The universe of the Dragon Ball franchise is incredibly vast. It’s home to dozens of interesting characters and races, all with their own diverse cultures and ways of life, making the series feel more real and lived-in at times. Although Saiyans are undoubtedly the focal point, they are far from the only important race.
Among the most crucial are the Namekians, which include some of the most notable characters in all of Dragon Ball. Over the years, many Namekians have been introduced, and while their strength is often lacking, a handful have managed to become some of the multiverse’s strongest warriors.
7
Lord Slug Is an Iconic Villain From Early On
Debut: Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
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Lord Slug Regenerates – Dragon Ball Z Lord Slug movie -
As one of the original evil Namekians, Lord Slug remains one of the most memorable villains that the franchise has ever introduced. Although his power is lackluster when viewed through the story’s current lens, he was once a huge threat, driving Goku to the brink with his incredible power and giant form.
In the movie bearing his name, Goku had to unlock a unique ‘False Super Saiyan’ form to defeat the villain, showing how Lord Slug’s power was great enough to be taken quite seriously. Moreover, his later incarnation in the Super Dragon Ball Heroes timeline saw him absorb the Six Star Dragon Ball to become Xeno Lord Slug, who is the strongest version of this diabolical villain.
6
The Nameless Namekian Could Match Super Saiyan Strength
Debut: Piccolo Jr. Saga
One of the greatest mysteries in the entire Dragon Ball franchise, the Nameless Namekian was said to be a member of the race who was astonishingly powerful. However, very little is known about him besides the fact that he came to Earth many years ago and, despite being on the side of good, had a great battle against his own evil nature.
As a result, he made the decision to split himself, separating his good side from his evil one. These sides were represented by Kami and King Piccolo, respectively, and when Piccolo absorbed Kami into himself, he awoke the same power that the Nameless Namekian held. This was said by Guru and Nail to rival that of a Super Saiyan.
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5
Neva Is an Absolutely Overpowered Sorcerer
Debut: Dragon Ball Daima
Long before the founding of Planet Namek and their arrival on Earth, the Namekians were one of the original inhabitants of the mysterious Demon Realm, where some elected to stay. Among them was Neva, an ancient and powerful Namekian sorcerer who is credited with creating the Demon Realm Dragon Balls and the Tamagami who protect them.
This is quite a striking revelation, since the race’s proximity to the Demon Realm as its original inhabitants implies that these Dragon Balls are some of the oldest in existence. Because of this, Neva is considered a legend within their ranks, and his prowess as a sorcerer is spoken of to this day. He further showed his amazing power when he helped Goku unlock Super Saiyan 4 against Gomah.
4
Saonel and Pilina Are Incredibly Dangerous Fighters
Debut: Universe Survival Arc
Some of the trickiest fighters in the multiverse were the Namekians from Universe 6, whose strength allowed them to battle equally against Gohan and Piccolo for a time. As Universe 6’s last hope, who remained in the tournament after the rest of the warriors from their universe were eliminated, Saonel and Pilina’s strength was definitely quite notable.
The main reason for this was how they got this strength in the first place. Before the tournament began, the entirety of Universe 6’s Namekian race fused into these two warriors, making it so that they carried the strength of every member of their race. Though they were ultimately defeated, Saonel and Pilina definitely gave Gohan and Piccolo a run for their money in their strongest forms.
3
The Namekian in Black Was a Great Character
Debut: Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Out of the few Namekian characters introduced in Super Dragon Ball Heroes, none came close in strength to the legendary Namekian In Black, who was an exceptionally powerful and originally evil version of Piccolo. He had been recruited into the Warriors In Black, which was the team of the Supreme Kai of Time, Aeos, in the Super Space-Time Tournament.
In his timeline, this version of Piccolo was left as the sole survivor in the aftermath of the Namek Saga, where he was then recruited by Aeos. Just like the original Piccolo, this version had a deep bond with Gohan and eventually turned to the side of the heroes, and his strength was especially notable due to having his potential unlocked by Dark Shenron.
2
Canon Piccolo Is the Strongest Mortal Namekian
Debut: Piccolo Jr. Saga
One of the best decisions in the entire Dragon Ball franchise came as recently as the Super Hero Arc. This was to give the fan-favorite character, Piccolo, a brand-new transformation that was so powerful, its strength could be compared to that of other powerhouses like Ultra Instinct Goku or Beast Gohan.
Though the manga is on an indefinite hiatus, the series’ trajectory has put Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Broly, and Piccolo on the same level of strength, leading to there now being five main characters instead of just one or two. Because of this, Piccolo’s power has grown to become one of the greatest in the multiverse, making him the strongest mortal Namekian.
1
Zalama Is the Dragon God of the Multiverse
Debut: Only Rumored So Far
Simply put, the Dragon Balls are magical orbs that summon a massive, wish-granting dragon. Although this is quite overpowered, these orbs often come with limits or caveats. However, the Super Dragon Balls are seven balls the size of entire planets that are split between Universe 6 and Universe 7. These call forth Super Shenron, who is capable of granting any wish, regardless of size or complexity.
As such, the creator of the Super Dragon Balls, which are said to be the first-ever iteration of such magical orbs, is Zalama. Since all Dragon Balls are created by Namekians, it’s strongly hinted to be the same for the Super Dragon Balls, and since Super Shenron is capable of granting any wish with his seemingly unlimited power, many fans believe this reflects Zalama’s own strength. If that is true, not even Zeno would be able to put a stop to this character, who’d be the strongest in the franchise.
Dragon Ball Super can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
