and more like tools you can sharpen.
Moving Beyond the Basics
To truly excel with the roster, you need to understand "Limit Bursts." Every character has one. Some give you armor. Some heal you. Some boost your attack power to ridiculous levels. Using your Limit Burst at the right time—usually when you're about to be KO'd or when you've just landed a heavy hit—is the difference between a win and a loss.
Also, pay attention to "Passive Recovery." Some Dragon Ball Xenoverse characters regain Ki or Stamina faster than others. Future Trunks is notorious for having solid recovery, making him a great "safe" pick for beginners who are still learning how to manage their resources.
Next Steps for Mastery
Stop playing as your CaC for a week. Go into Training Mode and pick three "Cast Characters" you usually ignore—maybe someone like Tien, Turles, or even Videl. Practice their specific stamina break combos until the muscle memory kicks in. Check the "Attributes" screen for each preset to see who has the highest "Basic Attack" versus "Ki Blast" stats. Finally, head to the Mentor area and maximize your friendship with every instructor to unlock their custom stat variants. This is the only way to see how the roster actually scales when the "handcuffs" of default presets are removed. Once you understand the frame data of the cast, your Create-a-Character gameplay will naturally improve because you'll finally understand the timing of the moves you've been equipping.