Dragon Ball: Is Power Scaling Inconsistent?

Dragon Ball: Is Power Scaling Inconsistent?

Key Takeaways

  • Power scaling in Dragon Ball is inconsistent due to characters becoming too powerful, diminishing their impact.
  • The trend of traditionally weak characters having the ability to destroy planets needs to be fixed for consistent storytelling.
  • Having only the most powerful characters capable of pulling of the most destructive feats adds depth to the story and character standings.

As a gamer who’s been following Dragon Ball since its early days, I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic when it comes to power scaling in this series. Back then, the idea of a character being able to destroy planets was as rare and jaw-dropping as finding a Namekian in your backyard.


A significant aspect of the storyline in Dragon Ball revolves around characters initially displaying a specific power level upon their debut, but as the narrative unfolds, they significantly enhance their strength through training or acquiring new transformations or abilities. This recurring theme is deeply ingrained in the series, such as when Goku exceeded 9000 during his battle against Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga, whereas today, he’s far stronger, boasting powers many billions of times greater than that original level.

In the realm of Dragon Ball, it’s been a recurring theme that later-introduced characters tend to be more powerful than those initially presented. Yet, due to the extreme power levels already established in this series, it can be challenging to notice significant differences in strength between current characters. Let’s delve into this intriguing aspect further.

Why Power Scaling Is Inconsistent

Why There Should Be A Better Way of Discerning Power

Power Scaling could be simply described as a method for determining the precise intensity or power level of characters or transformations by analyzing different declarations, actions, and mathematical comparisons. For instance, the series might declare that the standard Super Saiyan form is 50 times more potent than their base form, while Super Saiyan 2 is twice as powerful as the preceding transformation.

In Dragon Ball, while the show primarily eliminates the necessity for power level calculations, fans frequently employ them to gauge each character’s or form’s standing relative to others. Yet, over time, these measurements can become less meaningful. Initially, the capacity to destroy planets like the Moon was regarded as the pinnacle of strength. However, as characters grew stronger within the series, this feat became less remarkable.

Back in the early days of Dragon Ball Z, I found myself utterly amazed by one of the most breathtaking displays of power. A flashback to Vegeta’s past took us back to his childhood, where he was surrounded by enemies on all sides along with his father and a handful of Saiyans. But what truly left me spellbound was when King Vegeta effortlessly obliterated no less than 3 planets, leaving fans worldwide wide-eyed in disbelief at the sheer magnitude of his power.

In essence, this event diminished the significance of future feats in which characters could destroy entire worlds. For instance, in the film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013), Beerus was portrayed as an incredibly powerful character, capable of obliterating half a planet effortlessly. However, when King Vegeta displayed comparable destruction abilities without transforming into his regular Super Saiyan form, it lessened the impact of Beerus’ destructive power, as this level of devastation had already been shown by another character.

How Can This Be Fixed?

A Way To Make Incredible Power Have An Impact

Dragon Ball: Is Power Scaling Inconsistent?

It’s crucial to address and rectify the problems with character strength because it’s causing inconsistencies in the storyline. For instance, in Dragon Ball Super, this issue has become quite noticeable as even characters who were once considered weak, like Krillin, Tien, or Yamcha, can now effortlessly destroy multiple planets. However, this doesn’t seem logical given their portrayal and power levels compared to their peers earlier in the series.

This issue can be fixed by making incredible feats such as destroying planets something that only the most powerful characters can do. Having this be something that just about anyone else can pull off makes for poor and inconsistent storytelling. The best example of this is with the Gods of Destruction, whose entire task is to facilitate the growth of new life in their universe and get rid of stagnation by erasing those that slow down the universe’s development.

Anyone stronger than the God of Destruction does not exist!

Having common characters wielding such immense power implies that the role of the God of Destruction might become redundant, as numerous others could fulfill the same task. While Destroyers must remain the most powerful entities in their universe to prevent usurpers from seizing control, it would enrich their status if there were individuals with comparable destructive capabilities.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

Read More

2024-11-09 22:34