Dragon Ball Super: 5 Story Arcs Better Than Beerus Saga, Ranked

Dragon Ball Super gave fans plenty to love with the God of Destruction Beerus Saga, but calling it the show’s peak undersells everything that came after. Once Goku learned humility from a lazy, snack-obsessed god, the series only got bolder, weirder, and more emotionally loaded.

From evil gods wearing Goku’s face to a tournament that could erase entire universes from existence, Super kept finding new ways to top itself, arc after arc, in ways Beerus and Whis never even hinted at.

5 Universe 6 Saga: A Multiverse Tournament That Raised the Stakes

Hit from Dragon Ball Super | Credits: Toei Animation

Universe 6 Saga sounds like a throwaway gimmick on paper: a wager between twin Gods of Destruction over who will possess Universe 7’s Earth and the Super Dragon Balls. But it introduced Hit, Cabba, and the very idea of parallel universes, cracking open the show’s scale for good. Vegeta mentoring Cabba felt genuinely sweet, and Goku’s Kaio-ken plus Blue combo against Hit’s time-skip still holds up. It’s slower and lower-stakes than what follows, which is exactly why it lands here. It’s a fun setup arc, but it’s the floor of this list, not the ceiling.

4 Granolah the Survivor Saga: A Revenge Tale With Real Stakes

Granolah from Dragon Ball Super | Credits: Shueisha

Granolah the Survivor Saga takes a familiar setup, a lone survivor hunting the people who wiped out his race, and makes it hurt. Learning that Goku’s father Bardock once risked everything protecting Granolah and Monaito adds weight neither Saiyan expected. Vegeta’s Ultra Ego debut against Goku’s messier Ultra Instinct also finally gives the two Saiyans philosophically different power-ups. The ending rushes Gas’s defeat a bit too fast for comfort. Still, it beats Beerus on emotional stakes alone, even if its pacing wobbles right when it should be sticking the landing.

3 Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga: Moro Redefined Ultra Instinct

Goku vs. Moro from Dragon Ball Super | Credits: Shueisha

Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga throws Goku and Vegeta into actual danger again, something Super had been missing since Golden Frieza. Moro isn’t just strong; he’s a magic-draining wildcard who forces Goku to relearn Ultra Instinct from scratch. Merus quietly became one of the best side characters in the franchise, and his sacrifice to seal Moro’s copying ability still stings. Beerus never asked this much of Goku emotionally. That’s what pushes this arc above him: it treats strength as something earned through loss, not just training montages.

2 Future Trunks Saga: Goku Black Made Time Travel Terrifying

Goku Black from Dragon Ball Super | Credits: Toei Animation

Future Trunks Saga turns Goku’s own face into a weapon, and that idea alone makes it one of Super’s boldest swings. Goku Black is secretly Zamasu, a god who despises mortals enough to steal Goku’s body, and watching Trunks, Goku, and Vegeta scramble to stop him never loses momentum. Vegito Blue’s appearance is a genuine high point. Yes, the Zeno-erases-everything ending still divides fans years later. Even with that messy finish, it outranks Beerus by delivering the franchise’s most personal, unsettling villain.

1 Universe Survival Saga: The Tournament of Power Earned Its Hype

Goku vs. Jiren from Dragon Ball Super | Credits: Toei Animation

Universe Survival Saga is Dragon Ball Super at its most ambitious, an 80-fighter battle royale where losing means your entire universe blinks out of existence. It’s also where Goku finally nails Ultra Instinct against Jiren, arguably the franchise’s best one-on-one fight. Android 17 winning it all, then wishing every erased universe back, is a genuinely satisfying gut-punch of an ending. Beerus started this journey, but this arc is where it pays off completely. Nothing else on this list matches its scale, its stakes, or its finale.

What are your thoughts on these Dragon Ball Super arcs being better than the Beerus Saga? We’d love to know which one is your favourite and your opinions on them in the comments below.

All Episodes of Dragon Ball Super are available to watch on Crunchyroll.