Whether returning to Dragon Ball with the newly re-cut Dragon Ball Super: Beerus anime, or checking in on its dense pantheon of legendary fighters, everybody coming in can get reasonably hyped for what the franchise has to offer. It smacks of creator Akira Toriyama’s comedic charm and character designs, has influenced scores of anime and manga to follow, and is generally agreed upon as one of the greatest multimedia empires to spawn out of Japan from the 20th Century. But the moment that drove hype through the roof was in Dragon Ball Z upon the animated debut of Super Saiyan Goku, kicking off a brand-new era.
The concept of going Super Saiyan was conceived for a practically and hilariously Toriyama-esque reason: to avoid having to color in Goku’s hair for the manga. But through this change, entire new realms of power were opened up, with few barring Piccolo finding ways to match the absolute majestic power-up belonging squarely to the remnants of the Saiyan race. There are many Super Saiyan forms in Dragon Ball, and many other forms given a unique spin only by characters capable of such a transformation, but an increasingly complicated hierarchy has surfaced, and will only be more so in the sagas following Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol.
21
False Super Saiyan
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
During Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, one of many Dragon Ball movies made over the years, the eponymous villain shows up on Earth looking for trouble. He’s quickly confronted by the Z fighters, who are easily dispatched. Even Goku has a hard time with Slug until he manages this power boost.
As False Super Saiyan is the weakest of the Super Saiyan levels, Goku’s hair didn’t turn yellow, but his pupils disappeared, and his aura gained a gold tinge. He also received a huge power boost, although he wasn’t able to maintain it for very long. Technically, Goku was the only one who reached this benchmark, though Vegeta has shown off a technique that is similar. The form (also known as pseudo-Super Saiyan) was created before the first official transformation would take place, earning is a strange but notable place in Dragon Ball history.
20
Super Saiyan
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Transformed at Last”
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Every Dragon Ball fan remembers watching Goku transform into a Super Saiyan for the first time. A Saiyan is able to achieve this state through a combination of intense training and extreme emotional reactions.
For Goku, it was watching his best friend be destroyed. For Vegeta, it was the anger that both Goku and Trunks had beaten him to it. Regardless of how the transformation is achieved though, it represents a jump in power unlike anything seen before.
In the first of the true Super Saiyan forms, the Saiyan’s hair stands up straight and turns completely yellow. The Saiyan also displays a golden aura, which Akira Toriyama designed to make Goku easier to draw. The result created some of the most iconic moments and panels in Dragon Ball history. Super Saiyan laid the foundations for many of the best Dragon Ball movies.
19
Ascended Super Saiyan
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Super Vegeta”
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Ascended Super Saiyan is extremely similar to the base Super Saiyan form. The primary differences are that the muscles grow a little bigger and the hair gets a little bit longer and wilder. Once the Super Saiyan transformation is achieved, a Saiyan can reach this upgrade through immense training.
Vegeta, Trunks, and Goku were all able to reach this form through extended periods in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Vegeta was able to overpower Semi-Perfect Cell while using this technique.
Unfortunately, though, as a halfway measure between Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2, it never quite got as many times to shine. Eventually, the form would be rendered redundant by powerups like Super Saiyan Third Grade, Super Saiyan Full Power, and Super Saiyan 2, leaving Ascended Super Saiyan as a form that isn’t often referenced in the series’ later days.
18
Super Saiyan Third Grade
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Trunks Ascends”
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Out of the different Super Saiyan levels, Super Saiyan Third Grade is a bit of a wild card. Also known as the Ultra Super Saiyan or the Super Saiyan 1.5, the Super Saiyan Third Grade Transformation is the last one between the original form and Super Saiyan 2. It is similar to Ascended Super Saiyan with a few key differences. Though Ascended Super Saiyan sees an increase in muscle mass, Third Grade takes that to an absolutely absurd extreme.
Similarly, a Saiyan’s power level increases immensely, their muscles grow huge, and their already spiky hair grows even bigger and shoots out in all directions. Unlike the previous transformation, speed is greatly reduced due to the mass increase. Goku, Vegeta, and Cell all immediately recognized the downside of this technique, but it took Trunks a little longer.
17
Super Saiyan Full Power
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Meet Me in the Ring”
After Goku reached Ultra Super Saiyan, he came to an important conclusion: the original Super Saiyan form is the most practical, and thus Super Saiyan Full Power was established. Super Saiyan Full Power consumes less energy than either of the two superior forms and there is less rage involved, keeping the user more level-headed.
Goku decided that he and Gohan would remain in Super Saiyan form permanently right up until the battle with Cell. This way, their bodies would become accustomed to the power and it wouldn’t drain them. They would also be able to control their rage.
Unfortunately for Goku in particular, as powerful as Super Saiyan Full Power was, it wasn’t quite enough to beat Cell, necessitating the creation of Super Saiyan 2 in Gohan’s climactic battle with the ultimate android in Dragon Ball Z.
16
Super Saiyan II
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Cell Juniors Attack!”
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The Cell saga was full of all kinds of new Super Saiyan levels, but none of them made the kind of impact that this one did. In this form, Gohan’s initially short hair spiked and grew much longer. His aura maintained a small amount of lightning around it, and his strength and speed significantly increased. He became confident to a fault, which allowed Cell to briefly gain the upper hand.
Super Saiyan II is notable for being one of the most common forms used throughout Dragon Ball’s Buu Saga. With only Goku and Gotenks unlocking Super Saiyan III, Super Saiyan II became a staple in the arsenal of Gohan as he personally fought to protect the world in Goku’s absence. Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks have all reached this level, as well as Kale and Caulifla more recently.
15
Legendary Super Saiyan
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
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Like Ascended Super Saiyan and its upgrade, the Saiyan’s muscles grow much larger. However, in this form, their speed is not at all affected, arguably the first of the Super Saiyan levels to be truly terrifying. A legendary Super Saiyan’s hair also gains a green tinge as opposed to the original yellow, and their eyes become white without pupils.
At first, the only Saiyan to reach this level was Broly, one of Goku’s strongest foes, in non-canonical movies. The transformation was made canon when the timid Universe 6 Saiyan Kale achieved the Legendary Super Saiyan form. The form got a much bigger showcase in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which made the original Legendary Super Saiyan canon to Super. Legendary Super Saiyan may be difficult to control, but it possesses a raw power that is stronger than Super Saiyan II.
14
Berserker Super Saiyan
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, “You’re Our Tenth Warrior! Goku Approaches Frieza!!”
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Similar to Broly’s Super Saiyan state, the Berserker Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan Berserk unlocked the deep potential of the Universe 6 warrior Kale. After getting the Legendary form’s signature muscle mass increase and white eyes, a golden green glint shines in Kale’s aura and hair, but also at the cost of losing control to sheer rage.
Nearly overpowering Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue and also displaying its force in the Tournament of Power, Berserker Super Saiyan is Kale at her deadliest. Berserk is definitely one of the more dangerous Super Saiyan levels.
What remains unclear is how Berserker stacks up against Universe 6’s own Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly. While fans can only speculate, it’s clear that a battle between Kale and Broly could be one of the most devastating fights in Dragon Ball Super’s history.
13
Super Saiyan III
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Super Saiyan 3?!”
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So far, only three Saiyans have achieved the Super Saiyan III form in canon. The first was, obviously, Goku. He used it against Buu in what came off as a lecture on Super Saiyan transformations. The second was Gotenks, who just kind of figured it out on the fly.
Recently, Vegeta unlocked Super Saiyan III in Dragon Ball Daima, though it’s unclear how canon that series is given that it seems to contradict Dragon Ball Super in places.
This form is drastically different from the first few. For one, the Saiyan’s blond hair grows huge and falls behind their back. They also lose their eyebrows entirely, which makes for a more menacing look.
There is a good reason only two Saiyans have unlocked the Super Saiyan III form in canon. Goku is only able to unlock it due to the differing passage of time for those in the afterlife while Gotenks can only access the form due to having the combined Ki of two incredible fighters. While Goku has used Super Saiyan III after being fully resurrected, its clear he can’t maintain the form for long given its tremendous energy consumption.
12
Golden Great Ape
First Appearance: Dragon Ball GT, “The Tail’s Tale”
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All Saiyans are born with monkey-like tails. When they look at the Moon while their tails are still attached, they transform into a giant ape known as Oozaru. When a Saiyan who has achieved the Super Saiyan transformation turns into Oozaru, they reach the Golden Great Ape form.
The form resembles Oozaru in every way except that the fur is gold instead of brown. It is also obviously much stronger, surpassing even the power of a Super Saiyan III.
If there’s one thing holding the Golden Great Ape form back though, it’s the complete and total loss of control that comes with it. While other Super Saiyan forms have spoken to an intense rage, it’s nothing compared to just how monstrous a Saiyan is as a Golden Great Ape. With Dragon Ball GT and its many episodes wiped from canon, the most transformative of the Super Saiyan levels no longer exists.
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