Top Ten Underrated Characters in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has quickly developed a strong following for competition as players are quickly climbing the unique ranked system of Dragon Ball’s newest entry.
What makes the Ranked Climb in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero unique is its use of Destruction Points, which punish players for picking strong characters like Fusions, God Forms, and pretty much any character from Dragon Ball Super. However, with a long list of characters in the game, it can be hard to figure out which characters you should add to your team in your quest to become the best Sparking! Zero player in the world.
Here are the ten most underrated characters in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero that you should consider picking up for your next Ranked Match.
Before we enter this list, no character on this list will have a starting base Destruction Point total higher than five on this list. While some will be able to transform into characters that can excel past their initial Destruction Points, what makes all of these characters extremely underrated is how cost-efficient they are when it comes to Sparking! Zero Ranked matches.
Lord Slug (Four Destruction Points)
Not many players are aware that Lord Slug is as strong as he is, coming in at just four Destruction Points. However, he secretly has an amazing transformation that grants him Super Armor and strong hits. While he loses some of his speed, he more than makes up for it with stronger defenses and powerful punches that make it impossible for low Destruction Point characters to withstand his natural tankiness.
Many people are unaware of Lord Slug’s existence entirely which is why he fits the bill of this list. His base form is also a suitable option for those who are uncomfortable with the slow movement sof his Super Slug form. Combine that with his fast options for beam attacks and he is a great option for anyone looking to fill out their team with one final member.
Tien (Four Destruction Points)
Tien truly is one of Dragon Ball Universe's most underrated characters. Serving as one of the original Dragon Ball characters, Tien used to be known as one of Goku’s most feared rivals in the original Dragon Ball series due to his martial arts abilities. Nowadays, he has been pushed to the wayside as a side character. However, there is a reason Tien was one of the fighters present during the Tournament of Power. Tien’s Tri-Beam attack is extremely accurate from all points of the arena and his Dodonray ability is extremely quick. These two abilities make Tien a great option for those looking to add extra damage to opponent’s primary team carries.
Additionally, Tien is also a fine option for those that are looking to stay close combat to their opponents. While he may not be great against the God characters like Jiren, Beerus, and Whis, you can reliably count on him to chip away at their damage before switching into your own carry.
Vegeta Scouter (Four Destuction Points)
Having Vegeta on a list with 10 underrated characters feels strange, but there is a good reason to include Vegeta Scouter who is available at just four Destruction Points. While he doesn’t have the Super Saiyan Transformations that other Vegetas have in the game, there is one thing that separates him from other Vegetas on this list. Apart from Baby Vegeta, Vegeta Scouter can transform into the menacing Great Ape Vegeta which has terrorized the entire player base in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.
While you are extremely proficient on your own, Vegeta Scouter’s Great Ape form grants him one extra bar of health and provides him with Super Armor that is perfect against opponent’s non-ace characters.
Baby Vegeta (Five Destruction Points)
Baby Vegeta may be one of the best characters in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Yet, he may still be one of the most underrated characters in the game due to his short-lived tenure in the less-popular Dragon Ball GT. Baby Vegeta stands at a base level of five Destruction Points, but he has multiple transformations that can help you raise that power level throughout the game. If you want stronger attacks while maintaining your speed, transform into Super Saiyan Baby Vegeta. However, if you want more health and the overpowered Super Armor, transform into his Great Ape Form.
In total, you have so many options with Baby Vegeta that it is extremely strong in Ranked.
Uub (Five Destruction Points)
The human reincarnation of the powerful Kid Buu is one of Dragon Ball’s most underrated characters. That title still holds true in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero as Uub is a powerful character who can also transform into Majuub, a fusion of himself and Majiin Buu. On his own, Uub is still extremely powerful and fast. He has a good string of combinations that make him a versatile option as a semi-anchor and damage-dealing threat to both carries and supportive characters.
He has a great kit of special moves that help him maintain distance from other characters while his melee strings are what truly make him a great character in Ranked matches. Try Uub out and you will not regret it one bit.
Captain Ginyu (Four Destruction Points)
On his own, Captain Ginyu is already a formidable opponent. He is the strongest member of his Ginyu Force squad and has several solid beam attacks that can deal a great amount of damage.
However, what really separates Captain Ginyu from the rest of his squad is his Ultimate Ability, which allows him to swap bodies with his opponents. While this can only be used once during a match, it is an amazing ability that naturally creates distance and space from your opponents out of fear of being body-swapped. If you save this Ultimate Ability for an opponent’s highest Destruction point character, you are in for a fun time.
As a fun note, did you know that you can take all five Ginyu Force members into a Ranked match as all of their point totals combine to equal a perfect 15? You even get their iconic poses and unique dialogue. It’s nothing but fun from Frieza’s mercenaries.
Burter (Four Destruction Points)
One of two Ginyu Force members on this list, Burter, is amazing as a setup that can deal a lot of chip damage to most characters without the Super Armor ability. His rushing attacks like “Space Mach” have fast setups while any low sweep will result in a flurry of 30 attacks right at the opponent. Overall, Burter is an extremely underrated character in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero because of his lack of screen time throughout the series. That being said, do not mistake little screen time as being a character that you should not pick up.
Pair Burter in a team that needs a speedster damage dealer and you will be poised for success. Just don’t use Burter as your primary carry as characters with Super Armor heavily counter him. That being said, he is a reliable option into any other character.
Teen Gohan (Four Destruction Points)
Imagine being able to play as the person who took down Perfect Cell for just four Destruction Points. Having Teen Gohan at such a low base level of points is extremely good. Teen Gohan is an extremely popular character in the Dragon Ball Universe. As Goku’s eldest son, Teen Gohan was known for being the youngest Super Saiyan during the Cell Saga and the first Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
All of these transformations are available in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero as Teen Gohan’s power level usurps that of many characters in the game. The fact that you can have your ace character available for just four Destruction Points is what puts Teen Gohan on this list despite his popularity.
Related Article: How Does Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Ranked Mode Work?
Tapion (Four Destruction Points)
There needed to be at least one Sword character on this list, as this entry was nearly filled with Sword Trunks. However, the popularity of Swords Trunks made him a character that didn’t quite fit. Instead, let's go with the guy who gave Trunks that sword. While Teen Gohan is a popular character in Dragon Ball, his ability to transform into Super Saiyan 2 with a starting cost of just four Destruction Points makes it impossible to leave him off of this list.
This is why Tapion serves as the ultimate swordsman representation on this list of underrated characters. Tapion’s combos are fast and deal a lot of damage. Pair that with his very consistent Brave Slash ability and you have an extremely versatile character that can serve as a great damage dealer in Ranked Matches. While Hirudegarn may have the upper hand in pure strength, Tapion makes up for it in consistent damage, so he makes his way onto this list.
Yajirobe (Two Destruction Points)
Yajirobe is the only grounded character on this list, but he is extremely underrated as a character due to his low cost of Two Destruction Points. Situationally, there will be moments when you won’t be able to deal too much damage, and being unable to fly is quite annoying. However, Yajirobe is secretly one of the best tanks in the game due to his Senzu Bean ability, which allows him to heal back to full health when you are at five skill points.
Yajirobe’s health is already solid compared to other characters in his tier with four health bars to his name. Combine that with a strong skillset of quick rush moves, and you have a bulky tank that can chip damage off of your opponent's biggest threats. He is the perfect setup to dismantle your opponent's side characters and chip away at their main fighter.
Sage got his start in esports as a volunteer writer in 2016 for esports organization, Dignitas. Since then, he has continued to work on his craft as a journalist and reporter for a number of established esports publications, such as esports.gg, Unikrn, Akshon Esports, Howla, The Player’s Lobby, Nerd Street Gamers, and most recently Dot Esports. Now, as a member of Esports Illustrated’s content team, Sage’s primary duties are centered around creating groundbreaking written and video content about the esports industry that impacts the community in a meaningful way. Sage graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Informatics. There, he was a member of the Rutgers Esports Executive Board, both as the head of the fighting game community and a videographer/photographer for the Content team.