Super Saiyan
The Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人, Sūpā Saiyajin), often abbreviated as SSJ, was introduced as a fictional legend in the popular manga and anime series of Dragon Ball, which was created by the famous mangaka Akira Toriyama. In the series, the Super Saiyan is a minor transformation that is only accessible to characters who possess heritage from the fictional race called the Saiyans. The effects of the transformation results in greatly enhanced physical abilities.
The first transformation to Super Saiyan occurs involuntarily, when a Saiyan has reached his natural limit and is overcome with intense emotion. Future transformations are achieved when the Saiyans massively increases a certain energy in their bodies called "ki". As the series continued, the status of the Super Saiyan as being "legendary" is quickly departed from due to more characters developing the ability to achieve the transformation.
Legend
- This account of the Super Saiyan legend is based on the account presented in the manga series, being that the manga account is more consistent with the rest of the Dragon Ball timeline.
The legend of the Super Saiyan is first introduced by the character Vegeta during a period of the series called the Freeza Saga[1]. Even though a detailed description of the legend is stated in the Freeza Saga, an indirect reference was made to it earlier in the series in the previous saga called the Saiyan Saga.[2] The legend was a myth that was passed down through the generations of Saiyans, telling the story of a Saiyan who had power so great that it destroyed him and the planet that he inhabited. The assumption that many Saiyans had was that any Saiyan becoming a Super Saiyan was an extremely rare event, and only being a possible transformation for the stronger individuals of the race.[3] When a Saiyan became a Super Saiyan, it was said that their true power was awakened by rage. This Saiyan would be revered as the Super Saiyan, being recognized as the strongest being in the Universe by wielding nearly limitless physical 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 the entire race, in the hope that a Super Saiyan would never emerge to challenge him.
However, four Saiyans escaped the destruction (three more were added from the movies). One of them named Son Goku achieved the transformation to Super Saiyan while battling Lord Freeza five years later. [4][5](The time gap was later altered to be 25 years. This inconsistency has never been explained).
It was originally stated that a Saiyan must be pure of heart to make the transformation,[6] whether it be pure good or evil. After Son Goku's transformation, he was considered the legendary Super Saiyan; however, just after one year, another Super Saiyan appeared.[7] 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 the male characters with Saiyan heritage who existed after the Freeza Saga managed to achieve Super Saiyan, and some of the characters managed to achieve advanced Super Saiyan transformations.
Transformations
- The following descriptions of the transformations are based on the displayed traits in the manga series, with the exception of the transformations that exclusively 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 Sūpā 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 Saiyan. Even though the transformation is incomplete, there are certain Super Saiyan features such as elevated hair and a yellow ki aura that blazes around the Saiyan. Other features include no pupils or irises. 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. Goku only uses this form in Movie 4 and in an anime filler during an episode which Goku fights the Ginyu Force in Other World.
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 Daizenshuu #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 user:
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.[8] Due to the required characteristic of strong emotion to initially transform, the transformation simply happens on its own, and can't be done by desiring it to. After the Saiyan achieves the transformation, it can usually be performed by will alone.
Several noted physical alterations occur with the Super Saiyan. The most noticeable change is that the hair is now a golden yellow and is forced upward as if standing on end. The color of the Saiyan's eyes become a shade of green and the muscle mass becomes bulkier and more toned. The aura is also unique, instead of a blazing torrent, it is a soft gentle wave.
Behavioral change is also quite noticeable, the Saiyan comes to possess heightened aggression from their regular state.[9]. The first person to appear as a Super Saiyan in the series was Son 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 as if he was not transformed. A Super Saiyan reverts to their regular state by dispersing the concentration of ki in their bodies either consciously or by force.
Known users:
- Son Goku
- Vegeta
- Son Gohan (also his Counterpart Future Gohan)
- Broly (also his clone: Bio-Broly)
- Son Goten
- Trunks
- Gotenks
- Gogeta
- Vegito
- Future Trunks
- Son Goku Jr.
- Vegeta Jr.
Super Saiyan 2nd Grade
Super Saiyan 2nd Grade (超サイヤ人第２段階, Sūpā Saiyajin Daini Dankai) or Ascended Saiyan is a transformation that occurs when a Super Saiyan has trained hard enough where his limits go further beyond the regular Super Saiyan, resulting in a Super Saiyan form that is much stronger and faster then a regular Super Saiyan. This advanced state appears as a Super Saiyan, but with longer, more wild and untamed 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 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 a true ascended Super Saiyan form but an enhance version of a regular Super Saiyan, as the same basic limits and characteristics still apply. This is the form Vegeta and Trunks use for the fight with Cell. In addition, Son Goku also briefly attains this form while training in the Room of Spirit and Time.
Known users:
Super Saiyan 3rd Grade
Super Saiyan 3rd Grade (超サイヤ人第3段階, Sūpā Saiyajin Daisan Dankai), is an advanced form of the Super Saiyan 2nd Grade. Officially named in the manga by Trunks as "The Super Super Saiyan"[10], the more common "Ultra Super Saiyan" is unofficial term that was coined by fans of the series.
This transformation is very similar to a Super Saiyan 2nd Grade, except from the fact that the transformtion does not naturally occur. The Saiyan simply increases their ki is to full capacity, which results in this transformation. This transformation is considered insufficient for battle, as the muscle mass itself has increased to a point that actually drastically inhibits the Saiyan's speed. The flaws of the form were further exposed by a villain in the series named Cell, who exploited the form's own weakness through mimicry of the transformation.
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 mentioned by Trunks that Vegeta was able to use this form, but like Goku, immediately noticed its flaws and avoided using it.
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 this 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 form of Super Saiyan only appeared in the Dragon Ball Z films, and as a result, was not in the original manga. This is a unique form of Super Saiyan because the ability to transform into this is genetically selective, and exclusive to the character Broly.
Beyond his regular Super Saiyan transformation, Broly's final form greatly increases his body size and muscle mass, much like the Super Saiyan 3rd Grade. However, his strength and speed exceed the limits of all variations of the Super Saiyan form. Additionally, his irises and pupils seemingly disappear.
This form is also 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 regular Super Saiyan that loses power as battle is prolonged.
It is often misinterpreted that Broly's hair has a natural tint of green; however, this was merely the effect of a device that he was fitted with earlier in the film that he made his debut appearance in. In the second film that he appears in, this green tint is not present and he has the normal yellow color of the regular Super Saiyan.
Known user:
- Broly (also his clone: Bio-Broly)
Super Saiyan 2
This transformation of Super Saiyan 2 is a full ascension from the regular Super Saiyan. Like the regular Super Saiyan, this form occurs on it's own, and can't be done by simply desiring it to, even though this form requires more control of the ki energy to occur then the regular Super Saiyan does. The first person to achieve this transformation was the half-Saiyan Son Gohan while fighting the genetically engineered warrior named Cell.
This form possesses the same basic characteristic of the regular Super Saiyan, with golden yellow hair, yellow aura and green pupils. Only slight differences are noted from the regular Super Saiyan form, such as a slight growth in muscle mass. Other physical changes include longer, spikier, more upright-standing hair. The behavioral effects are the same as an un-mastered Super Saiyan and every physical color change remains the same as in Super Saiyan. The Saiyan's power, strength, and speed increase substantially from their regular Super Saiyan form, resulting in a wider blazing aura that is now accompanied with blueish-colored bolts of electricity.
Gohan's behavior while transformed to Super Saiyan 2 is often noticed to be quite different than Goku and Vegeta's behaviors in the same form. After first transforming during the battle against Cell, Gohan's demeanor drastically changed from gentle to sadistic. An example of this sadism is Gohan's desire to make Cell suffer for his crimes against humanity. This behavior contrasted his regular Super Saiyan state where he actually 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 electricity on random auras with no sense of consistency in the anime. In the manga, and in the video games, it is easy to differentiate between them due to the second form's electricity surrounding the aura.
Known users:
Super Saiyan 3
This form is the strongest of all Saiyan forms in the manga Dragon Ball series. The transformation is unlike the other Super Saiyan forms because the Saiyan actually forces their bodies to convert rather than it occurring naturally. Due to the excessive amounts of energy input into the transformation, the Saiyan always over-exert themselves when fully transformed, causing 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 both Saiyans had possessed the power and essentials needed to achieve the transformation.
While the form itself endows a vast amount of power, the high intensity of the form's power exerts a hefty strain on the body, making the form sustainable for only a short period of time before the Saiyan becomes exhausted and is forced to revert back to their prior form state. While Goku was in the Other World, he could maintain this form for as long as he liked due to the unlimited supply of energy he possessed; but once he came back to Earth, his energy capacity was limited, so he could not maintain this form for extended use. Gotenks however, seemed more accustomed in maintaining the form with more ease than he could. In the Dragon Ball GT series, Goku assumed the form once again, but had exceeding difficulty maintaining it as his child state body couldn't accommodate to the form's fundamental requirements, thus his use of the form was vastly limited.
Super Saiyan 3 is characterized by a waist-length variation of Super Saiyan hair in addition to the Saiyan's eyebrows disappearing. The eyes remain the same color as a Super Saiyan; however Goku's eyes were altered in the anime to have black pupils, with green irises. The bolts of electricity sparking and surging about are usually 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 the ultimate and strongest form of the Saiyan race and is implied to only be accessible to pure full blooded saiyans; this was discovered when the parasitic Tuffle Baby had possessed Vegeta, and Baby Vegeta could not transform to this because Baby was not a Saiyan, making Vegeta's heritage impure.
This form is only initially achieved when the primal extremely strong forceful urges of the Golden Oozaru are consciously 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 Baby Vegeta, and then achieved by Vegeta during the battle with Omega Shenron. Vegeta however achieved it unnaturally by being artificially exposed to high concentrations of Blutz waves, thus only acquired temporary usage of the transformation prior to the battle.
In this form, the Saiyan's hair is not golden yellow like the previous 3 Super Saiyan forms; the color can vary, for example the hair returns to the colour it was in their normal forms. The Saiyan's red 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 half way to 3/4 down the back and becomes wild and untamed. They also have pupils, just as in the Super Saiyan 3 form, but the eye color can vary. This form looks mostly like the humanoid Saiyan, but with Oozaru characteristics as well.
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)
Other media
Due to the popularity of the Dragon Ball series, The Super Saiyan is one of the most widely parodied transformations in media. The most immediate parody is Toriyama's self parody Neko Majin Z, where the Saiyan character Onio actually has the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan. Other characters like Sonic the Hedgehog is also known to have a transformation that is very similar to a Super Saiyan, but is noted to be a tribute not a parodie.
Notes and references
- ^ Dragon Ball: Vol. 24 (DBZ, vol. 8)
- ^ Dragon Ball: Vol 17 (DBZ volume 1)
- ^ Dragon Ball Z: Volume 8 (Pg. 52)
- ^ Dragon Ball vol. 17 (or DBZ vol 1) chapter 3.
- ^ Dragon Ball Z: Episode 2
- ^ Dragon Ball, Vol. 27 p. 90 (DBZ vol. 11)
- ^ Dragon Ball, volume 28 (DBZ vol. 12)
- ^ Dragon Ball Z: vol 13, p 89: Vegeta: "Then I ran into a wall, my own limits. Through the rage I felt toward myself, I awoke into a Super Saiyan".
- ^ Dragon Ball vol 29 (DBZ: Vol 13) P. 92
- ^ Dragon Ball, vol. 32 (DBZ vol 16)