As the Dragon Ball franchise has continued, its narrative has been increasingly defined by its Super Saiyan characters taking more and more prominence as they discover new levels of power while fighting to defend the multiverse from evil threats. Fortunately, there are plenty of non-Saiyan characters who continue to hold their own, with many introduced in the original Dragon Ball and its sequel series Dragon Ball Z. And while these human fighters are impressive in their own right, they do not get the respect they deserve in direct comparison to their Saiyan counterparts.
Here are all the major human fighters throughout the entire Dragon Ball franchise, and why they are so sorely under-appreciated given their abilities and their role in the story.
Master Roshi, Goku's Childhood Martial Arts Trainer
At first glance, Roshi may seem adequately appreciated for what he has done as the mentor to Goku, Krillin and Yamcha. But in addition to playing a much more significant role in Dragon Ball Super, Roshi earns a spot on this list for just how quietly powerful he remains in the overall franchise. The original Dragon Ball confirmed Roshi as one of the world's strongest humans and originator of the Kamehameha Wave, while Super showed exactly why he still matters to the wider narrative.
During the Tournament of Power, Roshi was among the warriors selected to represent Universe 7 in the epic martial arts contest of champions. While nominally weaker than some of his opponents, Roshi's superior mastery and wisdom with the art of fighting led him to eliminate several combatants and, in the manga, he even nearly taps into Ultra Instinct and helps Goku realize how to achieve the form himself.
Krillin, Goku's Best Friend Who Deserves More Credit
Krillin has become something of a running joke among the Dragon Ball fanbase, as Goku's best friend who gets dispatched immediately whenever a fight begins or new enemy arrives -- but he is truly one of the strongest humans in the franchise. Given at least one moment to shine in every martial arts tournament he participates in, including Super's Tournament of Power, Krillin is no slouch even if Goku far surpassed him a long time ago.
One of Krillin's biggest contributions to the franchise is by developing the special Destruct-o Disc attack, a technique so powerful it was able to slice Nappa's cheek and cut off the tip of Frieza's tail, despite both opponents being far stronger than Krillin at the time. Krillin later proved himself to be a formidable fighter in Super, outsmarting Gohan to earn a place on the Universe 7 team.
Yamcha, The Butt of Most Dragon Ball Jokes
Another sort of running joke within the original Z Fighters is Yamcha, a desert bandit who later befriended Goku and fell in love with Bulma. Yamcha would be eliminated from the first round of every martial arts tournament he participated in, often to humiliating effect, and would be the first Z Fighter killed in the showdown against Nappa and Vegeta at the start of DBZ.
Despite this, Yamcha has proven himself a competent fighter in his own right, developing the Wolf Fang Fist and Power Ball special attacks while showcasing the ability to stand toe-to-toe against the Ginyu Force after training under King Kai in the afterlife. The growing insignificance of Yamcha would be acknowledged in Super, with the fighter confident he would be chosen to aid Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power, like his friend Tien -- only to not be approached at all and left behind on Earth.
Videl, Who Surpassed a Normal Human's Powers as a Teenager
As the daughter of Hercule Satan, a public figure seen as the strongest hero in the entire universe by a populace unaware of the truth, Videl is actually much stronger than her father and has been for some time. Training to live up to Hercule's example, Videl was a respected crimefighter while still in high school and progressed exponentially further after meeting Gohan.
In just a few months of training under Gohan, Videl learned how to fly -- a feat that took several Z Fighters in the original Dragon Ball years to master. This combination of natural aptitude and hard work speaks volumes about Videl's potential as a fighter, though the character has largely settled down in Super after starting a family with Gohan.
Hercule Satan, The Self-Proclaimed Champion of the World
Remember, this is a list of the most under-appreciated human fighters in the Dragon Ball franchise and not the strongest human fighters. Comparatively speaking, Hercule is far weaker than any of the Z Fighters -- including his daughter Videl while she was still a teenager. And yet, for all of his braggadocio, Hercule is not a completely hopeless fighter in his own right.
A flashback during the World Tournament Saga revealed that Hercule had evidently won the 24th World Martial Arts Tournament by himself in the seven-year interim between the Cell Games and the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. Given how many truly impressive fighters participate in the global tournament, Hercule's claim as the strongest man in the world was at least, among the participants, a seemingly legitimate one.
