The Dragon Ball franchise has introduced a large variety of epic transformations that each had their time to shine till the characters found a more powerful upgrade, but there are none as iconic as Super Saiyan. It was once only thought of as a legend because the universe had not seen a Saiyan warrior reach such heights in over a thousand years. That all changed when a galactic tyrant decided to upset the wrong Saiyan on Planet Namek.
If a person has only watched Dragon Ball Super, they would likely have a different impression of the Super Saiyan transformation than if someone first experienced it from the original manga or Dragon Ball Z anime. It originally was a form that was only triggered in the mightiest Saiyan warriors after intense emotional trauma, but as the story of Goku and his friends continued, they found alternative ways to unlock it.
After the Super Saiyan transformation was eventually unlocked with physical training, it felt like it undercut the significance of the struggle and emotional trauma it initially took others to achieve the form. It unfortunately felt even cheaper when Dragon Ball Super introduced a Saiyan from another universe, who unlocked Super Saiyan by concentrating energy in their back to create a “tingly feeling” that led to the transformation. Ranging from epically iconic to narratively convenient, there are eleven Saiyans in Dragon Ball who have achieved the Super Saiyan form.
12
The First Super Saiyan In Over 1000 Years: Goku
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z Manga — Chapter #123, Dragon Ball Z Anime — Episode #95
There are only a few moments in the anime medium that are as iconic as Goku’s first Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball Z. It was a legendary status that’d been teased for several arcs and spoken of with such high regard and even fear from Dragon Ball‘s most powerful characters of the time. Once unlocked, it provided an extreme boost in power, speed, and durability. No Saiyan had achieved the form for a thousand years, but that all changed when a tyrant killed the wrong warrior’s friend on Planet Namek.
When Galactic Emperor Frieza killed Goku’s best friend, the already powerful warrior snapped and unlocked the brilliant golden Super Saiyan form. While the form does not seem as intimidating as it does in the current canon, its first showing shook continents, deflected planet-destroying blasts, and put the universe’s cruelest villain to his knees.
11
The Hero Who Saved Multiple Timelines: Future Trunks
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z Manga — Chapter #137, Dragon Ball Z Anime — Episode #120
After Goku unlocked his first Super Saiyan form and defeated Frieza on Namek, the rest of the Z warriors thought they could finally relax after a very intense stretch of events. That was until they found out that the still-alive Frieza was on his way to Earth, and would likely beat the returning Goku there. While that did end up being the case, the Galactic Emperor and his forces, thirsty for revenge, were cut down in brilliant fashion by a mysterious stranger wielding a sword and the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan.
The moment shocked audiences, Goku’s friends, and especially Vegeta. Eventually, the mysterious warrior was revealed to be Trunks, the son of Vegeta and Bulma from the future. During his life, he’d endured extreme hardships that left all the Z warriors dead and the world in ruins by the hands of two extremely powerful androids. While it took the murder of his own teacher, Gohan, to trigger Trunks’ first Super Saiyan transformation, he broke the rules of time and space to go back in time (multiple times) to help avoid the same terrible fate from happening to others.
10
The Prince Of All Saiyans: Vegeta
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z Manga — Chapter #149, Dragon Ball Z Anime — Episode #120
The Prince of All Saiyans arguably has the greatest character arc of the Dragon Ball franchise and is a very different person than when he was first introduced. Those early days helped provide the first insights and teases for the legendary Super Saiyan transformation, an achievement the Saiyan Prince desperately wanted to attain for himself. After Goku unlocked it first, Vegeta became obsessed with unlocking it himself with training so hardcore that it broke his body and his mind; that’s when it happened.
Vegeta’s first showcase of his own Super Saiyan form is one of Dragon Ball Z‘s most satisfying and cathartic moments for many reasons. He saved Goku’s life against Android 19 and made short work of Dr. Gero’s creation with one of the coldest lines, “Does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?” At that point, Vegeta was the strongest fighter on the planet. His transformation was only possible after becoming extremely injured, and for a brief moment, Vegeta let go of his pride and jealousy while screaming, “I don’t care anymore!” and that’s when Vegeta finally became a Super Saiyan.
9
Gohan, The Pacifist Who Harbors Ultimate Power
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Manga — Chapter #382, Dragon Ball Z Anime — Episode #120
Goku’s first son, Gohan, was primed to become the main protagonist of the franchise after the dramatic time-skip between Dragon Ball and Z. And while Goku was so beloved that he primarily maintained that role, that doesn’t mean that Gohan was not given the time to shine throughout the years. Introduced as an extremely kind-hearted child who lacked his father’s hunger for battle, Gohan’s life as a warrior consistently clashed with his own desires and pacifist nature. But when push came to shove, and his anger got the best of him, incredible reserves of power exploded from him.
After Goku, Future Trunks, and Vegeta’s first Super Saiyan transformations provided extreme levels of intensity and catharsis, expectations were high for Gohan. While his triggering of the first Super Saiyan 2 transformation against Cell reached those levels, his unlocking of the first form happened in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber while training with his father. The moment didn’t carry the same weight as his later accomplishments, but it still represented a pivotal moment for the character that pushed him to a level that he’d be able to protect his loved ones when the time came.
8
Goten, Genetics Or Genius Unlocked Greatness
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z Manga — Chapter #240, Dragon Ball Z Anime — Episode #206
The Android and Cell arcs continued to find ways to make attaining the Super Saiyan transformations an extremely intense and emotional accomplishment, but that changed at the beginning of the Buu saga. Goku sacrificed himself to save the world from Cell, but when he was finally able to return to Earth, he was able to finally meet his second son. By that time, Goten had already unlocked his own Super Saiyan transformation by the time he was seven.
Goten’s first manifestation of the Super Saiyan transformation happens offscreen and off the page of the manga, which arguably robs the form of the dramatic accomplishment it had earned several times before. While Gohan remained focused on his educational pursuits, the boy’s mom, Chi-Chi (who people forget is one of Earth’s best fighters and strongest humans), surprisingly trained Goten. He first revealed that he’d triggered the form to Gohan and Chi-Chi, but completely forgot when and where he first accomplished the feat.
7
Kid Trunks, High Expectations Pushed Him To Accomplish Wonders
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z Manga — Chapter #241, Dragon Ball Z Anime — Episode #207
As soon as Future Trunks revealed that Vegeta and Bulma would eventually have a son together, expectations for the child were sky-high. After becoming a father, The Prince of Saiyans was more than anxious to train the young Trunks into a warrior worthy of the bloodline. During a particularly intense sparring session at 150 times Earth’s normal gravity, Trunks casually transforms into a Super Saiyan in front of his prideful father. Finding out that the once legendary Super Saiyan form had been reached by both Trunks and Goten inspired the classic line “It’s a Super Saiyan bargain sale.“
Trunks doesn’t reveal exactly when he unlocked his Super Saiyan form, but a popular theory explains why it was much easier for the young Saiyan-Human hybrid to accomplish it. Goku and Vegeta had both accomplished their own Super Saiyan transformations before Goten and Trunks were born. Because of those transformations, it stands to reason that the children of Super Saiyans have a much easier time unlocking the form that once took years of training and trauma for others to reach.
6
Cabba, A Nobile Student And Saiyan From Another Universe
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Manga — Chapter #12, Dragon Ball Super Anime — Episode #37
When Dragon Ball Super revealed a version of its own multiverse, questions quickly arose if other Saiyans still existed in some form or another. The first tournament of the series saw Universe’s 6 & 7’s best fighters clash, but it also introduced Cabba, an extremely thin and short Saiyan. His universe saw the Saiyans develop into effective peacekeepers, who never faced the kind of threats that Goku and his friends had to contend with, meaning they were not required to level up their skills.
The first battle featuring Cabba put him against Vegeta, who was anxious to learn about the Saiyans of Universe 6. Because they were not pushed to evolve their powers, Cabba and the rest of his Saiyans lacked the ability to transform. This pushed Vegeta to trick the young Saiyan into an emotional battle that triggered his own Super Saiyan transformation and a great respect for Universe 7’s Prince of All Saiyans.
5
Caulifla, A Brilliantly Fast Learner, Naturally Gifted, Or Something Else?
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Manga — Chapter #37, Dragon Ball Super Anime — Episode #92
After Cabba met Vegeta and learned about the Super Saiyan transformation, he was anxious to show it to the other Saiyans of Universe 6, and hopefully even teach them how to unlock it themselves. The first warrior he demonstrated it against was the incredibly skilled bandit leader named Caulifla. While the anime and manga have different versions of their first meeting, both have Cabba introduce the form to the brash young woman. She is so taken by the Super Saiyan transformation and the power boost it provides that she accepts an invitation to the deadly Tournament of Power.
Much like the young Goten and Trunks, Caulifla was able to unlock her first Super Saiyan form without the need for extreme training or a heavy emotional trigger. The anime has her unlock the form with very little advice from Cabba, by gathering energy in her back, triggering the transformation that took decades of agony for others to accomplish. It takes Caulifla almost no time to evolve her powers to even greater heights, but she still didn’t have what it takes to beat Goku.
4
Kale, Pressure And Trauma Changed The Timid Warrior Into A Beast
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Manga — Chapter #37, Dragon Ball Super Anime — Episode #93
Before Broly was reintroduced in the Dragon Ball Super canon, the Tournament of Power arc featured its own Super Saiyan berserker in the form of Universe 6’s Kale. The young and extremely timid Saiyan woman acts as Caulifla’s protégé, and while she did not seem like a formidable warrior at first, everything changed when she was enraged by extreme jealousy of Caulifla’s attention. It triggered her own Super Saiyan transformation and significantly bulked her up into a rampaging berserker, much like Broly.
3
Broly, The Legendary Super Saiyan Berserker
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super Manga — Chapter #42, Dragon Ball Super: Broly Movie
Nearly every Dragon Ball movie is considered non-canon to the franchise’s mainline story, but some have featured characters so beloved that they were later added into the canon material. Broly’s debut was in the franchise’s 11th feature as The Legendary Super Saiyan. That film introduced the mysterious Saiyan as a colossal and cruel brute whose reputation as a galaxy-destroying berserker even had Vegeta quaking in his boots. Thankfully, the one-dimensional villain was reintroduced with an improved backstory and much more emotional depth, until he gets mad.
While the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie evolved Broly’s personality a lot, the common element between the two versions of the character is his ability to become one of the universe’s strongest fighters if he is consumed by his rage. Frieza killed his father, triggering his first Super Saiyan transformation, but even before that, he’d pushed both Goku and Vegeta to use some of their strongest transformations. However, after Broly turned Super Saiyan and was fully taken over by his blind rage, it took the fused warrior Gogeta in his god forms to finally overpower the warrior.
