Explaining the Gods of Dragon Ball

Megan Peters

04/05/2017 11:14 am EDT

Dragon Ball has a rather complicated history with theology and all its cosmological quirks. The anime may be known for reviving lead characters on a whim, but that doesn't mean the franchise ignores the intricacies of the afterlife. Since Akira Toriyama first made Dragon Ball, the series has been imbued with fantastical depictions of heaven and hell - and heroes such as Goku manage to escape them all.

Recently, Dragon Ball celebrated a milestone anniversary when its 30th birthday rolled around, and fans continue to seek out the shonen title daily. However, there is a lot of backstory of the series, and its pantheon is something plenty of fans trip up on. With so many kaioshin and gods running about, it is easy to see why newcomers get confused over which deity is the most powerful. So, ComicBook is here to help you suss out the anime's more delicate bits.

In the following slides, you can get a breakdown of Dragon Ball's admittedly difficult cosmology. From Shenron to the Supreme Kai, you're about to read up on a crash-course of all things theological in Goku's world.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

King Yemma

In Dragon Ball Z, fans are introduced to a large ogre who goes by the name of King Yemma. Instead of being a full-blown god, the character acts instead as a sort of demi-god who oversees the dead. King Yemma sits behind a massive desk, interviewing souls of the recently deceased and deciding if they're bound for heaven or hell. Luckily, Goku gets to bypass his sentence when he asks to go find King Kai after he sacrifices himself to kill Radtiz.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

Shenron

As for the Shenron, the Chinese dragon will be a familiar site to anime fans whether they've seen Dragon Ball or not. The godly creature is the deity in-charge of granting wishes to Earthlings who gather the magical dragon balls. The mystical beast is a powerful force in the franchise, but he draws his powers from even higher beings. For Shenron, the dragon can grant any wish that does not exceed the power of his creator, Kami.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

Kami

For Dragon Ball fans, Kami is as basic as gods come. The character is a deity who guards over Earth, narrowing his territory to just a small pool of inhabitants when compared to other high-ranking gods. Kami didn't always do the best job, but the elder has since been replaced after he fused with Piccolo permanently. Dende took up Kami's role, and the younger alien has overseen Earth since.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

King Kai

King Kai is an integral member of the Dragon Ball family, and his godly position puts him just above Kami's class. The figure is known as the Kai of the North and oversees one of the four galaxies in Universe 7. Fans met King Kai in Dragon Ball Z when Goku seeks him out in the afterlife to train.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

Grand Kai

If King Kai's sunglasses did not impress you, then the Grand Kai may fix that. The stylish old man may look laid back with his denim vest and red boots, but the deity is actually a fearsome god to behold. As the Grand Kai, the deity is the overseers of all four Kais in Universe 7.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

Supreme Kai

If you thought being a Grand Kai was cool, then you need to readjust your expectations. Being a normal god is not enough to get you anywhere in the grand universal scheme; That right is reserved for the Supreme Kai who are also known as Kaioshin. These figures are the ones responsible for creating life and entire worlds. A single universe can have more than one Supreme Kai, leaving one or more to act as a simple attendant. In Universe 7, Elder Kai looks over the planet as the East Supreme Kai until Shin takes over. Kibito acts as Shin's attendant and even fuses with the Supreme Kai.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

Grand Supreme Kai

After a universe has its four Supreme Kais, there must be someone who can oversee them and the universe as a whole. The task falls to the Grand Supreme Kai, and the deity is one who oversees every part of the entire universe. Each universe has its own, and the one in charge of Universe 7 is a bit of a peace guru. He is said to be much stronger than Shin, but the Grand Supreme Kai was no match for Majin Buu. The alien was able to absorb the god temporarily, giving the Grand Supreme Kai a pudgy appearance when he was able to escape.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

God of Destruction: Beerus

When there is a Supreme Kai in existence, then there is also a mirrored God of Destruction to balance them out. Rather than giving life, the Gods of Destruction are deities charged with annihilating planets, but he's not able to take down entire universes. However, gods such as Beerus are more than powerful enough to strike fear within the Supreme Kais and even the Grand Supreme Kai when enraged. The Gods of Destruction are integrally tied to their universe's Supreme Kai, and each is trained by a mystical angel attendant. These mentors are often more powerful than their godly students, but their status does not avail them to a higher cosmological ranking.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

Omni-King

To date, there is no being or force more powerful in the Dragon Ball multiverse than the Omni-King. Introduced in Dragon Ball Super, the childish character is known as the god who stands above all things in every single universe. The Omni-King oversees every godly rank from Kami to Grand Supreme Kai and God of Destruction. He is tasked with keeping tabs on all of the gods every single universe in the Dragon Ball universe. And, if needed, the Omni-King has the power to erase a universe from existence. In the past, the Omni-King accidentally wiped out six universes on accident, leaving the multiverse with 12 left. Every level of god is scared of the Omni-King, but Goku tends to treat the gullible god as a close friend.

(Photo: Toei Animation )

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