Super Saiyan
A Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人, sūpā saiya-jin), often abbreviated as SSJ, is a transformation accessible to people who possess heritage from the Saiyan race; a fictional race of aliens in the manga and anime of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT. This transformation results in a massive increase a Saiyan's physical limits, and ki capacity.
Legend
The legend of the Super Saiyan is first introduced by Vegeta during the Freeza Saga. The legend states that the transformation of Super Saiyan was an extremely rare occurrence, only happening once before; a thousand years earlier in the Dragon Ball universe (three thousand years in the English dub). When a highly evolved Saiyan is born, his true power could be awakened through rage. This saiyan, called a Super Saiyan, would be recognized as the strongest being in the Universe, wielding what was considered to be limitless power.
Because the Super Saiyan transformation had not been demonstrated by any saiyan in recorded history, many races (including the Saiyans) considered it to be simple mythology. This was until several saiyans emerged that possessed physical potential that had rapidly evolved beyond their known natural limits. After the galactic overlord Freeza witnessed a lower class saiyan defeat one of his elites, he came to fear the saiyans enough to destroy Planet Vegeta in the hope that a Super Saiyan would never emerge.
Four saiyans escaped destruction, Goku, Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta. Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan while battling Frieza, 30 years later when Goku is 29 years old.
It was originally stated that a saiyan must be pure of heart to make the transformation, whether it be pure good or evil. After Goku's transformation, he was considered the legendary Super Saiyan; however, just after one year, another Super Saiyan appeared. It was later discovered that any person with saiyan heritage was biologically capable of ascending to Super Saiyan if they were powerful enough, but only under the appropriate conditions. In the main series, all male saiyans still alive after the Freeza Saga managed to reach Super Saiyan, and some of them even managed to achieve advanced Super Saiyan transformations.
Conditioning versus Heritage
Surprisingly, pure blooded Saiyans seem to have the most difficulty when attempting to achieve transformation for the first time. They, unlike their hybrid counterparts, seem to require a state of extreme emotional distress in order to initially transform. However, people with only partial saiyan heritage seem to find it easier to achieve Super Saiyan, and don't seem to require as much emotional distress. The actual reason behind hybrids more easily achieving Super Saiyan is never stated. Son Gohan and Future Trunks required some emotional distress, but Son Goten required almost none at all, while Chibi Trunks's first transformation was never explored. However, Trunks's first transformation is suggested to be similar to Goten's first transformation.
Female Super Saiyans
There were never any female Super Saiyan in the entire Dragon Ball series, and even the two characters Pan and Bra were the only female characters in the original series with even partial saiyan heritage. The DBGT Perfect File implied Pan had the potential to transform, and possibly could have become a unique form of Super Saiyan. Toriyama later stated that he did not make a female character a Super Saiyan because he could not come up with a logical design for it, being that many of the physical traits of a Super Saiyan are more commonly male oriented, and not typical of females.
Tranformations
- The following descriptions of the transformations are based on the displayed traits in the manga series, with the exception of the transformations that only appear in the anime. The order at which the listing for transformation and characters appear is the chronological order at which the levels were achieved in the primary Dragon Ball timeline.
False Super Saiyan
False Super Saiyan (擬似超サイヤ人, Giji Sûpâ Saiyajin) This form is the result of a Saiyan who is unable to increase their ki enough for their bodies to complete the transformation to a Super Sayian. Even though the transformation is incomplete, certain features such as elevated hair, no pupils, and a golden aura are evident (though the aura is more erratic and uncontrolled than in the full transformation, as well as the locks of hair not being as rigidly upright). Due to inability to completely transform, the Saiyan uses much more energy than if they were either in their regular state, or fully transformed. This results in the need to revert to their regular form after only a short time.
This isn't the actual name of the transformation used in the film (Lord Slug), where it is referred to as "Super Saiyan" form. Dragon Ball Daizenshu #7 introduces the name to cover the discrepancies between the Super Saiyan transformation in the film and the actual Super Saiyan form in the manga.
Known users:
Super Saiyan
The first Super Saiyan transformation occurs when a Saiyan who has reached his natural limit is overcome with uncontrollable emotion; in most instances, rage. Even though the physical change is minimal, the power increase is colossal. The most noticeable change is that the hair is now a golden yellow and it is forced upward as if standing on end. The color of the saiyan's irises become green and the muscles become more defined and toned. The Super Saiyan aura becomes steadily dancing waves of yellow flame. Behavioral change is also quite noticeable, the saiyan becomes more aggressive and temperamental than usual. The first saiyan seen to achieve Super Saiyan in the series was Goku when fighting Freeza. Through training, the negative effects of the transformation can be suppressed and controlled, resulting in a Super Saiyan who can suppress his energy and act normal as if he was not transformed.
Known users:
- Son Goku
- Vegeta
- Son Gohan (Future Gohan)
- Broly (Bio Broly)
- Son Goten
- Trunks
- Gotenks
- Gogeta
- Vegetto
- Future Trunks
- Son Goku Jr.
- Vegeta Jr.
Super Saiyan 2nd Grade
Super Saiyan 2nd Grade (超サイヤ人第２段階, Sûpâ Saiya-jin dai ni-dankai) or Ascended Super Saiyan is a transformation that occurs when a Super Saiyan has taught his body to transform again further, resulting in a form that ascends the regular abilities of the Super Saiyan. This advanced state appears as a Super Saiyan, but with longer, finer hair that is forced further upward. The muscle mass on a saiyan is also significantly increased, but not enough to inhibit their movement or speed. The aura changes from gentle yellow/orange waves to a blazing uncontrolled torrent. The behavioral changes from the original Super Saiyan level to this one are apparent--this state is known for its increased aggression, even from the original Super Saiyan state. Super Saiyan 2nd Grade isn't considered an advanced state of Super Saiyan because the same basic limits and characteristics of the regular Super Saiyan still apply. This is the form Vegeta and Trunks use for the fight with Cell.
Known users:
Super Saiyan 3rd Grade
Super Saiyan 3rd Grade (超サイヤ人第3段階, Sûpâ Saiya-jin dai san-dankai), also known as Ultra Super Saiyan, is an advanced, but uncontrolled form of the original Super Saiyan. Due to the lack of control over the energy, the Saiyan's muscles increase to a point where it actually decreases movement, resulting in a massive loss of speed. This transformation also consumes a vast amount of energy. In this form, there is more traits that inhibit the Saiyan rather than advancing them, so even though the power increase is drastic, the Saiyan will not even bother with the form due to the speed and energy loss. Perfect Cell also demonstrated that he could mimic this level of Super Saiyan. However, he explained that he lost his speed advantage and retained his 'perfect' form.
This form appears as a Super Saiyan with increased muscle mass and wild hair, the locks of hair becoming more firmly upright than the previous forms of Super Saiyan. There is now a blazing, uncontrolled aura that surrounds the Saiyan.
It was also stated by Trunks that it was possible that Vegeta was able to use this form, but like Goku he knew its weakness and never used it in battle.
Known users:
Full-Power Super Saiyan
This unique form is reached by mastering every aspect of the Super Saiyan form, including the unwanted behavioral effects. By doing this, the Super Saiyan is able to retain transformation almost subconsciously, and without having excess energy consumption during transformation or fighting. Goku first thought of mastery of the Super Saiyan when he was training in the Room of Spirit and Time with Gohan. He knew that in order to efficiently fight Cell, he and Gohan needed to suppress the negative effects of Super Saiyan and have a natural feeling while transformed. After the Saiyan has mastered his Super Saiyan form, this becomes their regular Super Saiyan form. Goku and Gohan are the only confirmed individuals to have achieved this, even though in the manga it is suggested that Vegeta may have achieved it by the Buu Saga.
Because the intention of this form is energy conservation rather than energy amount, Full-Power Super Saiyan is not inherently more powerful than Super Saiyan 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade. This form is achieved through skill rather than power, therefore the Saiyan is able to focus greater amounts of energy with less difficulty, and with less collateral energy loss. This results in a Saiyan who is able to fight longer and more efficiently than with Super Saiyan 2nd Grade or 3rd Grade. In this form, the hair is finer than the regular Super Saiyan, and the aura is a unique balance of the auras from the regular Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2nd Grade and Super Saiyan 3rd Grade.
Known users:
Legendary Super Saiyan
This is the most unique form of Super Saiyan because the ability to transform into this is genetically selective, and exclusive to Broly. It only appeared in Dragon Ball Z movies, and thus, was not in the manga.
Beyond his regular Super Saiyan transformation, Broly's final form greatly increases his body size and muscle mass. His strength and speed exceed the limits of the regular Super Saiyan. Additionally, his irises and pupils in his eyes seemingly disappear.
When Broly transformed into LSSJ, the Z warriors were easily overwhelmed and defeated, showing the might of this form.
This form is most unique because it does not share the physical limits and flaws of a regular Super Saiyan, it actually counters them; gradually increasing power as fighting continues. This contrasts the normal Super Saiyan that loses power as battle is prolonged.
Originally, Broly's Legendary Super Saiyan form was first seen with lime green hair. This was merely an after affect of the mind control device his father had placed on him.
Known users:
Super Saiyan 2
This stage is very similar to Super Saiyan in appearance, but the muscles do not receive much of an increase in their mass. Other physical changes include longer, finer, more upright hair, a rounder face, and smaller eyes. The behavioral effects are the same as an un-mastered Super Saiyan and every physical change remains the same color as Super Saiyan. The Saiyan's power increases substantially from their regular Super Saiyan form, resulting in a larger aura that now has a very evident blue-colored, bio-electrical field. This form was first achieved by Gohan while battling Cell. Like the original Super Saiyan form, the initial Super Saiyan 2 transformation can also be achieved by the effect of intense emotions, but is generally achieved through training.
Gohan's transformation was unlike Goku and Vegeta's; when he used this form he gained an arrogant and almost sadistic mental status. One example of this happening is that after Gohan's first transformation, Gohan wanted Cell to suffer for the pain that he'd caused to the people of Earth. This contrasted his mental status in his Super Saiyan state where he refused to harm Cell at all. This sadistic nature was never emphasized in Goku and Vegeta's Super Saiyan 2 transformations, even though their aggression was heightened from their previous states.
There is some difficulty distinguishing between the first and second forms due to their being similar in appearance, and that Toei placed lightning on random auras with no sense of consistency in the anime. In the manga, it is easy to differentiate between them due to the second form's electricity surrounding the aura. There are also changes in the user's hair when comparing them to their regular Super Saiyan appearance.
Known users:
Super Saiyan 3
This form is the strongest of all saiyan forms in the manga Dragon Ball series, despite a stronger form was later added to the series in Dragon Ball GT. This form is quite unique compared to the other forms because of the fact that the form causes the user to rapidly consume their own energy in order to maintain the transformation; this leads to fatigue and the eventual need to revert to the Saiyan's regular state. Only Goku and Gotenks are shown to be able to utilize this transformation, one of the reasons being that this form was the only option to gain enough power to combat Majin Buu. While Goku was in the Other World, he could maintain this form for as long as he liked because he had an unlimited supply of energy; but once he came back to Earth, his energy capacity was limited, so he could not maintain this form for very long. Gotenks also is not able to sustain this form for long periods of time, but Goku noted that Gotenks seemed to have the ability to maintain the form with more ease than he could.
Super Saiyan 3 is characterized by a waist-length variation of Super Saiyan hair in addition to the saiyan's eyebrows disappearing, and his forehead becoming much more evident. Also it is noted that Goku's eyes have changed in that he now has pupils, however Gotenks does not have the same characteristic. The bolts of lightning flaring up and dancing about are carried over from Super Saiyan 2. Despite the major drawbacks of this form, it increases speed and power far more than Super Saiyan 2.
Known users:
Super Saiyan 4
This transformation only appears in Dragon Ball GT, and as a result, never appeared in the original manga. The Super Saiyan 4 form is implied to only be accessible to pure blooded saiyans; this was discovered when the parasitic Bebi had possessed Vegeta, and Bebi Vegeta could not transform to this because Bebi was not Saiyan, making Vegeta's heritage impure.
This form is only initially achieved when the primal urges of the Golden Oozaru are conciously suppressed. After this form is first achieved, it can be accessed afterwards without having to transform into a Golden Oozaru first. This form was first achieved by Goku when battling Bebi Vegeta, and then achieved by Vegeta during the battle with Omega Shenron.
In this form, the saiyan's hair is not golden yellow like the other Super Saiyan forms (Goku's hair became his original black, and Vegeta's become a lighter shade of his original black with brown highlights). The Saiyan's tail is present, and their bodies are covered in a shade of red fur. Their top and bottom eyelids become red, and the hair is lengthened and becomes wild and untamed. This form looks mostly like the humanoid saiyan, but with Oozaru characteristics as well. The fact that Vegeta could reach this form even though he was never seen reaching Super Saiyan 3 state suggests that he in fact did reach it, but never used it in battle.
Known users:
- Son Goku (black hair, gold eyes, scarlet colored fur)
- Vegeta (dark brown hair, aqua eyes, crimson colored fur)
- Gogeta (Crimson hair, light blue eyes, burgundy colored fur)