Come to think of it, we don't really know what the standard power level for a low ranking warrior in the planet trade (Saiyan or otherwise) was.
I mean, Vegeta considered Raditz weak, but up until Goku got all his training (both then Kaioken and then the 50 times gravity training) every Saiyan was weak compared to him, so his opinion is skewed.
And while Raditz is incredibly weak by the standards of the villains who would follow, it may be that it's because those dudes were ridiculously strong.
I can't recall what baby Goku's Power Level was when he was sent to Earth. We might use that to extrapolate things.
One Strip! One Strip!The next weakest Saiyan after Raditz that we have a power level for is Fasha from Bardock's team, at 2000. She's by far the weakest of Bardock's team as well, who all have power levels from 4000-5000.
For the record, Freeza's soldier Appule has a power level of 1'520 in the latest databook.
edited 30th Nov '17 11:57:04 AM by Sigilbreaker26
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"Curious. Am I alone in feeling how Toriyama, or whoever, is actively trying to shave off the “hard edges” of this story? I remember Dragon Ball used to have more... grit. Like this new revelation of how the OG Super Saiyan was “righteous”, along with his 5 comrades. I mean, I guess I was wrong in having this false impression of how the OG SSJ was a blood-thirty killing machine who destroyed the Saiyan’s original home world cause he went ape shit and couldn’t handle that amount of power. I noticed the same thing happened with Bardock too.
If I had to guess, I think some people became uncomfortable with the fact that their favorite characters are morally reprehensible people. So a “change” needed to take place.
I'll leave the Raditz topic here as it doesn't seem we'll be able to hammer down a precise number as to the "average Saiyan". I just think it's hilarious that the weakest Saiyan we've met by some distance is considered a "highly ranked" one. Also, Fasha was half the power of the guy above her, I don't think she was the sort of person Freeza was talking about. Now, some 4000-10000 type guys, especially if they're what low class Saiyans can become, now those are dangerous.
But I agree, Dragonball's undergone a series of retcons (most egregiously, Dragonball Minus) that are really taking away from what I found most interesting about the Saiyans and Goku's backstory.
Bardock's character has been absolutely pillaged, all the more insulting because Toriyama didn't come up with him. He was fantastic in the original TV special and only gone downhill from there. (What is it with these kickass TV specials? History of Trunks was the same, really good)
edited 30th Nov '17 12:12:22 PM by Sigilbreaker26
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"That moment lasted until he was dead and we heard the next two villains call him a weakling on his scouter.
Every highest power is a big deal. Yamcha was a big deal once. Roshi was a big deal once.
edited 30th Nov '17 12:35:25 PM by Sigilbreaker26
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"I imagine Team Four Star has helped with that.
They might also have played a role in the upswing of Yamcha mockery as well.
One Strip! One Strip!The power average of the other universes seems a lot stronger than Universe 7. Universe 7 has some of the strongest in the tournament, but Universe 7's teams are complete exceptions. Frieza was the strongest mortal before he trained. Ginyu was regarded as the strongest mortal behind King Cold, Frieza and potentially other members of his mysterious species despite being 0.1% the strength of Frieza. And Zarbon and Dodoria were the strongest non-Ginyu force, non-Frieza types despite being less than half Ginyu's strength.
In other words, were it not for our heroes Universe 7 would be utterly pathetic mortal-wise. I doubt that has much to do with the average mortal level, but it's still a sign of how ludicrous the power jumps have gotten
Goku when he was first introduced(or in the Pilaf saga(since I'm not sure if that was the first one)) was 10 and if we assume it rose since he was on earth then no wonder Goku was considered weak by Vegeta and that. Raditz was 1500 Vegeta was 18000 uhh that mean Cui was as strong as Vegeta in the Sayian saga so yeah he was surprisingly strong from Daizenshuu 7, Vol. 21, #249
Also goddamm Zenkai boosts vary so much in terms of how much extra power you get from them
The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success. Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.That's because Toriyama hypes up certain dudes as being the biggest dogs in the yard entirely so that the guy they are fighting will look even better when they beat said big dog.
Cui is King Chappa: there to be hyped up and beaten, and nothing more.
edited 30th Nov '17 1:55:00 PM by HandsomeRob
One Strip! One Strip!I suppose it does say quite a bit when one guy was able to create several people who were stronger than everyone else up to that point.
edited 30th Nov '17 2:44:11 PM by LordVatek
This song needs more love.I just want to point out that it's been said that Freeza and his father are mutants, and their ridiculous strength is not normal among their species.
edited 30th Nov '17 2:11:58 PM by DarkHunter

The terminology is "upper level" and all it means is that the Saiyan is strong enough to be a combatant and go on planet-killing raids. From what we know of Raditz, he is more than powerful enough to kill all life on a planet, so I think it's appropriate. In another interview, Toriyama has said that most Saiyans are Low-Class, as well as clarifying that there are three classes: low, medium, and elite, so there is a distinction between the two classifications.