Oozaru
Oozaru (大猿 Ōzaru, lit. Great Monkey) is a fictional transformation in the Dragon Ball manga series and anime adaptation, written by Akira Toriyama. Originally in the series, the Oozaru was a transformation for the main character named Son Goku, being a parody of a monkey king character named Sun Wukong from the novel The Journey to the West. In the series, the Oozaru is a giant ape that Son Goku turns into when he looks at a full moon, similar to that of a werewolf. Later in the series, the Oozaru is discovered to be a transformation that is only accessible to characters who possess heritage from the fictional race called the Saiyans.
Conditions for Transformation
A Saiyan's tail must be present in order for the transformation to occur, as the glands responsible for initiating the transformation are located exclusively there. The Saiyan must also absorb at least 17 million zeno units of Bruits Rays (called "Blutz Waves" in the English dub and Green-spectrum Radiation in the English manga) through their eyes. Bruits Rays are found only in sunlight reflected by a moon; however, if there is no moon, a large planetary body will spark the same transformations. If anything were to cover the Bruits Rays' source from a Saiyan's view, it would block certain amounts of the radiation.
Vegeta once made himself transform by firing and staring at an artificial moon (usually called a "power ball") reflecting the requisite amount of Blutz Waves into the air. In Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, Tullece did the same thing to provoke a transformation in Son Gohan as a joke, for he knew he was powerful enough to handle him. According to Tullece in the same film, the power ball's residual effect would keep Gohan (and any other transformed Saiyan) in their Oozaru form for a limited amount of time even if the power ball were to be destroyed. It can be assumed that, since it is so close to the planet, weather conditions do not affect the power ball's radiation output.
If a natural source of Bruits Rays (a full moon or planet) was destroyed or the tail is amputated, this would cause the Saiyan to instantly transform back to their humanoid form. Additionally, during Dragon Ball GT, Bulma created the Bruits Rays Machine, which could induce the transformation on even a tail-less Saiyan by firing the required radiation directly at their body.
Characteristics of Saiyans in Oozaru form
An Oozaru's power level is equal to the Saiyan's power level prior to the transformation multiplied by ten[1]. Most Saiyans lose the ability to reason in this form, and will typically display berserk and destructive characteristics, even in the cases of protagonists. However, as Saiyans mature, they are taught how to reign over their instincts and retain normal cognitive functions as Oozaru. This explains why Son Goku and Son Gohan lose control in Oozaru form, as they never received this training and are at first unaware of this transformation. Saiyans in Oozaru form can also shoot an energy beam from their mouth, in a manner akin to (and possibly an intentional mimicry of) Godzilla's nuclear breath. As the transformation causes the Saiyan to grow to several times their original size, the Saiyans wear special armor which can stretch to fit the Oozaru form and shrink back to fit their normal form. The transformation is also quite exhausting as some Saiyans have been known to pass out after reverting back to their original forms while trained Saiyans are less likely to pass out.
The Golden Oozaru
An alternative and far stronger type of Oozaru, known as a Golden Oozaru (黄金大猿 Ōgon Ōzaru), can be seen in Dragon Ball GT. It is attained by Saiyans who have a tail and are already in use of the Super Saiyan form and above before looking at either a moon or a full planetary body (sunlight reflected from a planet apparently works equally well, as Son Goku used the "full Earth" to transform). However, when Baby demanded an answer from Bulma, it was revealed that Goku turned Golden Oozaru because the Earth's moon was aligned dead center of the side of Earth visible from Planet Plant, and from there, Goku was receiving the output to transform.
Aside from its fur being gold-colored and standing on end, its appearance is identical to that of a regular Oozaru (except Golden Oozaru Baby Vegeta, whose skin is inexplicably blue-colored, possibly as a result of the mutations Baby was performing on Vegeta's body.)
The Golden Oozaru may have been a take on Vegeta's story of the Legendary Super Saiyan given in Dragon Ball Z. While there was one Legendary Super Saiyan, it is said that he couldn't maintain its transformation while transformed into Oozaru state, thus his own power destroyed him. Hence, the Super Saiyan/Golden Oozaru.
Abilities
In Dragon Ball, Oozaru were just large, immune (to a certain extent) to weak to medium artillery and powerful, without any special abilities; they just rampaged about destroying anything in their way. They did however share the same weakness as a regular Saiyan in that they can be rendered powerless if their tail was squeezed tightly enough or cut off, as is the case with Goku.
In Dragon Ball Z however, Oozaru became much more destructive with the ability to fire powerful Ki blasts from their mouths. Additionally, Vegeta has shown that certain Saiyans of "Elite" status can control their Oozaru forms, even being able to speak while transformed. Vegeta's speed was not affected by the transformation and he could still fly despite his size. It is also said that a Saiyan's power is multiplied by ten when transformed.
In Dragon Ball GT, Oozaru gain the ability to breathe fire (a flashback to Dragon Ball Z shows regular Oozaru also breathing fire, so this ability cannot be attributed to the Golden Oozaru form). Baby Vegeta also shows the ability to use the same ki based attacks he could use while not transformed, due to having full control over the transformed state.
Size
An Oozaru's size remains mostly inconsistent throughout the Dragon Ball anime and manga. A generalization is that most average humanoid/non-transformed saiyans can almost fit into the palm of an Oozaru's hand. Oozaru's are assumed to be around 50 feet tall.
As far as Goku's first (shown) transformation goes, he is much larger in the anime than he is in the manga. In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi and its sequel, the Oozaru's size were significantly cut down but they are still the largest characters in the game and can still hold a character in one hand (in grab throws).
Appearances
Dragon Ball
Goku's first depicted transformation occurred when Pilaf seals him and his friends inside a chamber designed to amplify the sun's rays effectively cooking them alive when the sun rose. Goku proceeded to go on a rampage destroying Pilaf's entire castle. While Yamcha and company decide it would be best to stay away from Goku until morning, Goku suddenly left the castle and attacked them. Yamcha then decided to try and cut his tail, thinking the pain would cause him to faint. Fortunately, removing his tail causes him to change back to normal. Goku also mentions before transforming that his grandfather Gohan told him never to look at the full moon, and that Gohan was killed by a monster that comes out at the full moon. This implies at least two prior transformations. In the anime, Pilaf tries to fight Oozaru Goku before his plane crashes, machine gun fire only annoyed Goku, while a missile only knocked him out for a short time.
Goku transforms again during the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai when his tail grows back, and once again the transformation saves him from being defeated. Although Yamcha is ready to try and cut his tail off again, Master Roshi comes up with a more permanent solution and uses a Kamehameha to destroy the moon.
Due to the lack of a moon, Goku never transforms again, however, an Oozaru appears as a representation of his hidden power, most evident when he kills Piccolo Daimaō. Kami, apparently aware of Goku's transformation, removes Goku's tail during his training and restores the Moon.
Dragon Ball Z
Gohan transforms for the first time when he is out in the wild. Once again the transformation proves to be useful in a way as it gets Gohan down from a high peak he was stuck on (he simply crushed the peak with his weight). Piccolo then destroys the moon and then removes Gohan's tail (which he turns into a sword).
In the anime only, Gohan's tail grew back again, coincidentally during a time when Goku's space pod started projecting an image of the full moon in the night sky. Piccolo tries his best, but is unable to match the Oozaru Gohan. He eventually finds the source of the moonlight and destroys it, reverting Gohan back to normal. He then removes Gohan's tail once again. Several Homages to Goku's second transformation occur here, including Gohan transforming while being hit with an electrical attack.
As North Kaio tells Goku about the history of the Saiyans, a flashback shows that the Saiyans were able to completely destroy the Tsufurujin: By transforming into Oozaru due to a Full Moon that happens only once every 18 years, the Saiyan race was able to exterminate the Tsufurujin overnight.
After Goku manages to overcome Vegeta's Galick Gun with his Kamehameha, Vegeta becomes furious and decides that he needs to transform. He soon takes note at the lack of a moon (They had planned their arrival to coincide with the full moon in case transformation was needed) but fortunately he reveals that he is able to create a power ball to simulate the full moon's light, though this drains his power significantly. He then promptly transforms, overwhelming Goku completely. During the battle, Goku realizes that it was this very form that killed his grandfather, which fills the warrior with guilt for a brief period. Vegeta's transformation is halted by Yajirobe cutting off his tail.
During the same battle, Gohan's tail grows back and he uses the power ball still in the sky to transform. While Vegeta was able to initially get away from Gohan due to his unfocused rage, Goku was able to help Gohan focus on fighting Vegeta. Vegeta does surprisingly well against the beast, but is ultimately outmatched. He manages to cut Gohan's tail off with an energy disk, but then Gohan falls on him.
On Namek, when Vegeta confronts Dodoria, Dodoria tells Vegeta about how Freeza got concerned about the Saiyans and destroyed them. A group of Saiyans is shown transforming into Oozaru and destroying an entire planet. A similar scenario happens in the Burdock Special.
After this point, there are no Saiyans with tails remaining, and the Oozaru are mostly ignored for the rest of the series, it makes one more appearance during Goku's Super Saiyan 3 transformation once again representing his hidden powers.
The first Super Saiyan in history couldn't maintain it during this transformed state, and was destroyed by his own power.
Dragon Ball GT
When even Super Saiyan 3 Goku proves to be no match for Baby Vegeta, Elder Kai decides that the only way he'll stand a chance is to regrow Goku's tail. And while Goku is defeated once again, by looking at the Full Earth, Goku once again transforms into an Oozaru, but this time he has become a Golden Oozaru. In this form he seems to be able to overpower Baby Vegeta, but is too berserked to focus on fighting him. Eventually Pan is able to get through to Goku and he undergoes the transformation into Super Saiyan 4.
No match for Super Saiyan 4 Goku, Bulma creates a Bruits wave machine to transform Baby Vegeta into an Oozaru, too. The beam works, and Baby Vegeta transforms into a Golden Oozaru. He reveals he is able to control his form, even able to use Ki based attacks. As the battle progresses, it becomes obvious that Baby Vegeta is slowly becoming more and more out of control, eventually, Goku stops Baby by blasting his tail off.
Remembering what the Bruits wave machine did for Baby Vegeta, Bulma deduces that it can be used to help Vegeta reach Super Saiyan 4. The machine transforms Vegeta into a regular Oozaru and while he shows the classic rage expected from an Oozaru, he apparently was just having some fun, and promptly transforms into a Golden Oozaru, and then Super Saiyan 4.
Movies and Specials
Goku transforms into an Oozaru near the end of Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle. Interestingly, even though the movie is set after Goku's first transformation, the scene plays out almost exactly like Goku's first transformation. Goku's transformation frees Yamcha and co from a dire situation, although, instead of destroying everything around him, he immediately chases after his friends. Yamcha once again grabs onto Goku's tail and although Goku isn't completely immobilized like last time, Puar is still able to cut Goku's tail off by transforming into scissors. A complete transformation and detransformation sequence is lacking from this movie.
In the Movie Tree of Might, Gohan's tail grows in the middle of a battle with Tullece. Deciding to have a little fun, Tullece creates a power ball and makes Gohan look at it. Interestingly, he blocks the power balls power while Gohan is transforming without having an effect on the transformation. Goku fights Gohan with little luck against the beast, but Haiyaa Dragon appears and is able to calm Gohan down. Tullece, annoyed at what is happening, blasts away Icarus, causing Gohan to attack Tullece. Tullece is ready to take down Gohan with one attack, but Goku uses an energy disk to cut Gohan's tail off saving him from Tullece's attack.
The TV Special Bardock: The Father of Goku starts off with Bardock and his team destroying an entire civilization as Oozaru. The morning after, they have a conversation about how much they remember of the night prior, and it is revealed that Bardock can apparently remember everything he does as an Oozaru. Whether or not he has control of what he is doing is not said. Although technically they should be berserked, the entire team seem to be able to work together in Oozaru form, and refrain from attacking each other.
In video games
Although the Oozaru are extensively large and have only physically appeared in the manga series five times, Oozaru have appeared in video games many times albeit mostly in cutscenes.
In the first Famicom Dragon Ball game, Dragon Ball Z: Kyoushuu! Saiyajin, Vegeta's Oozaru form is a possible final boss. Earlier in the game, a Saiyajin named Onion is able to transform into an Oozaru, which is a palette swap of Vegeta's form. Also, using a combination of "Tail" and "Moon" cards will allow Son Gohan to transform into an Oozaru.
In Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22, a special attack of Kid Goku's allows him to temporarily transform into an Oozaru and thrash the opponent.
Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout features Golden Oozaru Baby-Vegeta as the final boss. He was taller than the screen, usually only visible from his waist down. His mouth blast, Revenge Death Ball, and other Ki attacks only hit if his opponent was in the air. This character was only playable with the use of an external cheat device. Players are also given a very brief time to control Golden Oozaru Goku.
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku featured Son Gohan and Vegeta's Oozaru forms in cutscenes.
The Game Boy Color game Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors featured Oozaru in cutscenes. After completing the game, it is possible to acquire a card called "Tail" that allows the character to transform into an Oozaru temporarily for a single attack.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai featured an Oozaru in the opening, as it is a 3-D revision of the anime's opening. Vegeta's Oozaru form also appears in a cutscene.
Oozaru are featured in Burdock and Son Goku's ultimate attacks in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi is the first time the Oozaru is represented as a playable character in a fighting game. A generic Oozaru, referenced as "Great Ape" in the English language versions, was used as an Oozaru form to both Kid Goku and Kid Gohan [2] While scaled down considerably, they are still the largest characters in the game. Although Oozaru in the anime are depicted as being somewhat fast despite their size, in Budokai Tenkaichi, Oozaru are incredibly slow (this is apparently to balance out the incredible level of damage the Oozaru characters can give).
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 features the generic Oozaru once more (serving Son Gohan's transformation in Dragon Adventure mode, although only Kid Goku can transform into it in other modes). Other Oozaru forms included are Vegeta [3], Burdock [4], and Baby-Vegeta (Golden Oozaru)[5], as well as three Oozaru forms never seen in the anime or manga - Raditz[6], Nappa[7], and Tullece [8]. Vegeta is not the only one in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 to speak normally and have control of the power when in Oozaru form; Nappa has this ability as well.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 features all the Oozaru from Budokai Tenkaichi 2, in addition to King Vegeta's and Seripa's Oozaru forms.[9][10] Like Vegeta and Nappa, King Vegeta also has the ability to talk in Oozaru form. Seripa's Oozaru form marks the first appearance of a female Oozaru in a video game.
Notes and references
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/guides/transformations/saiyan/index.shtml.
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_characters.shtml
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_neo_characters.shtml
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_neo_characters.shtml
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_neo_characters.shtml
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_neo_characters.shtml
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_characters.shtml
- ^ http://www.daizex.com/general/tidbits/sparking_neo_characters.shtml
- ^ http://dbzs.jp/meteor/p_characters/01_great_ape_king_vegeta.html
- ^ http://dbzs.jp/meteor/p_characters/13_great_ape_celipa.html