Kids sat patiently at their screens all over the world just to watch the next episode of Dragon Ball Z — a show that was riveting for all the right reasons. So, it was only a given that fans would be Dragon Ball Super. This show did have some rocky beginnings, but the character arcs and incredible fight scenes finally came into their own later on in the series, making for some truly excellent viewing indeed.
Speaking of which, let's rank each character on the basis of their arcs and how well they were portrayed or developed across the course of Dragon Ball Super.
Goten
Goten is a character whose character was woefully unexplored in Dragon Ball Z, but one could still attribute this to the fact that his introduction was pretty late in the series and didn't really give him much time to be relevant to the main plot, aside from his Gotenks transformation.
So, it's a shame that Goten still ended up taking the back seat for the majority of Dragon Ball Super's runtime, with his character basically existing for the sole purpose of comic relief, and nothing else.
It's a shame, since there definitely was some potential for this character to grow and achieve new heights... especially in a sequel to Dragon Ball Z.
Bulma
Most people don't even consider Bulma to be a main character at this point, given the fact that she doesn't really play a major role in any arc. In fact, one might argue that her role was way more pronounced in Dragon Ball Z, but even this minor level of importance was completely squashed away in Dragon Ball Super.
It can even be argued that the only time when Bulma was relevant to the happenings of the plot was when she was struck down by Beerus after the Destroyer God got yelled at by Bulma. Watching his wife get hurt invoked feelings of pure rage in Vegeta, who finally managed to land a punch on Beerus.
Gohan
There was a time when Gohan was easily one of the most promising characters in Dragon Ball Z, with his transformation into the Ascended Super Saiyan form clearly being a highlight of the series. However, in Dragon Ball Super, it was clear that he was surplus to requirements for a major chunk of the series.
Starting off as a scholar who'd pretty much lost most of his powers, Gohan ends up being a shell of his former self who managed to re-activate his Ultimate Gohan state just before the Tournament of Power, which is quite convenient indeed. Unfortunately, even this transformation doesn't really allow him to achieve a state of relevance in a plot that moved ahead without him and didn't really face any issues in the process.
Krillin
Krillin used to be a powerful fighter and one of the focal points of Dragon Ball. However, due to his limitations as an earthling, he never really managed to match up with the Saiyans in of sheer power as the series progressed, become fairly insignificant by the final arc of Dragon Ball Z.
For what it's worth, Dragon Ball Super does do somewhat of a commendable job when it comes to making Krillin more relevant again by giving him his old look back and escalating him in power to the point where he can actually fight on somewhat of an equal footing with Super Saiyan Blue Goku... although this is a scene that definitely angered many fans in the series.
Piccolo
Piccolo is another brilliant character in the series who is definitely legendary for all the right reasons. That being said, he's also one of the unfortunate characters who ends up in the dust after Goku and Vegeta attain massive power through the mastery of god ki.
However, Piccolo definitely doesn't stay behind the rest of the pack when it comes to being a notable force in combat. He still manages to stand on mostly equal ground with the Saiyan fighters throughout the majority of Dragon Ball Super, which is quite impressive indeed.
Whis
A new introduction to the world of Dragon Ball, Whis is easily one of the more unique and notable characters that has appeared in Dragon Ball Super, allowing for the Saiyans to unlock the powers of god ki and transcend to new heights of power.
The fact that he's even more powerful than Beerus speaks volumes when it comes to the sheer power that this character holds, with his ability to rewind time and easily deal with both Goku and Vegeta's assaults are proof enough of just how powerful and mysterious he really is.
Beerus
Initially appearing as one of the most powerful foes that the Z Warriors had ever faced up to that point, there's no denying the fact that Beerus is one of the most fascinating and intriguing characters on the entire show due to his position of being a Destroyer God.
There's no denying the fact that the anime is ultimately setting up Goku to become one of the strongest individuals in all the Universes, and the idea of a subject being more powerful than a Destroyer God isn't something that Beerus would look kindly upon. Hints have already been strewn across the show of a potential rematch between Goku and Beerus, and only time will tell whether this fight will come to .
Vegeta
Initially coming off as somewhat of a fresh face in Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta's stubborn and prideful character certainly becomes somewhat more one-note in Dragon Ball Super. However, it's a testament to a force to be reckoned with throughout the series.
His character may be cheapened by instances such as when Goku ended up stealing his thunder and defeated Vegeta... but then there are also other brilliant moments for him, with his powerup into an Ascended Super Saiyan Blue form easily being the highlight for this character.
Son Goku
Of course, it would be impossible to make a list featuring the main characters of Dragon Ball Super and not mention someone who is easily one of the most iconic characters in pop culture.
Son Goku has been at the forefront of most of the powerups attained in Dragon Ball Super, with his mettle and Ultra Instinct.
One can argue that Goku's growth was more prominent in Dragon Ball Super as opposed to its prequel, which was to be expected given the greater focus on his character throughout the show.
Trunks
However, there's one particular character who's still managed to be a massive highlight throughout both Dragon Ball Z and Super.
The reintroduction of Future Trunks was a much-needed breath of fresh air in a series where the stakes were really cranked up all that high for some time. All of a sudden, things felt like good old Dragon Ball Z once again with powerful antagonists that wished doom upon the world while a ragtag group of warriors tried to thwart their plans.
Trunks from the original timeline might not be all that notable... but his Future counterpart ends up going through a ton of strife in the series once again, this time with the loss of Bulma and the terror of the berserk deities finally forcing him to reach newer heights of power as well.
