Dragon Ball: 8 Strongest Timelines in the Multiverse, Ranked

Dragon Ball Super would have anime fans believe that the multiverse is made up of only 12 universes, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The Dragon Ball multiverse is far more vast than the average Dragon Ball fan realizes, branching off into completely different storylines depending on the series. Between the original manga, Toei's anime, spin-offs like Super Dragon Ball Heroes, and alternate sequels such as Dragon Ball GT or Dragon Ball DAIMA, the Dragon Ball multiverse has only grown since day one.

Goku and Vegeta have gotten extremely powerful in the main timeline, but their current heights are nothing compared to some of their variants across the multiverse. Other Dragon Ball timelines go much further than Dragon Ball Super, resulting in versions of the main cast who can destroy anyone in the canon universe – even without God Ki. The strongest Dragon Ball timelines feature some of the most overpowered characters in anime history, not just in the multiverse.

8 The Online Timeline Sticks to the Original Manga's Power Scaling Rules

Dragon Ball Manga, Dragon Ball Online

Dragon Ball Online was a Japanese exclusive MMORPG that included a full timeline of what happened to every single character after the end of Dragon Ball Z. Most notably, however, Dragon Ball Online's timeline was written by Akira Toriyama himself. DBO was basically the closest thing to a canon sequel to DBZ until Dragon Ball Super. All that said, the Online Timeline is shockingly weak compared to other Dragon Ball timeline.

In the Online Timeline, the Z-Fighters never really surpass their heights from the Majin Buu Saga. Goku's strongest form is still Super Saiyan 3, Ultimate Gohan is still the most powerful unfused fighter, and Vegito is the timeline's ultimate warrior. The Online Timeline is lower stakes in general, following the player's custom character as they assist Future Trunks with fixing events in the timeline gone wrong (functioning as a precursor to Dragon Ball Xenoverse.)

7 The DAIMA Timeline is Held Back By When it Takes Pace

Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball DAIMA

With Dragon Ball Super: Beerus looking to remake Battle of Gods without incorporating Super Saiyan 4 Goku or Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta, Dragon Ball DAIMA officially takes place in an alternate universe from the main timeline. This is not only evidenced by Goku and Vegeta unlocking forms they don't have in Dragon Ball Super, but by Kibito Kai defusing in a completely different manner than in DBS.

Power-wise, SSJ4 Goku and Ultra Vegeta 1 are powerhouses, but they can't compare to anyone with timelines where the Z-Fighters unlock God Ki. At most, Super Saiyan 4 Goku is stronger than everyone in Dragon Ball Z except Vegito, which still places him below Super Saiyan God Goku in Battle of Gods. Since Dragon Ball DAIMA is only set one year after the Majin Buu Saga, however, it makes sense the characters wouldn't be much stronger.

6 The GT Timeline Goes Further Than Almost Any Other Timeline

Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT

Dragon Ball GT may not be the strongest timeline, but it is the longest timeline with actual story arcs (unlike Dragon Ball Online). By the end of the anime, Dragon Ball GT's most powerful characters are universe-level threats who can barely be defeated. Goku literally transcends death to defeat Omega Shenron, to say nothing of just how overpowered Super Saiyan 4 is.

In Super Dragon Ball Heroes, Super Saiyan 4 has been shown to compare to transformations like Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue – and all without God Ki. For as strong as the Z-Fighters become in DBGT (especially Goku and Vegeta), the GT Timeline ends up suffering from a lack of powerful warriors once Goku dies. Even with Super Saiyan, Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. are realistically weaker than some of DBZ's Earthlings.

5 Future Trunks' New Timeline Barely Held Itself Together

Dragon Ball Manga, Dragon Ball Super Manga, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super Anime

Future Trunks' Timeline is absolutely miserable. The Z-Fighters are killed by the Androids, Goku Black starts wiping out every human being, and then Zeno erases the entire multiverse to stop Fused Zamasu once and for all. Trunks' consolation prize is getting to move to a timeline that already has variants of himself and Mai. If nothing else, Future Trunks' New Timeline is very safe on account of having two versions of one of the strongest Saiyans alive.

By the end of the Dragon Ball Super anime, Future Trunks unlocks Super Saiyan Rage, an inferior but still powerful version of Super Saiyan Blue that allows Trunks to cleave Fused Zamasu in two. The Dragon Ball Super manga features a weaker Future Trunks, but his version of Super Saiyan 2 is just as strong as Super Saiyan 3 Goku, so he's hardly weak. In either continuity, Future Trunks' New Timeline is in safe hands.

4 The Toei Timeline is Finally Coming Back

Dragon Ball Anime, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Dragon Ball Super Anime, Dragon Ball Super Movies, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol

The Toei timeline covers all the canon animated material in the Dragon Ball timeline. While both the Toei and Canon Timelines are more or less at the same point following the end of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, there's a huge gap in the Anime Timeline since Toei still hasn't adapted the Moro or Granolah the Survivor Sagas. This means Vegeta does not have Ultra Ego in the Toei Timeline, nor does Goku have Perfected Ultra Instinct.

That said, all of that will change once Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol premieres. Toei has a habit of making characters much stronger in the anime, with only a few exceptions. This has been the case since the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, so it's not likely to change in Dragon Ball Super 2. Once the anime catches up to the Super Hero epilogue and introduces Black Frieza, the Toei Timeline will wind up stronger than the Canon Timeline.

3 The Canon Timeline is Finally Reaching the End of Z

Dragon Ball Manga, Dragon Ball Super Manga

Dragon Ball's canon timeline is the version of the story found in Akira Toriyama's original 42- volume Dragon Ball manga, and Toyotarou's Dragon Ball Super manga. While the anime continuity will realistically wind up stronger than the canon timeline when all is said and done, the manga being so far ahead of Toei’s version of Dragon Ball Super right now means the canon characters are much stronger than their anime counterparts. Goku has finally perfected Ultra Instinct, Vegeta has unlocked Ultra Ego, and Gohan Beast & Broly are far and away the most powerful Z-Fighters alive currently.

This is to say nothing of Black Frieza, who was strong enough to knock out True Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta simultaneously, and is currently being set up as the series’ strongest villain. The main cast is only going to get more powerful once the Dragon Ball Super manga comes out of hiatus and the canon timeline begins again in earnest. Never before have Dragon Ball’s main characters been so strong, and things will only escalate once the story hits the End of Z.

2 The Xeno Timeline is a Variant of the DBGT Timeline Where Goku Never Died

Super Dragon Ball Heroes (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Most DBZ Movies)

The Xeno timeline is one of the main universes in Super Dragon Ball Heroes, featuring several versions of the Z-Fighters who go on to join the Time Patrol and help make sure history doesn't go haywire. Notably, all signs point to the Xeno Timeline being an offshoot of Dragon Ball GT’s timeline. Goku and Vegeta have access to Super Saiyan 4, and are already familiar with villains who originated in Dragon Ball GT. That said, there are some notable differences between the two timelines.

For starters, Xeno Goku is not only an adult, he's alive, implying that this Goku was never turned into a child, nor died fighting Omega Shenron in his universe's Shadow Dragons Saga. More importantly, the Xeno Saiyans are far more powerful than their GT counterparts. Despite having no access to God Ki, Super Saiyan 4 Xeno Goku is strong enough to keep up with some of Dragon Ball Super's strongest characters, suggesting the Xeno warriors trained harder and faced more dangerous threats than anything GT's heroes did.

1 The Capsule Corp. Timeline is Home to the Most OP Anime Characters of All Time

Super Dragon Ball Heroes (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Most DBZ Movies, Dragon Ball Super: Broly)

The Capsule Corp. Timeline is a version of the Dragon Ball universe where Goku and the rest of the Z-Fighters experience the original Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, several DBZ movies, the Dragon Ball Super anime, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly. The end result is a timeline where the main characters are absurdly powerful, and are capable of defeating just about any warrior from other timelines. The CC Saiyans, in particular, are quite possibly the most overpowered anime characters in fiction.

CC Goku has trained with the Grand Priest, giving him a mastery of Ultra Instinct unlike anything seen in the main timeline. CC Vegeta is the only Saiyan to go Berserk and successfully pull himself back, unlocking a new version of Super Saiyan Blue in the process. CC Gogeta might very well be the single strongest character in all Dragon Ball, even unlocking Super Saiyan Blue Evolved to definitively put him above his canon counterpart. The CC Timeline is the absolute peak of power in the Dragon Ball multiverse, and it isn't even close.