Top 5 Super Saiyan Transformations
Through endless challenges the Saiyans of Dragon Ball have succeeded in achieving various Super Saiyan transformations. Read my take on the top 5 most iconic forms!
To celebrate the release of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero internationally, let’s look at these iconic forms and what makes each one so unique, from the original Super Saiyan to “Super Saiyan Blue.”
This will include spoilers on moments that occurred in the franchise!
Honorable Mention: Ultra Instinct
While it’s not a form of Super Saiyan, Ultra Instinct is a special enough form to receive an honorable mention.
Introduced in Dragon Ball Super when Goku gradually attained Ultra Instinct. His hair is slightly elevated, and his aura appears as a grey-blueish color. Goku first used this form against Jiren in the Tournament of Power.
I placed this form as an honorable mention because I was fascinated by how this form deviated from Goku’s standard Super Saiyan forms and God forms in terms of name and technique, as well as how big of a deal achieving it was against an opponent such as Jiren.
5) Super Saiyan God
First showcased in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Super Saiyan God is the first new Super Saiyan form brought into the Dragon Ball universe in recent times. It has been used by Goku and Vegeta.
It is the only form requiring a ritual with six pure-hearted Saiyans or a special divine training. Like the initial Super Saiyan form, it is a legend amongst the Saiyans.
The user possesses a form of red hair, as Goku had magenta-red hair while Vegeta had crimson-red hair. The irises of the Saiyan become red, and their aura resembles a raging fire. The temperament of the Saiyan is notably calm, unlike some of the other forms. Their body also becomes thinner and less muscular.
I placed this as 5th on my list because while it was initially quite incredible as the way to obtain this new form is quite different from the rest on this list, I feel like it wasn’t used a lot after Super Saiyan Blue was introduced.
4) Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7WBYR7A6r4
Seen in Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form is the most used Super Saiyan form in Dragon Ball media in recent years. It has been used by Goku, Vegeta, Vegito, and Gogeta.
Being nearly identical to the first Super Saiyan form in shape, the only major differences are the hair and irises, which are a cyan color.
Nicknamed Super Saiyan Blue, it has a blue aura, with small particles of energy traveling upwards within the flames. Goku himself describes the form as what happens when “a Saiyan with the power of a Super Saiyan God further transforms himself into a Super Saiyan.”
I placed Blue 4th on the list because while the form is very powerful, I felt that it seemed less unique due to how similar it is to Super Saiyan God. However, it is one of my favorite forms because of the otherworldly power Goku and Vegeta possess when they defeat Golden Freeza using Super Saiyan Blue.
3) Legendary Super Saiyan
The Legendary Super Saiyan form was showcased in Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, Dragon Ball Super, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly. The most well-known users are Broly, one of Goku’s greatest foes, and most recently Kale from Universe 6.
When experiencing this form, users display larger muscles, except unlike with other forms, their speed is not affected by the muscle upgrade. Also, the Saiyan’s hair becomes green, and their eyes are white without pupils.
As for why I placed this 3rd, I remember being mesmerized by how sinister Broly appeared in the original film and thought this seemed so different compared to the other Super Saiyan Forms.
2) Super Saiyan 2
Super Saiyan 2 is used in Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and multiple other Dragon Ball Z films. One of the most well-known Super Saiyan forms, it has been used most famously by Gohan, but Goku, Vegeta, Gotenks, Future Trunks, and many other Saiyans have also possessed the ability to obtain this form.
Notable for its spikier hair, the golden hair brought on by the original Super Saiyan transformation stands up even higher. The aura takes on a fiercer flame-like appearance compared to the original, lightning bolts arc around their body, and their speed is increased.
I placed Super Saiyan 2 as 2nd on the list because of how in awe I was when Gohan first achieved this form during his battle with Cell. It shocked me as a viewer how much Gohan’s personality changed. This scene stands as one of the most famous moments in Dragon Ball’s history, only below the original Super Saiyan transformation.
1) Super Saiyan
The Super Saiyan transformation is shown in Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge, Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, and more. Used by Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, Bardock, and countless other Saiyans, it was once believed that the Super Saiyan transformation comes in response to a need, not a desire.
Noteworthy for its users having bright golden blond hair standing like a flame, and their eyes changing to a greenish blue.
Saiyans who accomplish this transformation are known to be more violent, adopting more of their Saiyan-nature. From their base form compared to the Super Saiyan form, the power increase is large.
My reasoning for why the Super Saiyan is my favorite lies in how iconic and memorable it is. As a kid, I vividly remember Goku’s first transformation and loved how fast the tables turned on Freeza after he achieved Super Saiyan. In my opinion, it was the most memorable part of DBZ.
What are your thoughts on these Super Saiyan transformations? Would you choose different forms or rank them in a different order? Let me know in the comments!
