Beerus is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball media franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He made his first appearance in the 2013 feature film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods as the main antagonist and reappears as a supporting character in Dragon Ball Super. Beerus is the God of Destruction of Universe 7 within the Dragon Ball multiverse.
Who is Beerus?
Beerus is over 75 million years old and is a purple cat-like alien believed to be the God of Destruction of the seventh universe. He destroys planets to maintain balance in his respective universe. Beerus is powerful but lazy, and often slumbers for very long periods of time ranging from a few years to several decades straight. However, even when asleep, Beerus has an incredibly acute sense of sensing power levels.
Beerus is feared throughout Universe 7 and adjacent universes due to his unbelievable power and Hakai technique which can destroy anything instantaneously, even intangible beings like ghosts. However, he is playful and can be easily made to destroy less by making him full with food or sympy. He is also very proud and becomes easily annoyed if he is addressed in an affectionate manner or crudely. Despite his fearsome reputation, he can become quite mellow and good-natured towards individuals he finds agreeable.
Beerus’ Powers
As a God of Destruction, Beerus possesses tremendous power and can destroy entire solar systems and galaxies if he so wishes. Some key powers and abilities of Beerus include:
- Incredible strength – Beerus is able to easily defeat the likes of Super Saiyan 3 Goku with minimal effort.
- Immense speed – Beerus can move faster than light and is able to keep up with even the quickest foes.
- Ki manipulation – Beerus can control his ki to unleash powerful energy blasts and explosions.
- Flight – He can fly and hover freely, even in space.
- Hakai – Beerus can instantly destroy anything with Hakai, even immortal beings.
- Pressure point technique – Beerus can paralyze foes by striking pressure points.
- Cosmic awareness – As a God, Beerus can sense events across the universe.
- Longevity – Beerus has an extremely long lifespan measured in millions of years.
On top of these abilities, Beerus is a highly skilled close quarters combatant and has mastered numerous martial arts techniques during his long life. He can use these skills to outpace opponents who may rival his raw power.
Is Beerus a True God?
The evidence seems to indicate that Beerus is indeed a god within the context of Dragon Ball’s fictional universe. Some of the key reasons supporting Beerus’ status as a god are:
- Beerus is consistently referred to as the God of Destruction of Universe 7.
- He is vastly more powerful than any mortal being in Universe 7.
- Beerus possesses abilities like Hakai which are unique to gods.
- He holds dominion over planets, stars, and galaxies.
- Beerus reports to the Omni-King, who oversees all universes.
- Other gods like the Supreme Kais defer to Beerus’ authority.
- Beerus is ageless and has existed for over 75 million years.
Based on this evidence from the original Dragon Ball source material, Beerus meets the conventional criteria for what defines a godly being. He has exceptional powers far beyond mortals, dominion over the universe he oversees, subordinates who serve him, and responsibilities tied to the preservation of the natural order through destruction.
Comparison to Other Gods in Dragon Ball
How does Beerus compare to other godly characters that appear in the Dragon Ball universe?
| Character | Type of God | Domain | Relative Power Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beerus | God of Destruction | Universe 7 | Extremely High |
| Whis | Angel | Universe 7 | Higher than Beerus |
| Supreme Kai | Creation God | Universe 7 | Much Lower than Beerus |
| Zeno | Omni-King | All Universes | Highest |
This table summarizes how Beerus fits into the godly hierarchy of Dragon Ball. He is surpassed only by his mentor Whis and the Omni-King Zeno. So while Beerus is not the supreme god, he is one of the most powerful deities actively influencing events in the universe.
Beerus vs Other Fictional Gods
How does Beerus’ power and abilities compare to other fictional god characters from movies, TV shows, video games, and anime?
- Compared to mythological gods like Zeus, Odin, or Ra, Beerus has more raw power and destructive capability.
- In the Marvel universe, Beerus exceeds most gods like Loki but would struggle against cosmic beings like Odin or Dormammu.
- Beerus surpasses divine beings in video games like God of War. He could defeat the likes of Zeus or Thor from that franchise.
- Among anime gods, Beerus ranks high. He could potentially defeat divine beings from series like Saint Seiya or One Punch Man.
- However, omnipotent creator gods like The Presence (DC Comics) or the One-Above-All (Marvel) would still exceed Beerus in scope of powers.
In summary, Beerus stands out among fictional gods for his combat capabilities and destructive capacity but he is not truly omnipotent. Creative forces like a supreme deity would still surpass him in raw power and influence over existence.
Conclusion
Based on an analysis of his abilities, hierarchy, and traits, Beerus clearly fits the criteria for being considered a godly being within the fiction of Dragon Ball. While not the singular omnipotent god of his universe, Beerus possesses power far beyond mortal limits and has domain over Universe 7 as its designated God of Destruction. His capabilities exceed most fictional gods from other media, underscoring his status as one of anime’s most prominent divine characters. However, Beerus is not a supreme being and still has masters like Whis who exceed him in strength. So in summary, while Beerus is undoubtedly a destroyer god, he is not the undisputed god of all creation in his universe.