The characters of Dragon Ball have never been as powerful as in Super. With a new arc approaching, we can expect even more excess. It was therefore the perfect moment for Toyotaro to reveal the heroes' power, a revelation that, in the end, turns out to be rather disappointing.
The problem with power scales in Dragon Ball>
Whether in Dragon Ball, or even in other shonen series, it is customary for the opponents to become stronger with each new arc, and naturally the heroes too. However, the debate over the issue of power has long raged in the community, and its roots date back to the Saiyan arc. Scouters were introduced, devices that allow the calculation of an individual's strength in numerical units. Initially playful, this system quickly became obsolete in the face of the skyrocketing power. From a Raditz at 1200 units, we go to a Frieza at 530,000 units just for his first form during the Namek arc. Even if this system disappears from the Cell arc, some fans still like to refer to it, except that it no longer makes any sense with almost incalculable numbers.
The problem with power scales comes mainly from transformations. In Dragon Ball, this is the primary means of gaining considerable strength. In the original work, this reaches its peak during the Buu arc, where Toriyama almost parodies his own creation. The problem is that Dragon Ball takes this logic even further. From arc to arc, we reach ever more disproportionate power levels, highlighting the absurdity of it all. Toyotaro's recent statements won't help matters, as he revealed the power of the manga's heroes with a rather questionable result.
The power of the DBS heroes mentioned by Toyotaro
In an interview with the official website of Dragon Ball, Toyotaro revealed to Maria Makino, a Japanese idol, who the strongest hero in the manga was. His comments came as a surprise, as he claims that Goku, Vegeta, Broly, Gohan, and Piccolo have a more or less equal power level. He also points out that this is why the five characters appear together on the much-maligned cover of volume 24 of DBS. You could say it's a jaw-dropping revelation.
Toyotaro: In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Piccolo becomes Orange Piccolo, Gohan becomes Beast, right? Given that, between Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Broly... don't you wonder who's stronger?
Makino: Absolutely! There's a scene where Vegeta beats Goku, but we don't really know who's number 1 in the group. [...] The cover of the volume shows everyone in their strongest form, doesn't it?
Toyotaro: [...] I wanted to depict the rivalry between the five, and this illustration was born from that.
Currently, we know that Zeno, the Angels, and the Gods of Destruction are the most powerful entities in the manga. Just below that, we should logically find Black Frieza, who defeated Goku and Vegeta in one fell swoop. On the hero side, things get more complicated. Ultra Instinct Goku, Ultra Ego Vegeta, and Legendary Super Saiyan Broly seem to be roughly on the same level, although we could give the edge to the two more experienced Saiyans. As for Beast Gohan, the manga suggests he could be even more powerful than his elders. Finally, there's the case of Orange Piccolo. It's hard to put him on the same level as the others, especially given what he does in the Super Hero arc. It's hard to see him at the heart of this "rivalry." However, Toyotaro's words highlight a big problem with DBS regarding power scales.
Black Frieza plays a bit of a referee in this story. The manga is vague about his power level, probably to maintain the suspense. However, knowing whether or not he's as strong as Beerus would allow us to better situate current power scales. If he turned out to be less powerful than the God, that would pose a problem. He's supposed to be light years ahead of the heroes, who, logically, should be very close to Beerus's level. This would change our view of the work and risk discrediting everything. The relative equality between the heroes already points in this direction, even if we can be glad that Goku and Vegeta are no longer the only ones to shine. The problem is that this goes against all logic. Seeing Piccolo on par with Goku seems inconceivable, and yet, it probably is now. Making things easier just to stand together against Black Frieza feels like a big plot shortcut. Strength in numbers, sure, but not like that.
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