Due to the author utlizing more characters and lore within the Dragon Ball franchise, various characters are given far more development and skills than there were in canon.
THE DRAGON TEAM AND CO.
- Gohan is a zigzagged example as he didn't stop training after the Cell Games which allowed him to stay in shape and progress his power more smoothly, though he initially isn't exactly much different in terms of his canon's overall strength and potential. Come later chapters and he grows back his tail which makes a Saiyan 10 times stronger and through the Supreme Kai learns he possesses a primal form of ki similiar to Yamoshi's brother Kumotsu, in that he has the potential to transform into a Golden Great Ape, and in turn achieve Super Saiyan 4, something only his Dragon Ball Heroes counterparts have done.
- Vegeta, though lacking the amount of potential Gohan has, currently surpassed the half Saiyan by achieving and mastering Super Saiyan 2, a form that Gohan struggles to and initially refused to learn how to control. Compared to his canon self who needed Babidi's magic to be forced into achieving the form, and was still weaker than Goku who had already unlocked Super Saiyan 3.
- Videl in canon did train under Gohan and learned flight and basic ki control, but she was still not strong enough to fight a Babidi enhanced Spopovich and the brutal beatdown and the truth about Gohan and her father led to her deciding to quit martial arts. Here, she not only doesn't stop training but is taught far more impressive ki techniques, is currently able to withstand 8 times Earth's gravity and was even taught to use Kaio-Ken, making her current level of power comparable to some of the Dragon Team's human members.
- Sharpner gets this treatment even more than Videl does. Canonically he was simply an above average athlete and boxer but no where near the level of strength of even grounded martial artists were. In the story, it was established that he did study under Hercule and his dojo and is physically stronger than pre-Gohan training Videl, however after seeking out Tien, he learned how to fly, use ki and a modified version of the Crane School's fighting style focusing more on defense than offense. Come to latest chapters and Sharpner rivals Videl in base power.
- Erasa in canon was simply the Valley Girl of their friendship group who was obsessed with boys and fashion. The story not only fleshes her character out more, but shows she has skills as both a designer and technician, becoming more of a Mission Control and supporting member of the Dragon Team akin to Bulma's original role. Erasa also seems to be able to see the good in people, though whether it's intuition or a rare sensory power is not established.
- Shin is probably the best example of this trope. Though he is the Supreme Kai of Universe 7 and technically Beerus' hierarchical equal, Shin is only as strong as Namek Saga Frieza canonically and even then he never finished his training under the Grand Supreme Kai, leaving him ignorant of most divine knowledge and the evolutionary growth and god-like power mortal species like the Saiyans can achieve. In this story, his attendant Kibito was able to fully train him, allowing him to not only become stronger, far stronger than Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, and more knowledgable about the multiverse in general. He has learned Spirit Control from the Yardratians and other mortal techniques as well as using a Time Ring to travel and observer events across the past and future. Suffice to say, Shin acts far more like an actual god here than he does canonically and has the power to actually back up his divinity.
- Kibito was merely an attendant who though stronger than most mortals was completely outclassed by stronger foes like Dabura and Buu. Kibito here also learned techniques from mortal races and other deities, including the Kaio-Ken, and was a match for base form and Super Saiyan Gohan in battle.
- Annin in the original Dragon Ball anime was still powerful but completely outclassed by Z and Super era characters. But here, Annin is far more prominent and definitely possesses far greater power and magic than in canon, though pales in comparison to Super Saiyan 3 Goku. Even so, she does have divine knowledge and objects and spells that do push the Savior of Earth to reach new heights.
VILLAINS
- Cooler in the original films was blitzing base form and Kaio-Ken Goku but was overpowered and killed after he finally unleashed Super Saiyan. In the story, Cooler studied various techniques and combat tactics from other species and his training allows him to match and even surpass normal Super Saiyan when transformed. It takes Gohan finally using Super Saiyan 2 to actually beat him, and even then Cooler was still keeping up and only lost after Gohan absorbed his Supernova.
- Dr. Wheelo in the original films was a large and clunky cyborg who lost to Goku at arguably one of his weakest points in the series, though to be fair had to be taken down with a Spirit Bomb. Here, Wheelo was able to obtain Gohan's S-Cells and inject them into his body, becoming a genetically engineered hybrid who Dende claimed was currently around the level of Frieza's power. Technically speaking however, this is not the Wheelo from the movie, and rather is his son, but counts on the basis that he still fills the same role as his father.
- Barry Kahn canonically was just a corrupt actor who tried to sabotage Gohan's marriage through manipulating Cocoa into staging an affair between the two, and only gained supernatural levels of strength when possessed by the alien parasite Watagash. Come the Elemental Tournament and we see that Barry, though not as refined or disciplined physically as other martial artists, is very skilled in using his Psycho Threads technique, allowing him to ensnare his opponent, control them like a puppet, sap away their Ki and perform Cold-Blooded Torture. The latest chapter also confirmed that he killed Lord Yao, a demon from Mt. Paozu who in canon was defeated by Super Saiyan Goku Jr., meaning that Barry is on par with the legendary transformation.
ELIMINATED FIGHTERS
- Pigero is the biggest example of the eliminated fighters who participated in the Elemental Tournament. Pigero from the anime filler was simply a delinquent who though street-smart and strong enough to knock fully grown adults and a kid Gohan off their feet, was a regular human with zero training. In the fic however, Pigero becomes a martial artist, learning a fighting style known as Reiken no Jutsu, which was inspired by Ansatsuken from Street Fighter and becoming strong enough to force Gohan to take their fight seriously. He also like the others is able to fight off Wheelo's Machine Mutants and robots.
- Upa, though heavily implied to have become a strong hunter and warrior like his father Bora, never obtains superhuman levels of strength and skill in canon. In the fic, Upa learns to harness Ki, something that his tribe refers to as "catori", which he can use for creating energy constructs such as weapons and animals body parts for combat or even generate white lightning. His fighting style is inspired by Nightwolf and both Chief Thunder and Eagle.
- Lime in the anime filler she appears in had no martial arts training whatsoever, being a normal human with a martial artist grandfather. Here Lime is not only a gifted martial artist but also uses Tiger styled disciplines such as Black Tiger Fist and Tiger Claw School Kung-Fu, and though she is defeated by Barry Kahn, Lime was physically overpowering him to an extent.
- Yurin in canon, though a former Crane School student, wasn't as gifted in martial arts as Tien or Tao, and rather learned how to use witchcraft to turn people into Jiangshi via a cursed talisman. Here however she is a decent martial artist, though she wields a type of magic, referred to as Majutsu, to manipulate plant life and the elements, utilizing wood, vines and branches in combat in a similar fashion to Wood Release.
