Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人, Sūpā Saiya-jin) is an advanced transformation assumed by extraordinarily adept members of the Saiyan race in the Dragon Ball franchise, as well as Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball parody manga, Neko Majin. Three further transformations succeed Super Saiyan (two in manga canonicity), and the premier Super Saiyan form has three additional branch states. There are also two totally different types of Super Saiyan that appear in the films (the False Super Saiyan and Legendary Super Saiyan
The ability to become a Super Saiyan, was once considered to be nothing but a legend, because it has not been done for over one-thousand years (three-thousand in the Ocean dub). Vegeta first stated that a Super Saiyan has achieved a level of power so overwhelming that it could only be maintained in a transformed state. However, when this legend was proven to be true when Goku accomplished to go Super Saiyan because the feat during his titanic battle against the evil tyrant Frieza, he maintained this state in his human form. Despite only being told through legend, Frieza, considered to be the strongest being of his time, became paranoid over the possibility of truth behind the legend of the Super Saiyan, as evidenced by the constantly growing power of the Saiyan race. Because of this fear, Frieza drew the conclusion to annihilate the Saiyan race by destroying Planet Vegeta (although eight Saiyans were established in the manga and anime to have survived the genocide: Goku, Vegeta, Broly, Paragus, Nappa, Raditz, Tarble and Turles, four of which are non-manga and thus appear in the anime specials or movies only), thus sparking the end of the Super Saiyan legend on the planet.
According to Goku the Super Saiyan transformation comes in response to a need (an emergency), not a desire. In all known cases, the form has been initially triggered by either desperation or indignation. Any other conditions are unknown, and motivation tends to differ; for example, Goku achieves the form out of anger over the murder of his best-friend, Krillin, and Vegeta achieves the form through sheer frustration at his original inability to achieve it, especially over Goku. Saiyan hybrids are naturally skilled at this, as they have the emotion of Humans being (full blooded Saiyans tend to suppress their feelings) with the fighting potential of Saiyans. As the Saiyans train during Dragon Ball Z, they discover uncharted levels beyond the first Super Saiyan level. The appearance of a Super Saiyan is different in each form, more so in the fourth and final form to the point where the original transformation has since been literally reduced to that of a "child's play thing" (says Vegeta after witnessing Trunks transform and harness the power adeptly at such a young age).
In the main series, all living Saiyan-blooded males following the Frieza Saga manage to reach at least the first level of Super Saiyan. No female Super Saiyans are ever seen, however the Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files implies that Pan has the potential to transform and might become a type of Super Saiyan never seen before.
Dragon Ball Online[]
Although Saiyans are not a playable race in the upcoming computer game Dragon Ball Online, players of the Human race can acquire the transformation through obtaining the Dragonballs and having the wish granted by Shenron; a term loosely referred to as Super Human by players during the game's beta phase since Saiyans were officially stated not to be able an appearing race and Super Saiyans being Earthlings in 1000 Age. What this means has not been confirmed as of yet — whether a mocked transformation is granted to them or if Shenron is awakening the latent Super Saiyan powers of their origins, as they are officially listed as Humans. The game's other two race-exclusive transformations must also be acquired through summoning Shenron, as well.
Like in the original series, those under the influence of the Super Saiyan transformation discharge golden aura that surrounds their bodies and acquire the trademark green eyes and golden, altered hairstyles; in the game, each Human hairstyle (male and female) has a Super Saiyan counterpart. Players that choose not to allow their avatars age may acquire the Super Saiyan transformation as children and or other pre-adult stages. Also, unlike the game's other two transformations, techniques acquired in a Human's base form are still accessible, however, Super Saiyans do not obtain transformation-exclusive skills as the other races do.
Premature and advanced levels[]
Super Saiyans that appeared in the original manga series.Added by TamahomeismeIn Dragon Ball Z, the possibility of a power greater than that of a Super Saiyan is first theorized in the episode "Laboratory Basement", when Krillin and Future Trunks contemplate how Vegeta plans on retaining his dominance in power among the Z Fighters. The first of these new heights in power is the Ascended Super Saiyan stage obtained by Vegeta, Future Trunks and later, Goku. This technique (as well as the Ultra Super Saiyan technique that follows) is essentially a method of enhancing the abilities of a Super Saiyan, rather than a complete departure from it in favor of newer and more unique power. It is not until the Cell Games that this uncharted level of power makes its debut, in the form of Super Saiyan 2. Saiyan characters continue pushing their limits during the series, ultimately discovering a third, and in anime incarnations, fourth level of Super Saiyan. Two exclusive Super Saiyan stages are also featured in the Dragon Ball films.
There are nine variations of the Super Saiyan form, including the standard form itself. The following is a summarized list of the standard, premature, and advanced levels of the Super Saiyan transformation.
- False Super Saiyan, a pseudo-Super Saiyan form resembling a glorified Kaio-ken, with a orange-yellowish surge of aura. Appeared in Lord Slug.
- Super Saiyan, the standard Super Saiyan transformation.
- Ascended Super Saiyan, an advancement in the power of the original Super Saiyan state.
- Ultra Super Saiyan, an even stronger advancement in the power of the original Super Saiyan state.
- Full-Power Super Saiyan, the state of mental and physical perfection of the Super Saiyan transformation itself, rather than an advanced stage.
- Legendary Super Saiyan, a level of Super Saiyan which magnifies its user's strength capacity, without drawbacks. Broly is the only known user of this Super Saiyan variant, and did not appear in the manga.
- Super Saiyan 2, the second Super Saiyan transformation.
- Super Saiyan 3, the third (and final in the manga) Super Saiyan transformation.
- Super Saiyan 4, the last, quintessential Super Saiyan transformation. Appeared only in Dragon Ball GT.