Power scaling in the Dragon Ball universe is a full-time job. Fans have spent decades debating whether Goku’s latest transformation could beat Beerus, or if Broly is truly the legendary Super Saiyan of prophecy. But a quieter, more specific debate has been simmering for years: who is the strongest warrior to ever don the color black? Not just villains who happen to be evil—characters whose entire aesthetic and identity are wrapped up in that pitch-black look. The list is surprisingly deep, and the answer might shift depending on where you land on the canon-versus-hype spectrum.
The Darkest Brawlers in the Franchise
Let’s be clear about what we mean by “black” here. We’re talking about characters who are physically black or wear black as their defining visual trait—not just someone in a dark outfit for one arc. This narrows the field considerably. And within that group, power levels vary wildly. Some are early-Z-Fighter fodder; others approach god-tier. After combing through the manga, the anime, and the movies, here is the definitive ranking of the five strongest warriors in black.
5. Putine (Majin Putine)
Putine is one of the more obscure Majin characters introduced in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and its Trunks: The Warrior of Hope DLC. She serves Babidi alongside Dabura, and while she doesn’t get a ton of screen time, her abilities are not to be dismissed. Putine is a magic-user, capable of teleportation, energy blasts, and even turning her body into stone for defense. She is a credible threat to base-form Gohan during the Majin Buu arc. Still, she caps out well below the heavy hitters. She’s strong, but she’s not bending reality.
4. Super 17 (Hell Fighter 17)
Hell Fighter 17 is an android created by the evil Dr. Gero, resurrected by the AI arms race of the Other World in the non-canon Dragon Ball GT arc “Super 17.” He wears black, fights dirty, and has the unique ability to absorb energy attacks and redirect them. He literally killed the majority of the Z-Fighters before being destroyed by a joint effort from Goku and the original Android 17. Hell Fighter 17 is a brutal, no-nonsense fighter with all the durability of a Super Android and none of the emotional baggage. He is the gatekeeper of the top tier: you have to be able to fight a Super Saiyan 4-level opponent to pass him.
3. Janemba (Super Janemba)
Janemba is the main villain of the 12th Dragon Ball Z film, Fusion Reborn. This is a 1998 Italian 'Bad' Movie that accidentally introduced one of the coolest designs in the franchise. Super Janemba is a demon born from the accumulated evil souls of Hell, and his power is immense. He can create portals that warp space and time, punch through dimensions, and his raw strength is enough to match Super Saiyan 3 Goku. Goku admits he can’t win alone, and it takes Gogeta—the fusion of Goku and Vegeta—to finally put Janemba down. That puts Janemba firmly above Super Saiyan 3 tier and into the realm of universal-level threats.
2. Goku Black (Future Zamasu / Super Saiyan Rosé Goku Black)
Goku Black is the main antagonist of the Dragon Ball Super “Future Trunks” arc, and he is a game-changer. He is Zamasu—a kai in training—who used his divine authority to steal Goku’s body. This gives him all of Goku’s base power and battle instinct, plus his own god ki. The result is Super Saiyan Rosé, a form with divine power that surpasses normal Super Saiyan blue. He wields a scythe of justice that can slash through time and space, he learns from every fight, and he eventually merges with his own timeline to become a nearly immortal, universe-wide entity. Goku Black is a terrifying hybrid of instinct and divinity.
1. Majin Buu (Pure Buu / Kid Buu)
There is only one correct answer at the top. Kid Buu—the pure, unadulterated, raw form of Majin Buu—is the strongest “black” warrior in the Dragon Ball multiverse. Forget the pink, chubby form most fans picture. Kid Buu is pitch black in coloring within many official depictions, and he is an unkillable engine of destruction. He can regenerate from a puff of smoke, he can destroy planets with a thought, and he is completely insane. He has no limit to his stamina, no fatigue, and no morality. It took a planet-level Spirit Bomb from a Super Saiyan 2 Goku with the energy of the entire Earth to finally destroy him. No other black-clad warrior in the franchise can claim that level of victory requirement.
“I will not kill you. I will destroy you. Erase you from existence.” — Kid Buu, basically every episode.
The Verdict and the "What About?"
A few obvious omissions will draw ire. Where is Black Frieza? Fair point. Frieza’s Black form from the manga’s current arc is monstrous, but we have seen so little of it in action that ranking him feels like speculation. He might be number one tomorrow; today, he is a teaser. Similarly, some fans argue Omega Shenron has a black-ish look, but his dominant color is gray. Majin Buu’s actual in-universe feats and sheer invulnerability place him ahead of every other dark-dressed combatant in Dragon Ball history. Akatsuki wishes they had this kind of staying power.
The conversation is far from over, of course. The Dragon Ball Super manga is still unfolding, and new black-clad antagonists could appear at any moment. For now, though, Kid Buu sits on the throne. And that is a throne built on the ashes of galaxies.
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