Dragon Ball Z has a long history in the anime, movie, and video game departments, but the core formula hasn't changed much since its inception. Every saga features a new villain that the heroes have to rise to the occasion to beat, with the Frieza, Cell, and Buu Saga all introducing various threats over the years. However, this ever-escalating power vacuum has seen the show having to push the limit more and more.
Because of this, power levels have practically been abandoned, as the concept has become increasingly laughable. Early in the show, it was impressive when Goku returned to face Vegeta and Nappa, and his power level was "over 9000!" Now, Dragon Ball Z characters tend to have a calculable power level in the millions, and the show even tried to move away from the concept some with the introduction of godly Ki in Dragon Ball Super. With this in mind, here are the 5 strongest characters currently in the franchise.
5. Goku
Goku has been involved in every threat that has come about since the show's inception. He died to protect earth from his brother, Raditz, returning after training in the afterlife to face Vegeta and Nappa. Goku achieves the first-ever Super Saiyan form and is willing to sacrifice his life to defeat Frieza. He joins Gohan for the epic Father-Son Kamehameha wave that defeats Cell, and he uses the Spirit Bomb to vanquish Buu. His feats in Dragon Ball Z alone make Goku worthy of being on this list, but it's also clear that Goku is the strongest Saiyan, full-blooded or otherwise. His various forms, from the original Super Saiyan to Mastered Ultra Instinct, speak to that fact. That said, there are some characters who are stronger than Goku that he has never beaten.
4. Jiren
Jiren is a Pride Trooper from Universe 11 and is often considered to be on par with a God of Destruction in terms of strength. Whis even speculates that he could be stronger than Beerus, but since this has never been tested, Jiren's position falls here over Goku. This is because Goku never technically defeats Jiren. He and Frieza gather together in order to force Jiren out of the ring, having to throw themselves out as well to do so. Jiren isn't a killer, but enters the Tournament of Power to get a wish that he would ignore his strongest convictions for—that is, the resurrection of his former master.
3. Beerus
Beerus is the first real threat to appear in Dragon Ball Super, and once again, a character Goku never manages to defeat. He has a unique role in the anime, as his fight with Super Saiyan God Goku lasted longer than every other fight in Super, and he is the only character in franchise history where the ever-escalating power structure did not come into play. Beerus is stronger than those who come after him, but only because Beerus takes on a support role for Goku and Vegeta. He also inspires fear within Frieza, whose father King Cold warned Frieza against fighting (alongside Majin Buu), and Vegeta.
2. Whis
When it was revealed that Whis trained Beerus, it came as a surprise to Goku, as well as everyone who was watching the anime. As his servant, it initially seemed that the power dynamic was the other way around, but it eventually gets revealed that the Angel class of fighters are typically stronger than the God of Destruction class. Of course, this leads to Goku and Vegeta becoming students of Whis in the anime. He, alongside Jeice of the Ginyu Force, claims to be the fastest in the universe, but unlike Jeice, his claim has merit. Whis' tutoring is what eventually leads Goku to master Ultra Instinct, though this was also in part due to the Goku's conflict with Jiren.
1. Zeno
For those unfamiliar with the face, there's no doubt this is a surprising entry. Zeno may not appear to be much, but he is the Omni-King, supreme ruler of the Multiverse, Lord of Everything, and King of All. As such, he is also considered the most powerful being in all the Multiverse and in the Dragon Ball Z and Super storylines. Zeno originally wiped out 6 of the 18 universes, with it also revealed that his Future self wiped out the remaining 12 after Infinite Zamasu corrupted them. Following the Tournament of Power, Zeno has now wiped out 12 universes and Future Zeno 12 (counting the 18 from his own timeline), with the tournament existing because Zeno thought there were too many universes. This makes the combined body count of Zeno and Future Zeno higher than anyone else in the franchise by an incredible margin.