The first transformation to Super Saiyan occurs involuntarily, when a Saiyan has reached his natural limit and is overcome with intense emotion. The ascended Super Saiyan levels, Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 can only be reached due to training, but sometimes severe emotional stress can trigger Super Saiyan 2, as in Son Gohan's case. 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 transform.
Appearance
Toriyama first drew the Super Saiyan as a lean warrior with upright golden hair and green eyes surrounded by a flame-like gold aura. As the series progresses and more forms are introduced, each form is slightly altered from the previous one; often possessing more upright hair and altered aura appearances. The two stages of the regular Super Saiyan are achieved between Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2. This produces an increase in strength and bulkier muscles. The two forms surpassing Super Saiyan introduced later in the series possess a much greater increment of power and longer hair. Blue electrical bolts also occasionally appear in the aura. Toei's anime adaptation of the Super Saiyan forms were slightly altered. The depiction of the different auras for the forms in the anime was usually less distinguishable than in the manga. Toei also added electrical bolts in the aura to the first-level Super Saiyan forms in the anime or occasionally left them out of the appropriate ones.
Concept
As the series continued and more powerful villains were introduced, the Super Saiyan concept was modified by Toriyama several times. As a result of these new villains, Toriyama at first had created "upgraded" forms of the original Super Saiyan, but then later created all new Super Saiyan forms. At the end of the manga, there were three forms or levels of the Super Saiyan, with two intermediate forms between the first and second form. As the anime was produced, Dragon Ball's animation company Toei created more forms, such as a pre-Super Saiyan form called Giji Super Saiyan, and an alternate genetically exclusive form called the Legendary Super Saiyan. Later in Dragon Ball Z's spin-off sequel Dragon Ball GT, Toei created Super Saiyan 4. Dragon Ball GT was cancelled after only 64 episodes due to lack of popularity, and no more Super Saiyan forms were officially created by Toriyama or Toei.
Heritage and gender controversy
Toriyama ran into a problem with his Super Saiyan concept in the last manga volume, where the quarter Saiyan female named Pan is introduced as the granddaughter of Goku. Toriyama's Super Saiyan concept had become a staple concept in the Dragon Ball series, so Toriyama had received many questions about Pan's ability to become a Super Saiyan. Toriyama wrote that Pan's Saiyan heritage was too diluted in order for her to ascend to Super Saiyan, but later admitted that the only reason he made that rule was because he could not come up with a logical design for a female Super Saiyan because most of the characteristics associated with the Super Saiyan were characteristics typical of males, and not females. Toei ignored this heritage rule in their spin-off series Dragon Ball GT when they made distant Saiyan descendents Son Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. have the ability to transform into Super Saiyans, even though their Saiyan heritage was even more diluted than Pan's.
Naming scheme
When the ascended Super Saiyan forms were introduced in the series, Toriyama had never actually given them names. It wasn't until volume 40 that the ascended Super Saiyan forms were given names by Goku. Goku was facing an opponent named Majin Buu, and decided to show him the different Super Saiyan forms, as a result he came up with names for them. He showed Buu his regular form, then Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, and then as a climax, introduced Super Saiyan 3. When the stages of the first Super Saiyan form were introduced, several names were given by the characters, but no official names for the advanced grades were decided on in the series. It wasn't until the Daizenshuu was produced that the stages of the regular form of Super Saiyan were actually given names, such as Super Saiyan 1 Stage 2 and Super Saiyan 1 Stage 3.
Daizenshuu vs GT Perfect files
When referencing characters that can achieve the Super Saiyan forms, there are two official guides that are used for this. The first guide is a ten volume book series called the Daizenshuu, published by both Toriyama's manga team and Dragon Ball's animation company Toei. The Daizenshuu is referred to by many fans as the "Dragon Ball Encyclopedia", and generally used as the primary reference of the two series. The second series published was two books called the GT Perfect Files, created solely by Dragon Ball's animation company Toei. Several differences between the two guides cause debate in the fandom; on several occasions, the GT Perfect Files either labels or leaves out characters on lists of people who have achieved certain Super Saiyan forms. For example, The GT Perfect Files lists the character Gotenks as a character who achieved Super Saiyan 2, while the Daizenshuu does not (however, the seventh Daizenshuu notes that Gotenks is indeed capable of going Super Saiyan 2). Also in the GT Perfect Files, Vegeta is only listed as a Super Saiyan 2 while in his "Demon Prince" or Majin state, but it doesn't list him as a Super Saiyan 2 in his regular state despite him making usage of the form in both his battles against Buu and on occasion in GT.
Legend
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- This account of the Super Saiyan legend is based on the storyline presented in the manga series, being that the manga storyline is more consistent with the rest of the Dragon Ball timeline.
The legend of the Super Saiyan is first introduced by the Saiyan prince Vegeta during the second story arc of the series called the Frieza Saga.[1] Even though a detailed description of the legend is stated in the Frieza Saga, an indirect reference was made to it earlier in the series in the previous story arc called the Saiyan Saga.[2] The legend told the story of a Saiyan with unlimited power who had existed a millennium prior. Even though only one Super Saiyan is usually referenced in the legend, Vegeta in the series occasionally has made reference to more than one; however, it was never confirmed if more than one actually did exist. The assumption that modern 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 achieved the state of Super Saiyan, it was said that his heart would be overcome by rage, which would result in a transformation, both physically and mentally. The Super Saiyan legend was known by many races, and was considered the strongest being in the galaxy.
Because the Super Saiyan transformation had not been demonstrated by any Saiyan in over a thousand years, most races that had heard the legend of the Super Saiyan dismissed it as simple mythology, even most Saiyans. This was until several Saiyans emerged that possessed physical potential that had rapidly evolved beyond their known natural limits. The galactic overlord Frieza also had dismissed it as simple legend until he witnessed a genetically weaker Saiyan defeat one of his elite warriors. As a result, Frieza realized that a Super Saiyan emerging was a possibility. Fearing the Saiyans, he destroyed the race and their planet.
However, some would survive and one of the survivors (Goku) would defeat Frieza by ascending to the legendary form. Goku and Vegeta procreate with humans later in the series to produce hybrids, and most of the hybrids inherited the potential to ascend to Super Saiyan in spite of their impure heritage.
It was originally stated that a Saiyan must be pure of heart to make the transformation,[4] whether it be pure good or pure evil. It is unclear whether or not the legend stated that a single Super Saiyan would appear every thousand years, or simply if no Super Saiyans had emerged in over a thousand years. This is simply due to plotholes in the legend. However, a year after Goku transformed, another Super Saiyan appears[5]. As a result, the legendary status of the Super Saiyan ceases due to several characters being able to use the form. In the written series, all the male characters with Saiyan heritage who existed after the Frieza Saga managed to achieve Super Saiyan, and some of the characters managed to achieve advanced Super Saiyan transformations, but later on Vegeta's brother Tarble was introduced in an anime special, this was the only male living Saiyan that did not reach Super Saiyan status.
Evolution in the manga series
Early concept
Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人, Sūpā Saiyajin?) was introduced in volume 24 of the 42 volume manga series, in the character Vegeta's recounting of a legend about a super warrior from the Saiyan race. Vegeta suspected that Goku was a Super Saiyan due to his substantial increase in physical power in a short amount of time. During the events of volume 27, Goku is seen to transform into what he calls a Super Saiyan, confirming Vegeta's suspicions earlier in the series.
Goku uses his new power to defeat Frieza, the antagonist of the series at the time. Frieza had destroyed the Saiyans out of his fear of their growing power, and the idea of a possible "Super Saiyan". As a result of defeating Frieza, Goku avenges the Saiyan race, and the death of his best friend Krillin.
As the series continues, the Super Saiyan becomes a staple concept in Dragon Ball, being achieved by several other characters in the series, with the sons of Goku and Vegeta seeming to access the form much easier than their fathers at a young age. Details about the Super Saiyan are revealed such as its limits and weaknesses. Goku later contracts a virus that attacks his heart, and his Super Saiyan transformation is revealed to actually increase the virus's effects on his body. By this time, the character Vegeta had also achieved Super Saiyan, and it is his defeat as a Super Saiyan at the hands of the Androids that reveals the Super Saiyan had limits, despite its incredible power.
- Super Saiyan (Supa Saiya-jin)
Advanced stages
Continuing with the story, Toriyama decided to introduce several advanced stages of the Super Saiyan. The character Vegeta is the first one to reveal a second stage of the Super Saiyan in battle, which he uses to battle the character Cell. However, due to Vegeta's arrogance, Cell is allowed to reach his perfect form and defeat Vegeta, revealing yet more limits. Vegeta's son from the future, Trunks, displays a further stage of Super Saiyan, however the stage's weaknesses such as bulky mass and a speed reduction lead to his defeat. These flaws are exploited by Goku later in the series, who decides that simply mastering the regular Super Saiyan is the most effective way to become stronger. As a result of this revelation, these advanced stages are not used beyond a few chapters in the series.
Goku and his first child Son Gohan later emerge from the Room of Spirit and Time, having mastered the Super Saiyan form. After witnessing Goku, Vegeta deduces that the training had made him stronger than both himself or Trunks after using the minimum amount of chi to maintain the form, allowing him and Gohan greater access to their chi reserves, and constantly being in the Super Saiyan state. The only main difference between it and a regular super saiyan is that they are not usually covered with a golden aura, and as such, their hair appears to be a pale blonde rather than golden. Despite his increased power in his mastered state of Super Saiyan, Goku was unable to defeat Cell. Gohan also battled Cell in his mastered form of Super Saiyan, but was also unable to defeat Cell with his current strength.
- Super Saiyan Stage 2 (超サイヤ人第2段階 Sūpā Saiyajin Dai Ni Dankai)
- Super Saiyan Stage 3 (超サイヤ人第3段階 Sūpā Saiyajin Dai San Dankai)
- Super Saiyan Full Power (超サイヤ人フルパワー Sūpā Saiyajin Furu Pawā)
Ascended levels
Toriyama had introduced the possibility of Gohan becoming stronger than his father earlier in the series, when Gohan had unknowingly assisted his father in defeating the evil Saiyan Raditz, who was revealed to be Goku's older brother. Gohan had revealed a massive dormant power that emerged whenever he threw fits of rage. During their training to battle Cell, Goku trained Gohan to become a Super Saiyan, knowing that if he became a Super Saiyan, his dormant power would probably be a catalyst in the defeat of Cell. Gohan was able to achieve Super Saiyan and master it, due to his father's guidance and training. Although he had not realized it, he was already stronger than his father.
Gohan later fought Cell, where his dormant power revealed itself, transforming him into a Super Saiyan 2 [6]. Gohan easily defeated Cell with this new form of Super Saiyan. Goku and Vegeta later are revealed to achieve this form, however the form's limits are exploited by the villain Majin Buu, and as a result, Goku reveals an even stronger form of Super Saiyan[7]. There are no more Super Saiyan forms revealed in the manga series, as Toriyama ended the series shortly after.
- Super Saiyan 2 (超サイヤ人2 Sūpā Saiyajin Tsū)
Power further increases far beyond any of the previous forms. In terms of appearance, it is similar to the first form. However, the muscles become larger, although not by as much of a factor as an ascended Super Saiyan. The user's hair stands straighter with fewer bangs of hair hanging over the forehead, and also seems to increase in length slightly. A stern look on the user's face is also maintained. In this form, blue electrical arcs always appear (in the manga, but the anime only depicts them from time to time), and are more prominent when the user powers up. Besides the electricity, the aura also grows in size and becomes more fierce than most of the previous forms.
- Super Saiyan 3 (超サイヤ人3 Sūpā Saiyajin Surī)
Power increases greatly from the previous form. In terms of appearance, it is differentiated from the previous form by the user's straight standing hair growing almost to waist-length, similar to the hairstyle that Raditz had, and the user's eyebrows retracting, revealing a more prominent brow ridge. The muscles also increase slightly in size from the previous form. Blue electrical arcs constantly surround the users body, unlike Super Saiyan 2, which may lack electricity in some anime episodes. The shape and size of the aura from Super Saiyan 2 is also retained.
Toei transformation variants
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- The following Super Saiyan forms only appeared in the anime series, and were created by Dragon Ball's animation company Toei in order to elaborate on and expand Toriyama's written Dragon Ball series.
False Super Saiyan
During the development of the Super Saiyan concept, Dragon Ball's animation company (Toei) produced a movie depicting Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation. However, the form was later called Giji Supa Saiya-jin,[8] which depicted Goku with his regular black hair, but flowing, eyes lacking irises and the golden aura of the anime Super Saiyan coloring the body gold. Goku uses this form in his fight against Lord Slug in Dragon Ball Z movie 4 after he catches a punch from him and easily overpowers him, however, though his power was extremely great his rage soon started to fall due to surprise that Slug is a Namekian. This form is an example of a Saiyan on their way to becoming a true Super Saiyan.
Legendary Super Saiyan
The Legendary Super Saiyan (Densetsu no Sûpâ Saiyajin[8]) first appeared in Dragon Ball Z movie 8 in the form of a Saiyan survivor named Broly. In this film, Toei created a Super Saiyan whose abilities exceeded all other Super Saiyans in the series; an attempt to create an idea that there was a superior form of Super Saiyan that would be considered the "Legendary" form. Broly was originally designed by Toriyama for the movie, and strongly resembled one of Toriyama's manga Super Saiyan forms called Super Saiyan Stage 3. Even though the two forms appear very similar, The Legendary Super Saiyan form does not have the same physical flaws of massive ki consumption and speed loss that Stage 3 does. This form has many advantages when compared to the other Super Saiyan forms, as it requires no ki consumption, gives the user phenomenal strength and speed, and constantly raises the user's power as long as they remain in the Legendary Super Saiyan form.[9]
Super Saiyan 4
Dragon Ball creator
Akira Toriyama's depiction of the Super Saiyan 4, drawn exclusively for the Dragon Box.
The Super Saiyan 4 (超サイヤ人4, Sūpā Saiyajin 4?) is a form that exclusively appears in Toei's spin-off anime series Dragon Ball GT, and was not part of the original series. Even though Toriyama supervised the production for Dragon Ball GT, he did not design the characters or Super Saiyan 4. The Super Saiyan 4 was designed by Toei artist Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, and was designed to more closely resemble the Saiyan Ape form which appears early in the written series. As a result, the Super Saiyan 4 design does not resemble the original Super Saiyan design of golden-yellow hair and green eyes. While Toriyama did not design the Super Saiyan 4, he did draw a manga version of Goku as a Super Saiyan 4 for the Dragon Box, a massive media boxset containing all the Dragon Ball movies and episodes ever produced by Toei[10].
Wanting to expand the Dragon Ball series, Toei created a new series called Dragon Ball GT. As new enemies emerged in the series, Goku searches for a way to ascend what he had originally thought was the last Super Saiyan form. As a result, he went through a process that enabled him to transform into a Super Saiyan 4. The Super Saiyan 4 form is the most advanced Super Saiyan transformation achieved in the anime series, and is widely believed to be only accessible to pure blooded Saiyans; this was discovered when the parasitic Tuffle Baby had infected Vegeta, and Baby Vegeta could not transform to this because Baby was not a Saiyan, making Vegeta's heritage impure.
The Super Saiyan 4 has several unusual characteristics like it only being possible for pure Saiyans to achieve the transformation. Odd visual characteristics can be observed with disappearing articles of clothing after transformation, and the instant aging of Goku from child to adult when he transforms into Super Saiyan 4. It should be noted that the aging can be explained by the form's power. Super Saiyan 4 is strong enough to overpower the red dragon's magic, reverting Goku to his proper age. When compared to the previous Super Saiyan forms, the Super Saiyan 4 also has an unusual appearance. The Super Saiyan 4 does not have yellow hair. Instead the Saiyan retains his original hair color, regrows a tail, and develops a shade of red "fur" that covers most of the body. Each Saiyan who can utilize the transformation has different tone of red fur and eye color from other Saiyans who can achieve the form. The Super Saiyan 4 form is much more powerful and faster than the previous Super Saiyan transformations. The only two Saiyans known to be able to complete this transformation in the Dragon Ball series are Goku and Vegeta. Their combined form, Gogeta, was also able to achieve Super Saiyan 4, though he was shown having red hair and brown fur.
Appearances in other media
After the success of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama created a self-parody manga entitled Neko Majin Z, which features Goku and Vegeta, and introduced a new Saiyan named Onio, who also has the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan. In the series, the Super Saiyan transformation was altered slightly, so the aura of the regular Super Saiyan contains bolts of electricity. As part of his self parody, the main character Neko Majin actually has a transformation that is similar to the Super Saiyan, where he becomes "Super Neko Majin".[11]
Due to Dragon Ball receiving such iconic status in the manga and anime world, gags referencing the ability to "turn" or "go" Super Saiyan are often used in other pop cultural media in Japan.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, Sonic and a few other characters have the ability to transform into a "Super" state, a form which closely resembles a Super Saiyan.
In the Nintendo 64 Game Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Goemon obtains a power that allows him to transform into a more powerful version of himself complete with blond spiky hair closely resembling that of a Super Saiyan.
