Speculation: Dende's Power Level

[Kaboom]

So something kind of random popped into my head today.

How strong is Dende?

On Namek, the Grand Elder unlocked his potential power like he did with Kuririn and Gohan, in order to let him reach them faster so they could summon Porunga. But even though Dende's simply not a fighter by birth and was still relegated to being their white mage for the remainder of the story arc, it still must have raised his battle power by a great deal. So I'm left wondering just how strong he wound up, and if as God of Earth he'd be able to handle most threats that might find their way to the planet if for some reason he couldn't simply sic Piccolo or one of the others on them.

So putting aside things like skill and talent and just talking in terms of power, how mighty do you think the li'l green healing machine was at any point? Who would you him most equivalent to?

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

Before he gets his potential unlocked, around 100.

After he gets his potential unlocked, around 1,000.

After he gets his Kami training, at least 10,000.

[Fox666]

If Videl can learn to fly, I guess he wasn't anything special at the beggining.

After Saichourou unlocked his dormant power it could be anything. The point was for him to reach earthlings faster, so any power would be of help.

[Piccolo Daimao]

At first, I think he'd probably be around the same level of a regular Earthling, since he's not a fighter and there's no real reason why he needs to be particularly strong. Although he could even be a 10, but not have as much physical strength as a martial artist with 10 and, therefore, still be as strong. Because of that, I don't think he'd have that much dormant power within him. Perhaps the Great Elder's power-up involved his healing powers more than anything.

After the Great Elder drew out his dormant power, he could wind up at 20 or something, but still probably not have much physical strength that could do much use in a battle against a real martial artist. It's purely just guesswork.

For reference, here are all the strength-related quotes about Dende.

Chapter: 256 (DBZ 62), P7.2
Subject: Dende
Context: Dodoria can’t find Kuririn, Gohan and Dende because his scouter was destroyed.
Kuririn: “S’okay… He’ll never find us. Thanks to that old geezer who trashed the scouters… With one o’ those he could find even that little guy’s ki…”

Chapter: 258 (DBZ 64), P6.7
Subject: Dende
Context: Kuririn, Gohan and Dende are hiding from Vegeta, who has learned to sense ki.
Kuririn: “I was wrong! It does get worse!! Even if we suppress our ki…there’s this kid’s tiny energy!!”

Chapter: 426 (DBZ 232), P10.6
Context: Gohan’s going around telling people about the Tenkaichi Budoukai
Gohan: “How about you, Dende?”
Dende: “No, I can’t enter. I’m not a fighting-type Namekian, after all.”

Chapter: 502 (DBZ 308), P13.6
Context: Goku contemplates who to merge with
Goku: “De-Dende’s not a warrior…”

[Fox666]

I guess it would be a problem to merge with someone that is not suitable for battle. Even if you raise your battle power, it has no use if you don't know how to make a fist anymore.

[Deity]

For reference, here are all the strength-related quotes about Dende.

...

Chapter: 502 (DBZ 308), P13.6
Context: Goku contemplates who to merge with
Goku: “De-Dende’s not a warrior…”

And don't forget that Goku chose to merge with Mr. Satan rather than with Dende before sensing Vegeta on Earth.

[funrush]

I think that after he got his potential unlocked, his power level was about 50. Before that, about 5 or 10.

[Piccolo Daimao]

And don't forget that Goku chose to merge with Mr. Satan rather than with Dende before sensing Vegeta on Earth.

Yeah. Even merging with Mr. Satan, an average Earthling martial artist, would be better than merging with Dende, a Namekian who doesn't even practice martial arts and, even if he was stronger than Satan (and that's a big if), probably wouldn't be able to do anything with his strength.

[Hitiro]

I think his powerlevel would be something close to Kami's, perhaps stronger since he had his power unlocked. We're probably looking at 300 - 1,000+ (After his potential was unlocked.) Going into the tens of thousands seems a bit ridiculous to me. And who says Dende even went through training after? As I recall from the story Kami told the predecessor is the one who trains the next Kami but Kami had already been absorbed by Piccolo so there is nobody to teach him. And we have to take into account that Kamiccolo arrived as a child and was trained to being worth of being Kami, Dende on the other hand had years of his people tutelage which more than likely surpasses any training a Human Kami can give.

When you compare the powerlevels of the people of earth which had so little people with a powerlevel over 100 and you compare that to Namek where you have people who are in the thousands then you can see that Namek is a much better place to learn. Dende upon arriving on Earth more than likely had all the necessary abilities and techniques to become the guardian of the earth. It didn't take him long to learn how to watch over the whole planet for instance.

[DanielSSJ]

In the Boo Arc, when Goku was choosing a partner to fuse with, he choose Mr Satan over Dende, so I'd say he's weaker than a normal human martial artist.

[Kaboom]

There really wasn't any need to bump such an old thread. At least it never went to multiple pages or anything, so no harm no foul, I guess. But please try to refrain from doing so.

Anyway, other people in the thread already pointed out that "not a fighter" doesn't necessarily mean "way weaker than my other options." Besides, via people like Videl we've seen what it looks like when someone with a very low power level flies, and they sure as heck aren't rocketing through the sky with an aura. Nobody with a single-digit power level is going to be able to fly like that.

[Sandubadear]

Goku chose to fuse with Mr. Satan partially because if he fused with Dende, the Dragon Balls would disappear, and Mr. Satan is a "fighter".

I suppose Dende's power is in the level of the humans in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, but he never learned how to fight, so would lose anyway.

[ZombieVito]

I firmly believe Dende became at least more powerful than God after Guru unlocked his potential.

After all he did create a more powerful set of Dragon Balls.

[DBZAOTA482]

I'll go no higher than 6.

[rereboy]

I firmly believe Dende became at least more powerful than God after Guru unlocked his potential.

After all he did create a more powerful set of Dragon Balls.

Skill in Namekian magic is different from being powerful in terms of strengh.

[Lord Beerus]

At least stronger than Kami.

[ZombieVito]

I firmly believe Dende became at least more powerful than God after Guru unlocked his potential.

After all he did create a more powerful set of Dragon Balls.

Skill in Namekian magic is different from being powerful in terms of strengh.

Then why are Shenron's wishes tied to his creator's power?

Even if you are right, Dende still displayed a superior Ki feat to BoZ Goku and Piccolo.

[SSJ2FutureGohan]

Didn't Spopovich and Yamu also have flight aura?

[RandomGuy96]

There really wasn't any need to bump such an old thread. At least it never went to multiple pages or anything, so no harm no foul, I guess. But please try to refrain from doing so.

Anyway, other people in the thread already pointed out that "not a fighter" doesn't necessarily mean "way weaker than my other options." Besides, via people like Videl we've seen what it looks like when someone with a very low power level flies, and they sure as heck aren't rocketing through the sky with an aura. Nobody with a single-digit power level is going to be able to fly like that.

Except Spopovich.

Didn't Spopovich and Yamu also have flight aura?

Yep, and they're arguably weaker than Videl, since Videl broke Spopo's neck and was beating him up until she got tired. Remember that Videl can be killed by a single pistol bullet, so obviously that aura doesn't mean either of them are strong. Anyway:

Chapter: 502 (DBZ 308), P13.6
Context: Goku contemplates who to merge with
Goku: “De-Dende’s not a warrior…”
[goes on to ask Mr. Satan to fuse]

This seems like a pretty clear Mr. Satan > Dende statement. I don't really see the need to try to BS around it. So, I put him at moderately below Bob Sapp's level, which is roughly where Mr. Satan is according to Toriyama ("I think he's pretty strong... but probably not quite as strong as Bob Sapp"). The upper tiers of the the UFC would whoop Dende (and Satan, and Sapp).

[rereboy]

Then why are Shenron's wishes tied to his creator's power?

Even if you are right, Dende still displayed a superior Ki feat to BoZ Goku and Piccolo.

There isn't any in-universe answer to that besides magic being weird. That doesn't mean that skill in Namekian magic isn't completely different from strength, which is self-evident. For example, one of Dende's characteristic abilities once he got his abilities unlocked, was his ability to heal, which has nothing to do with strength at all.

And which superior Ki feat is that? Remember that BOZ Goku and Piccolo could destroy the moon with ki blasts. In fact, even 21st tournament Roshi could. Dende has never showed any strength feat close to that, just stuff related to magic.