Dragon Ball 5 Characters Who Are Fighting Geniuses (& 5 Who Just Suck)

Not everyone has the same level of fighting skills in Dragon Ball. Here is a look at 5 fighting geniuses and 5 terrible fighters.

Over the many episodes of Dragon Ball Z, audiences have been introduced to all kinds of different fighters. Some rely on brute strength, and others use lightning-quick speed to their advantage. Some fighters have strange, unique abilities that give them a massive advantage on the battlefield. Although all of these fighters are certainly interesting to watch, perhaps the most admirable are those who use their brains.

This list covers five fighters who are all "fighting geniuses." This means that they have shown off their tactical brilliance throughout the show. While other fighters (namely Goku) might show more natural talent and innate ability, these characters are known for using their wits. The other five characters covered on this list? Well, they just suck.

10 Fighting Genius: Piccolo

Piccolo has shown time and time again that he can stand up to fighters that are much stronger than he is by using his brains to his advantage. Perhaps the most tactically astute character in the entire series, Piccolo shows maturity, caution, and trickery in almost every fight.

He also trained Gohan, proving himself to be one of the best masters in the series. By using the tactics he learned under Piccolo, Gohan was able to surpass his father in terms of potential.

9 Sucks: Guldo

Guldo is an interesting case of "what could have been" in Dragon Ball Z. On paper, he had one of the most powerful abilities in the entire series. His ability to manipulate time exceeded that of even Hit, the legendary assassin.

That being said, Guldo proved utterly incapable of actually achieving anything with this incredible ability. At the end of the day, he was still a very weak fighter, and freezing time was never going to change that.

8 Fighting Genius: Gohan

In many ways, Gohan is actually the most intelligent character in the entire show. While many of the others seem completely preoccupied with fighting and training, Gohan spends much of his time in school. He is by far the best-educated of the bunch.

In terms of his actual fighting ability, he often exhibits the same tactical prowess as Piccolo. While he's not a natural fighter, he does show more intelligence compared to other characters, especially his father.

7 Sucks: Chiaotzu

Many have described Chiaotzu as the most pointless character in the entire series. Although he was meant to be a defender of Earth when Nappa and Vegeta arrived, he didn't really achieve much or contribute to the story in any meaningful way.

When he did decide to step up and attack Nappa, he blew himself up while failing to harm the towering Saiyan in the slightest. His weakness was compounded by his lack of involvement in the overall narrative.

6 Fighting Genius: Master Roshi

While it might be difficult to take Master Roshi seriously at times, the truth is that he's pretty smart in terms of fighting tactics. Master Roshi trained many of the Z Fighters, including Goku. If it weren't for Roshi, Goku would have never learned his signature attack: the Kamehameha.

The Kamehameha was the first energy attack shown in the entire series, and Roshi spent 50 years mastering it. During those decades, he also gained valuable experience that he was able to pass on to his students.

5 Sucks: Yamcha

Yes, the "Yamcha sucks" meme is a bit overplayed, but we can't deny the truth behind it all. At the end of the day, Yamcha just isn't a very good fighter. Although he definitely fared better than Chiaotzu, his defeat was always inevitable.

A lot of his shortcomings are the result of his lack of intellect. At the beginning of the series, Yamcha and Piccolo were essentially on equal footing. While Piccolo chose to dedicate himself completely to training and inventing new tactics, Yamcha's attempts always seemed a little half-hearted. No wonder he went back to playing baseball.

4 Fighting Genius: Whis

It goes without saying that Whis is a tactical genius. He is effectively immortal and has spent inexplicable amounts of time watching time pass. During these eons, he learned all about various techniques, powers, and artifacts such as the dragon balls.

Whis also helped Goku learn about Ultra Instinct, which is now basically the most powerful transformation in the series. Who knows what other tricks he has up his sleeve? While Whis is powerful, his knowledge of advanced fighting techniques is really what sets him apart.

3 Sucks: Cui

Some Dragon Ball Z fans might not remember Cui. Essentially, he was simply a plot device used to illustrate how powerful Vegeta had become after his defeat on Earth. Cui and Vegeta were supposedly rivals, and Cui was given permission by Frieza to finally destroy the Saiyan prince.

However, Cui quickly learned that Vegeta had become too strong for him. Cui even tried to trick Vegeta in an effort to escape, but the Saiyan completely obliterated him with an energy blast.

2 Fighting Genius: Frieza

Frieza is another character who deserves to be praised for his intellect. Yes, he had made some rather obvious errors of judgement, many of which led to his eventual demise. Putting that aside, Frieza exhibited tactical brilliance throughout much of the Namek saga.

Frieza is especially skilled in the arts of manipulation. His cruel and sadistic methods are admittedly quite creative, and they certainly succeed in getting the villain what he wants, when he wants it.

1 Sucks: Videl

To be fair, Videl does deserve some credit. She's only human after all, and she did learn to fly. That being said, she is undoubtedly one of the weakest characters in the entire series, and this was made painfully obvious during her match with Spopovich.

At a certain point, she should have surrendered or run away. Spopovich was on the verge of ending her life, and yet she fought on due to her sense of honor.