Dragon Ball: Who Was 'God Of Destruction' Before Beerus & How Powerful Were They?
The 2013 film "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" kicked off a new era for the franchise, serving as a direct sequel to the "Dragon Ball Z" anime series that concluded in Japan in 1996. Central to its story is Beerus, a new character who serves as the God of Destruction for Universe 7, in which virtually all the events of the "Dragon Ball" franchise take place.
"Battle of the Gods" is the first "Dragon Ball" project to present this notion of a God of Destruction, but Beerus is not, in fact, the first character referred to as a "God of Destruction." Rather, a character named Luud is technically the "Dragon Ball" franchise's very first with this title, even if he was introduced before the term meant what it does today.
Luud is a villain in "Dragon Ball GT" — the "Dragon Ball Z" sequel that preceded "Dragon Ball Super," but now of questionable canonical status. He shows up in the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga, during which a scientist named Dr. Myuu is secretly attempting to bring a powerful being named Baby to life. Luud is ultimately a vessel through which he hopes to gather energy to transfer to Baby. Dr. Myuu therefore organizes a cult to worship Luud so he can absorb its members' energy. It's this cult that refers to Luud as a "God of Destruction" at a time predating Beerus' introduction.
Luud is a largely insignificant adversary whose strength can't compare to Beerus'
If "Dragon Ball GT" is, in fact, canon, then it takes place after everything that has happened in "Dragon Ball Super" thus far. That said, Goku's power decreases drastically at the series' start when he transforms into a child, so virtually all of his adversaries throughout "GT" are weaker than his opponents in "Super." Accordingly, then, Luud is not quite deserving of the "God of Destruction" moniker when compared to Beerus.
In "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods" and its subsequent adaptation at the start of "Dragon Ball Super," Goku attains a new form called Super Saiyan God that surpasses his most powerful form in "Dragon Ball Z." Even with its power, he can't defeat Beerus. Meanwhile, Goku in his weakened "GT" state holds his own against Luud's final form before Pan uncovers a fatal weakness that they exploit together to defeat him.
So, while Luud may be the first God of Destruction in "Dragon Ball" history, his power is altogether unworthy of the title as it's understood today.