Yuji wrote: Mon May 11, 2026 4:14 pm
Thank you for your input. I think I generally agree, but I'd push back on just a few placements.
Jiren: the reason I made up the scenario was to remove mindset from the equation, since obviously that's what holds people like Gohan back. Jiren is portrayed as a weakling who got strong due to his determination and drive, and his understanding of how Ki works. I don't think his genetics played a big part. I'd wager if everyone else had his mentality, they'd probably rank higher. I'd probably rank him just a bit above Goku but toward the lower end of the list.
Goku vs Vegeta: I disagree, because they don't train the same. Goku benefited from various masters, magical potential unlocks, otherworldly training methods, deeper understanding of Ki, and still was half Vegeta's strength when they met. Then Goku kept training with others while Vegeta isolated himself, Goku varied his training methods whereas Vegeta stuck to conventional gravity training, Goku knew how to rest, whereas Vegeta overtrained. By the time they both share the same conditions, Vegeta achieved SSG without the need for the ritual, and is now arguably stronger than Goku in their base forms. I think the series definitely supports the reading Goku has lower potential but keeps up by being smarter and more humble.
Boo: He went from SS2 tier to SSB tier in the Moro arc just by unlocking his memories, or "latent power." Who knows how strong he can get from training on top of it. Plus Oob definitely has the highest potential in the series since his energy was enough to power MUI back to full strength and dwarfed all the dragon team's Ki put together. Boo and Oob's potential should be relative at least, so he's definitely top 5.
I concede that Buu has the dog in him, but not sure if that would change his position much in our hierarchy. IIRC, Moro in his prime was also Super Saiyan Blue level without an ounce of training, and admittedly with a hell of a lot of cheating and undercutting, he managed to get to a much higher level than Buu ever dreamed of. Although, in the ROSAT scenario, Moro would be severely limited by a lack of planets to eat, so it’s a hard call.
I think Jiren is a good case study of how intense training and mindset is all about unleashing one’s innate potential. And this is a guy whose potential was great enough that simple training managed to elevate him above the level of a God of Destruction. That’s not a million miles off Freeza’s infamous 4-month training regime bringing him up to Super Saiyan Blue level. For Jiren, I don’t think his species played much of a role, but like Freeza, he may just be an extreme prodigy among his race.
As for Goku and Vegeta, it’s definitely fair to say that his Super Elite genetics gave him a headstart over his rival initially, but there’s evidence both ways in terms of who truly has the highest potential cap. Compare their near-death zenkai boosts in the Namek arc. Vegeta was hopeless against Final Form Freeza, whereas Goku was able to challenge him. Goku has always been the trailblazer, always getting new forms first. Some of that can be attributed to more efficient training methods, but there’s no denying that Vegeta also works extremely hard. Just look at Daima for a recent example. Only a few months after the Buu arc, Goku was ready to reach Super Saiyan 4, while Vegeta is still only at Super Saiyan 3 — sorry, “Ultra Vegeta 1” — and struggling with stamina issues. So much of the series is about him grappling with being second-best despite all the apparent advantages he had, and the fact that the Saiyan caste system he bought into so heavily was mostly bullshit.