Dragon Ball is a monumentally successful shonen anime that’s produced hundreds of episodes, dozens of feature films, and endless video games. However, one of Dragon Ball’s most recognizable and celebrated elements is its powerful Super Saiyan transformations. Fans of this anime never forget their first Super Saiyan experience, and these transformations have evolved from rare spectacles to obligatory milestones.
Akira Toriyama’s signature shonen series has come a long way since Goku’s Super Saiyan debut, and it’s never too long before a new transformation arrives. It can be easy to lose track of Dragon Ball’s numerous Super Saiyan transformations that rely upon numbers and colors to differentiate themselves. It may be a nuisance to stay on top of them all, but each Super Saiyan transformation has distinct features to remember.
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10 Super Saiyan
Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation is one of Dragon Ball Z's most powerful moments and few of the subsequent transformations have matched its impact. Goku first taps into Super Saiyan strength when he experiences incredible rage over his best friend, Krillin's, death. A Super Saiyan's blonde hair and green eyes have become signature looks in the series, but it's far more than just a cosmetic upgrade.
A Super Saiyan transformation multiplies the user's strength by 50, or five times that of Great Ape strength, which was Dragon Ball's previously strongest Saiyan transformation. There’s no turning back from Super Saiyans and most prominent Saiyans in Dragon Ball have achieved this level of power.
9 Super Saiyan Third Grade
Dragon Ball Z reaches an exciting period of Super Saiyan experimentation during the Saiyans' collective training during the Android invasion. In this interim time there is Super Saiyan Second Grade and Super Saiyan Third Grade, also known as Ultra Super Saiyan. Super Saiyan Third Grade boasts improved strength, but it comes at the expense of speed due to significantly larger muscle mass.
These middle stages’ bloated physique become too difficult to maneuver and ultimately not worth the extra strength. Super Saiyan Third Grade is viewed as an outdated form during the Cell Saga, but Future Trunks unsuccessfully tries to give it a surprise comeback in Dragon Ball Super.
8 Super Saiyan 2
Super Saiyan 2 is Dragon Ball's first official Super Saiyan upgrade and it's a distinct transformation in the sense that it's a rare case when Goku isn't the first to achieve it. Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 ascension against Cell is the culmination of his entire story arc up until that point and he's finally able to surpass his recently deceased father.
Super Saiyan 2 adds flashy electricity to the user's golden aura and it doesn't suffer from any of the setbacks that plague the previous in-between Super Saiyan stages. Super Saiyan 2 is double the power of a standard Super Saiyan and it multiplies the user's base strength by 100.
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7 Super Saiyan 3
One of Dragon Ball Z’s biggest surprises is when Goku nonchalantly reveals that he’s gained access to an even greater transformation, Super Saiyan 3, during his time in Other World. Goku unlocks Super Saiyan 3 after seven vigorous years of training in the afterlife. It’s the strongest Super Saiyan form in the original Dragon Ball manga and only Goku and Gotenks achieve this cumbersome transformation.
Super Saiyan 3 is so severe that Goku’s transformation causes tidal waves and hurricanes to ravage the planet. This power is said to be four times that of Super Saiyan 2, and Goku is only able to maintain it for a limited time due to its physical strain on his body.
6 Super Saiyan 4
Dragon Ball GT's Super Saiyan 4 transformation is easily the franchise's most unusual and ambitious upgrade, but its canonical status has been left in question following Dragon Ball Super’s events. Super Saiyan 4 feels like a true hybrid between the Saiyans' animalistic origins and their superior Super Saiyan evolution. Super Saiyan 4 marks the return of the Saiyans’ trademark tails and the user sprouts pink or red fur over their body.
Super Saiyan 4 is ten times as strong as Super Saiyan 3, but with none of its predecessor’s physical strain or limitations. Super Saiyan 4 properly replaces Super Saiyan 3 and it becomes the primary combat strategy for Goku, Vegeta, and their fused form, Gogeta.
5 Super Saiyan God
Audiences weren’t sure if Dragon Ball Super would feature Super Saiyan 4 or forge an original path. The series opts for Super Saiyan God, which marks the character’s first foray into godly ki. Goku first transforms into a Super Saiyan God through a special ritual that requires six pure-hearted Saiyans who graciously donate their energy.
That being said, this ritual isn’t mandatory for Super Saiyan God strength and Vegeta manages to achieve this form on his own. Super Saiyan God features red hair and a fiery aura, but it puts such a strain on the user that it must be used in moderation. Goku and Vegeta learn how to strategically use this form in tandem with other transformations.
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4 Super Saiyan Blue
Super Saiyan God brings tremendous power into Dragon Ball Super, but the emergence of Golden Frieza also introduces a stronger transformation. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, which gets shortened to Super Saiyan Blue because of its distinct hair color, is the result of a Super Saiyan transformation with godly ki. Super Saiyan God faces certain setbacks and physical limitations, but Super Saiyan Blue smoothes out these wrinkles and becomes Dragon Ball Super’s primary transformation.
Goku learns to combine Super Saiyan Blue with his Kaio-Ken Attack and Vegeta pushes it even further and achieves a perfected version called Super Saiyan Blue Evolved. Goku and Vegeta have since learned to channel Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, but these aren’t Saiyan-specific forms.
3 Super Saiyan Rosé
Dragon Ball Super has no shortage of compelling villains, but Goku Black gets introduced as a devastating mystery that the heroes struggle to comprehend. Goku Black is part of Zamasu’s comprehensive plan to wipe out all mortals from existence, which begins with stealing the powerful Saiyan's body. Goku Black is technically Goku, but driven forward through Zamasu’s wicked motivations.
The evil inside Goku Black manifests in unique transformations and techniques, which includes Super Saiyan Rosé. Super Saiyan Rosé is essentially Super Saiyan Blue, but specifically for this Zamasu-possessed Goku. Super Saiyan Rosé looks properly intimidating, especially when it’s used in conjunction with Goku Black’s Sickle of Sorrow.
2 Super Saiyan Rage
Dragon Ball establishes Saiyans as emotional individuals who aren’t strangers to their anger taking control of them and dictating their actions. Rage is often an essential ingredient in triggering early Super Saiyan transformations, but it can also lead to unprecedented power in special scenarios. The two most prominent examples of Super Saiyan Rage occur in Dragon Ball Super from Vegeta and Future Trunks.
In Vegeta’s case, Super Saiyan Rage allows him to land a few hits on Beerus, which was otherwise impossible and puts it above Super Saiyan 3 strength. Future Trunks’ Super Saiyan Rage form becomes instrumental in Fused Zamasu’s destruction. Super Saiyan Rage promises intense power, but the user has little agency in the matter.
1 Berserker Super Saiyan
Berserker Super Saiyan is a volatile transformation that not a ton is known about in comparison to the more dedicated forms. Berserker Super Saiyan is maintained by Kale in her destructive Legendary Super Saiyan state, which heavily bulks up her body and ignites a vicious desire to rampage.
Berserker Kale holds her own against Super Saiyan Blue Goku, which is a testament to its raw power. Admittedly, Berserker Super Saiyan is harder to control and both Kale and Broly have unintentionally hurt others while in this state. Kale and Broly are both active in Dragon Ball Super, which hopefully means that this powerful transformation will return sooner rather than later.
